Todmorden Harriers’ Fell Championship for 2009 got off to a muddy start on the moors above Haworth on Sunday. Twenty-five Harriers joined over 300 runners for the 7 mile Stanbury Splash. Featuring around 1200 feet of ascent, the course started with a mad muddy dash out of the quarry at Penistone Hill Country Park before a short road and track section led competitors to a steep grassy descent to the first of several icy stream crossings. After a sharp rise through soggy fields, further height was gained on another track before a turn off for an undulating loop of the moors around Ponden Kirk. Runners then retraced their steps back to the quarry on increasingly heavy ground.
It was no surprise when Bingley’s Ian Holmes quickly opened up an unassailable lead to win the race, by a clear 2 minutes, for an incredible 13th consecutive year.
After warming up with a winning performance in the junior under 16 race, Sean Carey barely had time to catch his breath before entering the senior race and finishing in an excellent 16th place. Dave Collins was 2nd Todmorden runner in, followed by Martin Roberts who took home an armful of prizes for being 2nd local runner.
The ladies race was a much closer affair with Sabine Hauswirth of Ilkley narrowly edging out Lisa Lacon of Holmfirth by 14 seconds. Despite finishing 2nd lady vet40, and 7th lady, current Todmorden ladies fell champion Kath Brierley received an early warning that she faces a tough battle to hold onto her crown this year from Lauren Jeska, who finished a couple of minutes ahead as 6th lady overall.
With several junior races also taking place, attracting a record 141 entrants, six other Todmorden youngsters were also in action including Jack Crummet who finished 3rd in the under 12s.
Todmorden results: 16 Sean Carey 51:38; 36 Dave Collins 54:31; 45 Martin Roberts 55:20; 57 Ben Crowther 57:30; 60 Mark Anderton 57:50; 79 Simon Galloway 59:13; 97 Lauren Jeska 1:00:45; 105 Andrew Bibby 1:01:40; 117 Kath Brierley 1:02:45; 118 Richard Butterwick 1:02:52; 133 Mick Craven 1:04:12; 141 Mick Howard 1:04:44; 174 Daniel Taylor 1:07:07; 177 Richard O'Sullivan 1:07:29; 188 Emma Osenton 1:08:33; 201 Kevin Coughlan 1:10:01; 212 Sue Roberts 1:10:58; 213 Peter Marshall 1:11:05; 225 Peter Ehrhardt 1:12:02; 231 Louise Abdy 1:12:58; 241 Helen Wilson 1:13:50; 248 John Medcalf 1:14:16; 249 John Preston 1:14:17; 271 Paula Haworth 1:17:39; 290 Julie Wyant 1:24:30
Thursday, 29 January 2009
Thursday, 15 January 2009
15 jan 09
Todmorden Harriers had a different focus last weekend at their annual 3 hour score orienteering event. Open to Harriers and invited guests the Mini Moorland Marathon induced a strong competitive element amongst team mates. Navigation and intelligent route planning were as important as speed, with the outcome in the balance to the end. Only when hard working organisers Richard & Jane Leonard had totted up the scores were the winners known.
Runners competed either solo or in pairs and set off at 1 minute intervals. Only receiving their marked map as they started, the first task was to quickly determine which, and the order, of the 20 checkpoints they would attempt to reach within the 3 hour time limit. Depending on location, checkpoints were worth 10, 20 or 30 points.
This year race HQ was the New Delight Inn at Colden and the scoring area covered much of the Upper Valley’s hills and valleys. Marker posts were not always in obvious sight so valuable time and points were lost when runners found the correct area but couldn’t spot the marker posts.
Good judgement of pace was also required to avoid losing their hard won points, with severe penalties for those returning over the allowed time limit.
Several prizes were on offer and Simon Bourne of Calder Valley Fell Runners took the overall prize with an excellent score of 270 points returning with just 3 minutes to spare, 30 points ahead of first Todmorden Harrier Alistair Rhodes-Dawson and Todmorden based Horwich RMI Harrier James Logue.
Despite a time penalty, Dave Collins had covered enough ground to take the Vet50 prize ahead of Phil Hodgson. Ben Page won the under 18 category and Trevor Smith the Vet60.
First lady was Sarah Warburton with a fantastic total of 168 points, 10 points ahead of 2nd place Mandy Goth. Calder Valley’s Jackie Scarf finished 3rd lady a further 8 points back.
The pairs’ competition was equally as closely fought and despite a 20 point time penalty, Charlie Boyce and Peter Bowles managed to outscore Rachel Skinner and Jeff Walker by 10 points.
The much coveted ‘Golden Pigeon’ award found a new home with Myra Wells and Richard Butterwick, after a significant time penalty for returning late left them with a negative score.
