Seniors Road – Page 14 – Clayton-le-Moors Harriers

Witton Park Relays & The Rest of the Weekend’s Action

Witton Park Relays 2014

Report to follow, full results here.

The Rest of the Weekend’s Action

The fell running ladies of Clayton-le-Moors Harriers took on their third British Championship race this weekend. The hardy contingent traveled to Scotland to compete at the 2014 Dollar Hill Fell Race. Jean Brown was the 1st Harrier lady around the course in 01:42:35, finishing 8th in her heavily contended age category overall. The next of our ladies through the finish was Wendy Dodds, who once again manages to astound us all by finishing as the 1st in the FV60+ Category. Next up was Barbara Savage, who ran the course in 01:55:45 and achieving an 11th placed finish in her category. Rounding off the day was Katy Thompson, who also put in a great effort and finished 3rd in her age category. Great effort ladies!

This week, instead of solo runners we seem to have packs of fours! as Alan Life, Chris Funnell, Andrew Dugdale and Nicholm Horsfall all made their way over to The Settle Hills Fell Race 2014. In recent weeks Alan Life has certainly been making his presence known, with this weekend being his biggest statement yet. He managed a 4th placed finish in 01:00:43 and the 1st in the MV40 age category. Brilliant stuff! Our second runner through was Chris Funnell, who finished home in 01:10:14 and in 32nd place overall. Next was consistent fell runner Andrew Dugdale who finished the race in 01:20:04. We also had a Nicholm running for the ladies, who squeezed in under the century mark in 99th place, as well as finishing as the 3rd in her age category. Well done all!

Oh, what do we have here? Four more Harriers competing at a race! This time it was for a flat Sotos 10k Road Race in Fleetwood. Mike O’Hara, our first Harrier through the finish, managed a speedy time of 00:47:28. Next was Brian Wildman just 7 seconds behind in 00:47:35. The third Harrier through the finish was Christine Egerton who was the 67th female around the course, as well as the 3rd in the V60 age category. Finishing off the day was Kevin O’Brien managing to complete the race under the sub hour mark in 00:59:34 – a great effort from the V70!!

Lastly, it wasn’t four runners, but almost 10x that number as 39 Harriers took to shortened course at the Burnley Boys 5k 2014. Christopher Holdsworth and Tom Brewster revived their Grand Prix battle and pushed each other further than ever before. After a tough battle, the hungover Holdsworth ran back in 3rd in a time of 00:16:32, with Tom shortly behind in 00:16:41. The ever increasingly impressive Lee Smith ran home as the third Clayton-le-Moors Harrier, scoring a PB time of 00:17:41. For the ladies, junior Alice Pier had a spectacular race by finishing in a time of 00:21:06 – which was of course also the 1st in here age category. Irene Roche was the next lady through in 00:22:14 and also finished as the 2nd F55. The third Lady Harrier through was the 2nd FJ, Bethany Quinn in 24:09. What a great effort from veteran and junior ladies alike!

Courtesy of CSHoldsworth Art & Race Photography

As there are 39 runners overall, I’m sorry I can’t mention you all. Special mention has to go once again to junior Jordan McDonald, who by this point is completely dominating most of the seniors – a fact proven by his 11th placed finish. What a talented set of juniors we have!

Well done to all who ran this week!

ByChristopher Holdsworth

Pennine Lancashire 10k & The Rest Of The Weekend’s Action

Pennine Lancashire 10k

‘Wherever you were on the winding roads though, there was always a group of people cheering you on as the residents of Burnley came out in full force to support the runners’

The sun rose on another morning as runners assembled once again in the heart of Burnley. Not only in the heart but also in the heat as at the start line, many were glancing up nervously, water in hand, correctly guessing that it was going to be a very warm Pennine Lancashire 10k. Clearly a day for running with a fridge attached to your back.

Courtesy of Christopher Holdsworth

The route, which takes in a surprising amount of Burnley, is a tricky one, with plenty of uphill and downhill. The initial burst through the Town Centre gives way to a gradual incline to Queen’s Park before weaving round to Rowley Lake. Journeying up one side the course lands you at the top of Brunshaw with a welcome downhill stretch into the leafy surroundings of Towneley Park with a final 2K back past Turf Moor to finish where you started. Wherever you were on the winding roads though, there was always a group of people cheering you on as the residents of Burnley came out in full force to support the runners.

Courtesy of Christopher Holdsworth

After a quick start the front pack began to spread out, with it being obvious that Matt Lalor and Christopher Holdsworth were vying for first position. With no last-minute arrivals from Salford (for those of us who remember last year) to spoil the party, Matt, who came second last year, ran a superb race, clinching victory with a time of 34 minutes dead. However, for Clayton, all the plaudits must go to Christopher, who came in second with a time of 35:13. Not only did Chris clinch silver, he also knocked 5 minutes off his time last year. It was an excellent run and Chris should be proud of a super performance.

Courtesy of Christopher Holdsworth

Not to be undone, other Harriers were out in full force. Following Chris there were some great performances from Terry O’Leary (39:06), Jordan McDonald (39:44) with myself (Jonathan Pye) not far behind on 40:42, not to mention Steve Bicsomb who just snuck into the top 50.

Courtesy of Christopher Holdsworth

Richard Briscoe, Kenan Eti and Alan Clarkson also put in strong performances to round off a good day for the club with the orange stripe flashing regularly in the morning sunshine. Four Ladies also had a good showing with Jackie Kershaw leading home the ladies in 54:24. Amanda Duffy followed next in 56:51, with Marion Wilkinson and Sophie McIntosh following in 59:24 and 1:04:22

Courtesy of Christopher Holdsworth

The event itself is gaining popularity; the hushed whispers that over 2500 people might be turning out was a bit of an exaggeration but the overall attendance 1660 people shows that The Pennine 10k is very much here to stay.

Courtesy of Christopher Holdsworth

The future’s bright…

Thanks to Jonathan Pye for this weeks race report! Full results here.

The Rest Of The Weekends Action

Lots of results this week.. Only seven days after taking on the 2014 Hendon Brook, Johnny McKenna raced at another half marathon – this time Freckleton. Carrying on his excellent result from last week, he finished the race in 01:17:11 and achieved 6th place. Roger Brewster also competed, finishing in a brilliant time of 01:29:36.

There was three soloists this week. Of course, there is the one man band Breton Holdsworth, this time taking on the 3 Lakes Classic Race. The next runner was Stephen Breckell, racing at The Great Hill Fell Race in Brinscall. Lastly, Richard Stevenson ventured over the border to compete at the Wales Trail Marathon 2014. It was well worth the travel as Richard finished 63rd out of over 300 runners, in a time of 04:13:03. At The Great Hill Fell Race, Stephen finished as the 3rd VM60 with a time of 00:51:23, whilst Breton increased on last weeks rankings by one place, finishing 6th in the multi-terrain 15 mile race.

David Bagot had a storming race over at Buckden Pike Fell Race, finishing as the 1st Clayton-le-Moors Harrier in 00:47:34. Ian Robinson also had a brilliant race finishing as the 2nd MV60 and in 00:48:48. Nigel Weaver and Mark Taylor were next across the finish line, in 00:48:57 and 00:52:12. Andrew and Peter Dugdale brought in the men in 00:52:31 and 00:57:41. For the ladies, Linda Bostock completed the race as the 2nd LV50 in 00:56:05, whilst Nichola Horsfall was the 3rd LV50 in 01:02:23.

