Cuerden Valley 10k | Cowm 5k | Todmorden 5k | Top O' Leach | Borrowdale

Cuerden Valley was host to the penultimate round of Todmorden Harriers’ Trail Championship on Thursday evening.  The Badger 10k organised by Lancashire Wildlife Trust attracted over 150 runners to the park.

Paul Brannigan was the first Todmorden runner, finishing in sixth place in a time of 39:06, followed by Dan Taylor in exactly 44 minutes for 22^nd place.

Simon Galloway was the next Harrier to finish in 57^th position at 48:52, with Peter Ehrhardt completing the scenic course in 58:28 and 115^th place just ahead of Andrea Marshall in 119^th, with a time of 59:21.

Todmorden Harriers were in the prizes at the Harry Kelly Cowm Reservoir 5k, with Mandy Goth finishing first v50 woman in 26:50 for 40^th place overall and Myra Wells first v55 woman, and 49^th overall,  in 28:37, followed by Kathy Bridger, second v50 woman and 53^rd with a time of 31:25.

Richard Butterwick finished the two lap route in 27^th place with a time of 22:48.

The club continued collecting prizes the following night at the third Todmorden 5k race in Centre Vale Park.

Robin Tuddenham finished in fifth overall and first v40 male, whilst Bev Wright claimed the corresponding v40 women’s prize, stopping the clock at 23:50.

Myra Wells was first v55 woman and Ian Stansfield first v70 male.

Todmorden results: 5 Robin Tuddenham 17:55; 13 Martin Stork 18:42; 21 Paul Alexander 19:35; 28 Simon Anderton 20:24; 39 Richard Butterwick 22:48; 41 Bev Wright 23:50; 54 Andrea Marshall 26:11; 61 Myra Wells 28:30; 72 Ian Stansfield 34:20.

A quartet of Harriers kept up the successes at the Top O’Leach Fell Race on the same evening. The 8 km route from Cowpe was the first race of Rossendale Harriers mid-week series.

Dave Collins was the first Harrier home in 8^th place, and first v55, with a time of 52:55. Marcel Ellison finished in 53:25 for 13^th position.

Jackie Holden finished 2^nd woman, in 1:08:18 just 27 seconds behind the ladies winner, and Kirsty Patten was 3^rd woman in 1:11:14. 

A longer challenge was on offer at the weekend in the form of the Borrowdale Fell Race, with the 27km route featuring over 2000m of ascent over several Lakeland peaks including the summits of Scafell Pike and Great Gable.

Paul Hobbs was the first Todmorden runner back in a time of 3:55:27 for 86^th place.

Jane Leonard finished sixth woman, and first v55, with a time of 4:21:19 and Darren Graham was 197^th, in a time of 4:35:53.

Borrowdale Fell Race | Cuerden Valley Badger 10k

Lauren Jeska retained the ladies title in the English Fell Running Championships at the Borrowdale Fell Race on Saturday, whilst Dwane Dixon scored his first championship points in the men’s competition.


Dwane finished in 46th place, covering the extremely tough 17 mile course, which features over 6000 feet of ascent and descent over several Lake District peaks, in 3:37:02.

Lauren finished third lady on the day in 3:41:02 for 57th overall, and with just two races to go in the six race series cannot be caught for the gold medal.

Dave Collins finished in 4:18:38, with Joe Daniels in 200th in a time of 4:38:25 and Mark Whitaker coming home just past the 5hr mark, in 5:07:35.

Jane Leonard crossed the line in 5:22:56 for 330th place, with Chris Drinkwater finishing in 5:57:54 for 366th place.



On Thursday evening 17 Harriers travelled to Cuerden Valley Park near Preston for the Badger 10k trail race, which was the penultimate round of the club’s Trail Championship.

John Lloyd was the first Harrier to complete the multi terrain course, in fifth place, followed by Paul Brannigan in ninth place overall and first v45.

Paul Hobbs finished in 13th place, a result which means he has clinched the Trail Championship ahead of the final race, Alice’s Run which takes place in Mytholmroyd in September.

Maria Prescott was the first Todmorden lady to finish, followed by Elise Milnes as they won the v45 and v50 prizes respectively.

Ray Poulter and Peter Ehrhardt battled their way to finish first and second v65 in the race.

Todmorden results: 5 John Lloyd 37:51; 9 Paul Brannigan 39:51; 13 Paul Hobbs 40:36; 14 Trevor Davis 40:38; 23 Darren Tweed 42:06; 42 Dan Taylor 44:05; 45 Michael Harper 44:22; 69 Andy Glyde 47:36; 71 Phil Hodgson 47:46; 75 Maria Prescott 48:14; 107 Elise Milnes 52:40; 119 Julie Wyant 54:13; 124 Ray Poulter 54:53; 132 Peter Ehrhardt 55:38; 159 Graham Milnes 58:57; 169 Andrea Marshall 1:01:03; 173 David O'Neill 1:03:17;

Blencathra | Isle of Jura | round up...

Lauren Jeska set a new course record on her way to winning the Blencathra Fell Race last Wednesday. The Todmorden Harrier has been in fine form all year and has just been rewarded with her first call up to the England Ladies Team for the International Snowden Race next month.


The 8 mile Blencathra race followed a horseshoe route with three climbs totalling 2700 feet, as it passed over Bowscales Fell, Blencathra and Southern Fell. Lauren finished 12th overall out of 142 runners and was comfortably first lady, over 7 minutes ahead of her nearest rival. Her time of 1:10:51 knocked 25 seconds off Natalie White’s record from 2008.


The Isle of Jura Fell Race once again attracted a quality field to its legendary 16 mile course with over 7,500 feet of ascent that require runners to tackle 7 mountain summits, including the Paps of Jura. The race is one of the toughest in the calendar and with this year’s 199 runners, along with supporters, the island’s population more than doubles for the race weekend.

Rob Jebb took the win in 3:28:36 over fellow Bingley Harrier Ian Holmes. Jon Wright led the way for the Harriers in 11th place with Jane Leonard finishing first V50 lady.

Todmorden Results: 11 Jon Wright 3:53:36; 69 Phil Hodgson 4:37:54; 94 Jane Leonard 4:52:47; 109 Ozzie Kershaw 5:02:30; 139 Kath Brierley 5:21:35; 141 Richard Leonard 5:22:23; 184 John Preston 5:55:19.


Elsewhere, Todmorden Harriers were spread far and wide with Rachel and David Henthorne undertaking the first of the three Badger 10k trail races at Cuerden Valley to finish 2 seconds apart in 121st and 122nd.

James Riley tackled the 5.9mile Pen-Y-Ghent Fell Race which includes 1650 feet of ascent on the way to the summit and then back down, finishing in 42nd place.

Mick Craven finished 26th and Peter Ehrhardt 52nd at the 7.5mile Edenfield Fell Race near Ramsbottom that featured 1600 feet of ascent, including a steep climb near to the finish.

Bohuslav Barlow and Ian Stansfield completed the unique Morecambe Cross Bay Challenge, a half marathon that crosses over the sands, and occasional water channels, from Cumbria to Lancashire. Their times were 1:57:40 and 2:33:19 respectively.