Ilkley Harriers News Archive Jan-Mar 2001
Bury 10km Walk, 31 March 2001
Peter Shields was one of the few who found a race las weekend - he competed in a 10km race walk in Bury, and performed strongly to finish in 3rd place overall and winning the handicap event.
Sport Direct XC Prizegiving, 30 March 2001
The Sport Direct XC League 2001 finished with a bang on Friday night with a prizegiving and disco at Abbey Runners' HQ. Di collected the LV40 prize and was also second lady overall. Jo picked up the ladies team prize - shared with Horsforth Harriers. Andy Wade was second male runner. The 'Club Winners' were Alison Crane and Andy Wade.
PhotosTuesday night run, 3rd April
With no off-road running and road races being cancelled due to the foot and mouth crisis, it has been suggested that we offer some alternative runs to zest up your training.
The first of these will be Tuesday 3rd April, meeting at the Hunters Inn on the Pool/Harrogate road at 18.50h to run at 19.00h. There will be a 7 mile run with an optional extra 1 mile loop. All on roads/lanes. Thanks to Richard Gray for organising this - more details from him.
NB There will still be a presence at Ben Rhydding Sports Club and runs from there on Tuesday at 7pm.
Ackworth 1/2M, 25 March 2001
The Ackworth Half Marathon was one of the few events on last weekend, but there were great results from three Harriers. Chairman Geoff Howard led the way in 1h26 mins, 2nd Vet-55 in a quality field. Coach Peter Shields was next, in 1h28; with Keith Wood having a great London build-up in 1h20.
It was an especially good day for Peter, as the first two runners in the race - Dave Watson from Holmfirth who equalled the course record and Otley's Ian Fisher - are both coached by him.
Lancs Race Walk 17 March, Sth Leeds Stadium 5M, 18th March
Peter Shields and Nick Pearce travelled over the Pennines on Saturday for the Lancashire 10km Walk. Peter is enjoying great success in this field, and finished second on the day - just a few seconds down on the winner in 56.45. Nick had a marvellous first place on the day, but his enthusiasm for running had got the better of him and the marshals deemed that he hadn't 'walked' it!
Updated 26 March The next day, Andy Wade, Richard Gray and Andy Wolfenden raced in the South Leeds Stadium 5 mile race. On a bitterly cold day they all recorded good times: Andy Wade was 23rd in 28.40, Richard ran 36.43 and Andy Wolfenden 38.00
Sport Direct XC - Final League Tables
The final results of the Sport Direct Cross-Country League have just been announced, after the cancellation of the fifth event at Rothwell because of the foot and mouth disease restrictions. It's been a great season for Ilkley Harriers, with both men's and ladies' team well placed in the final league tables.
Our men's team were 6th out of 11 clubs, but equal on points with the 4th and 5th teams, so boding well for next year.
Our ladies have had a great competition with Horsforth Harriers, and with both clubs winning two races apiece and placing second twice there was no seperating them. It would have been a great final event, with both sides promising to pull out all the stops. With the agreement of both clubs the organisers have declared a draw, with both teams receiving medals. Again, this provides fuel for next year's contest!
February's
"Runner of the Month", sponsored by Booths supermarkets, was awarded to Janet Hebbert for team commitment in her
first season at Cross-Country, from running in her first race in October through to the National Championships in February.
Nth of England Race Walking
On Saturday Pete Shields competed in the North of England Road Race walk in Manchester. Over a difficult 20km course, Pete finished in an excellent 7th place in under 2 hours.
On a weekend devoid of the usual cross-country and fell races, some 30 Harriers turned out for a club run on the roads, with a few cycling instead.
Rothwell XC 4 March cancelled
Updated 3 March The Sport Direct XC race at Rothwell on Sunday 4 March has been cancelled - due to the escalating foot and mouth disease situation - and will not be run at a later date. Are the ladies now equal first with Horsforth? We're on tenterhooks! Watch this space.
Unfortunately the league prizegiving on 17 March has to be scheduled (venue problems?) - details when we have them.
Ilkley Moor fell race postponed to 8 April
The Ilkley Moor Fell Race was postpone today (25 Feb) because of the current foot and mouth disease outbreak. Responding to appeals for people to stay out of the country and after taking advice from the Fell Running Association, Ilkley Harriers made the decision to cancel the event. The lateness of the decision was forced by the rapidly changing situation on Friday. Whilst it was disappointing to have to take this step we believe it is right that we should take all possible steps to reduce the risk of the disease spreading. Fell runners appreciate that their sport relies upon the goodwill of farmers and landowners who allow races to take place on their land and we need to be responsible. The organisers tried to contact as many clubs and runners as possible to advise them that the race would not be held. Calls were made to 70 running clubs, this website had over 80 hits in the 24 hours prior to the race and dozens of calls were received by the organisers. We were expecting up to 300 entrants but fortunately the word that the race was postponed was widely disseminated and fewer than forty runners turned up on the day (to be met by the organisers). Everyone we have spoken to has been very understanding and supportive of our decision. A rearranged date, Sunday 8th April, has now been set for the race. Full details are on the Ilkley Moor fell race pages.