The short and sharp Brown Wardle Fell Race took place this weekend. Rick Moore finished in 7th and as 2nd V50 in 00:22:55. The second Harrier across the finish was Stephen Fish, who also finished 2nd in his age category, with a time of 00:24:14. As the only lady entrant, Yvonne Wickham fought for her gender’s corner, finishing in under the 30 minute mark at 00:29:29.

Three Clayton-le-Moors Harriers competed at the Timothy Taylor’s Tom Tittiman Fell Race. Alan Life continued his strong run of form, finishing 20th overall. Geoff Smith was next to complete the route in 00:42:54, and Geoff Laycock finished in 00:46:15. The three Harriers also managed to finish at the 5th mens team. Well done!

There were some terrific performances from the ladies over at Reservoir Bogs this weekend. Not only did Vicky Heys finish as the 1st Clayton-le-Moors Lady, she finished 1st in her age category as well as the 1st Harrier overall! She was followed by Angela Shian, following through the finish just 2 seconds behind in 01:32:08. Adrienne Olszewska also had a cracking run, scraping in under the 2 hour mark at 01:59:52. This time, Geoff Smith fights alone in his genders corner, completing the race in 45th position and 01:33:26.

There was also a Junior Reservior Bogs Race, where there were some fantastic performances! 18 juniors turned up in total, which once again is an outstanding turnout.

Some stand out performances were:

– Finlay Stubbs setting a new course record and finishing in 1st in the U8 race

– Jackson McKay finishing in 4th for the U10’s race

– Millie Stubbs finishing as the 1st girl and 2nd overall for the U12’s race

– Ryan Clarke was the 1st boy, whilst Alice Pier was the 1st girl in the u14’s category

– Beth Quinn finished the course in 39:26 in the U16’s category

– George Pier finished in 33:03 in the U18’s category

Sorry I can’t mention you all! All your times were spectacularly fast. Keep up the good work!

Lastly, congratulations to Katy Thompson on completing her Joss Naylor challenge in 16:13:00, well inside her allowed time of 18 hours. Well done Katy!

Well done again to everyone who ran this weekend. Next weeks race report will be from Candice Heys, detailing our exploits at the Witton Park Relays. See you all there!!

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RIP Ken Heaton

Ken Heaton (right)

Clayton-le-Moors Harriers are sad to learn of the passing of former member and 24h Lakeland Record holder Ken Heaton. Service will be held at Burnley Crematorium this Wednesday on the 25th, 11.20am

Ken Heaton (left)

ByChristopher Holdsworth

Hendon Brook 2014 & The Rest Of The Weekends Action

Hendon Brook 2014

‘The thought that 26 years prior my Dad will have already finished the race and claimed his long standing record passed through my mind but as I glanced ahead, I thought that I was making progress on Buttery and dug deep to find the resolve needed to overcome the mammoth hill…’

The Hendon Brook Half Marathon; some say it’s the toughest half in the country… Those people are probably telling the truth! Having not run a half marathon before I was unsure what to expect. With my usual distance being 5k/10k, I started the morning with my standard fast-paced warmup (and having learnt a painful lesson from the Calderdale relay, substantial Vaseline application to my torso!) before Coach Roche threw some valuable advice my way and told me to take it steady as I’d need all my energy for the slog to come!

Everyone had said to watch the fast start, to even take it easy until after the climb at Thursden Valley, as were were set off I elected to start slow and see where it took me…Running well off the leading pace set by Marc Hartley and Jimmy Craig as we made it round the school I felt to be almost dawdling so notched the speed up to more familiar territory… Although no sooner had I increased my speed doubt started to set in… everyone had said to start slow but my impatience got the better of me – had I compromised the rest of my race? Would I find myself dropping a chunk of places to the more experienced and seasoned long distance runners in the latter half of the race? I’d have to deal with that later as running up the first major hill to the Shooters pub I closed on ‘cannonball’ John Lloyd, keeping pace till I managed to pass him on the pull out of Catlow Bottom.

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Photo Courtesy of Andy Holden

Heeding the advice of my fellow captains and spurred on by the encouraging words of former record holder Roger Brewster I started to put some work in after the Thursden climb while still trying to stay at sensible pace! Andy Buttery of Blackburn slowly came into view infront and gave me a target to work towards as we tackled what seemed an endless number of fiercely steep climbs, each followed by a similarly unforgiving descent.

The climb up Carry lane hurt then running through Colne I steeled myself for the last climb; The Legendary Lenches. Truly it is a killer of a climb, doubt once again settled in as I began the climb; how close behind were the chasing pack? Did I have enough left in the tank to keep plugging away? The thought that 26 years prior my Dad will have already finished the race and claimed his long standing record passed through my mind but as I glanced ahead, I thought that I was making progress on Buttery and dug deep to find the resolve needed to overcome the mammoth hill.

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Photo Courtesy of Andy Holden

Reaching the top, Garry Wilkinson assured me I had no one behind within sight and with that worry taken off my mind I set about seeing what I could do to catch 5th place Andy Buttery – the last mile was tough running to the finish but the superb encouragement from marshals and spectators helped me onto the welcome sight of the finish line, crossing it in 1 hour 30 mins and claiming 6th place.

I don’t know why I’ve never done a half marathon before now, I certainly can’t explain why I chose the legendary Hendon Brook for my first but I it was certainly a baptism of fire (as well as a relief to finish with both nipples fully intact!). I have to say a massive thanks to the organisers, marshals, water station attendants and spectators for their cheers of encouragement as they definitely make all the difference when attempting a challenge like Hendon Brook – for my first effort I’m happy with my time and position and look forward to taking the challenge again next year!

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Photo Courtesy of Andy Holden

Thanks to Tom Brewster for this weeks race report! Full results can be found here.

Full Clayton-le-Moors Harriers Results:

3 McKenna Jonny 01:25:05 M Clayton Le Moors Harriers

6 Brewster Thomas 01:30:24 M Clayton Le Moors Harriers

16 Motley Dave 01:36:43 M Clayton Le Moors Harriers

19 Bagot David 01:37:21 M Clayton Le Moors Harriers

21 Hesketh Paul 01:37:30 M45 Clayton Le Moors Harriers

22 Hartley John 01:37:56 M55 Clayton Le Moors Harriers

27 Davies Kevin 01:38:30 M50 Clayton Le Moors Harriers

30 O’donnell Michael 01:40:53 M Clayton Le Moors Harriers

40 Duckworth Avril 01:44:04 F50 Clayton Le Moors Harriers

41 Biscomb Stephen 01:44:36 M60 Clayton Le Moors Harriers

51 Clarkson Alan 01:48:51 M55 Clayton Le Moors Harriers

55 Bradley Andy 01:50:43 M45 Clayton Le Moors Harriers

71 Roche Irene 01:56:12 F55 Clayton Le Moors Harriers

77 Heys Vicky 01:59:21 F40 Clayton Le Moors Harriers

78 Shian Angela 01:59:23 F35 Clayton Le Moors Harriers

88 Smith Geoffrey 02:03:13 M Clayton Le Moors Harriers

90 Pickup Jeffrey 02:03:45 M60 Clayton Le Moors Harriers

91 Brady Martin 02:04:02 M50 Clayton Le Moors Harriers

96 Rushton Julia 02:07:41 F50 Clayton Le Moors Harriers

98 Griffin Martin 02:08:22 M50 Clayton Le Moors Harriers

105 Proctor Stuart 02:12:45 M Clayton Le Moors Harriers

107 Orrell Ted 02:14:23 M75 Clayton Le Moors Harriers

117 Egerton Christine 02:23:16 F60 Clayton Le Moors Harriers

123 Allan Sue 02:50:33 F50 Clayton Le Moors Harriers

124 Leathley Christine 02:51:40 F65 Clayton Le Moors Harriers

The Rest Of The Weekends Action

On Saturday, two Harriers made the trip to the lengthy Howtown Fell Race 2014. ‘Iuan’ Whigham was the first of our members across the finish, with a time of 02:48:26 and 18th overall. Not far behind was another fell regular Mick Dobson, who crossed the line in 02:50:25. Well done men!

