Todmorden Harriers’ Road Championship was the centre of attention last week with two races in five days. The undulating Geoff Doggett Memorial 5k Race in Littleborough on Tuesday, which was bathed in pleasant evening sunshine, enticed 37 Harriers including some of the club’s junior runners.
Willy Smith of Keighley and Craven won the race in a time of 15:20 ahead of previous winners Ian Grime and John Brown. Jon Wright was the first Harrier over the line in 7th place, and together with Andrew Wrench and Nick Barber, in 13th and 14th, Todmorden finished as 2nd men’s team.
The ladies went one better with Lauren Jeska, Claire Duffield and Lucy Hobbs taking the ladies first prize.
Todmorden Results: 7 Jonathan Wright 17:03; 13 Andrew Wrench 17:27; 14 Nick Barber 17:40; 23 Sean Carey 18:45; 28 Paul Brannigan 19:05; 32 Duncan Ritchie 19:17; 37 Dave Collins 19:42; 42 Dan Taylor 20:00; 47 Roger Haworth 20:21; 50 Darren Tweed 20:29; 54 Lauren Jeska 20:43; 57 Phil Hodgson 20:59; 59 Phil Cook 21:06; 65 Andrew Bibby 21:20; 67 Claire Duffield 21:30; 70 Lucy Hobbs 21:40; 85 Sarah Glyde 22:25; 91 Melanie Blackhurst 22:41; 97 Bev Wright 23:01; 100 Helen Hodgkinson 23:15; 106 Peter Ehrhardt 23:32; 108 Peter Marshall 23:49; 112 Helen Wilson 24:00; 126 David Wilson 24:48; 132 Moyra Parfitt 25:28; 133 Ray Poulter 25:29; 135 Richard Blakeley 25:42; 139 Mandy Goth 26:05; 142 Jeremy Godden 26:11; 148 David Henthorne 26:34; 151 Rachel Henthorne 26:47; 158 Myra Wells 27:29; 165 David O'Neill 28:29; 169 Derek Clutterbuck 29:17; 179 Joseph Brannigan 30:40; 180 Ian Stansfield 30:45; 181 Skye Wilson 35:27.
The second road championship race of the week was on Sunday, when 450 runners gathered for the tough hilly Eyam Half Marathon which snaked its way around the picturesque Peak District scenery where Nick Barber continued his current good spring form to finish 20th in a time of 1:27:39. Andrew Bibby was the next Harrier to finish with Roger Haworth just pipping Todmorden’s first lady Mel Blackhurst.
Todmorden Results: 20 Nick Barber 1:27:39; 114 Andrew Bibby 1:41:25; 160 Roger Haworth 1:45:40; 161 Melanie Blackhurst 1:45:55; 191 Kevin Coughlan 1:48:43; 207 Lauren Jeska 1:50:16; 443 Ian Stansfield 2:38:59;
Also Sunday, three Harriers joined the 33,000 runners for the Great Manchester Run and all put in excellent performances, despite a tough headwind in the second half of the race. Duncan Ritchie was hot on the heels of Haile Gebrselassie to finish in 210th place overall in a time of 39:22, Dan Taylor continued with his progress in his first year at the club in 362nd place, improving his personal best time to 40:44, and Kerry Edwards finished in 44:10 to be 74th female.
On Wednesday evening several Harriers swapped their usual weekly club social run to tackle the Blackstone Edge Fell Race, this year attracting a more modest field of 90 following its selection as an English Championship race last year. Ian Holmes of Bingley won in a time of 28:55. Sean Carey was the first Todmorden runner home a couple of minutes behind and in 7th place overall, taking the Under 16 prize ahead of a strong challenge from Joseph Crossfield of Halifax Harriers. Alistair Rhodes-Dawson in 18th and Martin Roberts in 25th, and 3rd Vet50, were the next Todmorden runners to follow him in. Lauren Jeska finished 2nd lady and Sue Roberts 1st lady Vet45.
Chris Preston and Claire Duffield had a successful day out in the lakes on Saturday, at the Old Counties Tops Fell Race, where they finished first ladies pair. This classic 37 mile epic, features over 10,000feet of ascent as it takes in the 3 highest peaks of the former Lake District counties: Helvellyn (Westmoreland), Scafell Pike (Cumberland) and Coniston Old Man (Lancashire).
Cold conditions for the Keswick Triathlon, also on Saturday, meant the planned 750m swim in Derwentwater was shortened slightly but competitors still had the 35km bike ride around the Lakeland hills and a 10km run to follow in showery blustery conditions. First Todmorden entrant to finish was John Preston 3 minutes ahead of both Simon Galloway and Sarah Warburton, who was 3rd lady. Phil Hodgson completed the course a minute further back and Kath Brierley set a respectable time as she enjoyed her first triathlon despite the unfavourable conditions.
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