The list for the coming year is now fully completed and hopefully includes most races which are of interest to Wharfedale members. If any obvious ones have been omitted, please let me know.
The Bofra races have been included, but details from Bofra are still sparse. The dates are only provisional and they have not supplied details of starting times or heights and distances. Where the races are the same as last year, the starting times and other details have been assumed to be the same. If necessary, these details will be amended when they are available.

At a length of nine miles and ascent of 2,300 feet, this is a gruelling race at this time of year. However, two Wharfedale runners showed their metal and came in the top twenty out of 194 runners, with Owen Bielby just beating Kirt Livesey to the post. The full list of finishing positions is on the results page. The finishing positions of the Wharfedale runners were as follows:

Pos	Name	Time	Other
15	Owen Bielby	1:17:42
17	Kirt Livesey	1:17:52
124	Tamara Hird	1:38:56	8th lady
135	David Hird	1:41:26	V50
176	Adam Baker	1:53:06

The weather forecast did not look good for this event and so it turned out, so much so that the cardboard numbers worn by the athletes completely disintgrated. This coupled with a problem with the timer proved to be a headache for the organisers and the full results are now available under our results section, but without any times. The positions of the Wharfedale runners is shown below. There is a also a race report from Neil Taylor.

Full race report.

Pos	Name	Time	Other
7	Sam Watson
11	Chris Newman
28	Kevin Rogan		V40
29	Neil Taylor		V40

A few runners are going up for this event on Sunday. For anyone interested, there is a map below showing the route and the six check points.

View Map

Tamara Hird is not yet back to full race fitness, but she still went off this weekend to the English Cross Country in Sunderland where she came home in 99th place out of a field of 297 runners. Full results are in the results section.

Ted Mason was not able to make it for the race at Black Combe and along with Andy Hirst, Pete Jackson, Paul Wilson and new member Adam Baker went to this event instead. He ended up coming home in 6th place. The placings of the Wharfedale runners were as follows and the full results are available in the results page.

Pos	Name	Time	Other
6	Ted Mason	1:09:55
66	Andy Hirst	1:23:42	V40
89	Pete Jackson	1:26:15	V40
180	Paul Wilson	1:38:43	V40
194	Adam Baker	1:41:14

Where have all the runners gone?

A total of nine Wharfedale runners set off from Silecroft for this race. In the village itself, the weather was fine and there was only a slight breeze. However, when driving to the race, the top of Black Combe was in the clouds and it looked like a lot of the running on the top was going to be in the mist. So it turned out in the race. As the runners approached the summit, the visiblity faded and the wind turned both strong and icey. The race was easily won by Danny Hope of Pudsey & Bramley, who never looked under pressure, in a time of 1:13:21. Mark Horrocks had a good race and looked to be going strong at the summit. He ended up in 4th place and was first vet 40. Many runners had difficulty navigating on the tops, because of the conditions. Of all the Wharfedale runners David Hird probably had the worse day. He got to the start only to find that he had forgotten his dibber. He therefore returned to his car to look for it and had to turn his car virtually inside out to find it. By the time he returned to the start, all the runners had gone and when he reached the first check point, the marshalls had gone too! With nothing to race for, he treated it as just another Sunday morning run and although he finished initially in 105th place, after appealing to the judges, he was placed on 98th position, based on his actual race time. Well done too to Judy Howells for her first run in a Wharfedale vest. The results for the Wharfedale runners are shown below. The full results are now available under the results sections, as are the split time. Pictures are now available in the gallery, but because of the conditions a lot of those taken on the tops were not useable.

