Flying Harriers head to Nottingham for cross-country finale
Several high flying Harriers made the trip to Wollaton Park in Nottingham to run for their respective counties in the inter-counties cross country competition. Conditions were firm and rapid times abounded as the event drew the curtain on the cross country season and, by extension, winter. Lancastrian lad Luke Foley’s 33:28 in the men’s 10km race was good enough for 88th place in a field stacked with some of the country’s fastest men. Meanwhile, the youngsters ran for Greater Manchester. Harry Yates was in action in the U15 boy’s race, stopping the clock at 15:46 for 273rd . Charlotte Wilknson was 101st (27:47) in the U20 women’s race, whilst Harrison Stokes places 91st in the U17 boy’s race with 21:04.
There was a titanic father and son battle on the northern fells of the Lake District at Carrock Fell Race on Sunday. Young Mark Titmuss had been eyeing up the first senior race after his 16th birthday where he could toe the line against his dad, James. Needless to say, his old man wasn’t going to roll over without a fight and an epic duel played out for family bragging rights over the 5.6 mile, 1,640ft route. It was nip and tuck all the way, with Mark managing to break away to ‘win’ by a mere 7 seconds (48:37), taking 21st overall and 1st U23 in the process.
Nick Leigh and Adrian Bramham travelled to the picturesque village of Dent in the Yorkshire Dales to take on the historic Dentdale Run, a race nearly as old as the two veterans. They both ran well over the gruelling 14.2 mile hilly road route, with Leigh using it as a tune-up race for next month’s Yorkshire 3 peaks. He finished in 4th place (1 st MV45) with a time of 01:29:14, whilst Bramham collected yet another MV60 trophy en route to a superb 11th overall (01:38:28), 20 minutes ahead of his nearest V60 challenger.
Several from the RMI lined up in the sun on the start line of the 44th edition of the Haworth Hobble Ultra Marathon. The route took competitors on 32 miles of windswept gritstone moorland with 4,400ft of total climbing. Julian Goudge is no stranger to long days on the fells and he waltzed around in 05:22:38, netting himself 62nd overall and 5th MV50. Matt Wilson ‘enjoyed’ his first (and he vows last) ultra, finishing in 05:46:00. Christpher Gorton completed it in 08:28:31.
Michelle Tunney and Ryan Snee turned out to support Smithy’s Charity Trail Run, a 5-mile route round the scenic trails of Egerton in aid of the Motor Neurone Disease Association. Alex Fowler scored a top 10 at a muddy Worden parkrun. His 21:22 was all the more impressive given he was pushing his son, Charlie, in a buggy. Rob Jackson is pursuing marginal gains as he finished 1 second quicker than the previous week at Peel (18:34). He finished his customary 1st in age category and age grading, whilst also sneaking into the top 10 overall.