March 2025 – relatively calm!!
And for the first time in a while, we were blessed with 2 days of sunshine, so no drama for the Ian Roberts Memorial Race on Sunday 9th March. Conditions were near perfect, with just a gentle breeze, even on Pule Hill, so only a windproof jacket for the kit requirements. Tommy Holroyd was taking no chances with navigation, having joined the flagging team on the Saturday & duly registered his second win of the year, leading the field home by over 2 minutes to come back in 47.18, which is a great time for the 10.5km, 260m course. Tommy was followed in by Tom Fryers of Penistone (2nd in 49.19) and local long-distance specialist James Nobles (3rd in 49.44). For the Ladies, Helena Croft was running her second race of the weekend, but it didn’t seem to affect her too much, as she finished 19th overall & 1st lady in a very respectable time of 60.55. In fact, it was a Holmfirth 1-2-3, with Fran Whitworth 2nd lady (33rd overall) in 66.37 and Sophie Cromwell 3rd lady (34th overall) in 67.02. Although numbers were down on previous years, with just 89 starters (including the legend that is Antonio Cardinale), Holmfirth had a great turnout, with 28 runners taking part and picked up a few prizes, including Tim Brook (6th overall & 1st MV40), Adam Sunderland (2nd MV50), Kath Farquhar (1st FV50), Rob Kersey (2nd MV70) and Barbara Hinchliffe (1st FV70). Both Team prizes went to Holmfirth, with Tommy & Tim joined by Patrick Needham for the Men, whilst Helena, Fran & Sophie bagged the Ladies. Big thanks once again to everyone who helped before, during or after the event – these races can’t happen without you! In particular, thanks to everyone who looked after our injured runner who had cut his head after a fall in Butterly Clough – he messaged me on the Monday & everything was OK. And thanks also to National Trust, Yorkshire Water, Marsden Cricket Club and Up & Running Sheffield for their continued support.
For the juniors, it was a trip to the edge of the Dales for the Ilkley Moor races on Sunday 2nd March and we had a few runners taking on the locals at White Wells. Willow Moxon has taken to fell running like a duck to water and had a great race, finishing 3rd GU9, whilst despite moving up an age category, Arthur Gibbs had a strong race to finish 10th overall in the U13’s. Florence Gibbs also ran well & in a close race, finished 5th GU15, whilst Alice Parry found herself amongst the prizes once again, finishing 2nd GU17, so many congratulations all round.
Early days in the Fell Championship, but Tommy Holroyd is laying down a marker with a perfect 85 points after 3 races (& the Edale Skyline English Champs race), ahead of Patrick Needham (74 points) & Michael Sanderson (64 points), whilst Katie Walshaw is setting the pace for the Ladies, with 50 points, closely followed by Fran Whitworth (46 points) & Sophie Cromwell (45 points).
In terms of champs races in April, the seniors have a varied month, with the short, sharp Pendle race on Saturday 5th, followed by the 70th Three Peaks on Saturday 26th April, whilst the juniors have Rivington Pike on Saturday 19th, followed by the first of the English Champs events at Duddon on Sunday 27th.
Finally, it’s the Calderdale Way Relay on Sunday 18th May, where we have 4 teams entered once again. Now that the Ian Roberts race is out of the way, I’ll be chasing willing volunteers to get their names down. I know I say it every year, but if we can get everyone out, then we’ll have some cracking teams across all the categories………..!
Elsewhere in the month, we had Helena Croft, James Washington & Sophie Clarson at the Saddleworth 5 Res’s (where Helena was 3rd overall & 1st lady and James was 4th overall & 3rd man), Thomas Heap, James Spencer & Jo Robinson at the Saddleworth 10 Res’s (where James was 1st MV60), Tim Brook & Ben Kellett at the Saddleworth 15 Res’s (where Tim was 2nd overall & 1st MV40 and Ben was 3rd overall), Katie Walshaw at Ilkley Moor, where she was 34th overall, 2nd lady & 1st FV40, Tim Brook & Matt Crompton at Grindleford Gallop (where Tim was 9th overall & 1st MV40), Katie Walshaw at Beater Clough, where she was 8th overall & 1st lady, Mark Henderson & Anna Dobson (in her first ever fell race) at Chicken Run, Andy Hauser & Jean Shotter at We Need To Talk About Chevin (where Andy was 2nd MV65 & Jean was 1st FV55), Tommy Holroyd, Patrick Needham, Phil Hewitt & Michael Sanderson at the first of this year’s English Championship races at Edale Skyline (where Tommy was 29th overall from over 360 starters, an excellent performance in a stacked field), Tim Street, Curtis Firth, Helena Croft & James Washington at Heptonstall (where Tim was 5th overall & Helena was 5th lady), Keith Baird at Coledale Horseshoe, Katie Walshaw at the DalesRunner 20 (where she was 6th overall & 1st lady), Jim Durrans at the Cleveland Survival and finally, at a very dry, packed Trunce No.1, Matt Crompton, Fran Whitworth, Debbie Hall, Logan Anderson, Kevin Yewlett, Phil Hobbs, Janet Foreman & Sophie Clarson.
Finally, some local(ish) races to get your teeth into:
Lad’s Leap (AS) – Crowden – Sunday 6th
Wardle Skyline (BM) – Wardle, nr. Littleborough – Saturday 12th
Herod Farm (AS) – Glossop – Wednesday 16th
Trunce 2 (BS) – Oxspring, nr. Penistone – Monday 21st
The Cake Race (BM) – Diggle (Saddleworth) – Saturday 3rd May
See you on a hill sometime.
Cheers,
Phil