Pos	Name	Time	Other
4	Mark Horrocks	1:16:19	V40
22	Kirt Livesey	1:26:38
29	Sam Watson	1:28:01
43	Richard Storr	1:35:37
55	Lionel Sands	1:37:27	V50
56	Simon Throup	1:37:54	V40
73	Kevin Rogan	1:43:07	V40
98	David Hird	1:57:40	V50
110	Judy Howells	2:19:29

With so many going up to Black Combe, it was easy to overlook the fact that the Kendal Winter League is still going on and that four runners represented Wharfedale in this event. Jonanthan Bradshaw had a good run out coming 4th in the under 17 boys race and Kate Rogan was 2nd in the ladies race. The full results are now in the results section, but the finishing times and positions of the Wharfedale senior men were as follows:

Pos	Name	Time	Other
17	Carl Bradshaw	26:15	V40
27	Mark Bennett	29:11

Whilst some runners were disappearing into the mist on Black Combe, member Lucas Payne was enjoying a different experience in the above event, about which he writes:

The race was interesting! I did not realise you could take nice, wide, mostly tarmac footpaths from Morecambe, almost to Hornby, with fine views of Lancaster and the Lune valley. The race itself was quite quick, as it was a very flat course with hardly any traffic interfering with progress, thanks to the marshals being on the ball. The weather was almost perfect, not too hot, a little wind in your face coming back though.

I would recommend this race, if only to build on distance training.

Lucas came 46th out of 291 runners and the full results are on the results page.

Paul Harlow entered for this race and had one of those days of highs and lows. But let him tell it in his own words.

"Managed to get myself to the start line for a change to see how I would fair, plus a race not done before. It was going to be one of those days! First of all, landed in the wrong valley - don't ask! Then we were taken about a mile off course by the leaders who had a few Holmfirth Harriers with them, the organising club by the way, although not all went wrong however. Nevertheless I staggered in at 28th position and lo and behold, I was Yorkshire Veteran Over 55 champion. Oh, what joy, my moment of glory had come at last. All the pain over the years, the operations, the metal plates, the counselling, outlasting all the other old buggers that always beat me seemed to have paid dividends..........except....... the club is not affilliated to the Yorkshire Vets Association, so I don't count in the Championship, something I didn't realise. This is not a dig at any one in the club, but why do we have to be affiliated to anything. I am a Yorkshireman born and bred and that should be enough!!

For the record Karl Gray won the open race and I am unofficially the o/55 vet champion."

The full race results are in the results section.

Reminder from Neil Taylor.

• Meet at Sandylands all-weather football centre, Skipton ( 01756 793747) for around 7:20pm ready for team selection (!) and a 7:30pm kick-off. We run past this on Wednesday evenings 10k road runs, but if you're not sure where it is, give me a shout on 07710 013093
• Play football till 8:30pm; shower and change at the centre
• Meet up for post-game analysis at a suitable hostelry circa 9:00pm

So far we've got players of ..

Kevin & James Rogan, Pete J, Sam Watson, Davids H & F, Andy B, Simon, Ted and me. The more the merrier and anyone and everyone welcome, we can take at least another 8 (thence 3 teams of 6); either turn up on the evening (before 7:25!) or let me know beforehand. And Spectators very welcome too!

Pete - don't forget the bibs and essentially the ball please! Everyone else, normal football kit (boots without metal studs though) which for me is old running shoes and an old bingley vest or summat!

Any question, give me a call. See you on Friday.

Cheers

Neil

Read Report by Neil Taylor

Arctic Conditions for the Edale Skyline

Most runners took the weekend off, but two brave members took part in the Edale Skyline in what can only be described as atrocious conditions. Tamara Hird was amongst the eighty runners who did not finish, but Owen Bielby kept going over the twenty one miles and an ascent of over 4,500, feet to end in 23rd position out of 418 starters. Well done to Owen. This was a splendid run in very tough conditions.

Full results are in the results section

New member Adam Baker was the club's sole representative in this race, where he came 112th in a time of 1:49:27. Full results are on the results page.

Mark Horrocks and Kevin Rogan entered this race and the first pictures are below. A few more pictures are in the picture gallery. Mark Horrocks continues to run well and despite his advancing years is still battling it out with much younger men. He came home in 5th place, only two seconds behind the fourth placed runner. Once more, he was first Vet 40. Kevin Rogan came home in 87th place with a time of 50:22. Full results are in the results section.