‘Billy No Mates’ Breton Holdsworth took on another fast paced trail race outside of Lancashire and yonder. He attended his annual Fathers Day race at Castle Howard 10k, getting back on form with a 7th placed finish and scraping under the 40 minute mark in 00:38:58.

Jacob Boyle’s star continues to grow, as he represented Clayton-le-Moors Harriers at the European Championships (Up & Down) in Whinlatter Forest, Cumbria. He finished his race in 00:39:33 and 8th place overall. Keep up the good work!

We had five Clayton-le-Moors Harriers race at the Blue Light 5 Miles Race 2014. Once again, Jordan McDonald continues to impress by having another excellent race – finishing 11th (joint 10th) overall. He also finished as the 2nd U20 and achieved a speedy time of 00:31:11. Another junior to impress was Ryan Clarke! Finishing as the 1st U20 and in 21st place. Lee Moore also had a great race finishing in a time of 00:39:08, as did Keith O’Brien for finishing as the 2nd V70. However, my performance of the weekend goes to Jackie Kershaw for not only breaking her PB, but also posting a brilliant time of 00:40:45. Well done Jackie!

Well done to all who tackled this years Hendon Brook, as well as everyone else who ran this weekend. On Thursday is the next Clayton-le-Moors Harriers Fell Championship Race Aggies Staircase starting at 7:15pm.

Photo’s courtesy of Andy Holden: https://www.flickr.com/photos/wharfee/

ByChristopher Holdsworth

Ennerdale Fell Race 2014 & The Rest of the Weekends Action

Ennerdale Fell Race 2014

‘Within half an hour however the mood at registration was very different – the sky had darkened, clouds thickened and thunder was forecast…’

Arriving early at the race after staying over at nearby Lamplugh campsite, I met up with Ryan Belshaw and Spencer Riley and we had a wander along to check out the start and get some photos of the lake. At this point the skies were clear and the mountains surrounding the lake looked a very enticing challenge, we could understand exactly why this was regarded as a Lakeland classic. Within half an hour however the mood at registration was very different – the sky had darkened, clouds thickened and thunder was forecast.

This left the race organiser with little option but to change the route, and so within half an hour of this being announced, a new route had been mapped out and runners crowded round to edit where the new checkpoints were on their maps. This seemed the sensible decision, although initially many were disappointed, especially as many hours had been spent recce’ing the route and training for the climbs, as this English and British Championship counter was a significant date in many a runner’s season.

Thanks to Racing Snakes for the photo.

Before long we were underway.The pace was very fast along the flat gravel path that took us around the bottom edge of Ennerdale lake and it seemed some runners had let some of the disgruntled murmurings such as ‘this is a trail race’ and ‘its flat’ go to their head. I hung back and paced my first mile alongside Neil Hardiman, who had wisely pointed out at the start that the route still involved around 20 miles and a significant chunk of climbs.

Instead of climbing Great Borne and along the ridges that surrounded Ennerdale, we were took on gradual climb over Floutern Pass and dropped down into the next valley. We then had a long flat section that took us alongside Crummock Water and Buttermere. We then climbed over Scarth Gap Pass, before dropping back into the Ennerdale Valley by Black Sail Hut.

Thanks to Racing Snakes for the photo.

The route immediately took us on another gradual climb before circling below Great Gable and Kirk Fell. We then headed on a steep decent back down to the foot of the valley and after dibbing in at checkpoint 7, manned by the legendary Joss Naylor, we were left with a long flat run back to the finish. I made good pace and managed to stick to a 6.30-7 minute mile pace as I gradually reeled in other competitors.

We then circled left around the lake, on a very tricky path. The concentration required to not to trip distracted me from my tiring legs, and glancing up every now and then I could see I was closing in on Ryan Belshaw. I pushed on hoping to claim my first victory over Ryan, and despite catching the majority of the runners in the pack just behind him, Ryan’s strength and power won through as he pulled away again in the final mile.

Unfortunately I haven’t seen the race results yet although Spencer Riley was the first Clayton-le-Moors Harrier back, followed by Ryan Belshaw and then myself, with Neil Hardiman and Jean Brown not far behind. Jean did manage to secure the 2nd LV45, Whilst Wendy Dodds finished as the 1st LV60. Katy Thomson also had a great performance, managing to finish as the 2nd LV60. At the finish line there were many comments on how tough the changed route was and although it had less than a third of the climbing of the original route and was slightly shorter, the large amount of runable sections had created a fast paced race and meant many runners had pushed hard all the way round.

At the finish the rain was powering down and it now definitely seemed right to do have done an alternative route, that had still provided some stunning Lake District views and challenging running.

Thanks to David Bagot for this weeks race report! Full Ennerdale Fell Race 2014 results found through the link.

The Rest of the Weekends Action

Another Saturday 2 o’clock start brought us midway through the Pendle & Burnley Grand Prix calendar, with a massive twenty two Clayton-le-Moors Harriers attending Weets Fell Race 2014. Conditions were torrential before the race, though it marginally brightened up once the race got underway.

Thanks to Andy Holden for the photo.

The race was tough, but it brought out a lot of impressive performances from our runners, with Christopher Holdsworth securing 2nd place ahead of 3rd placed Harrogate Harrier Chris Miller. Tom Brewster was the next through with another mighty performance finishing in 7th – and even managing to pip fell captain Dave Motley! Who also had a solid effort, finishing in 10th and as the 3rd Clayton-le-Moors Harrier through the finish. Elsewhere in the race, Jeffery Pickup managed to collect the 1st V60 prize, whilst Ron Chappell came through as the second V65.

Thanks to Andy Holden for the photo.

Over in Yorkshire, five Harriers took to the Penyghent Fell Race 2014. Mark Nutter lead the way, finishing in 01:02:59. Club mascot Richard Briscoe also had a fantastic race, coming through the finish as the second Harrier, in a time of 01:04:16. The third harrier to conquer the mountain was Mark Taylor in 01:11:36. Rounding off the day were Andre and Peter Dugdale in 77th and 87th respectively.

At the Morecambe 10k 2014 race, Michael Hogan represented Clayton-le-Moors Harriers achieving an excellent result, finishing the course in 00:41:16. Another sole representative of the Harrier flag, a man who often attends 10k races, was Stephen Biscomb at the Fleetwood Rotary 2014 10k. Once again he put in an excellent shift on the road, finishing the race in 9th place with a time of 00:42:13.

Don’t forget to attend our training sessions to improve those times! Senior training times can be found here, whilst junior training times can be found here. See you all there!

