The latest race in this year's Club Championship was
the Ackworth Half Marathon, which attracted a high quality field with 666
finishers. The course is pleasant and rural and the event was well
organised and marshalled, as befits a race which doubles also as the
Yorkshire Vets Half Marathon Championship. Dominic Bannister of Shaftesbury
Harriers was a convincing winner in 1.06.24, a full minute ahead of the 2nd
runner. Richard Hall had another good race, finishing 33rd, and 6th V40, in
1.19.03, and Angela Hall, also running well, came 186th, and 5th V45, in
1.34.06. Hester Cox and Jill Knight both fitted in the race as part of
their London Marathon training, with Hester finishing 342nd in 1.44.47 and
Jill 382nd in 1.47.47. Jonathan Severs came 613th in 2.12.48 and Marian
Codling 655th in 2.32.18.
Richard Hall won 2nd prize in the Yorkshire Vets V40
category. Well done, Richard.
On the same day, a few runners took part in the
latest NYSD cross country fixture on a new venue at the old Richmond Race
Course. It was good to see Gary Dunn back in racing after a long lay-off
through illness and injury, and he showed he had totally regained his form
by winning the men's race in 33.20. Phil Utley came 16th in 38.08, Walter
Busuttil 20th in 38.32 and Gavin Coventry 57th in 44.36. Keziah Paxton
finished an excellent 4th in the U15 girls' race and these were the only
Thirsk and Sowerby runners in what was generally a low entry event. But non
the less it was the final round of the North Yorkshire and South Durham
Cross Country League Championship and was very important to the overall
contenders.
A week or two earlier, two members completed the
Ilkely Moor Fell Race, (which was quoted as being one of the hardest races
he had ever done by another member who didn't complete the course!) Heavy
rain made conditions especially difficult (hopefully, the runners weren't "bah'tat!")
with Pudsey and Bramley runner Graham Pearce's winning time of 39.13 much
slower than might have been expected. Cameron Choules came 114th in 53.18
and Alan Wikeley 208th in 61.23.