Holmfirth Harriers AC Junior Xmas X-Country, 17 Dec2011

 

Under 11 Girls	a,b,c,d,e,a,
Name	Handicap	Handicap Time	Race Time	Pos
Holly Bailey-Taylor	10s	10m 25s	10m 15s	1
Libby Sheperd	2m 20s	10m 27s	8m 07s	2
Sophie Kettlewell	30s	10m 41s	10m 11s	3
Millie Turner	0s	10m 51s	10m 51s	4
Lia Carter	1m 50s	10m 56s	9m 06s	5
Sunnivah Waterman	2m 10s	10m 56s	8m 46s	6
Ruby Yates	0s	11m 01s	11m 01s	7
Sophie Allen	2m 0s	11m 06s	9m 06s	8
Amy Tyler	50s	11m 23s	10m 33s	9
Kate Dickinson	0s	11m 24s	11m 24s	10
Millie Yates	30s	12m 07s	11m 37s	11
Elphina Waterman	40s	12m 40s	12m 00s	12
Under 11 Boys	a,b,c,d,e,a,
Name	Handicap	Handicap Time	Race Time	Pos
Alfie Field	0s	9m 26s	9m 26s	1
George Hobbs	15s	9m 32s	9m 17s	2
Fionn Kerry	1m 20s	9m 49s	8m 29s	3
Ned Johnson	1m 20s	9m 51s	8m 31s	4
Ollis Rees	1m 30s	9m 55s	8m 25s	5
Tom Haley-Porteous	1m 10s	9m 55s	8m 45s	6
Callum Durrans	1m 55	10m 01s	8m 06s	7
Nicky Farquhar	1m 55s	10m 20s	8m 25s	8
Harry Hobbs	0s	10m 29s	10m 29s	9
Daniel Howatson	1m 20s	10m 37s	9m 17s	10
Sam Brown	20s	11m 15s	10m 55s	11
Archie Hall	20s	11m 45s	11m 25s	12
Under 13 Girls	a,b,c,d,b,c,a
Name	Handicap	Handicap Time	Race Time	Pos
Issy Haley-Porteous	1m	15m 21s	14m 21s	1
Lucy Byram	4m 25s	15m 23s	10m 58s	2
Ciara Ellis	1m	15m 30s	14m 30s	3
Erica Byram	4m 35s	15m 40s	11m 05s	4
Isobel Drake.	1m 45s	16m 01s	14m 16s	5
Amy Kettlewell	1m 50s	16m 02s	14m 12s	6
Olivia Sykes	4m 45s	16m 09s	11m 24s	7
Daisy Mae Smith	3m 30s	16m 17s	13m 47s	8
Emmy Bailey -Taylor	0s	16m 40s	16m 40s	9
Genevieve Durrans	3m 20s	17m 01s	13m 41s	10
Under 13 Boys	a,b,c,d,b,c,e,a
Name	Handicap	Handicap Time	Race Time	Pos
Joe Williams	0s	12m 45s	12m 45s	1
Isacc Shepherd	3m 15s	14m 11s	10m 56s	2
Andrew Farquhar	3m 45s	14m 40s	10m 55s	3
Shea Kerry	2m	14m 58s	12m 58s	4
Will Johnson.	3m 30s	15m 05s	11m 35s	5
Lewis Batholomew	3m 45s	DNF
Over 13 Girls	a,b,c,d,b,c,e,a
Name	Handicap	Handicap Time	Race Time	Pos
Sophie Williams	0s	14m 00s	14m 00s	1
Sophie Spencer	4m	15m 38s	11m 38s	2
Lucy Farquhar	3m 30s	15m 58s	12m 28s	3
Over 13 Boys	a,b,c,d,e,b,c,d,e,a
Name	Handicap	Handicap Time	Race Time	Pos
Lewis Byram.	5m	17m 08s	12m 08s	1
Eddie Hinchliffe	3m 45s	17m 15s	13m 30s	2
Aaron Kettlewell	4m 10s	17m 27s	13m 17s	3
Aaron Arthur	4m 15s	17m 55s	13m 40s	4
Daniel Ellis	0s	17m 59s	17m 59s	5
Robert Hinchliffe	3m 20s	DNF

 

The annual Holmfirth Harriers AC Junior Cross Country Races took place on Saturday 17th of December on the grounds surrounding Brooklands Nursery at Scholes.

This annual event has been run in some very cold and testing conditions over the last few years but as the helpers set the course and the young athletes arrived to warm up the sun was shining and hopes were high of some dry and fine weather.
However as the under 11 girls gathered at the start the clouds gathered and the snow began to fall making the conditions as bad as any in the last few years. This however did not put off the twelve young girls as the race they produced and the effort they put in warmed the hearts of the large crowd of family and friends watching.