Runners competed either solo or in pairs and set off at 1 minute intervals. Only receiving their marked map as they started, the first task was to quickly determine which, and the order, of the 20 checkpoints they would attempt to reach within the 3 hour time limit. Depending on location, checkpoints were worth 10, 20 or 30 points.
This year race HQ was the New Delight Inn at Colden and the scoring area covered much of the Upper Valley’s hills and valleys. Marker posts were not always in obvious sight so valuable time and points were lost when runners found the correct area but couldn’t spot the marker posts.
Good judgement of pace was also required to avoid losing their hard won points, with severe penalties for those returning over the allowed time limit.
Several prizes were on offer and Simon Bourne of Calder Valley Fell Runners took the overall prize with an excellent score of 270 points returning with just 3 minutes to spare, 30 points ahead of first Todmorden Harrier Alistair Rhodes-Dawson and Todmorden based Horwich RMI Harrier James Logue.
Despite a time penalty, Dave Collins had covered enough ground to take the Vet50 prize ahead of Phil Hodgson. Ben Page won the under 18 category and Trevor Smith the Vet60.
First lady was Sarah Warburton with a fantastic total of 168 points, 10 points ahead of 2nd place Mandy Goth. Calder Valley’s Jackie Scarf finished 3rd lady a further 8 points back.
The pairs’ competition was equally as closely fought and despite a 20 point time penalty, Charlie Boyce and Peter Bowles managed to outscore Rachel Skinner and Jeff Walker by 10 points.
The much coveted ‘Golden Pigeon’ award found a new home with Myra Wells and Richard Butterwick, after a significant time penalty for returning late left them with a negative score.
Thursday, 8 January 2009
8 jan 09
Todmorden Harriers made a spectacular start to 2009 with three stellar individual performances and a team victory, before most runners had time to recover from their festive indulgences.
First off the mark was Andrew Wrench in the Giant’s Tooth fell race at Ogden Water on a cold clear New Year’s Day.
Attracting a field of 91 runners, including six Harriers, the three mile woodland and moorland circuit of Ogden Water, with 400 feet of ascent, was being organised for the first time by Chris & Kathryn Smale.
After quickly opening up a lead from the start, it was a lonely run as Wrench finished nearly a minute ahead of his nearest rival in 17 minutes and 21 seconds.
Todmorden ladies took the team prize led in by Claire Duffield who was 4th lady overall, behind Holmfirth’s Lisa Lacon who knocked 30 seconds off her own record. Bev Wright and Louise Abdy, who was making a welcome return to racing, made up the rest of the winning team.
At the same time in Kirby Stephen, sole Todmorden entrant Lauren Jeska was 1st lady in the Nine Standards fell race which attracted a field of 68 runners to the eight and a half mile course featuring 1800 feet of ascent that covers an out-and-back course over road, track and fell to the Nine Standards landmark starts from the Market Square.
On Saturday, Jon Wright continued the club’s perfect start to the year by winning the Hebden 22 in 3hours 33 minutes. Amongst several other Harriers tackling this navigational test were Derek Donohue who finished in 22nd and Colin Duffield in 35th.
This event, organised by the Long Distance Walkers Association, attracted over 300 runners and walkers to a choice of the full 22 mile distance or a shorter route of 14 miles around the hills above Hebden Bridge and Mytholmroyd.
First off the mark was Andrew Wrench in the Giant’s Tooth fell race at Ogden Water on a cold clear New Year’s Day.
Attracting a field of 91 runners, including six Harriers, the three mile woodland and moorland circuit of Ogden Water, with 400 feet of ascent, was being organised for the first time by Chris & Kathryn Smale.
After quickly opening up a lead from the start, it was a lonely run as Wrench finished nearly a minute ahead of his nearest rival in 17 minutes and 21 seconds.
Todmorden ladies took the team prize led in by Claire Duffield who was 4th lady overall, behind Holmfirth’s Lisa Lacon who knocked 30 seconds off her own record. Bev Wright and Louise Abdy, who was making a welcome return to racing, made up the rest of the winning team.
At the same time in Kirby Stephen, sole Todmorden entrant Lauren Jeska was 1st lady in the Nine Standards fell race which attracted a field of 68 runners to the eight and a half mile course featuring 1800 feet of ascent that covers an out-and-back course over road, track and fell to the Nine Standards landmark starts from the Market Square.
On Saturday, Jon Wright continued the club’s perfect start to the year by winning the Hebden 22 in 3hours 33 minutes. Amongst several other Harriers tackling this navigational test were Derek Donohue who finished in 22nd and Colin Duffield in 35th.
This event, organised by the Long Distance Walkers Association, attracted over 300 runners and walkers to a choice of the full 22 mile distance or a shorter route of 14 miles around the hills above Hebden Bridge and Mytholmroyd.
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