Yorkshire Fell Championship Race
24th October 2021
Venue: Great Whernside, Kettlewell, N.Yorkshire
4 Miles 1558ft : AS ( 6.2k 460m )
Sponsored by Byram Construction Ltd – www.byram.co.uk
With thanks to Wharfedale Harriers for hosting this event, a full set of junior races were included enabling juniors from Yorkshire to compete for the 2021 Yorkshire Fell Championship.
The races took place from Kettlewell and ran from the bottom of Great Whernside, varying distances up the path to the top.
Although a reasonable turnout in the younger age categories, the number of athletes participating in the U17s and U19s age categories was somewhat thin on the ground.
The course for the U19s and Seniors was the same, and as is common practice in Fell, the Males and Females from both age categories set off together. A small group of men took the lead, with Isabel Richardson representing Holmfirth Harriers AC and Alexandra Whitaker from Harrogate Harriers AC running together, keeping the lead pack in sight for the first 2k.
Isabel was First Lady at the start of the 460m steep ascent and maintained her lead for the descent. With Alexandra increasing her pace for the final 2k, Isabel had secured a wide enough lead to earn a comfortable finish.
First Man was Nathan Lawson from Dark Peak FR with a time of 32:08, 1st U19 Male was Eric Beaumont from Keighley and Craven AC in 34:01, 1st Lady and 1st U19 Female was Isabel Richardson from Holmfirth Harriers AC in 38:39.
Isabel Richardson was the sole athlete representing Holmfirth Harriers AC and the full set of medallists in order gold, silver, bronze, were as follows
FU13
Isabelle Jebb Bingley Harriers
Annie Chambers Keighley & Craven AC
Imogen Atkinson Spenborough AC
BU13
Zac Jardine Keighley & Craven AC
Will Pease Barlick Fell Runners
Joseph Stone Calder Valley Fell Runners
FU15
Maisey Bellwood Keighley & Craven AC
Charlotte Chambers Keighley & Craven
Olivia Aldham Wharfedale Harriers
BU15
Jack Sanderson Settle Harriers
Ned Gallagher-Thompson Otley AC
Ashton Brogden Otley AC
FU17
Eve Whitaker Harrogate Harriers
Emily Gibbins Ilkley Harriers
BU17
William Hall Keighley & Craven AC
Douglas Segger-Staveley Settle Harriers
Archie Budding Ilkley Harriers
FU19
Isabel Richardson Holmfirth Harriers
Alexandra Whitaker Harrogate Harriers
MU19
Eric Beaumont Keighley & Craven AC
Jenson Brogden Otley AC
Danny Baxter Halifax Harriers AC
This Event is also in the diary to be the British Junior Inter Counties Race in 2022 and will count as one of the races in the English Championship Series for 2022.
It would be an even better Event with a better turnout from the HHAC juniors next year.
Sharon Travers
