Turnslack Fell Race | Snowden Race | Ian Terry 5k

Todmorden Harriers were out in force at the Turnslack Fell Race on Saturday, with twenty five of the eighty five finishers coming from the club, and they were rewarded with an armful of prizes including first men’s and first ladies teams.


Summer in the Pennines can be unpredictable



The race is run over one of the toughest local routes, with the 8 mile course starting at Calderbrook and tracing a circular route up and over Freehold’s Top, with two steep climbs on the return to the finish at the church steps.

Dwane Dixon led the way for Todmorden finishing in 3rd place behind Calder Valley’s Tim Ellis and Shaun Godsman. The race was the first since Dwane attained veteran status and he comfortably claimed the v40 prize.

Nick Barber finished in sixth place, with John Lloyd in 15th and Sean Carey 17th, and first u23, making up the winning team.

Dave Collins added to the prize haul with second v55.

Melanie Blackhurst was 6th lady, with Maria Prescott 7th lady as they claimed second and third v45 prizes respectively. Elise Milnes finished 8th lady and Chris Preston 10th lady ensuring the ladies team prize also went to the club.

Elise Milnes rounded off a successful day with the first v50 prize.

Todmorden Results: 3 Dwane Dixon 1:09:56; 6 Nick Barber 1:14:27; 15 John Lloyd 1:17:53; 17 Sean Carey 1:17:59; 18 Paul Brannigan 1:18:00; 19 Dave Collins 1:18:06; 20 Ivan Gee 1:18:31; 29 Darren Tweed 1:23:18; 30 Clive Greatorex 1:24:38; 33 Rob Gray 1:25:03; 35 Dan Taylor 1:26:53; 44 Phil Cook 1:32:02; 49 Melanie Blackhurst 1:33:44; 51 Maria Prescott 1:35:27; 59 Chris Drinkwater 1:38:50; 60 Elise Milnes 1:40:01; 61 Simon Galloway 1:40:20; 66 John Preston 1:43:55; 67 Richard Butterwick 1:44:44; 68 Chris Preston 1:45:00; 72 Helen Wilson 1:48:44; 75 David Wilson 1:51:06; 77 Helen Hodgkinson 1:51:38; 78 Graham Milnes 1:54:29; 84 Louise Abdy 2:05:21.


A trio of Harriers were in Wales for the Snowdon International Mountain Race, with Andrew Wrench finishing in 59th and second v45 completing the 10 mile route to the mountain summit and back to Llanberis in 1:24:00.

Paul Hobbs finished in 117th with a time of 1:32:02, with Lucy Hobbs completing the course in 1:58:58 to take her to sixth v40.

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At the Ian Terry Memorial 5k in Littleborough on Tuesday, Martin Stork continued his return from injury with 5th place, finishing in a time of 18:54.

Paul Alexander finished in 20th in 20:14 with Maria Prescott winning the ladies v45 prize in 41st place overall with a time of 22:30.

Chris Drinkwater crossed the line in 23:58 for 64th, with Myra Wells in 117th in 30:45 and Ian Stansfield’s time of 34:56 taking him to 132nd place.

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Ian Terry 5k | Widdop Fell Race | Elswick Express 10 | Turnslack Fell Race | Snowden Race | Gorski tek na Grintovec

Todmorden Harriers started a busy week with success at the Ian Terry Memorial 5k in Littleborough which attracted 150 runners on Tuesday evening.

John Lloyd finished in 5th place in 17:04, with Lauren Jeska in 7th setting a new PB of 17:15. The time also represented the second fastest time by a woman on the popular hilly course.

Martin Stork recorded 18:02 for 10th place.

Todmorden Results: 5 John Lloyd 17.04; 7 Lauren Jeska 17.15; 10 Martin Stork 18.02; 25 David Baldaro19.54; 52 Richard Butterwick 22.38; 65 Mel Robertson 23.53; 112 Myra Wells 30.02.


On Wednesday night, the ladies team finished first at the Widdop Fell Race. The seven mile moorland route included 1200 feet of ascent as it looped around Gorple and Widdop reservoirs.

Alistair Rhodes-Dawson led the way for the Harriers with 6th place in 54:18. Ben Crowther finished 15th, with Shaun Pickard in 20th just under the hour mark.

