The Weekend saw three members of Otley AC competing in the Snowdon International Mountain Race, ten miles with 3,000 feet to the summit of Snowdon and back down.

The conditions were good, warm but overcast, in comparison to last years 28 degrees recorded in Llamberis at the start of the race. The race was won by Tim Davis of Wales, first local runner was Jason Hemsley of Pudsey and Bramley who finished third in the open category.

First in for Otley was Andrew Robertshaw, 23rd overall in 1hr 18 mins. Hot on his tail was Dale Foster in 24th only seconds behind, while Andrew Sumner was 200th in 1hr 42mins, 15 minutes faster than last year.

It was good to see the race well supported by Otley members. Fell Captain Emma Payne made her way to the summit with drinks for the runners, as did Jack and Kath Robertshaw.

Otley AC welcome runners of all abilities for training Tuesday and Thursday, 7.15pm at Otley RFU, cross green. Please contact Emma Payne, 01943 461087 for further details or visit the website at www.otleyac.co.uk

Ilkley Harriers

Saturday's International Snowdon fell race was attempted by members of Ilkley Harriers.

First Ilkley Harrier home was Nick Pearce, who was 57th and fourth veteran in 1:23:38; and Jane Leather had a great run to finish 256th in 1:50:45.

Second-claim Harrier Jason Hemsley was 20th in 1:15:49. Ilkley Harriers is a friendly running club, training from Ilkley Lawn Tennis and Squash Club every Tuesday at 7pm. Contact them on 01943 831765, or www.ilkleyharriers.co.uk for more information

Young Athletes League

The penultimate weekend in July saw the final matches of the UK Athletics Young Athletes League at many venues across the country. For Skyrac AC the issues at stake were of both relegation and promotion deciders for the club's two teams.

Fortunately, at Bury''s Market Street track, the boys' team was able to avoid relegation from North West Division One.

This was quite surprising really since there were only 12 athletes present across the three age groups of under-13, 15 and 17. In the end they finished third in their match behind Bolton and Macclesfield, but ahead of the Wirral B team. Two points were thus gained to add to their already existing six, and they finished 13th overall in a league of 16 clubs with three relegation spots!

Nevertheless, there were some outstanding performances from those who had made the journey. In the under-17 age group two 15 year-old boys achieved the maximum points available to them from their three permitted events.

Nick Howard's afternoon began with a victory in the B string javelin (700g). He then went on to win two A strings of his specialist middle distance events. An impressive 3000m race gave him a new personal best of 9 mins.38s and this was closely followed by success in the 800m.

The A string javelin was won by Andrew Staniland with a new personal best throw of 43.92m. Andrew then went on to win the A 100m hurdles in 15.7s and the B discus (1.5kg) with 34.68m.

Andrew's teammate Damien Hines was another big points earner as he won the A discus with a 36m plus throw. Earlier in the day, he had won the shot (5kg) with a putt of over 13m and had come second in the hammer (5kg).

Stuart Johnston and Adam Dodd also contributed very valuable points in this age group. The final event of the day saw Johnston, Staniland, Howard and Dodd come together for second place in the 4 x 400m relay.

There were only two Skyrac under- 15 boys present at Bury, but again each achieved some tremendous performances. Matthew Hudson took the maximum points available to him with victories in the 80m hurdles, the high jump (1.60m) and the B discus (1.25kg). James Murray won the A string of this latter event with a 26m throw. Earlier in the afternoon he had also won the shot putt (4kg) and was second in the B high jump.

Five under-13 boys made up the rest of the Skyrac team, including Jack Murray, Alister Hesp, Andrew Hawkyard and Stephen Powell, and each gave of their best in their respective events.

Meanwhile at Oldham and Royton AC's Radclyffe Athletics Centre, a similarly depleted Skyrac girls' team narrowly missed out on promotion out of Division North West Central Two. Going into this final match 96 points ahead of their closest challengers, Leigh Harriers, Skyrac came fourth on the day and

exactly 100 points behind the Lancashire club.

Subsequently they finished an overall four points behind Leigh. Several local athletes were involved in the Northern Premier Divisions of the Young Athletes League, competing for Leeds City AC and Kingston upon Hull AC.

At Wakefield's Thornes Park Athletics Centre, Horsforth's Bethany Staniland was a successful member of the victorious Kingston upon Hull AC girls' team in their final Northern Premier match. Overcoming the mighty Wigan, Wakefield and Gateshead clubs, Hull will now contest the UK Athletics National Finals at Birmingham's Alexander Stadium in late August.

For her part, Bethany picked up 20 points out of a maximum of 24 available to her. Two second places in the javelin (600g) with 26.83m and in the shot (3.25kg) with 9.45m, was followed by third in the discus (1kg) with 27.40m.

Leeds City AC's boys' team will also join KuHAC at the national finals. A tremendous team performance at Middlesborough's Claireville Stadium gave them an overall fifth place in their Northern Premier Division. In this team six local athletes have competed for them all season: Menston brothers,

Richard and Chris Ettenfield; Guiseley trio Alex Fox, Robert Hall and Alex Davey; and Woodhouse Grove School student Lewis Williamson.

Trophy Meeting

Two Skyrac AC athletes, Andrew Staniland and Damien Hines, whilst on holiday in Norfolk, unexpectedly met up at the annual Great Yarmouth and District AC Trophy Meeting at the weekend.

They dominated the under-17 men's field events at the Wellesley Road Stadium, coming away with a haul of five trophies between them.

In the under-17 discus (1.5kg), they again came head to head with Damien winning the event with a fine throw of 39.57m. Andrew was second with a pleasing 37.20m.

Earlier in the day, both had set new personal best performances in two other throwing events. Andrew won the javelin (700g) with 45.22m and Damien took the shot (5kg) with 13.58m.

Andrew then went on to win the junior men's long jump with a leap of 6.07m.

Also at Yarmouth was Horsforth's Bethany Staniland (Kingston-upon-Hull AC) who, like her brother, also set a personal best to win the under-15 girls' javelin (600g) with a throw of 27.67m.

However, despite picking up two more trophies, she had mixed feelings about her performances in her other events.

She was pleased to win the discus (1kg) with 26.30m and then come third in the long jump with 4.53m, but both distances were well below her best.