With it being the start of the summer holidays for quite a few people,you might expect a bit of chilling out and calming down to occur. Oh no, not you lot! It’s all record breaking challenges, championship winning and multiple race entries. I am quite exhausted just keeping up with you all.

UK 3 Peaks Record Falls to our Fell Runners!

A team of our runners decided to raise money for the recent disaster in Nepal by making an attempt on the UK 3 Peaks Record.  This is a challenge taking in Snowden, Scafell and Ben Nevis plus travelling between them.  A team of eight, Christopher Holdsworth, Garry Wilkinson, Lee Smith, Ryan Wilkinson, Dave Motley, Breton Holdsworth, Paul Hesketh and driver Adam Shaw, planned and reccied and raised awareness of what they were attempting at lots of local events. And they only went and did it! Well done lads!

Christopher Holdsworth and Garry “short shorts” Wilkinson on Ben Nevis (bet those walkers were a bit taken aback)

Christopher Holdsworth Reports

The attempt began at 4am on Snowden in the worst conditions imaginable. Up to the summit and back in 1:36. Next up was Scafell which had a navigational mishap costing us 40 mins. A five hour trip took us up to Ben Nevis where we finished our attempt in great conditions, though cold and snowy underfoot at the top. Came back down finishing our attempt overall in 16:11. Has been a great day and we’ve raised over £3000. You can keep donating here

FRA Champion

Congratulations to Briony Holt who is officially the English Under 14 FRA champion after winning all of her qualifying races.  She is also doing extremely well in the BOFRA championship races so we may be looking at another cup to balance out the mantelpiece very soon!

Briony Holt FRA Under 14 Champion

Tuesday 14 July

Stoodley Pike Fell Race

The Stoodley Pike Fell Race is a quick dash up and down Calderdale’s most famous landmark. The longest established fell race in the area (started in the 1970’s). It never fails to get a good crowd, perhaps drawn by the sunny conditions that Todmorden Harriers like to arrange for this event. All profits from the race benefit deserving local causes.

Sarah Whittaker at the Stoodley Pike Fell Race. Photo by Todmorden Harriers

145 runners took part in this 5km race with 213m of ascent. Seven Clayton-le-Moors Harriers took part with Richard Briscoe the first Clayton Man to finish and Sarah Whittaker was the sole lady.

Full Results

Wednesday 15 July

Blisco Dash

A low key classic, Blisco is a rough, tough short race with a bit of everything. Getting a good line off the top is crucial. 3 Clayton-le-Moors vets took part in this 5 mile race with 2133ft of climb. 50 runners took part overall.

Pike 0’Blisco Fell Race. Photo by Stephen WIlson – www.granddayoutphotography.co.uk

Full Results

Horwich Jubilee Road Race Series

Senior Race
Ted Orrell was our sole runner in the latest race of this series. He finished in 78^th place with a time of 39:58 and took the 1^st V75 position. 106 runners took part overall.

Full Results

Junior Race
Well done Team Thompson and Jenson Bentham who are taking part in this series of road races held by Horwich RMI. A top twenty finish for Dexta and an age category win for Jenson Bentham. Well done all of you!

 Full Results

Ian Terry Memorial 5k

48 Runners took part in this memorial 5K race with Jack McGuire as our sole representative.

Full Results

Widdop Fell Races

Senior Race
This classic high moorland route follows good and interesting paths with a few tussocks and chest high bracken thrown in! (Although when you are as short as yours truly, the bracken is actually over your head and forms a bit of a tunnel!) The route is flagged throughout but can catch the less observant runners out in mist. Luckily, it was a beautiful, clear and sunny evening. Perfect conditions.

Andrew Armstrong at the Widdop Fell Race. Photo by Nick Olszewski

11 members took part in the senior races

Full Results

Junior Races
Run from the Pack Horse Inn on the Widdop Road, this is a great classic fell race, despite the tarmac start for some age groups; proper fields, stream crossings, nettle patches & sheep poo! It’s been the final race in our club series for several years now and it’s highly recommended, so there was a great turnout of juniors on a beautiful evening.

A group of our juniors at the Widdop Fell Races

Imogen Ferguson took first girl in the Under 10s race and Briony Holt took first girl in the Under 14s race creating a new course record in the process. We cleaned up in the Under 16s races as it was just our 3 runners; Curtis Holt came in first, with Thomas Bradley and Simon Wilshaw hot on his heels.

Some great runs and lots of smiles from our talented juniors.

Under 8s Race

Tillie Ferguson in the U8s Race. Photo by Nick Olszewski

Under 10s Race

Rachel Stevenson and Millie Maccabe in the U10s race. Photo by Nick Olszewski

Under 12s Race

Keira Stevenson and Bronia Olszewska in the Under 12s Race at Widdop. Photo by Nick Olszewski

Under 14s Race   

Daniel Bradley in the Under 14 race at Widdop. Photo by Nick Olszewski              

U16s Race

Thomas Bradley in the Under 16s race at Widdop. Photo by Nick Olszewski

Full Results

Thursday 16 July

Caldervale 4 Mile Supper Run

Paul Walsh was our only runner at this low key event finishing in 61^st place with a time of 32:10 in a field of 116 runners.

