Running log

The final race in the Esholt John Carr 5K series saw Claire Duck from Leeds City win the women’s section in 16min 50sec.

This ranks Duck tenth in the country this year. Her run last year in the same race was 30 seconds quicker and had placed her fourth nationally.

The men’s race was the most competitive in the series, with Jonathan Wills of Leeds City beating the previous week’s winner Kevin Ogden (Spen) by clocking 15:26.

Ogden ran 15:30, a second quicker than over the previous two weeks, to rank sixth in the UK for over-40s at the distance.

Jamil Parapia recorded a lifetime best of 15:34 in third position after almost six years away.

Zack Whitehead (Skyrac) was one of many of the 341 finishers to record a personal best. His 15:50 was a 28-second improvement on his best from 2009.

Whitehead is coached by Parapia, who is proving skilled at imparting training methods.

* Two weekends ago was a busy one, headed by the Inter-Counties Fell Championships at Blackburn.

In the senior women’s race, Bingley pair Emma Clayton and Victoria Wilkinson were third and fourth respectively, with Katie Walshaw third to give Yorkshire the team prize. Sarah Tunstall of Kendal won by a minute for Cumbria.

In the men’s equivalent, Tom Adams (Ilkley Harriers) finished sixth. Clubmate Lucy Haines was fifth in the under-16 girls’ event, while Max Wharton (Calder Valley) won the under-18s.

* The same day saw 342 entrants run the hilly but scenic course of the Ripon 10-miler around Studley Royal and Fountains Abbey.

The heat made it tough, with times substantially lower than previous years. Still, Caz Farrow of Ilkley was first lady over-40 in 70:16.

“The tea and home-made cakes at the pavilion are a real bonus at the end,” said the ever-enthusiastic Petra Bijsterveld.

* The previous day had seen Emma Stoney of Baildon organise the Over the Odda race at Hawksworth in aid of the local school.

There were 200 runners for the challenging 10K through beautiful woods and trails, with Peter Branny (Leeds City) fastest home in 41:50.