Skyrac, who organise the Clearview Windows Otley Chevin Fell Race, joke ruefully that it always rains on their race although at least in 2003 the showers held off until after the race was over.

Event co-ordinators Neil and Sue Clayton were thereby rewarded with a 25 per cent increase in entries with 113 runners completing the three mile run to the top of the Chevin and back.

Casual spectators at Surprise View who observed the breakaway group of Yeadon's Paul Sheard (Pudsey and Bramley) leading clubmate Jason Hemsley by six seconds with Robin Lawrence (Bingley) a further three seconds adrift in third might have thought the race was over. Fellrunners however know that races are won running downhill and Robin Lawrence overhauled the Pudsey and Bramley pair on the descent to win by a clear seven seconds in 18.36.

First lady to Surprise View was Helen Sedgwick (Ilkley Harriers) with a lead of around ten seconds which she hung on to to finish in 23.45 ahead of Rachel Mackie (Holmfirth) in 23.55.

As in 2002 Jason Hemsley added to his third place prize by hanging onto the benefit of his LS21 postcode and winning the first local prize for the fourth consecutive year and shared in the team prize. Other local winners were Ilkley Harriers' Nick Pearce, who was first Over-50, and Norman Bush who was first Over-60.

At the less serious end of the field the pub team prize, donated by The Red Lion, was won by The Fox of Menston.

Skyrac's Roger Dawson, who has a plumbing business in Otley, liaises with local firms who support the race and Clearview Windows of Otley continue to provide generous sponsorship. In 2004 the race will celebrate its 25th Anniversary.

Full Results: 1, Robin Lawrence (Bingley) 18.36; 2, Paul Sheard (P&B) 18.43; 3, Jason Hemsley (P&B) 18.46; 4, Alex Grant (Abbey R) Vet 40 19.25; 5, Richard Pattinson (Pudsey P) 19.30, 6, Brian Goodison (Holmfirth) Vet 40 19.32; 7, Shane Green (P&B) 19.35; 8, Stefan Macina (P&B) 19.45; 9, Duncan Burgess (Otley) 19.50; 10, Neil Armitage (Pudsey Pacers) 20.08; 11, Bob Hamilton (Wharfedale H) Vet 40 20.11; 12, Graham Pearce (Ilkley) 20.14; 13, Steve Webb (Valley S) Vet 40 20.18; 14, Boff Whalley (P&B) Vet 40 20.19; 15, Graham Evans (Kirkstall) 20.45; 16, Ian Rowbotham (Harrogate) Vet 40 20.53; 17, Phil Davies (P&B) 20.55; 18, Phil Welland (Fellandale) 20.57; 19, Nick Pearce (Ilkley) Vet 50 21.00; 20, Graham Needham (Leeds C) Vet 40 21.05; 21, Robert Burnstead (Valley S) 21.34; 22, Ray Hawksby (Otley) Vet 40 21.37; 23, Phil Mason (Harrogate) Vet 40 21.48; 24, John Armistead (Otley) Vet 40 21.50; 25, Andrew Cutts (Valley S) Vet 40 21.56; 26, Carl Robinson (Woodkirk) 22.03; 27, Gary Lewin (U/A) 22.05; 28, Paul Dennison (Fellandale) Vet 40 22.07; 29, Paul Tranter (U/A) 22.29; 30, Tim Rowlands (St Bede's) Vet 40 22.33; 31, Alex Cornish (Calder V) 22.39; 32, David Holdsworth (St Bede's) Vet 40 22.48; 33, Julian Simmons (Fellandale) Vet 40 22.57; 34, Chris Hodgson (Fellandale) 23.00; 35, Tim Edwards (U/A) 23.03; 36, Phillip Taylor (U/A) 23.06; 37, R Raistrick (Idle) 23.13; 38, Norman Bush (Ilkley) Vet 60 23.16; 39, Barry Ellis (Horsforth H) 23.20; 40, Adrian Ruddock (U/A) 23.25; 41, Carl Walsh (Otley) Vet 40 23.26; 42, Paul Crabtree (K&C) 23.28; 43, M Hetherington (Abbey) Vet 40 23.34; 44, Dave Britton (Fellandale) Vet 40 23.36; 45, Andy Darby (LDWA) 23.38; 46, Steve Hall (FRA) Vet 40 23.41; 47, Richard Falls (Fellandale) Vet 40 23.44; 48, Helen Sedgwick (Ilkley) 23.45; 49, Nicholas Charlesworth (U/A) 23.48; 50, Rachel Mackie (Holmfirth) 23.55.

