Otley Athletic Club members recently discovered that one of their long-standing colleagues did not have a television - he used to have one but he gave it away as he had no use for it.
How do you keep up with the news we asked. 'I read the "Wharfedale Observer"' and I go to Otley Show and get all the news that interests me', was the reply.
'And what about further afield', we asked, 'Oh, yes', he said, 'nearly forgot - I go to Burnsall Feast every year'.
The conversation must have sparked a concern that he was becoming a trifle insular as last week he announced that he was broadening his horizons - he was going to Malhamdale Show instead of Burnsall.
So for our member the news from Burnsall is that Otley's Ian Fisher is very hard to beat over ten miles on the road this year. In the Burnsall Ten he was in the lead by the time the runners crossed the Village Bridge and won by over two minutes.
Other Otley results from the road race were: Phil Robinson, 70.52, and Antonio Cardinale, 87.30.
Also at Burnsall Andrew Robertshaw rose to the challenge of the Classic Fell Race. He was well placed sixth at the cairn but lost several places on the steep and slippery initial descent, eventually finishing in a very creditable 13th position.
Leeds Bradford Tri Club
THE Leeds and Bradford Triathlon Club had members competing in the Ripon Open Water Standard Triathlon and have unofficial club championships in men's and ladies.
Twenty-one members raced Ruth Dorrington won the ladies' race, Tim Ashelford was fifth in the men's. They became club champions for 2002. In addition four members were first in their age groups.
In the Prince Bishops Standard Triathlon, National Race Series - Peter Addison-Child was 32nd in 2 hours 31 42 and William Murphy was 56th in 2hrs 48 39
In the Longest Day Triathlon once again they had a member succeeding in the British Long Distance Championships.
Iain Wallace completed the gruelling course of a two mile swim in 1hr 31 06, a 112 mile bike in 6hrs 14 18 and a 26.4 mile run in 4hrs 00 47, giving Iain a total of 11 hours 46 11 to take 71st place.
At Pembroke John Dickinson was 81st in a National Race Series finishing in 1 hr 22 19.
At Market Bosworth in the series of sprint races the following competed:
Steve Frazer, 12th in 1hr 09 0, Graham Plews 29th in 1 hr 13, Matt Kay 49th in 1 hr 17 3, Peter Addison-Child 55th in 1hr 18 2, Mike Ellis 79th in 1 hr 22 3.
At the Devon event Doug Hart came 20th in 2.28.47, Andy France 21st in 2.29.12, Barry Shaw 48th in 2. 37.23, Dave Smart 61st in 2.42.57, Phil North 118th in 3.02.08.
Ruth Dorrington has distinguished herself again in Cycle Time Trialling. She has recorded remarkable times
and achieved a personal best.
Club races at the National Watersports Centre at Nottingham saw a very complicated format.
The club entered four teams and in the team time trial competition the LBT mens team of Tim Ashelford, Mark Turton, Paul Freeman and Doug Hart came 12th in 53 mins 23.
The male vets team of Graham Plews, Richard Makin, Pat Berkhold and Barry Shaw were 39th in the relay with a total time of 3 hours 34. 54.
The ladies' team of Estelle Brown, Fiona Hoare, Corina Cramer and Helen MacVicker were 72nd in 3 hrs 49. 51.
The mixed team of Graham Grinstead, John Dickinson, Mark Hutchinson, and Helen Moore were 78th in 3 hrs 53. 20.
l For club information and details of training sessions ring Helen on 01132 586681 or log onto the website: http://www.lbt.org.uk
Tartan Games
The Accenture Tartan Games have become a regular feature of the late summer athletics programme and every August Bank Holiday Saturday, top class competition is experienced at the Gateshead International Stadium.
Athletes from all over the North of England take part and this year, Leeds City AC, Bingley Harriers and Wakefield Harriers were just but three of the several West Yorkshire clubs who journeyed up the A1 to take on the best of the North East.
However, only Horsforth's brother and sister pairing of Andrew and Bethany Staniland represented the Wharfedale area, but each enjoyed a tremendous day and came home with four personal best performances and six trophies between them.
Bethany's day started with a personal best throw of 27.95m for second place in the U-15 girls' javelin (600g).
This was closely followed up with another personal best in the discus (1kg) with 29.94m, also for second place in the same age group.
Finally, the young Kingston upon Hull AC athlete leaped to 4.89m for yet another second place in the U-15 girls' long jump.
Older brother, 15 years-old Andrew of Skyrac AC, produced a magnificent personal best throw of 47.59m to win the U-17 men's javelin (700g). He also achieved a fine third place in the U-17 men's shot (5kg) with 12.00m exactly.
However, the highlight of his day came with a victory in a specially arranged British Hurdlers' Club U-17 men's 100m hurdles in the personal best time of 14.6s.
Scunthorpe Meeting
Two days after the Tartan Games, four Skyrac athletes took part in the Wally McLeish Memorial Open Meeting at Scunthorpe and District AC's Quibell Park Stadium.
Senior men's team captain Darren Thomas achieved two pleasing third places in the shot (7.26kg) and discus (2kg) with performances of 10.33m and 33.47m respectively.
Fiona Thomas, Darren's wife, also took two trophies back home after a fine victory in the senior women's 100m in 12.8s and then a second place in the shot (4kg) with 10.18m.
Skyrac's other trophy winning performances came from two members of their boys' Young Athletes League team. Andrew Staniland won the U- 17 men's long jump following a series which culminated in a 6.33m leap.
He was also fourth in the final of the U-17 100m in 11.7s. U-15 boy Matthew Hudson, fresh from a camping holiday, performed creditably in the cool conditions, with the highlight of his day coming in the U-15 boys' high jump where he was second with 1.55m.
He was also fourth in the 80m hurdles.
Horsforth's Bethany Staniland (Kingston upon Hull AC) was the only other local athlete in action at Scunthorpe and, as at the Tartan Games, she won three second place trophies.
Two of these were gained following a 29.30m throw in the U-17 women's discus (1kg) and then a 26.93m performance in the U-15 girls' javelin.
Her third second place of the day came in the U-15 girls' 800m where she knocked almost six seconds of her previous personal best to record the superb time of 2 mins.20.8s.
Ilkley Harriers
Saturday's Burnsall Feast included both a fell race and a ten mile road race. The road race was won by Ian Fisher with Andy Wade the first Harrier 10th in 60.47; then Neil Chapman who ran the race in 66.05 before running home to Ilkley. David Ibbotson did 76:20.
It was a rainy afternoon, with a tough undulating course around Hebden, Grassington, Linton and Thorpe. Nick Pearce ran in the fell race, 1.5 miles with 900ft of climb, and finished in 18 minutes.
Adrian Hall and Eddie Winslow share the award for the Booth's Ilkley Harriers Runner-of-the-Month for July, for their achievements in Adventure Racing through the season.
On Wednesday Ilkley Harriers will stage a new race, the Ilkley Incline - a measured mile up the Keighley Road from Wells Road towards Cowpers Cross. The race is all uphill, with 560ft of climb, and starts at 7pm. The local clubs have been invited to the inaugural event, and all Ilkley Harriers are invited to run or to help with the marshalling.
l Ilkley Harriers is a friendly club, training from Ilkley Lawn Tennis and Squash club every Tuesday at 7pm. Contact them on 01943 831765, or visit www.ilkleyharriers.co.uk for more information.
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