Racing Snakes Photography: www.racingsnakes.com

Andy Holden Photography: www.flickr.com/photos/wharfee

ByChristopher Holdsworth

Kelbrook Fell Race 2014 & The Rest of the Weekends Action

Kelbrook Fell Race 2014

‘The early leaders were not the Grand Prix leaders, but John LLoyd and junior Jordan McDonald of Clayton-le-Moors Harriers. They held this lead until numpty here got giddy and went full steam ahead. I was eventually joined by the two Grand Prix table toppers, Jimmy Craig and Marc Hartley, where we stayed in our pack up the windy road towards the first descent before we tackled the summit’

Spending the week mulling over my last minute defeat to Tom Brewster at the Burnley Boys 10k had me in the sort of mood almost every runner finds themselves in. Toys were thrown so far my crib was but a distant blur. I was in quite the foul mood… ‘I don’t enjoy these Burnley & Pendle Grand Prix Races’ I half heartedly muttered under my breath to ~~everyone~~ anyone willing to listen. ‘They’re just too predictable’ I whined, ‘I shan’t be doing anymore!’

After a 20 minute sulk, I pulled it together and dragged myself to the Kelbrook Fell Race 2014.

Photo by Christopher Holdsworth

I arrived to the usual Grand Prix faces. My head was down, warm ups short and steady as I focussed on the race ahead. The runners gathered at the start line, all eager to get the race underway. A quick introduction to the health and safety, followed by a 3,2,1 got us all on our way, up the track and onto our first climb.

Photo by Christopher Holdsworth

The early leaders were not the Grand Prix regulars, but John Loyd and junior Jordan McDonald of Clayton-le-Moors Harriers. They held this lead until numpty here got giddy and went full steam ahead. I was eventually joined by the two Grand Prix table toppers, Jimmy Craig and Marc Hartley, where we stayed in our pack up the windy road towards the first descent before we tackled the summit.

Photo by Christopher Holdsworth

The first descent brought us to a stream, where Jimmy first took 1st position. This was short lived before Marc and I rejoined the forefront of the race. A sharp hill brought us back on ourselves where I was able to take a glimpse of the following heard. My Grand Prix nemesis Tom Brewster had shortened the gap between the front 3 and was steadily closing in. Jordan, while no longer at the front, was still putting in a monumental effort and keeping up in the second pack.

I knew I had to up my game, if ‘road’ is Tom’s thing, then ‘fell’, or at least ‘hills’ was surely mine..

As we hit the crevice before the notorious Kelbrook ‘hands on knees’ climb, I was confident that I could keep up with the two either side of me. ‘They’re just road runners’ I thought, ‘I’ve definitely got them here’.

Photo by Christopher Holdsworth

Nope. The usual gusto that greets me when my legs arrive at a hill were not there that day. So I walked. Luckily, I think pride got the better of the other two and they attempted to run the whole hill. This at times had me walking quicker than they could run.

Photo by Christopher Holdsworth

It mattered not – although we all arrived at the summit at the same time, they’re speed was my undoing. A race back to the finish allowed Jimmy Craig to finish over a minute in front, whereas I finished in 00:22:29. They’re won’t be any tantrums this week however, as I managed to finish over a minute in front of 4th placed Andy Buttery.

Photo by Christopher Holdsworth

I’m happy with my race, but there really were some brilliant efforts from Clayton-le-Moors Harriers throughout. To say Tom doesn’t usually race on fells, he had a stalwart effort that any ‘fell’ runner would be proud of, finishing in 6th with a time of 00:23:44. Alan Life also had a brilliant race, narrowly missing out on a top 10 position in 11th. Garry Wilkinson, who was recently quoted as saying ‘I think this is my bow with the seniors’ proved that there was still life in the old dog yet. He finished in 18th with an excellent time of 00:24:50.

Photo by Christopher Holdsworth

The performance of the day has to go to Jordan McDonald though. Not only did he finish as the first U18, he also bested over 100 seniors, finishing just over the 25 minute mark in 00:25:12.

Photo by Christopher Holdsworth

This weeks Race Report was by Christopher Holdsworth, full results found here.

The Rest of the Weekends Action

One of the other big races of the weekend brings us to Duddon Valley 2014, where eight Clayton-le-Moors Harriers competed. First around the course was David Naughton, speeding to the finish in 03:34:00. Next through the finish line was Mick Dobson in 04:04:32, closely followed by Ivan Whigam in 04:11:29. There was also great runs from Ralph Baines in 77th, John Russius in 83rd, Andrew Firth in 97th and David Nalor in 101st. Well done men!

Over at Edenfield, another eight Harriers competed in this fell race, with David Naughton racing once again. This time he finished as the 2nd Clayton-le-Moors Harrier, in a time of 00:54:40. This was narrowly behind the 1st Harrier home, Geoffrey Gough in 00:54:24. Mark Taylor was next through the finish in 01:05:03, who was then followed home by Andrew Dugdale and Stephen Fish for the men. There were also two ladies who had excellent races. Linda Bostock and Nichola Jane Horsfall put in brilliant performances, finishing in 01:09:27 and 01:13:28 respectively.

Competing at The Lakeland Trails in Stavely, Breton Holdsworth took on the 17km Kentmere Trail Race. Getting miles in the tank was more of a priority for Breton, though he still put in an excellent effort finishing in 11th with a time of 01:21:14.

Another solo Harrier ran at the BOFRA Coniston race, this time in the form of junior Briony Holt. Not only did she finish as the 1st girl, she managed a 4th placed finish overall! Brilliant effort!

Over in Preston, the inaugural Crazy Cow 10k took place. Three Clayton-le-Moors Harriers attended the race on a very hot Sunday Morning. Christopher Holdsworth managed to scoop 1st place, winning in 00:35:07 – a new PB for him. Another PB breaker was Clayton-le-Moors new boy Adam Hamer, in his first 10k for the club, finishing with a brilliant time of 00:59:26. Another great performance by Sophie McIntosh finishing the course in 01:05:59, rounded of a great weekend of results for Clayton-le-Moors Harriers!

Don’t forget to get involved with our training sessions.Visit our training section to find out all the details for the next coming months.

ByPeter Booth

June Newsletter

Here’s another 40 page bumper edition which contains a reports on the Calderdale Way Relay and the Fellsman ultra fell run, as well as how Linda Lord celebrated her 65th year. (Clue: she didn’t put her feet up!) With all the usual features, fixtures and results, just click the link and it’s all yours!

ByChristopher Holdsworth

Burnley Lions 10k & The Rest of the Weekends Action

Burnley Lions 10k

‘The race was starting to thin out with Chris Holdsworth in 3rd, Capt. Brewster in 5th and me in 6th. I vividly remember checking my watch at 2.2m and being amazed we were only one third through the race!’

Stood at the start line at Colne Cricket Club on Friday evening I had a lot of questions spinning through my mind; most of them negative. Having not raced a 10k for nearly six months it’s safe to say I wasn’t feeling the most confident on entering the race. However, a combination of my resolution to try to race more often and the race being a Road Championship qualifier I couldn’t turn down the chance to have a run out.

On the start line there was pretty much every Clayton-le-Moors member I would have expected to be involved. Possibly due to Capt. Motley taking the spoils at the Blackpool half there seemed to be a few road runners who wanted to ensure the Fell captain wouldn’t have bragging rights in both disciplines come the end of the year. On the other hand this could have just been me…

Photo By Nick Gaskell

Come 7pm the race was off and despite a decent sized hill almost immediately after exiting the cricket club the pace didn’t let up. I settled in to sixth place and dug in for the climb up to the Alma pub. After dropping down from the Alma and heading back towards Colne I was passed by Capt. Brewster who seemed to be absolutely flying. The race was starting to thin out with Chris Holdsworth in 3^rd, Capt. Brewster in 5^th and me in 6^th. I vividly remember checking my watch at 2.2m and being amazed we were only one third through the race! I felt like I was really struggling at this point and seeing both Chris and Tom moving further ahead didn’t do me any favours.

