REPORT BY: JEAN SULLIVAN

ILKLEY Harriers continued to shine on the race scene at the weekend.

Jack Cummings stormed to the finish to win the Bradford 10km, Bradford’s biggest running event, which starts and finishes in the iconic surroundings of City Park.

Cummings was the clear winner, establishing the lead early on in the race, widening the gap between him and the other runners as the race progressed. He finished almost a minute ahead of the second-place finisher, completing the course in 31:29- a superb result and Jack’s first win in a road 10km race.

Alison Bennett also had a great run at this race; having took first place on her age category, in a time of 45:01. 

Danny Thompson, Tom Lambe and Nigel Illingworth also had great runs, at this well-organised and popular 10km, with Danny finishing in 31st place out of a field of over one thousand runners.

On the fells, Alison Weston and Simon Bell took part in the Three Shires fell race.  This race is 12.4 miles long and involves 4000 feet of climbing.  The race starts and finishes at the Three Shires Inn in Little Langdale, with the route going over Wetherlam, Swirl How, Pike O'Blisco and the sting in the tail Brown How.  Fell running legend Joss Naylor was at the finish to see the runners come in.  Harrier Simon Bell came in 50th place in 1:56, out of a field of well over 200, with Harrier Alison Weston completing the course in 2:29.

This weekend saw the staging of the popular Beck Busters 10km, a multi-terrain 10km race with a splash in the beck at the end.  This race is a circular route, starting and finishing in Bishop Monkton.  This route runs alongside the river Ure and then the canal, passing through the pretty village of Littlethorpe, before a cross country return to Bishop Monkton.  Harriers Sue Williamson and Kate Lofthouse took part in this race, completing the course together in 1:12:15.

This week also saw another race in the Leeds Evensplits series, monthly 5km races, split into different heats according to predicted time.  Two Ilkley Harriers, father and son duo, Rob and Archie Budding took part in this week’s race.  Junior Harrier Archie finished in a great ninth position overall in a time of 16:17. Rob completed the course in another great time of 20:58.

Ilkley Harriers continued to have a great turnout at the weekly timed 5km parkrun events.  Matthew Cox was the first finisher at the Bradford parkrun in a superb time of 17:03.  Junior Harrier Jake Norris was hot on his heels to finish in fourth place in 18:02, as was Harrier Kyle Bethell who finished in sixth place in 18:55.   Michael Abrams-Cohen was the first to finish at the Wetherby parkrun in 18:35, while fellow Harrier Jack Wood was the first finisher at the Myrtle parkrun, with Harrier Edward Hobbs second finisher at the same parkrun, just seven seconds behind Jack. 

Jane McCarthy was the first lady to finish at the Chevin Forest parkrun in 22:41, with three fellow Harriers finishing with top ten places at this parkrun, namely Adam Gerrish, Oliver Holder and James Lee.  Nick Kealey was the third finisher at the Robert’s Park parkrun in a great time of 18:24, just seven seconds behind the first-place finisher.

Overseas, Ilkley Harrier Dick Waddington completed the Jamaica Pond parkrun in Boston, the 5km course involving two laps around ‘the pond’.  Dick finished in ninth position overall in a great time of 21:20.

Ilkley Harriers is a friendly welcoming club, open to all.  If you would like to try our training sessions, please come along to our main club night on Tuesdays, by signing up on the training page at www.ilkleyharriers.org.uk