National XC, Saturday 24 February, 2001
Diane Kitchen and Janet Hebbert ran in a race which is the pinnacle of Cross-Country running, 'The National" - the National Cross-Country Championships, held this year at Maiden Castle, Durham. Racing over a distance of 8km against a field of 336 of the best runners in their class, Di was very pleased with 134th place in 35.55, and Janet with 205th in 38.50. The race was won by Bedford's Liz Yelling in 28.05
Harriers on the Beeb
We've been working with BBC Local Radio Bradford to help promote the club.Sport Direct XC #4, Kippax, Sunday 18th February, 2001
Updated 3 March On a bright, cold day - perfect for running - Ilkley Harriers contested the penultimate event in the Sport Direct Cross-Country League, at Kippax. The 9 ladies stormed the results, with our 4 counters well inside the top 10, and as all 9 were in the top 20 this helped increase the team's lead on the day. Emma Barclay was 3rd in 34.55, Alison Weston just outran Di Kitchen for 4th place (but Di in turn just pipped her rival for first Lady Vet 40 in 35.30), and Alison Bennett was 7th in 36.45. Jo Foster was 9th in 37.43, Alison Crane 11th in 38.36, Janet Hebbert 12th in 38.53, Bridget Doherty 14th in 40.33, and Shirley Wood 17th in 40.44 (34 ran). So the ladies are on level pegging with Horsforth after this event.
It was a good day for the men's team too - 4th team on the day against tough opposition. Andy Wade was narrowly beaten
into 3rd place, with a fine run in 29.05, and Jim Ryder was also at the quality end of the field in 6th place. The rest of the 8 counters
packed well: Dick Hebbert 35th, John Coen 37th in 33.18, Ken Souyave 39th, Neil Chapman 45th, Phil Hirst 61st, and Peter Ellis
72nd, with Bernie Connor in 87th (106 ran).
See the photos
Meanwhile, Peter Shields and Geoff Howard headed for the North York Moors and the Danby Beacon fell race, 7 miles with 1000' of climb. Peter was 23rd and second Vet-50 in 65.47, and Geoff 33rd in 69.20
Ilkley Harriers Running League 2001
At the February committee meeting, the first counting events in the League were decided:
| Sun 4 March | Sport Direct XC #5, South Leeds Stadium |
| Sat 24 March | Half Tour of Pendle fell race |
Rossendale Way fell relay, 11 Feb 2001
In miserable weather on sodden fells, 24 Harriers ran in the Rossendale Way fell relay. With 45 miles run in six legs,
this is one of the top team events in the fell racing calendar. But, because of the conditions, times were generally slow
- Bingley's winning time of 5h11m was over 30m outside the record.
| Leg | Names | Time | Position on leg/overall |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pete Shields, Dick Hebbert | 72.45 | 33/33 |
| 2 | Mark Iley, Mike Baldwin | 62.57 | 16/23 |
| 3 | Nick Pearce, Jim Ryder | 50.38 | 7/15 |
| 4 | Geoff Howard, Clive Smith | 48.56 | 22/16 |
| 5 | Dave Cheesewright, Ewan Welsh | 83.09 | 27/19 |
| 6 | Carl Smith, Chris Thompson | 80.03 | 53/24 |
| Leg | Names | Time | Position on leg/overall |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jo Foster, Claire Williams | 78.21 | 44/44 |
| 2 | Andrea Priestley, Sally Malir | 67.57 | 29/38 |
| 3 | Alsion Weston, Anna Liuba | 64.11 | 39/40 |
| 4 | Rachael Gooch, Amanda Oddie | 53.45 | 31/40 |
| 5 | Emma Barclay, Joyce Marshall | 87.25 | 33/40 |
| 6 | Clare Cheesewright, Shirley Wood | 72.21 | 45/40 |
See the photos
Sport Direct XC, Ackworth, 11 Feb 2001
Updated 21 Feb Despite putting out 24 runners at the Rossendale relays, we still fielded quality runners at the third race in the Sport Direct Cross-Country series, at Ackworth.
For the men, Andy Wade finished in 3rd place in 31.23, less than a minute down on the winner. John Coen 44th, Neil Chapman 48th, Peter Ellis 63rd, Nick Mapstone 66th, and Bernie Connor 84th were all there, but we were crucially two men short of the 6 needed to make a team, so finished up in 8th place (out of 10 teams) with 590 points.