Photo By Nick Gaskell

We were soon back at the cricket club at the end of the first of two laps and still in the positions previously mentioned. Just before the second climb to the Alma I decided to make a move and to give it everything as soon as I hit the incline. Half way up I managed to pass Tom and soon set my sights on Chris who I was able to slowly reel in and pass as we reached the top of the climb. From here on in I felt third place was achievable but Andy Buttery, who eventually finished there, had a great run and I wasn’t able to close the gap. With a mile or so to go my lace came undone however it didn’t cause me as much trouble as it could have done on another day. Lesson learned!

Photo By Nick Gaskell

The finish at the school came as a surprise, as I thought we were running back to the cricket club, but was more than welcome. I finished in 4^th just in front of both Tom (5^th) and Chris (6^th) who have both improved tremendously over the last 6 months and I fully expect many more very close races over the coming months.

Photo By Nick Gaskell

Thanks to Jonny Mckenna for this weeks race report! Washed away results just about found here..

The Rest of the Weekends Action

There were lot’s of you racing this weekend! Leading the way were new Clayton-le-Moors Harriers couple Adrienne and Nicholos Olszewski, racing at this years Hogwills Trail 26. Both put in a great effort, finishing in 04:30:09.50 and 06:20:05.70 respectively.

Next up we had the Hutton Roof Craggs Fell Race, which had a total of 12 harriers competing at the event. Alan Life put in a spectacular effort finishing as the first in 44th position, finishing ahead of Mick Dobson in 48th and Ivan Whigam in 65th. The three men helped us to finish in 10th overall. We also had a lady running in Nichola Horsfall, finishing the race in 01:22:30. Well done to all who ran!

There was the just the one Clayton-le-Moors Harrier at Great Eccleston Scouts Fast 4. Martin Brady flew the flag for us, finishing the race in 46th position, with a time of 00:29:15. Well done Martin!

Dave Motley put in a cracking effort in this years Bowely Hill Trail Race, finishing in 5th place overall. New member Carl Helliwell also had a fanastic run, giving the Captain a run for his money finishing in 7th place. Carl’s other half and also a new member Sarah Helliwell also had a storming effort, finishing as the 4th overall lady! There were also great runs from Richard Briscoe, Stephen Breckell, Martin Brady (again) and Ron Chappel.

Over at the Saddleworth Fell Race, two Harriers competed in Rick Moore and Stephen Fish. Rick finished in 00:31:55, whilst Stephen finished in 00:34:33. Well done men!

And lastly, Matt Perry had the run of the weekend by finishing 3rd at Austwick Amble (what a great name). He finished just 12 seconds behind 2nd in an impressive time of 00:53:58. There was also strong runs from Ivan Whigam in 33rd, Mick Dobson in 41st and Colin Woolford in 101st.

Super Junior Molly Hesketh also had a great run at this race finishing in 00:14:55 for the under 12s.

Well done to all who ran this weekend!

ByChristopher Holdsworth

BMAF Road Relays 2014 & The Rest of the Weekends Action

BMAF Road Relays 2014

‘Old Michael took the early spoils and took advantage of the first climb and fast flat section to pull out the early lead on his namesake. However, for a change young Michael seemed to have his ‘mature head on’ and just kept a sensible distance behind’

Brilliant sunshine and some very well toned runners greeted us as we arrived at Birmingham for the road relays. I must admit to some trepidation in the week preceding the event, worrying that we would make fools of ourselves in front of the best in the country. But coach Roche put my mind at rest and I quickly got myself in the right frame of mind for the race.

These races are always fun and this did not disappoint. From the moment we all met at the Dunkenhalgh for the trip down the banter started, particularly from Mickey Hogan who seemed to have it in for me. All in good spirit though.

After John had asked for the 100th time ‘Are we nearly there yet dad’ we arrived at Sutton Park. Some of the events had already got underway so we quickly unpacked the pavilion and set ourselves up opposite Salford so we could have a bit of banter during the day.

We watched the women show us how it was meant to be done and very quickly our start time approached. John was a true captain and even polished my head to help me go faster.

First up were the two Michael’s. Motor mouth himself Michael O’Donnell running for the V35 team and Mickey Hogan running for the V45 team. This was always going to be a hard fought battle and did not disappoint. Old Michael took the early spoils and took advantage of the first climb and fast flat section to pull out the early lead on his namesake. However, for a change young Michael seemed to have his ‘mature head on’ and just kept a sensible distance behind. There is a nice little uphill finish on this course and the young man took advantage of this to pull away and come in with a very respectable time of 18:37 with Mr.Hogan just behind in 18:53.

I was 2nd up for the V35 and was surprised to see Forest coming in quite so quickly and I had quite a battle with the organisers to get out to the start line. John Wilcock was chomping at the bit on the start line behind me. In my usual style I put too much effort into the first climb so had to try and regroup myself on the flat section. When I came to the turn-around I saw John behind me so knew I had to try and up the pace. I was hurting by the final climb but running past the Clayton-le-Moors masses on the finishing straight encouraged me and I managed to finish in a time of 18:36 (sorry Forest). John came in close behind me in a time of 19:34.

Leg 3 saw Nick Roscoe running for the V35 against Gary ‘Wilki’ Wilkinson running for the V45. Nick ran a strong leg to keep off the evergreen Wilki, with a time of 19:49. Gary, with yet another performance defying his years ran 18:50 to put the old men just 15 seconds behind the youths.

It was time for the last leg of the V45 race, with still another 3 to go for the V35. Up for the V35 was our brummie Paul ‘Shack’ Shackleton. This was a rare experience for Shack as this race was virtually on his doorstep compared to his usual trek to Lancashire. Running for the V35 was David Hogan sporting his streamline beard.

Shack had the run of the day finishing in 18:09 to take the honors for the V45 over the V35. Well done the old men who finished in 24th place in their category! David ran a strong leg in a time of 21:41, a real gutsy performance from him.

Whilst the V45’s could tuck into their double cheeseburgers there were still two more legs for the V35’s. Paul Wale had the honors and took over from Hoggie. Like David, Paul ran his heart out. I think it is always more difficult for the later runners than the early runners but Paul still ran a strong leg in 21:29.

Last up was the captain himself Mr. Roche. Despite carrying his aches and pains John ran a strong leg in 20:23 to bring the V35 team home in 33rd place. John had said to me at the start of the week we would be somewhere near 30th overall. I didn’t believe him thinking there was no way we would get anywhere near that. But am happy to be proved wrong.

Overall winners were Altrincham & District AC, followed by Les Croupiers and Salford Harriers. The V45 category was won by Leicester Corithanian with Salford second and Thames Hare & hounds in third. Mickey Hogan summed the day up when he said it was fantastic. We had a really good team spirit with some fun thrown in, which is what running in a club is all about. Everyone gave 100% and more. Its days like this that make you really proud and happy to run for a club like Clayton-le-Moors Harriers. Well done to everyone who took part and thank you for making it a memorable day. I personally can’t wait for the next event.

Thanks to Alex Cran for this weeks race report!

