A chilly Woodhouse Grove School was the setting for the ninth Apperley Bridge Canter on Thursday evening.

And the school’s own Phillip Tedd – their director of music – won the 10K event by almost two minutes from Joe Baxter and Saltaire Striders’ Simon Pass, with organising club Horsforth Harriers’ Mark Smith fourth.

Tedd’s time of 33min 6sec was a minute quicker than last year’s winning time and is all the more remarkable for the difficulty of the course.

The first two miles is a stiff climb on private roads through the Woodlands Drive estate, before dropping sharply down to the river Aire and then following the towpath from half-distance back to the school.

The tussle for the female prize was closer as Horsforth Harriers' Aiveen Fox claimed the scalp of Idle AC’s star and former winner Donna Edmondson Booker. Fox’s 38min 22sec placed her 25th overall, with Edmondson Booker 36 seconds and five positions behind her.

Fox was also ladies winner of the Guiseley Gallop held on Easter Sunday, as well as ladies runner-up at the recent Leeds Half Marathon.

Of the 398 finishers, almost 60 were from the six Airedale Athletics clubs.

In the Inter-club Challenge, Baildon now have a clear lead, with Saltaire in third place less than 50 points behind Queensbury.

Neil Fairburn (Baildon) maintains his position as leading individual with Peter Hughes, Chris Williams, Darren Midgley and Ben Clare (all of Queensbury), occupying the next four places in the table. The leading lady is Carolyn Hargreaves (Baildon).

The previous evening, 268 completed the final round of the John Carr 5K series at Esholt.

Keighley & Craven’s Willy Smith edged out Peter Branney (Leeds City) in 15min 49sec with Wolverhampton & Bilston’s David Smith first over-45 next home in 16:07.

Spen’s Kevin Ogden (first over-40) was fifth, nine seconds behind, and Bradford-Airedale’s Pete Hopson finished in a personal 16min 19sec.

Ilkley’s Mark Hall ran 16:34 as first over-50, which places him third in Britain for the age and distance this year.

Several competitors did both races. Most remarkable was Horsforth’s over-45 Helen Barber. Not satisfied with a first place at Esholt (17min 56sec), the next day she eased round in seventh at Apperley Bridge (42:18).