For the ladies, Di Kitchen was 3rd (and 1st Vet40) and Alison Bennett 6th, and with Janet Hebbert and Alison Crane also well placed in 12th and 14th the ladies finished 2nd (35 points) to Horsforth (23 points) and well ahead of Abbey (55 points), so they are still in contention in the league, with 2 races to go.
Penny Pot 10k, 11 Feb 2001
This Harrogate race brough the total number of Harriers racing this weekend to nearly 40! Phil Hirst ran a fine 40.41, and son Alexander 41.35; Richard Gray ran 44.04, Andy wolfenden 46.15, and Mandy Parnaby 53.01.
Dewsbury 10km, 4 Feb 2001
Updated 13 Feb with results The Dewsbury 10km road race normally attracts a large field with the promise of a good result,or even that elusive 'PB', on its fast course. But Sunday's wintry weather presented the runners with the extra challenge of wet roads and sleet in their face. Nevertheless, there were still some fast times. Eddie Irving was first Harrier home, 34th out of over 1000 runners and first Vet 45 in 33.06. Andy Wade ran another good race for 62nd in 34.52, but fast-improving Mark Iley was breathing down his neck with a PB of 36.31 in 109th place. Also at the sharp end of the race were Kevin McMullan 132nd 37.10, John Coen 176th 38.32, Ken Souyave 179th 38.36, Neil Chapman 202nd 39.09, and Ewan Welsh 208th 39.12. Martin Heath had a good result with 41:08 for 285th, Keith Wood 294th 41.30, Jon Adamson 439th 44.44, Paul Styles 577th 47.07, Andy Sarah 713th in 50.09, and Vet-70 Brian Sweet 925th in 57.33.See Dewsbury RR's site for full results.
Rombald's Stride, 3 Feb 2001
Although staged by the Long Distance Walker's Association, the Rombald's Stride provides a local challenge that many Ilkley Harriers can't resist. The 25 miles wind across Rombalds' Moor and the Otley Chevin, and on a cold day with boggy conditions underfoot wasn't for the faint-hearted. Nick Pearce, a regular top-5 finisher in this event, ran true to form in 3rd place, his 3h just a little outside winnner Andy Hauser's time. Andrea Priestley was 5th in 3h08, and first lady by a good margin. Eddie Winslow and Peter Shields both ran about 3h24, and Rachael Gooch 3h59. Steve Cockerham and Chris Porritt (another regular in this race) also finished well to the fore in the large field.Ogden Moors Fell Race, 3 Feb 2001
Ronnie Shackleton was the lone Harrier in Saturday's Ogden Moors Fell Race, 6 miles and 700', with a time of about 57 minutes.Brass Monkey Half Marathon, 28 Jan 2001
Some of the prizewinners at Ilkley Harriers' awards evening were out racing the next day at the popular, if aptly named, Brass Monkey race at York. The club's "Best Runner" Andy Wade sliced 2 minutes from his PB for the Half Marathon to finish in 75.42 and 14th place out of over 500 runners, and not far behind the winner's 69.15. Our "Most Improved Runner" Mark Iley was also pleased to beat his PB by 3 minutes, finishing in an excellent 80.31 in the first 50 runners. And Bridget Doherty also enjoyed a good run in 102 minutes.Stanbury Spash Fell Race, 28 Jan 2001
The Harriers who ran around a very wet and boggy Stanbury Spash fell race certainly earned their Soreen malt loaf at the finish. After 7 miles and 1200' of climb, Nick Pearce was 35th in 54.10. Jim Ryder had been chasing him hard, and finished 48th in 55.30. Jo Foster, female "Most Improved Runner for 2000", lived up to the title by improving on last year's time by nearly 8 minutes, and celebrated a first year of fell-running by finishing 12th lady in 67.08. Ronnie Shackleton also enjoyed the race, and was also well up among the 267 runners.Presentation of 2000 Awards, 27 Jan 2001
The presentation of awards for 2000 and annual party attracted over 70 Harriers and partners to Ilkley Tennis Club on Saturday night. After everyone enjoyed the buffet and a few warm-up drinks, Chairman Geoff Howard presented the awards: "Best Runner" awards went to Andy Wade and Helen Sedgwick; "Most Improved Runner"s were Mark Iley and Jo Foster. The "Marathon Runner" award went to Ewan Welsh. And Andy Wade won the 2000 Running League by a comfortable margin. Awards for "Contribution to Club" went to Peter Shields and Shirley Wood.See the photos.