The Rest of the Weekends Action

The weekends events started with the 100th Burnley Parkrun, attended by Clayton-le-Moors Harriers very own Ron Hill. On a perfect morning of sunshine, the performances certainly reflected it with PB’s being broken in all directions. Exemplary to this fact were Clayton-le-Moors Harriers Christopher Holdsworth and Tom Brewster. After a gruelling battle for first place, Christopher Holdsworth managed to emerge victorious in his first ever win for the club. Both men pushed each other more than they knew, as when they finished, they realised that they’d both smashed their previous Burnley Parkrun PB’s. Jordan McDonald also had a brilliant run, pushing for a top 3 finish with a time of 18:04. An amazing turn out of 54 Harriers in total took to the Towneley based 5k, with with debutants Adam Hamer, Adrienne Olszewska and Natasha Olzewska all making their bow for the club. However, the star of the day goes to 10 year old Jackson McKay for his outstanding time of 20:57. Well done to all that ran!

Over at the Farfield Horseshoe, over 3000ft was climbed in the 9 mile race, which was attended by twelve Clayton-le-Moors Harriers. David Nuttall was the first Harrier back with an excellent time of 01:35:15. Next through the finish line was Neil Hardiman, finishing in 40th overall. There was also great runs from Ivan Whigam, Dominic Carr and Kieran Carr, rounding off a great day at the Farfield Horshoe 2014.

On Sunday 18th of May, three Clayton-le-Moors Harriers made the trip to Worden Park 10k. As the first Clayton round, Richard Stevenson had a storming run finishing in 11th over all in a time of 00:39:22. Next through the finish is the ever reliable road 10k runner Steve Biscomb, who finished in a time of 00:42:52. The third harrier round the scorching course was Alan Clarkson, finishing in a time of 00:44:44.

Well done to all that ran this weekend, there were great runs from many!

ByChristopher Holdsworth

Calderdale Way Relays 2014 & The Rest of the Weekends Action

Calderdale Way Relay 2014

‘My only goal was to keep up with Spencer, a goal which was becoming a little unattainable towards the ruins overlooked by Stoodly Pike. He announced ‘I’m ‘avin one of these lads, the rest is up to you…’

As leg 1s cars pulled into The Ram Inn car park, each occupants gaze was met with the same knowing look. What were we doing at 6am in the morning outside a sodding pub – It could only mean one thing… It’s relay time!

With the members of leg 1 all cursing the captain for choosing us to take the fall for the 8am start, in reality, we were all excited by the race ahead. Arriving at the venue brought us the news that Russell had chosen not to bring his Clayton-le-Moors Harriers top, instead he rummaged through Lee’s Sports Wears ©, modelling his latest range in baseball gloves and helmets. Once bum bags were fixed, supplements supped, we were out on the start line ready to begin.

Photo Courtesy of Christopher Holdsworth

The sound of a whistle brought the race to a start, signalling a mass sprint up the embankment. The noise in the air ceased, deafness dropped and the only sound to be heard was the rustle of race numbers complimenting the passing flow of the river. Once we ushered ourselves around the early bend, the pairs from each club began to filter into the bottleneck through the woods. Only being able to achieve the same speed as the runner ahead gave the 10 mile leg a nice and steady introduction, from which we were able to build on. Reaching the field at the top of the trail was where Spencer and I began to deploy our game plan. Take it easy, real ‘em in, move on to the next. The pairs began to fall behind with only a few remaining ahead, with one in particular becoming the source for our own particular personal battle.

Having only recce’d the leg once, we were still a little unsure as to which route was correct. Not wanting to rely on the runners behind, Spencer made it our objective to stay with the runners from Tring. Eventually we caught up with them on our decent through Ripponden where the back and forth battle begun. Having just been fed a glucose sweet or two, I was on a sugar enduced high. I’m not quite sure if I sprinted the next few hills or teleported. Once we’d passed Ripponden, Spencer and I hit our stride up the continuous road to the moorland. Steadily, we began to gain a comfortable lead on the boys from Tring.

Again, navigation issues arose which allowed for our competition to retake the lead. We were around 7 miles in and my energy was now spent. My only goal was to keep up with Spencer, a goal which was becoming a little unattainable towards the ruins overlooked by Stoodly Pike. He announced ‘I’m ‘avin one of these lads, the rest is up to you’. Not wanting to be the disappointment that would take Spencer’s trademark smile, I pushed on through the hip pains and kept my place just in front of the other lagging Tring member.

All of a sudden it hit me, we had only half a mile to go and we were neck and neck. Adrenaline the like I had never felt before kicked in and I stormed past all three runners, tackling one of the most treacherous and slippy path ways I’d ever experienced. The danger didn’t matter, broken ankles didn’t matter – After this 7 mile solitary battle, we simply had to prevail. At one point I even managed to cuff my hand on barbed wire, taking my glove clean off. That glove was good and gone, I was in the zone and I wasn’t stopping for anything.

Photo Courtesy of Garry Wilkinson

Thankfully, Spencer retrieved my glove straight away, reminding me after that I might have needed it for an end of race kit check. My legs now not working properly meant I could no longer turn around bends. This made it very difficult when there was s-bend after s-bend. However, Spencer’s ‘gentle’ roar for me to go in the right direction made me do exactly that. In the end, we managed to finish our leg in 01:18:17, less than a minute and a half behind 3^rd placed Barlick.

We were greeted well by the Clayton-le-Moors welcome party. The air was warm yet the monsoon-esque weather set in. Here, we sent Dave Motley and Andrew Stubbs on their way…

‘9am and Me & Mr Stubbs are waiting for the A team to finish their leg, would they be in 1st, 2nd, 3rd? had they got lost? The suspense is all too much. Warm ups continue in the lashing rain and the leg 1 boys come through in 4th. We set off hard up the hill to the reservoir hoping to chase down or make some time up on 3rd place, but that soon went out of the window when we took a wrong turn and ended up just off course probably losing 1min or so. Next we had a strong climb up and over Stoodley Pike with me taking advantage of the descent knowing full well that Mr Stubbs flat speed would allow him to catch up.

Photo Courtesy of Christopher Holdsworth

Twists & turns through the farms, into Todmorden centre, over the train tracks and back up the hill before the long descent into the sports centre. Overall the leg went well; however I ran 4mins slower than last year with the combination of wrong turns (ensure recce next time), slight injury problems and poor boggy condition under foot possibly to blame. We came back in 4th but lost a few minutes on 3rd’ – Dave Motley

Photo Courtesy of Ryan Wilkinson

Losing ground on 3^rd meant Clayton-le-Moors Harriers would have to focus their efforts on solidating 4^th place. It was over to Garry Wilkinson and Jacob Boyle on the 3^rd leg…

‘Jacob and I set off in forth place with a chasing gap of seven and a half minutes to third. Although the young pretender Jacob (32 years his junior) forced the early pace my experience showed as we ran quicker than the 2nd and 3rd team and gained 7th fastest leg of the day. I Think this was my swan song with the seniors … but what a way to finish. Cheers Jacob’ – Garry Wilkinson

Photo Courtesy of Ryan Wilkinson

With Jacob and Garry making good pace, it was a swift hand over to Tom Brewster and Ryan Belshaw for the 4^th leg…

We set off on leg 4 in high spirits having handed off from Garry and Jacob in 4th place, after a mile or so the mood sobered as we came to terms with the task ahead of us; 10miles of boggy moor and heavy rain showers to contend with while attempting to chase down 3rd place Barlick Fell runners and keeping 5th place Todmorden far enough behind so as not to worry us!

