How it all started
It had become apparent that fell running wasn’t at the top of the agenda at Halifax Harriers so a group of enthusiastic, like minded runners decided, on 26th October 1986, to form a club based in Mytholmroyd dedicated to the freedom of running on the fells. A group including, Gary Webb, Jeff Winder, Dave Yates, Rhys Kift, John (Bod) Riley, Graeme Woodward, Rod Sutcliffe, possibly Brian Horsley, Russell Arrandale and Jimmy Sheard, met in a pub called The Stafford Arms in Halifax. That first meeting considered such things as a club name, club colours, aims and objectives as well as deciding to using Mytholmroyd Community Centre as a base. Follow up meetings were held at members houses and a committee was set up with Chairperson Rhys Kift, Secretary Dave Yates, Treasurer Brian Horsley, Captain Jeff Winder, Publicity Officer John Riley, Social Secretary Russell Arrandale, Membership Secretary Tim Daniels, Newsletter Editor Rod Sutcliffe and Gary Webb in charge of promoting a Youth section of the club. The newsletter would be called The Rampage as the Ram was to be the emblem on our very loud, red and white striped club vests. Jeff liked how easily recognisable the blue and white of Bingley Harriers was so based our club vests on the principle of being seen on the fells!
And as they say the rest is history.
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The club became active very quickly and the first running of the Winter Handicap happened in January 1987. In March that year the club organised it’s first club race which attracted 121 runners. Appropriately named the Calder Valley Fell Race this was a typical tough Jeff Winder course of 14 miles and around 3700 feet of climbing. It was won, in sub 2 hours, by a star runner Sean Livesey of Rossendale Harriers. The club went from strength to strength and grew in terms of membership numbers. There was a thriving Club Championship competition each year, as well as The British and English Championship races to follow if runners wanted to, and many did. Individual attempts on the 24 hour Bob Graham Round, were regular events in the club. Some favourite memories of the early years were all the relay events such as The Calderdale Way and Ian Hodgson Relay, as well as The British Relays. As a club breaking The Pennine Way Relay Record in June 1992 was definitely the highlight with the most amazing atmosphere. Each runner broke their respective leg records all the way up to Kirk Yetholm in Scotland. This record still stands today. Fantastic, as well as being very exciting times! Fast forward a few years and Calder Valley Fell Runners are respected by other clubs as one of the strongest in the country having a host of international runners both male and female. The club continues to compete at all levels. Although the club did attract some quality younger runners when it was formed it’s now great to see a thriving junior section with 30-50 juniors, with head torches on, disappearing onto the fells with coaches to lead, help and support in a friendly environment. The future is indeed bright and it is red and white.