The race developed into an exciting race as Libby Shepherd who was the scratch runner carved her way through the field. As the field climbed up the last hill the first ten were covered by less than the length of a football pitch. Libby passed a group of 4 tightly packed runners and set her sights on Sophie Kettlewell, one of the younger runners and Holly Bailey-Taylor who had moved into the lead.

Libby passed Sophie as they entered the last field and looked as though she would move through to win but Holly dug deep and put in a final effort to hold her off to win by a fast diminishing 5 yards at the end with Sophie coming 3rd. The next 5 runners were all in the final straight together with some places changing right up to the line. Millie Turner in her first race came an excellent 4th just in front of last year’s champion Lia Carter who just held off Sunnivah Waterman in a sprint finish with both recording the same time. Ruby Yates who had been one of the first starters came in 7th and would be happy she was back before her sister Millie, with Sophie Allen, Amy Tyler and Kate Dickinson separating them. The final runner to finish was the smallest and youngest Elphina Waterman who along with all the runners showed great determination and all have a good running career ahead of them.

By the time the Under 11 boys came under orders the sun had returned and the conditions, although still very cold were much improved.

Again in this race the handicapping seemed to work as the first ten runners home were all in the final, field when the winner Alfie Field crossed the li8ne. Alfie had been one of the first to set off but although at times he looked like being caught he managed to hold off the field as they closed in. Close behind him was George Hobbs who had passed his brother Harry during the race. A fast downhill finish by Finn Kerry ensure that he took the final podium place from Ned Johnson who had started alongside him and the duo had battled all the way round the tough undulating course. A sprint finish then saw Ollie Rees pass Tom Haley-Porteous just inches from the line. The two scratch runners came in next with Callum Durrans getter the better of Nicki Farquhar on this occasion to record the fastest time.

Harry Hobbs came next with Daniel Howatson following him home. The final two home were Sam Brown and Archie Hall who were competing for the first time and tackled the hardest course in the harrier’s calendar with great enthusiasm and will benefit in the next race from the experience and a more lenient handicap.

The Under 13 girl’s race was won by Izzy Haley – Porteous who was a shade fortunate as Ciara Ellis was leading as she approached the final field before going the wrong way and sacrificing the lead and possible victory. This allowed Izzy to take the spoils by holding off a very fast finishing Lucy Byram by 2 seconds. Lucy had passed most of the field in the second half of the race and won the award for the fastest time. The unlucky Ciara had got back on course to finish 3rd with the second Byram twin Erica coming 4th with only her sister bettering her race time. Isobel Drake came 5th and obviously inspiring her dad who performed will in the afternoons Tinker Cup. She just held off Amy Kettlewell who had a really fine run by a couple yards.  The scratch runner Olivia Sykes had managed to pass a few to cross in 7th with daisy Smith and Emmy Bailey-Taylor close behind. Genevieve Durrans who hated the cold was the final finisher but along with all the others she put in a strong effort all the way to the line.

The Under 13 boys and the Under 17 girls were both running over the same distance and although in separate races the two started at the same time with siblings Joe Williams and Sophie Williams setting off first in their respective races. This must have inspired the duo as they put in one of their best efforts in the club races this year. Both managed to stay in front of the closing field to take the plaudits and the trophies.

Joe won the race of the siblings with Isaac Shepherd who gets stronger every week coming through to take seconds, he had beaten Andrew Farquhar across the line but Andrew gained compensation by piping Isaac by 1 second for the fastest time award. Shea Kerry came next with Will Johnson who was encountering this course for the first time the final finisher and he will surely gain from the experience if tackling the course again.

The final race of the day saw the Under 17 boys take on the longest and most gruelling course of the day. After Robert Hinchliffe had to pull out after slipping and hurting his knee the big question was whether his brother Eddie would be able to hold off Lewis Byram who was looking stronger as the race went on. Opinions on this changed a number of times as Eddie seemed to hold Lewis but it was the hard uphill sections that finally told and Lewis swept Eddie on the final hill and took the lead entering the final field. He went on to record a fine victory and the fastest time. Eddie was followed home by Aaron Kettlewell who recorded the second fastest time of the day with Aaron Arthur passing Daniel Ellis in sight of the line.
The course on Greenhill Bank is a tester for the more experienced athletes and for the younger runners and those encountering it form the first time it is fairly daunting. All the youngsters however stuck to the task, put in some excellent performances and provided exciting races for the large number of family and friends who had braved the elements to watch. Every athlete should be justly proud of what they achieved individually on the day and the prospects look bright for the junior section if this effort is replicated throughout the club.

A big thank you to all the helpers and marshals on the day, to Geoff Hall for providing spot prizes form the under 11 races and to Brooklands Nurseries for allowing the club to use the grounds and facilities to put the races on.