51, Ian Marshall (Ilkley) Vet 40 23.58; 52, Anthony Blythe (Idle) Vet 40 23.59; 53, Ian Purcell (WY Police) 24.05; 54, Charlie Hey (U/A) 24.08; 55, Phil Stacey (Fox) 24.10; 56, Neil Carr (U/A) 24.11; 57, Robert Felton (U/A) 24.12; 58, Paul Glover (Fellandale) Vet 50 24.19; 59, Pete Merifield (U/A) Vet 40 24.23; 60,Simon Thackray (LDWA) 24.29; 61, P Fremln (Fellandale) Vet 50 24.33; 62, Andy Hicks (LDWA) Vet 50 24.41; 63, Larry Clarke (Fox) 24.46; 64, Joseph Armitage (U/A) 24.48; 65, Anthony Swanepoel (Fox) 24.50; 66, John Phillips (Junction) 24.56; 67, Justin Greaves (U/A) 24.58; 68, Mark Latham (Bingley) Vet 40 25.05; 69, Anne Goude (Fellandale) 25.12;70, Serena Blackburn (Horsforth) 25.18; 71, Steve Milner (Woodkirk) Vet 40 25.20; 72, P Yates (Rothwell) Vet 50 25.24; 73, Phil Robinson (Otley) Vet 60 25.31; 74, Simon Bellwood (Idle) Vet 40 25.36; 75, Frank Penders (WY Police) Vet 40 25.45; 76, Brian Kenny (Achille Ratti) Vet 50 25.53; 77, Alison Wilson (Fellandale) 25.58; 78, Gary Burns (Fellandale) 26.04; 79, Keith Wood (Ilkley) Vet 40 26.12; 80, Graham Stead (Otley) Vet 40 26.19; 81, S Smith (lady) (Bingley) 81.28; 82, John Greenwood (U/A) 26.55; 83, James Lockley (U/A) 27.04; 84, Rebecca Cesar De Sa 27.10; 85, Chris Kevang (Tadcaster) Vet 40 27.27; 86, Richard Johnson (U/A) 27.29; 87, Tim Johnson (Fellandale) Vet 40 27.32; 88, Jonathan Riley (Leeds Brad Tri) 27.42; 89, Mike Atkins (U/A) Vet 50 27.43 90, Bob Payne (Otley) Vet 60 27.44; 91, Steven Carter (Fellandale) Vet 40 27.44; 92, Michael Dowling (U/A) Vet 50 27.45; 93, Peter Summers (Easingwold) Vet 50 27.46; 94, Kate Boobyer (Pudsey P) 27.47; 95, Chris Brown (U/A) 27.50; 96, Gill Whalley (Bingley) Vet 40 27.51; 97, Geoff Taylor (U/A) Vet 40 27.52; 98, Angela Scrivastura (Ilkley) 28.06; 99, Sarah Dyer (Valley S) Vet 40 28.14; 100, Darren Rushworth (U/A) 29.07.

101, Stewart Manning (Junction) 29.13; 102, Andrew Moxon (Junction) Vet 40 29.19; 103, Antonio Cardinale (Otley) Vet 50 29.50; 104, Roy Aldridge (U/A) Vet 40 30.05; 105, Ann Atkinson (Otley) Vet 40 30.17; 106, Alan Scholey (Ackworth) Vet 40 30.20; 107, Bryan Speight (Fellandale) Vet 60 30.29; 108, Alice Delglan (U/A) Vet 40 30.58; 109, Alan Jokey (U/A) 31.42; 110, Michael Felton (U/A) 31.48; 111, Mark Saville (Fellandale) Vet 40 32.20; 112, Amanda Parnaby (Ilkley) Vet 40 33.26; 113, Basil Thompson (Airienteers) Vet 60 37.55.