The relentless climbing strength of the ex-marine Ryan coupled with the flat-terrain speed of Road Captain Tom proved to be a good mix as we matched each other along the entire route, maintaining 4th place after the gruelling hilly leg. Elation at the end of the leg momentarily turned to concern as blood was discovered on Toms vest, however this swiftly turned to amusement when it was revealed to be caused by improper lubrication of certain areas of the chest’ – Tom Brewster

Photo Courtesy of Ryan Wilkinson

Things were getting quite tense now. Lungs burning, nipples raw; we were on for a pivotal battle with Todmorden. Paul Shackleton and David Walker took the reigns in leg 5…

‘It was cold, wet and bleak at Wainstalls and we didn’t want to get out of the car. One of the lads said ‘you wouldn’t want to live up here would you’. No. Barlick fell runners came and went and about ten minutes later we were off in 4th place with me still wearing my jacket (You feel the cold more at my age) and with about ninety seconds lead on Todmorden Harriers and Calder Valley’s B team. We set off steadily; we didn’t have much choice as we slopped through the first couple of miles. Tod’ and CV closed in but I don’t like being passed in a relay and neither does David. We dug in and on the climbs pulled away, only to be caught again on the better ground.

With a mile to go Calder Valley dropped back and at a busy road crossing with half a mile to go Tod’ got away. We didn’t exactly do ‘Stop, Look and Listen’ but we didn’t want to get run over either and the Tod’ lads got a few yards advantage which they kept to the finish. We handed over in 5th place. 60.22, 8th fastest on the leg. Somewhere in first few miles, my car key fell out of my bumbag, which almost spoiled a great day, but not quite’ – Paul Shackleton

Hearts were now in mouths. With Todmorden now leading the way, it was up to our speedy duo Breton Holdsworth and Jonny McKenna to save the day in leg 6. The race was on…

Photo Courtesy of Christopher Holdsworth

After what seemed like forever stood there dithering in my vest, we were off chasing down Todmorden Harriers A team who had a very slight lead, we soon caught them in the woods and over took them, then Jonny took a nice sliding dive on a right hander over a bridge. Exactly the same place that Matt Lalor slipped on the same leg with me last year (I’m becoming a bit of an omen)

We were still in front and opening up a comfortable lead, then we came to a road crossing where we lost some ground waiting for an opening in the traffic. Not to worry we shot off again still in the lead, upon where we came out onto the road in Bailiff Bridge, out of nowhere Todmorden Harriers appeared on our shoulders, which then spurred us on again up the hill onto Birkhouse lane as we followed it round (as per CWR instructions) the Todmorden Harriers duo then appeared right on our shoulders again, via an unmade track? As most people know I’m not bitter about shortcuts, not that I’m accusing anyone of course. We were still keeping the lead by this point and after we turned into the field past the bungalow we didn’t see them again until, Boom they were right behind us on the canal path going through Brighouse.

It was then neck and neck all the way through the next couple of miles of climbing, which to be fair if I could’ve matched Jonny we would have been able to open up another comfortable lead. They started to pull away once we hit the tarmac, though I was pretty confident we would be able to drag some distance back. For people that aren’t accustomed to this leg, we had just spent the last couple of miles gaining just over 500ft of elevation, which then means the next mile and a half was nearly 500ft of descent down tarmac and cobbles which fairly trashed my quads resulting in jelly legs for the final flat. We still had them in our sites going along the canal and then back onto the final stretch along the road to the finish line. We put in another couple of pushes but ran out of ground (if only we had a few more miles) So we started the leg in 5th overall and finished in 5th overall just gutted we couldn’t secure 4th’ – Breton Holdsworth

Photo Courtesy of Christopher Holdsworth

And so, 4^th place wasn’t to be. Unfortunately the underdog story goes to Todmorden for their plucky effort to turn around a 15 minute deficit. Nevertheless, the effort shown from all runners across the 6 legs was monumental.

Just as it was for team 2 and the ladies. Clayton-le-Moors B finished brilliantly with an improved position on last year. Coming 26th overall, the day started with the duo of Lee Smith and Russell Clarke. Although they managed a half time extra lap, they finished their leg with a respectable time of 01:37:03. Next up were Michael O’Donnell and Paul Wale for leg 2. Quick of the blocks, they also had a fine run with a time of 01:22:00. They passed the baton to promising young superstars Jordan McDonald and George Pier. They achieved an excellent time of 00:45:44, well done boys! On the 4th leg was the top pairing of David Bagot and Neil Hardiman. Their run lasted for only 01:22:54 before they passed on to John Wilcock and Adam Shaw in the 5th leg. They managed a storming 18th position for their leg, handing over to 6th in a time of 01:06:15. The last leg consisted of the battlers Dominic Car and Richard Briscoe, bringing us home in 26th posting a time of 01:21:32, rounding of an excellent day for Clayton-le-Moors B.

But we didn’t stop there…

Our ladies were out in force too, and boy did they deliver! They managed a 61st placed finish over all and they started the day with Captain Jean Brown and Barbara Savage. They got us off to a solid start with a time of 01:52:39. They transferred the racing duties to Vicky Heys and Angela Shian, who managed a brilliant time of 01:30:24. A superb effort for this notoriously hilly leg. On the 3rd leg was Julia Rushton and Linda Lord, keeping us steady recording a time of 00:56:40. The baton was passed on to Alison Dugdale and Anna Kelly for the 4th leg. Racing home in 01:33:02, they handed over to Lisa Richardson and Rebecca Rawcliffe for the penultimate leg. Their leg ended in 01:24:45 where they handed over to Lorraine Slater and Nic McNamara for the final leg. The ladies wrapped up the day in 09:00:51 with the final duo posting a time of 01:43:21. Brilliant stuff!!

I think it is safe to say that the day can be perfectly summed up in this final shot. Take it away, Richard and Dom!

Race report by Christopher Holdsworth, with contributions from Dave Motley, Garry Wilkinson, Tom Brewster, Paul Shackleton and Breton Holdsworth. Thanks for your help! Full results can be found here.

The Rest of the Weekends Action

You’ve had a lot to read so far, 2400 words in fact.. ‘it’s a bloody essay!’ I hear you cry. I know, I’m deeply sorry. Readjust, take a break and we’ll get through this together..

Firstly! Friday night saw the second race in the Burnley & Pendle Grand Prix Calendar. The race was Pinhaw, and it happened to feature two heavy weights of the running world turn up in Tom and Mark Addison. With first and second place out of contention, the race was on for 3rd place. Sadly, a Harrier couldn’t claim it and it fell to Barlick runner Jimmy Craig. We did however manage to secure team prize through 4th place Christopher Holdsworth, 6th placed Matt Perry and 7th placed Andrew Stubbs. There were thirty of us competing overall, well done team!

On Saturday, Jean Brown decided to warm up for the Calderdale Way Relays by tackling the monster Buttermere Fell Race. I find my self writing about Jean often, as the fell captain is always out and about. No matter how many times I see here name, she still manages to surprise me with another outstanding time. She tamed the beast in just over the 2 hour mark, finishing in 45th place. I’d like to also congratulate former Clayton-le-Moors Harrier Wayne McIntosh for also having a good crack at this race. Well done both of you!

