Three Harriers competed in the Ian Roberts Memorial fell race on Sunday; the first event in the club’s 2022/23 fell league. The route starts above Marsden, covering 6.4 miles and taking in a total ascent of 850’. It was sunny but with a cold wind, which didn’t feel so bad once the runners got started. The route has a bit of everything. The ground was soft and quite level on the tops so that runners could enjoy the views without having to watch their feet. However, the final couple of miles had some steep, boggy, rocky downhills and the grassy tussocks were a nightmare to navigate. The climb up Pule Hill was a challenge, but that’s what fell running is about! Jane Hobson led the trio home, finishing in 75th place in a time of 74:17 followed by Hazel Berrett (90th in 77:13) and Sam Layfield - making her fell racing debut - in 96th in 81:11.
Also on Sunday, Will Carver took on the highly demanding Heptonstall Fell Race. The route is over much of the best of the local landscape around Heptonstall and the Upper Calder Valley, covering 15.4 miles and more than 3,000' of climbing. Will finished in 2:34:01 in 95th place in a very strong field.
The next race in the fell league is Orchan Rocks in Todmorden on the evening of Tuesday 26th April.
Four Harriers ran the scenic and flat 20 mile race at Trimpell. This race is traditionally a warm up race for the Spring Marathon season. The conditions for the race were near perfect except for the occasional gust of wind, which always seemed to be into the 303 runners faces. Debbie Kirkbride set a new F60 Club Record in a time of 3:27:19. James O'Rourke was the first Harriers finisher in 2:20:53, Tom Paget was next in 2:22:23 (PB) and Paul Hopkinson finished in 2:54:31. It was also good to see eight runners from our neighbours, the Sowerby Snails, at the race.
Tom Hodgson ran a 5K personal best and club record of 14:41 at the Podium Races in Barrowford in Lancashire on Saturday evening. Will Smith set a new club record for the M45 category of 15:53. Ben Crowther (16:15) and Harry Johnson (18:09) also ran for the Harriers.
Will Carver continued his impressive ultra trail running exploits, completing Saturday's Haworth Hobble in 5:46:09, finishing in 70th place. This long-standing and popular 31.7 mile race takes in 4,400' of total ascent over a remote route in wonderful countryside across the moors around Haworth, Todmorden and Hebden Bridge. Elsewhere on Saturday, John Moore recorded 53:04 in the scenic Tatton 10k in Cheshire.
Richard and Sue Corney both competed in Sunday's hilly Red Hot Toddy 10k in Todmorden. Sue was first in her age category (F65) in 58:58 whilst Richard was second in his category (M55) in 51:16. Also on Sunday, Angela Clarke completed the tough Spen 20, a traditional spring marathon warm-up race, in 2:58:28, coming home in second place in the F45 category.