Some fell races are parsimonious with prizes (even on Boxing Day) others are munificent and thanks to continued sponsorship by Clearview Windows of Otley the Chevin Fell Race continues to be a shining example of the latter.

Neil Clayton, who with Skyrac has organised the race for most of its 24 years, ensures that for his event everyone goes away with something even if it is only a can of beer.

Around 30 runners go away with a couple of prizes and local star Jason Hemsley has been known to stagger away with an armful.

Since the race is only three miles long and half of that is running downhill the whole thing can be over in just over 17 minutes: which is less time than the prize giving takes in The Red Lion which sponsors a prize for the first pub (or non-athletic club) team.

Other sponsors associated with the event include Morrisons, KFC, Harry Ramsden's and Classic Cars.

The race starts near the Jubilee Clock in Otley Market Square at 7.30pm on Wednesday, June 4, and entries (£2.50) will be taken on the night or via Neil Clayton 43, Coal Hill

Lane, LS28 5NA (0113 229 0924). Entry forms can be found on www.skyrac.org.uk

Skyrac Fell Runners

Three races, three winners and three different leaders of the Skyrac Fell Championship is the current picture as runners contemplate the fourth race of the year which is next Sunday's nine miles Fairfield Horseshoe with its 3,000 feet of climb.

With Bob Pritchard, Neil Clayton and Graham Grinstead respectively taking maximum points from the first three races the story is already refreshingly different from 2002 when either Graham Breeze or Derek Emsley won every race in the ten event series. Whilst 2003 may produce a new name on the shield it is always performance in the long races that determine the outcome of the championship and the first of these is not until July with the 21 miles and 5,500 feet Dockray Helvellyn Race.

Last week the lighter evenings saw the return of mid-week evening races with five fell races listed for Wednesday. The nearest local event was the Hare and Hounds race from Lothersdale which attracted five Skyrac runners in the field of 71 for the senior race.

Winner was Willy Smith (Keighley and Craven) in 22.49 followed for Skyrac by 18th Duncan Asquith (27.02), 19th Graham Grinstead (27.14), 32nd Graham Breeze (29.28), 34th Steve Batley (29.38) and Malcolm Coles, completing his fourth race in five days, was 44th in 30.58.

Skyrac organise their Wednesday evening race on 4th June over Otley Chevin and can be contacted on 0113 229 0924 or www.skyrac.org.uk.

Young Athletes League

Ten local athletes took on the might of Liverpool Harriers as they represented Leeds City AC in the first match of the Northern Premier Division of UK Athletics National Young Athletes League at Liverpool's Wavertree Stadium.

As the 2002 national champions, Liverpool always had the edge over the Leeds team which finished second but still well ahead of Wrexham and York in the very windy conditions.

In the U-17 men's age group, Horsforth's Andrew Staniland was a major points earner for the Leeds team in three A string events.

He won the long jump (6.58m) and came second in both the 100m hurdles and in the discus with a second best ever throw of 41.91m.

In the same age group, two Menston boys, Richard Ettenfield and Fraser Davies, provided maximum points in the pole vault. Richard won the A event with 3.20m and Fraser took the B string with 3.00m. Fraser also won the B long jump with a personal best leap of 6.18m and came second in the B 100m. Richard also came second in the B javelin with a throw of 29.88m.

Both Staniland and Davies then formed half of the Leeds 4 x 100m relay team that gave Liverpool a close race for second place in 46.3s.

There was also a great deal of local throwing success in the U-17 women's age category. In the discus (36.70m) Bethany Staniland, of Horsforth, won the B event with a throw of 31.75m. This was also the second best throw of the competition.

Bethany was also second in the A string javelin (30.71m), and, despite falling at the last hurdle when in the overall lead, picked herself up to finish second in the B 300m hurdles.

Four other Menston athletes contributed valuable points for Leeds in the younger age groups. Danielle Carr showed impressive sprinting speed for second place in the U-13 girls' A 150m (23.0s) and third in the A 75m (12.1s).

Jessica Best produced a pleasing 2 mins.43.4s for second place in the U-13 girls' B 800m and Chris Ettenfield ran a smooth 16.0s for another second position in the U-15 boys' 80m hurdles.

The fourth member of the Menston quartet, Alex Davy, came third in the U-15 boys' B 3000m (11.17.9).

In same event, team-mate, Guiseley's Robert Hall, also ran well for third place in the A string with 10 mins.53.1s.

Three of these Leeds City athletes were back in action the following day at Grimsby Harriers' Kit Bell Memorial Trophy Meeting at the King George V Stadium.

Here, gaining some multi-events practice, Horsforth athlete Andrew Staniland entered three different events from the day before and duly won three first placed trophies in the U-17 men's shot, where he set a new personal best performance of 13.52m, the high jump (1.85m) and the javelin (46.87m), although the latter two events took place at exactly the same time.

Younger sister Bethany Staniland also enjoyed a trio of victories in the U-17 women's events. These came in the 800m, javelin (29.78m) and discus, with a personal best throw of 32.14m. She was also second in the high jump with an equal season best of 1.40m.

Young Danielle Carr of Menston continued to demonstrate her sprinting prowess with a fourth place in the final of the U-13 girls'100m in 14.8s. She was also the bronze medallist in the long jump with a fine leap of 3.85m.

In the U-15 girls, Bramhope's Georgina Ablett (Skyrac AC) came home with two silver medals. These were achieved in the 100m (13.7s) and in the 200m (28.4s). She was also fourth in the shot with 8.28m.

West Yorkshire League

Leeds City AC athlete Andrew Staniland set a new long jump record at the second round of The Complete Runner West Yorkshire Track and Field League at Cleckheaton's Princess Mary Stadium.

Here the 16 year-old Horsforth athlete leaped to 6.56m to win the U-17 men's long jump, beating the previous league record, which was held by Skyrac AC's Matthew Clay, by just one centimetre. Earlier in the evening he had also won the U-17 men's 100m.

Other local highlights from the meeting came in the U-17 women's discus where Bethany Staniland, of Horsforth, came second with 31.88m and sixth in the 100m in 13.6s.

Athletes who came in top 6 and thus gained points: U-11B - A Ettenfield (Leeds) = 6th Shot - 4.48m. U-13B - J Blac (Skyrac) = 3rd 800m - 2.38.2; J Murray (Sky) = 6th 800m - 2.41.4 and 2nd HJ - 1.35m. Senior men - C Miller (Sky) = 2nd 1500m - 4.28.0; R Owens (Sky) = 4th 1500m - 5.14.5; D Thomas (Sky) = 3rd Shot - 10.26m; Under-13 girls - D Carr (Leeds) = 3rd 80m - 11.9s. Under-15 girls - G Ablett (Sky) = 2nd 200m -28.5s and 3rd Shot - 8.51m. Under-17 women - F Thomas (Sky) = 2nd 100m - 13.2s and 3rd LJ - 4.42m; D White (Sky) = 4th 100m - 13.6s and 2nd LJ - 4.81m.

Mawson stars in half marathon

At Sunday's Leeds Half Marathon, in the field of 1,994 finishers, Julian Mawson finished a very pleasing sixth overall in 74.11. Malcolm Court finished 187th in 93.04, Tom Hannah was 315th in 97.32, Howard Jeffrey 392nd in 99.44 and Clare Kellett and Peter McManus finished their first half marathon together in 1,571 and 1,572 positions in 127.32.

In the full marathon Nick Hodgkinson completed the two lap circuit in 3.53.15, equating to 133rd position out of 272 finishers.

In the combined family Fun Run Don Buffham, Chris Carver and John Straiton all tried to keep up with their respective children who led by example.