How… Gray smashes the Howgills

Bunny Run 1

The Bunny Runs are a series of four fell races held on consecutive Tuesday evenings after the clocks change in the spring.  The course is a sinuous but fast 3 mile route around Penistone Hill outside Haworth.  The first one this year was on the second of April and, as a counter in the Calder Valley Fell Runners Senior Championship, several runners headed over the moors to take part.

However the Juniors stole the show with Under 15s Elijah Peers Webb first back for CVFR in 22nd place in 19 minutes precisely shortly followed two places later by James Duffy in 19:14.  First Calder female back was U15 Emilia Wright in 23:01.  First Senior was Elina Eday in 24:31 shortly followed by first Calder man, Colin Duffield, in 25:31.

Michael Malyon of  Baildon Runners won in 16:16, with U15 Amelie Lane of Wharfedale Harriers first female in 17:48 and a superb 9th place.

English Champs – Howgill Fell Race

What a monster! With nearly 7000ft of climb in just over 14 miles this was never going to be an easy race as the first long counter in the 2019 English Fell Running Championships.  The finishing times give away the severity of the climbing, the winner Carl Bell completed the 14.3 miles a couple of minutes under 2 and a half hours.

The route takes in all the major hills in the southern half of the Howgill Fells.  Starting in Sedburgh runners ascend Crook followed by the flanks of Arant Haw, the col between the Calf and Calders, skirting the top of Cautley Spout, the highest waterfall in England at 650ft before ascending Yarlside.  A super steep 1300ft descent was taken by most runners sliding on their backsides before climbing Great Dummacks followed by Sickers Fell, a second visit to Arant Haw before the final climb of Winder.  Bear in mind that between each hill top the course dropped to a valley bottom.

Karl Grey was first back for CVFR in 8th place and 1st V45 in 2 hours 34 mins and 38 seconds.  Another top notch performance from Grey.  Darren Key was 29th and Adam Osbourne 40th.  New recruit Charlie Ing was 96th in 3 hours 16. 

Calder’s only woman to complete the course was Helen Buchan in 3 hours 50 minutes.  The womens race was won by 2017 English Champion, Victoria Wilkinson of Bingley, 21st place overall in 2 hours and 44 minutes

The relentless course took it toll with Jonny Croston swearing he would never do the race again.  Over 10% of the field did not finish.

Full CVRF Results

8th        Karl Gray            M45      02:34:38

29th      Darren Kay         M45      02:47:54

40th      Adam Osborne  M40      02:51:27

78th      Mark Taylor       M45      03:07:02

81st       Mark Burton      M45      03:08:02

96th      Charlie Ing          MSEN    03:16:34

129th    Paul Haigh          M40      03:28:00

155th    Jonny Croston   M40      03:35:54

196th    Helen Buchan    W40      03:50:05

213th    Mark Wharton  M50      03:54:39

278th    Toby Sydes         M50      04:28:16

304 finishers, 37 rtd

Harry wasn’t pottering around at Pendle!!!

On the lovely slopes of Pendle Hill and with great fell running routes CVFR juniors did battle for points in their next club championship race. There was some spell binding results for our racing snakes. First up was the under 9s and Harry Cliff yet again impressed with another win in a time of 3 minutes and 14 seconds. In the same age category his younger sister Lottie, who’s only recently started fell running, ran well to place 18th and 5th girls overall.

Hotly contested was the under 11s with Clara McKee taking 2nd overall and first girl in a time of 4 minutes and 29 seconds with Joseph Stone chasing hard only 5 seconds behind her to take 3rd overall and 2nd boy. Sam Annison is running well taking 11th in 4 minutes 55 seconds, 17th place and fine run from Leo Hackett in 5 minutes and 10 seconds with Ted Parker in 25th place a further 20 seconds behind.

In the U13s George McFie had an excellent run in 7th place in a time of 14 minutes 46 seconds to take full club championship points. 10th place for Charlie Pickens in a time of 14 minutes 54 seconds with Thomas McKee putting in a good time of 15 minutes 19 seconds to take 12th. Younger Pickens called Ollie was 23rd in 16 minutes 15 seconds and 40th place for Wynn Standish in 17 minutes 22 seconds. In 66th place and 24th girl but showing true fell running grit was Olivia Falkingbridge who struggled the end of the race in 24 minutes 26 seconds after twisting her ankle. This was all to get her club championship points.

The U15s saw Tom Owen having one of his best races to date placing 6th overall in a time of 19 minutes and 41 seconds. An ever improving Elijah Peer-Webb was 9th in 20 minutes and 6 seconds with Emilia Wright in 27th and 10th girl in 23minutes and 35 seconds.

In the senior’s race Trudi Entwhistle was first back for Calder in 88th place and 2nd v40. Chris Holdsworth and Catlin Rice, both of Ribble Valley Harriers took the honours overall.

Full Calder Senior Results

88          Trudi Entwistle  F40        00:43:35

129        Stuart Russell    M40      00:47:41

172        Gillian Wisbey   F40        00:52:36            

186        Vanora McCullagh          00:54:59

210        Steven Binks      00:59:57

232 finishers

– Calder Valley News Reporter: Tim Brooks