For a change of pace, we had Clayton-le-Moor Harriers compete in a 10k road race. Overall there were six Harriers competing at Blacksticks, with Dave Nuttall the first round finishing in 7th. Micheal Hogan finished in 27th, whilst Steve Biscomb finished in 33rd. There was also stellar efforts from Alan Clarkson, Brian Wildman and Ron Chappel.

Lastly, I was sent in this report from Sam Root, reporting on the Deva Junior Aquathlon Race..

‘On Sunday 27th April, Eleanor Root traveled to Christleton near Chester to compete in the Deva Junior Aquathlon. There was a mixed field of 41 competitors taking part in the Tristars 3 category. After a solid swim and transition Eleanor put in a strong performance during the run and claimed an overall position of 15th, taking 9th place in the girl’s competition. Not to be outdone, younger sister Grace competed in the Blackpool Junior Triathlon on Sunday 11th April in the Supersrpint category. Again, Grace had a solid swim then gave a strong performance on the bike and really came into her own on the run. In a mixed race of 12 competitors Grace came 4th overall but managed to get 1st place girl’- Sam Root

Thanks Sam and well done Grace! If I have missed any results I do apologise. Between racing, meetings, work and compiling the reports I’ve had little time this week. If I have missed any results out, please email me here and I’ll add them quick sharp!!

This weekend see’s Ron Hill make an appearance at the 100th Park Run, so please come and join us and run in the early morning sun!

ByChristopher Holdsworth

Coniston Fell Race 2014 & The Rest of the Weekends Action

Coniston Fell Race 2014

‘A particular favourite of mine, the route is a classic horseshoe, starting with the lung bursting climb up Mouldry Bank on the way to Wetherlam, before crossing Prison Band and then on to Coniston Old Man…’

A perfect day for racing the second English Championship of 2014; the weather stayed dry and just the right temperature and conditions under foot , which were as good as they could be for a Lakeland race this early in the season. A particular favourite of mine, the route is a classic horseshoe, starting with the lung bursting climb up Mouldry Bank on the way to Wetherlam before crossing Prison Band and then on to Coniston Old Man, finishing with an infamous descent back to the village.

Being a championship race the entry list had filled up quickly and the stars were out! The first three back were Tom Addison in 1:07.57, having battled it out with Rob Hope who was a mere 1 second behind with Morgan Donnelly a further 90 seconds behind. But in my opinion the performance of the day was from Ian Holmes in fourth place. Ian is the record holder (1:03.29 in 1996!) and has won the race on numerous occasions so this must be a favourite of his too! At 48 to come fourth in a hotly contested English Championship race is a great achievement.

As for Clayton-le-Moors Harriers, I was pleased to see a good turn out from the ‘veteran guard’ including Jack Holt, Kieran Carr, Linda Lord, Wendy Dodds and Pete Browning still grinding out the classic Lakeland races! Shack had made the long journey from the midlands to continue his V50 campaign and captain Dave Motley was there to spur us all on among several others. However, I’m afraid I didn’t get chance to find out too much about the placings so you will have to check the results when they are posted.

(CH: Here they are! Full Clayton-le-Moors Harriers times and positions below, full results here.

Place/Time/Runner/Age Category

77 1.21.43 DAVID NUTTALL M45

155 1.30.11 GEOFFREY P GOUGH M55

161 1.30.34 JACK HOLT M65

199 1.36.02 JEAN BROWN W45

218 1.37.37 PAUL SHACKLETON M50

220 1.37.42 PETER BROWNING M55

222 1.37.44 KIERAN F CARR M65

261 1.43.28 WENDY DODDS W60

284 1.47.59 ANDREW FIRTH M55

293 1.49.00 ANDREW M DUGDALE M50

303 1.51.02 MARK TAYLOR M

311 1.51.51 RICK MOORE M50

321 1.53.05 ALISON DUGDALE W40

335 1.56.41 DAVE MOTLEY M

342 1.58.07 KATY THOMPSON W60

356 2.02.45 PETER DUGDALE M55

361 2.03.36 LINDA M LORD W65

368 2.06.27 NICHOLA J HORSFALL W55

378 2.10.02 ANDREW HOWARTH M50

397 2.26.16 KARIN GOSS W65

For me the day was capped off with a few pints in Coniston and a brief game of dads vs. kids rugby at the football club, where I found myself camping amongst a bunch of Yorkshire fell runners and their families making the most of the bank holiday weekend. This camaraderie is what makes fell running so special – and the result… kids won by one try!

Thanks to David Nuttall for this weeks race report!

The Rest of the Weekends Action

It was a weekend of two halves. If you wasn’t at Coniston Fell Race, it seemed you was at The Great Hameldon Hill Race instead. For some, like Captain Fantastic Dave Motley, you were at both. With an underlying Chris Barnes stag do coinciding with the first race of the Grad Prix calendar, there was a lively and mischievous atmosphere that engulfed the Sunday morning proceedings.

The race began and off flew Spiderman and Captain Clayton, though their burst of speed was short lived. Soon enough, the serious racers began their climb through the car park and the smiling faces turned to humourless, dour-faced grimaces, as the runners soon realised the gravitas of the tiresome task ahead. In the end, the Clayton-le-Moors Harriers did the Clayton-le-Moors Harriers organised race proud, picking up the team prize through fell foes Christopher Holdsworth and Matt Perry, along with the ever increasingly impressive Jacob Boyle. Christopher Holdsworth was also awarded the ‘First Clayton Home’ trophy for his efforts.

There were a grand total of 39 Harriers in total!! That is a momentous number for any club to produce at a race, well done! Sorry I can’t mention you all, though I will say it was good to see a healthy turn out from the ladies. Alison Dugdale, Angela Shian, Vicky Heys, Fionnuala Swann, Kaye Callaghan, Irene Roche, Rebecca Rawcliffe, Natalia Suchomska and Susie Allen all made the effort to climb the 1000ft climb. Well done ladies!

The juniors also had a great turn out, lead by under 8 runner Finlay Stubbs with a time of 01:24, coming in at 1st place! There was also speedy performances from Eliza Cottom in 5th, Rachel Stevenson in 8th and Joshua McKay in 9th.

Jackson McKay came in at 02:59 as another Clayton junior 1st place finisher, whilst Ella Dorrington had a spectacular run finishing in 3rd place for the under 10s race. Again, there was another brilliant performance from the under 16s race, with Leon Passco coming in 2nd place with a time of 11:20.

A total of 28 runners partook in the junior race. The above were just highlighted performances and as much as I’d like to highlight you all, in reality I don’t have as much time as I’d like to spare! If I did I would write each and every name out as you all of you did brilliantly. Well done juniors, thank you for all you efforts!

Senior results can be found here, whilst Junior results can be found here.

On Monday, five Clayton-le-Moors Harriers took to the Avenham Park 5k in Preston. ‘Christopher Huldslorin‘ managed another 6th placed finish in 00:17:05. Martin Brady managed 57th place, whilst Jackie Kershaw was next with a time of 00:24:48. The extraordinary Marion Wilkinson was the next through in 00:27:15. However, the story of the day goes to Sophie McIntosh, who finally broke her targeted sub30 5k, smashing it in a time of 00:29:36. Well done Sophie!

UK Results is currently down, so I apologise if there were any more races this weekend. You can contact the Media Manager if you have any more results for me to post.

The Calderdale Way Relays are this weekend. With a number of teams submitted, it would be great if we could have your support! You can find information on the race here. If you have any other queries, don’t hesitate to ask! Good luck to all running next weekend!

Category Archive Seniors Road