Athletics: With the cross-country and fell racing season now in full swing, it is evident that more honours should be heading to Bingley Harriers during 1999.

Local man Ian Holmes followed up his win in the Stoop Fell Race at Haworth with another convincing win in the Auld Lang Syne race from the same venue.

The marshy conditions, mixed with foot-sucking mud, didn't deter Holmes too much.

Despite a couple of uncharacteristic stumbles, he still had almost two minutes to spare over ex-Bingley man Shaun Winstanley (Leeds City).

Holmes' winning time of 36min 29sec was understandably over two minutes down on his 1996 record winning time, but demonstrated he is in a determined mood to have a tilt at retaining his British title for what would be a record fourth time.

Colin Donnelly (Eryri) and Keswick's Kenny Stuart share with Holmes the distinction of having won the championship three times and, despite what will undoubtedly be a fiercely competitive contest, a unique achievement is more than a possibility.

Steve Oldfield (Bradford Airedale) won the family battle against nephew Gary in filling fourth and fifth places respectively.

Mark Brown (Clayton-le-Moors), who won a bronze medal in the World Paraplegic Games in Australia two years ago, finished sixth, and with Mark Horrocks in third helped his club edge out Bingley for the team award.

Bingley's other scorers were veteran Bob Whitfield, 23rd, one place ahead of Robin Lawrence. Mick Mahoney (St Bede's) once again scooped the over-60 award.

Carol Greenwood was in winning action in the women's section to register her fourth event win in 42min 58sec.

Course record holder Sara Rowell (Pudsey & Bramley) was runner-up and created a new veteran's record with 45-52, shaving half a minute off Sylvia Watson's old mark.

Barnsley Ladies surprisingly took the team award in an event which saw a record entry of 277.

Robert Jebb - another Bingley star - created a new course record of 55min 25sec in the eight-mile 'TOR' fell race from Ogden Reservoir. This time eclipsed Phil Sheard's previous mark by three and a half minutes, despite the gale-force winds over the tops.

Jebb, a 23-year-old British Telecom engineer, earned an England vest for the first time last April, and went on to take a bronze in the English Championships and sixth place in the British during 1998, and goes into the new year full of confidence.

Steve Oldfield was in second place, also dipping inside the previous record.

Jason Helmsley completed three races in three days when finishing fourth, the Ilkley Harrier just holding off Eccleshill's Steve Bottomley. Seventh placed Jason Feeney and tenth placed Iain Hansen backed Jebb to give Bingley the team award.

Greenwood was a comfortable winner of the women's race in a new record of 62min 14sec, which was six minutes clear of karate black belt Lisa Lacon of Holmfirth.

Clayton-le-Moors' Beverley McWade took third place, and her father Pete took the top award in the over-50 category.

Both Jebb and Greenwood won a 'TOR' microfibre cagoule and windproof bottoms for their efforts as part of the outdoor specialists sponsorship of the event.

Sandwiched between these fell races was the New Year's Day Silsden Resolution three mile road race.

Helmsley got the verdict in a sprint finish over Keighley and Craven's Lawrence Helliwell. Both runners were credited with the same time of 16min 36secs.

Veteran Dave Throup made a welcome return to action after an absence of 27 months with an achilles injury.

A previous eight-times winner of the event, he finished only seven seconds behind in third to show he is well on the road to a full recovery.

Keighley & Craven duo Martin Horbury and Steve Hornby completed the minor placings.

University student Sara Fotherby won the women's race in 22 minutes dead. Kate Rogan, 16, of Wharfedale was a minute adrift in second, and 13-year-old Claire Baldwin, daughter of Ilkley's Mike was third.

The race was sponsored by Sunpak peanut butter, and raised a substantial amount of money for the British Diabetic Association.

Results - Auld Lang Syne Fell Race, Haworth, six miles - Men: 1 I Holmes (Bingley) 36-29, 2 S Winstanley (Leeds C) 38-12, 3 M Horrocks (Clayton-le-Moors) 38-33, 4 S Oldfield v40 (Bradford Airedale) 39-22, 5 G Oldfield (Pudsey & Bramley) 39-35, 12 J Helmsley (Ilkley H) 40-50, 13 S Bottomley (Eccleshill) 41-13, 18 M Moore (Pudsey Racers) 41-49, 20 A Robertshaw (Otley) 41-56. Team: 1 Clayton-le-Moors, 2 Bingley. Under-18s: 1 G Pearce (Ilkley) 45-31, 2 M Carter (Spen) 47-08, 3 M Smith (Holmfirth) 49-52. Women: C Greenwood (Bingley) 42-58, 2 S Rowell v35 (Pudsey & Bramley) 45-52, 3 L Lacon (Holmfirth) 47-58. Team: Barnsley.

Silsden Resolution Run, three miles: 1 J Helmsley (Ilkley) 16-36, 2 L Helliwell (K&C) 16-36, 3 D Throup (Bingley) 16-43, 4 M Horbury (K&C) 16-51, 5 S Hornby (K&C) 17-13. Women: 1 S Fotherby (Bingley) 22-00, 2 K Rogan (Wharfedale) 22-57, 3 C Baldwin (unattached) 25-15.

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