If anyone fancies participating in this race, entries must be in by 5 April. An entry form can be download from:

Anniversary Waltz

Lucas Payne entered this event and came 109th out of over 4,000 entrants. He sends the following report:

Don`t worry folks, I have not turned my back on the fells! I am having another lash at the 3 peaks in April and need distance training. Anyway, the Liverpool was quite a good event. Some of the architecture in the city is stunning! We weaved our way through the centre and also took in a few large parks. The weather was a little chilly and the start was delayed by 20 mins. Having said that the course was very well presented, water stations were also the best yet in that we had posh bottled spring water. This race is worth a go, if not just for a change.

Full results are in the results section.

The above is a picture of Sam Watson at the finish of Fairmile. The question is, has he crossed the finish line yet ?

Meet at 9:30 am at Horton in Ribblesdale. The plan is to take a sufficient cars to get everyone to Ribblehead and then to run up Whernside and on to Ingleborough, finally returning to Horton, where the drivers can be ferried back up to Ribblehead to collect their cars. At this point, anyone wanting to do all three peaks can carry on and continue up Pen y Guent.

If anyone intends entering this race, you are urged to do so as quickly as possible, as the race limit is rapidly approaching.

Full details from Ambleside AC

With the clocks going on, it means that the mid week pub/social runs are back on. This week, it was from the Cow and Calf at Ilkley and over the moors to Ben Rydding and back. Below are a few pictures of the event. Next week, it is up Pendle from Barley.

Kevin Rogan was a glutton for punishment last weekend. On Saturday, he entered the Causey Pike race and on Sunday, he returned to the Lakes to run Elterwater, the last race of the Kendal Winter League. He finished in 41st place with a time of 34:17, whilst his daughter Kate was 5th lady in a time of 38:13.

The final positions of the Kendal Winter League are now available. In the under 17s, Jonathan Bradshaw came 12th, yet only competed in five races. If he had completed another two races, he would have been around 8th position, which is remarkable for one so young in this age group. He can only get better in the coming years. Well done Jonathan.

Kate Rogan was third lady overall, having completed seven races and Lynn Whittaker was in 33rd place, having completed only one race.

Although a several Wharfedale runners entered a few of the Kendal Winter League races, only three completed the seven qualifying races.

The final Kendal League positions for Wharfedale runners are as follows:

Pos	Name	Points	Races
9	Sam Watson	590	7
21	Chris Newman	469	6
23	Kevin Rogan	464	7
27	Neil Taylor	425	7
58	Karl Bradshaw	294	5
76	Ted Mason	198	2
123	Nick Cunningham	81	1
135	Mark Bennett	71	1

Report by Paul Wilson

Six Wharfedale runners competed in the Midgley Moor Fell race on Saturday from the lovely Booth Cricket Club. The weather was fine but a brisk wind on the tops made it just a bit harder. Most of us hadn't run it before, nor reccied it, so it was a case of follow the person in front! There was a number of route choices between a longer path and shorter routes through the heather. I certainly took one long route through the heather which was hard work. Anyone running this in the future should make sure their laces are taped. Results not available yet, but everyone enjoyed themselves

Report by new member Judy Howells

Just two Wharfedale vests ventured north to The Lakes on Saturday for the Middle Fell race. As the car sped over the fell roads revealing the grandeur of Eskdale and Wasdale to the eyes of the Yorkshire runners, were they just a little tempted to turn round and head back to the safety of Ilkley Moor? Middle Fell is the 'middle fell' of the three hills seen here to the left of Great Gable. Nestling between Buckbarrow and Yewbarrow, Middle Fell is 582 metres - the race asks you to tackle 510 of those metres in less than 1.8km!
The race was won by Ambleside celebrity Nick Fish in less than 50 minutes beating last year's winner Brian Taylor from Ellenborough. First lady was Hazel Jones from Dallam coming in 12th, just over the hour. Our runners, David Hird managed 1:16:30 and Judy Howells (Wharfedale newcomer) hot on his heels in 1:23:15!