Northern Cross-Country, 27 Jan 2001
Sally Malir, Di Kitchen, Janet Hebbert, and Clare Williams raced in the Northern Cross-Country Championships at Blackburn last Saturday, over the 8km Senior Women's course. They showed how far the Ilkley Ladies have come by finishing 12th team out of 32, with all four well up in the 233-strong field. Sally was 58th in 38.42, Di 79th in 39.39, Janet 110th in 41.26, and Claire 122nd in 42.17. Dick Hebbert ran 54.02 for 462nd out of 670 in the 12km Senior Men's race.Boulsworth Hill, 21 Jan 2001
With the return of Winter at the weekend, only true diehards were to be found racing on the fells. But such is the popularity of the Boulsworth Hill Fell Race that it still attracted over 250 runners for its 6.5 miles and 1200' of climb. Amongst them were four Harriers: Nick Pearce having another good result in 55 minutes, Mike Baldwin and Pete Shields racing it out in 60 and 61 minutes respectively, and Ronnie Shackleton in 81 minutes still well up the field. Accounts varied from "wonderful views, great running, smashing climb at the end" to "hard race, frozen tussocks, survival run", so it had something for everyone!
West Yorks XC #4 Otley, 14 Jan 2001
Otley AC staged the fourth and final event in this season's West Yorkshire Cross-Country league, on a fast course with not too much mud. Tim Ashelford was first Harrier home in 26th place in 33.30, Nick Pearce was 69th in 35.30, and Mike (I only came to take photos) Baldwin 90th in 38.43. Ewan Welsh had a great run to finish 96th in 39.40 and Dick Hebbert was 104th in 40.30 These were all great runs in a very competitive league.
The ladies team finished 7th on the day, with Sally Malir 15th in 22.39, Di Kitchen 24th in 23.14, Jo Foster 35th in 24.37, Janet Hebbert 41st in 25.08, and Bridget Doherty 43rd in 25.19. Consistently good performances by the ladies - especially Sally, Di, and Janet, throughout the season helped Ilkley to 6th team place in the league, equal on points with 5th-placed Harrogate. Thanks to Di for organising complete ladies' teams throughout the season.
Monday-night circuit training, from 15 January 2001
Updated 2 AprilBy popular demand, Pete Shields has organised a circuit training session on Monday nights 6.30 - 7.30 in Ilkley Grammar School
-
Initial Dates are Jan 15,22,29; Feb 5,19,26; March 5,19,26; April 2nd. 10 sessions in all.
2 April - We hope to resume further sessions in the Summer term.
£1 per session - one payment up front for the number of sessions you aim to do. Pay Shirley at one of the Jan sessions.
1-2 at Bramley Fall XC, Harrogate Ringway Relay, 7 Jan 2001
Updated 21 Jan The 11 Mens teams and 9 Ladies teams gave a starting total of 200 or so runners at the 2nd race in the Sport Direct Cross Country league race at Bramley Fall, near Kirkstall. Conditions under-foot were very greasy on the 5 mile course, which was 2 laps of a route through open parkland, woods and a short stretch of canal tow-path.
A committed turnout of ladies gave Ilkley Harriers the team prize, with Sally Malir in 35.20 also the first lady! Di Kitchen was 3rd lady in 36.35, Jo Foster 9th in 39.07, Alison Crane 10th in 39.14, and Janet Hebbert 16th in 40.51. All are regulars at Pete Shields' Thursday night "strength and speed" sessions, so the training's paying off!
Ilkley's men had a fantastic day too, 2nd team behind Rothwell being our best ever result in this league. Andy Wade was 2nd in 29.02 only 10s down on the winner, Nick Pearce 10th in 30.52, and Jim Ryder 12th in 31.10. New member Kevin McMullan was an impressive 27th in 32.37, David Mathews 29th in 32.43, and Phil Atkinson 39th in 33.22. Clive Smith was 42nd in 33.41, Norman Bush 49th in 34.06, and Peter Shields 50th in 34.08. Close behind were Ewan Welsh 51st in 34.11, Ken Souyave 53rd in 34.14, Neil Chapman 56th in 34.41 and Dick Hebbert 58th in 34.53. Peter Ellis was 75th in 36.11, Bernie Connor 99th in 39.18, and Andy Sarah 130th in 45.55.
New 21 Jan League table after 2 races, c/o Mike Lee (PDF file)
With such a strong commitment to the XC, we found it difficult to field the normal number of teams in an annual favourite, the Harrogate Ringway Relay. But we maintained a good presence with Margot Dale, Richard Gray, Paul Styles, Mike Rhodes, and Dennis Ackroyd 11th team (out of 21) in 2h40.34 The event was won by home club Harrogate, 2 minutes clear of Otley.
News Apr-June | News 2000