Lancaster Half | Shepherd's Skyline

The final race in Todmorden Harriers’ Road Championship on Sunday saw Lucy Hobbs crowned ladies champion after an excellent run at the Lancaster Half Marathon.
Paul Brannigan was the first Todmorden runner to finish in 29th out of 666 runners, securing 2nd place in the men’s championship behind winner Andrew Wrench.
Dan Taylor dipped under the 90 minute mark at Lancaster to end the year in 4th place in the final club standings behind Richard Butterwick, and ahead of Phil Cook.
Despite the pressure Lucy ran a well judged race to pip Sarah Glyde and Mel Blackhurst to the title in one of the closest championship finishes in years.
Todmorden Results: 29 Paul Brannigan 1:21:36; 91 Dan Taylor 1:29:55; 168 Lucy Hobbs 1:35:55; 196 Darren Tweed 1:37:56; 335 Mel Siddall 1:46:27; 605 Katy Moore 2:16:21.


The Shepherd’s Skyline Fell Race took place on Saturday once again attracting a large field of over 260 in the main race and a record 83 for the junior races on the hills above the Shepherd’s Rest Inn in wet and muddy conditions.
The 6.25 mile senior race followed a route from the Inn up past Langfield Edge and along the skyline to Stoodley Pike. A hair raising steep descent took the runners down to London Road, for a brief flat section followed by a tough climb back up the hillside to the Stoop and a return back to the Shepherd’s Rest.
Graham Pearce of Pudsey and Bramley won the race in a time of 42:07, just over a minute ahead of Calder Valley’s Ben Mounsey. Sean Carey was Todmorden’s first finisher in 4th place, and first U18, in a time of 44:32. Alistair Rhodes-Dawson finished in 18th, with Ben Crowther just holding off a fast finishing Dave Collins in 32nd and 34th respectively.
Peter Jackson won the Vet60 prize finishing just past the hour mark with Sarah Warburton, the Harriers first female finisher, not far behind.
John Preston nobly sacrificed his race to assist an injured runner off the hills after a fall.
Todmorden Results: 4 Sean Carey 44:32; 18 Alistair Rhodes-Dawson 48:43; 32 Ben Crowther 50:49; 34 Dave Collins 51:20; 40 Paul Hobbs 51:53; 58 Martin Roberts 54:34; 68 Paul Burnett 55:33; 73 Simon Galloway 56:06; 122 Peter Jackson 1:00:32; 126 Gareth Vickers 1:00:50; 136 Sarah Warburton 1:01:33; 167 Christine Preston 1:04:29; 168 John Medcalf 1:04:31; 217 Peter Ehrhardt 1:12:46; 224 Fiona Armer 1:13:39; 234 Julie Wyant 1:16:44; 249 John Preston 1:28:05;