Full Results

Eshton Moor Fell Races – BOFRA

Richard Briscoe at Eshton Moor Fell Race. Photo by Linda Grundy

Sole club representative at this 5 mile fell race was Richard Briscoe who finished in 12^th place with a time of 40:43.

Full Results

Saturday 18 July

Elswick Express 10 Mile

Graham Kissack ran in this 10 mile race near Preston finishing in 128^th place with a time of 02:01:22

Full Results

Ingleborough

195 runners competed in this 6.8 mile race with 1968 feet of climbing. 10 Clayton-le-Moors Harriers took part.

Full Results

Ironkids UK

The event is a ‘run only’ event being held in partnership with Bolton Council in Bolton town centre. It’s all about fun and healthy living and each child will receive an IRONKIDS t-shirt and a medal once they cross the line under the iconic IRONMAN finish gantry.

Team Stevenson took part in this high-profile event as their mum, Deborah, was taking part in the Ironman triathlon.

Team Stevenson at UK Ironkids running event

Pendle Family Running Festival Day 1

DENWA 10k 

Kieron Mitchell at the DENWA 10k at the Pendle Family Running Festival

Physioroom Half Marathon 

Podium 10k

A blisteringly fast course, set up on a cycle track of 1k loops with only 3.6ft of climb. 4 of our club members took part. Some personal bests for our fast lads and lass in this challenging event. Double the usual 5k distance so really putting the runners through their paces.

Dan Balshaw at the Podium 10K. Photo by Jamie McIlvenny

Full Results

Snowden 10m

One of Europe’s toughest endurance challenges, the 10-mile race involves running from the edge of Lake Padarn in the village of Llanberis to the highest summit in Wales and England and back down.

Well done to the 6 club members who took part in this tough event.

Full Results

Sunday 19 June

Cracoe Fell Race – BOFRA

Senior Race
Alan Life and Richard Briscoe took part in this race. Alan finished in 7^th place overall and claimed the 1^st Vet 50 as well.

Alan Life at the Cracoe fell race. Photo by Woodentops

Junior Races

Under 9s Race

Jenson Bentham in the U9s race at Cracoe. Photo by the Woodentops

Under 12s Race

Under 14s Race

Holme Moss

Kentmere Horseshoe

It was the 40^th anniversary of this 12.3 mile Lakeland fell classic race wit h3300ft of climbing. 341 runners ran this classic Lakeland fell race with two of our fell stalwarts in the thick of it. Ivan Whigham had a strong race finishing in 80^th place just over the 2 hour mark and fell legend Wendy Dodds finishing in 2hr 2.

Wendy Dodds at the 40th Kentmere Horseshoe fell race. Photo by Stephen Wilson of Granddayout Photography

Full Results

Pendle Family Running Festival – Day 2

Burnley Leisure Trail Race – Mens Results

Burnley Leisure Trail Race – Ladies Results

Orienteering Score Event

Three of our club members took part in this event which was part of the inaugural Pendle Family Running Festival. Well done to Mark Nutter, who won this event with a final score of 140 and a time of 01:29:55. Jean Brown was third (1st lady) with 120 points and a time of 01:26:23. Ralph Baines was fourth also with 120 points but just behind Jean Brown with a time of 01:27:10

Full Results

Windmill Half Marathon

Amanda Duffy was our sole representative in this race and she reports;

I really enjoyed my first half marathon apart from it being so windy! The race started off from Fairhaven Lake and went down to the windmill on a two lap course. The event staff were very supportive and there was a great turn out of nearly 700 runners. It was definitely worth the amazing medal at the finish!

There were 577 finishers, Amanda Duffy finished in 178th position with a time of 01:46:05. Well done Amanda

Full Results

Parkrun roundup

Some great runs from our members across lots of parkruns this week. Top 10 finishes at Burnley and Pendle parkruns and a host of new PBs as well. Some first timers and some parkrun tourism as well. Special mention for Emily Johnson, one of our very youngest members, who has completed her first parkrun after working up to by partially running it for the last few weeks!

Burnley parkrun – A total of 292 runners took part.

Josh Boyle and Jordan McDonald at the front of the pack at Burnley parkrun. Photo by David Belshaw

Pendle parkrun – A total of 57 runners took part

Bolton parkrun – A total of 249 runners took part.

Dewsbury parkrun – A total of 85 runners took part.

Druridge Bay parkrun – A total of 129 runners took part.

 Fell Foot parkrun, Newby Bridge – A total of 118 runners took part.