Chris Preston led in the victorious ladies trio, finishing 4th lady, with Jane Leonard 6th lady and Elise Milnes was 12th lady.

In the junior races Sophie Taylor completed the 0.4 mile under eights course in 6:31 and Jack Crummett finished 4th in the under fourteens 2.6 mile race.

Todmorden Results: 6 Alastair Rhodes-Dawson 54:18; 15 Ben Crowther 58:03; 20 Shaun Pickard 59:43; 61 Chris Preston 1:11:37; 63 Paul Cotton 1:11:52; 69 Jane Leonard 1:13:48; 86 Elise Milnes 1:20:00; 89 Helen Hodgkinson 1:21:11; 102 Graham Milnes 1:30:05.



On Saturday, the club’s Road Championship returned to the fore with a new race on the Fylde Peninsular, the 10 mile Elswick Express.

Robin Tuddenham finished in 58:26 for 8th place, with John Lloyd hot on his heels in 10th. Paul Brannigan was 18th, with Sarah Glyde completing the course in 1:16:41 for 12th lady. Peter Ehrhardt rounded off the Todmorden entry in 81st.

Todmorden Results: 8 Robin Tuddenham 58.26; 10 John Lloyd 59.02; 18 Paul Brannigan 1:01.16; 63 Sarah Glyde 1:16.41; 81 Peter Ehrhardt 1:22:29.



Closer to home on Saturday, eight Harriers tackled the tough eight mile route of the Turnslack Fell Race at Calderbrook.

Darren Graham finished first Todmorden man in 1:24:04 for 34th place, with Mick Craven in 51st and Marcel Ellison in 62nd.

Chris Preston once again led the Todmorden ladies to another team prize, finishing in 1:36:05 and 4th lady. Elise Milnes, Issy Pollard and Moyra Parfitt finished together for 8th, 9th and 10th ladies respectively.

Graham Milnes completed the Todmorden entry with 97th place in a time of 1:56:33.

Todmorden Results: 34 Darren Graham 84.04; 51 Mick Craven 90:42; 62 Marcel Ellison 93.21; 68 Chris Preston 96.05; 90 Elise Milnes 113.00; 91 Issy Pollard 113.01; 92 Moyra Parfitt 113.02; 97 Graham Milnes 116.33.



A pair of Harriers were in Wales, also on Saturday, for the International Snowdon Race. Paul Hobbs finished in 95th place in a time of 1:27:19 and James Riley recorded 1:39:50 for 218th place.


Lauren Jeska was in Slovenia for the latest race in the WMRA Grand Prix on Sunday. Due to severe weather, with snowfall on the upper part of the mountain, the uphill only course was shortened to an intense 1200m climb over 6.5km. Lauren finished in 3rd place in 58:38, taking her into 3rd place in the series.

Snowden | Turnslack | Oxenhope | Lakeland 50

Todmorden runner, Lauren Jeska represented England at the Snowdon International Mountain Race on Saturday and achieved an excellent 3rd place on her first call up to the national team. Scotland’s Catriona Buchanan won the ladies race in wet and windy conditions but, along with Pippa Maddams in 2nd and Emma Clayton in 7th, Lauren’s performance meant that England Ladies narrowly took the team prize.


Closer to home, Todmorden Harriers comfortably took the men’s team prize at the Turnslack Fell Race. Starting from Calderbrook the 8 mile race followed a circular route over Freehold’s Top, and included two tough climbs on the return. Andrew Wrench finished in 3rd place, shadowed 3 seconds behind by Sean Carey in 4th, with Alistair Rhodes Dawson 7th and Dwane Dixon in 8th.

Not to be outdone Todmorden Ladies, Chris Preston, Sue Roberts and Kathy Bridger also won the team prize at the Oxenhope Fell Race.

Elise Milnes and Julie Wyant took on the Lakeland 50 mile ultra race at the weekend along with over 300 other competitors. They traversed their way along the off road route from Penrith to Coniston that included over 10,000 feet of ascent. Starting at midday on Saturday they successfully completed the challenge shortly after dawn on Sunday morning having travelled throughout the night in a time of 17 hours and 59 minutes.