It has been a busy week for Ilkley Harriers. Last Wednesday they had 12 runners at the finale of the Harrogate Road League, a handicap race over a lovely undulating 9.2km course of parkland (Studley Royal), heath, and a little road.

Three Harriers finished ahead of the scratch runner, Otley's Ian Fisher. Ilkley results: 29th Brian Sweet 58:16; 33rd Phil Chappell 39:27; and 35th Mark Iley 35:34; 60th Sally Malir 39:16; 66 Alison Bennett 39:54; 69 Richard Midgley 46:35; 71 Neil Chapman 37:38; 84 Ian Marshall 40:57; 90 Suzanne Bickerdike 49:00; 91 Amanda Parnaby 56:20; 93 Jane Bryant 47:44; 94 Mike Bryant 48:14.

At the League prize presentation afterwards, Ilkley Harriers were well rewarded for a succesful season. They had first team; first ladies team; first lady vets team; champion lady - Sally Malir; champion lady vet-40 - Alison Bennett; champion vet-50 - Nick Pearce. Additionally, the men's vets team were second to Harrogate H & AC.

The same night, the Stirton Fell Race (5.5m/800ft) attracted Mike Baldwin who was 21st in 48:28; and 29th Alison Crane 50:53 (third lady); 44th Dennis Ackroyd 53:58; 51st Peter Sibley 56:15; 53rd Keith Wood 56:28; 57th Dave Ibbotson 57:20; 75th Vic Verecondi 64:28

Running for Pudsey and Bramley second-claim Harriers Stefan Macina and Jason Hemsley were 5th and 6th in 42:25 and 43:07 respectively.

At Saturday's Ingleborough Fell Race, clear and bright conditions and firm ground provided runners with opportunities for fast times in this classic 'up and back' AM fell race.

Norman Bush set a new Vet-60 course record of 62:03 in 94th place; 77th Ian Johnson 60:29; 86th Helen Sedgwick 61:28; 170th David Ibbotson 70:59 and 227th Vic Verocondi 85:29.

Meanwhile, Peter Cooke was 30th in 33:44 at the Kinniside Two Tops fell race, a little, friendly race at a Lakeland show near Ennerdale.

Roy Ruddle successfully completed the SPORTident Scottish 4000s Duathlon in 15:23:47 (18th). The race takes in all nine 4000ers, linking the Ben Nevis group with the Cairngorms via a 60 mile bike ride.

On Sunday, at the Kentmere Horseshoe fell race (AM, 11/9m/3300ft) Nick Pearce was 16th and second Vet 50 in 1h48:38, just one place ahead of Andrea Priestley who in 1h48:47 was first lady. James Lind was 58th in 1h59:38.

Three Harriers did the Eccup Ten mile road race in warm conditions and pleasant scenery: Neil Chapman 66:07; Vince Gibbons 78:07; Amanda Parnaby 99:07.

Ilkley Harriers is a friendly club, training from Ilkley Lawn Tennis and Squash Club every Tuesday at 7pm.

Pat seeks sponsors

Addingham resident Pat Walker last month completed the 26.2 mile Potteries marathon run less than a week before her 65th birthday, having started running not very many miles a week about a year previously.

She was accompanied by her friend Graham Dawson, from Keighley, who was doing the Potteries run for the 12th time, and the two finished together on a hot, sunny day in a time of 5hr 45min.

Pat is an active member of the church and choir at St Peter's, Addingham; has regularly helped with the local Meals on Wheels service and plays non-serious golf whenever possible at Fardew, East Morton, with a small group of other ladies from the Ilkley area.

On September 21 Pat will be taking part in the 13.1-mile BUPA Great North Run from Newcastle to South Shields along with daughter Fiona, 27,from Bradley, and son Mark, 38, who lives on Tyneside, with Graham providing the transport back to Newcastle from the finish.

For this event she will be seeking sponsorship from friends, family and others in favour of the British Heart Foundation.

This will be in memory of her husband David who died very suddenly whilst playing golf at Ben Rhydding in 1999, having retired early five years previously from a long career with the NatWest bank.

Anyone who would like to sponsor Pat's effort for the BHF can contact her on 01948 830008 at any time between now and the date of the run.

Skyrac Fellrunners

Although the casual observer may consider fellrunning to be a dangerous sport, in reality because of responsible race organisers, the aegis of the Fell Runners Association and the general good sense of fellrunners, the total of four deaths over the last 25 years compares very favourably with, say, road marathons.

When deaths occur it is primarily from hypothermia when runners have gone off route in extreme weather and this was the case with Judith Taylor who died in the 1994 Kentmere Horseshoe.

The race was then held in the first week in April and could be held - as in 1994 - in blizzard conditions notably on the exposed High Street.

Whilst the Coroner attached no blame to the race organiser or the FRA, which has always been anxious to maintain fellrunning's traditional ethos of freedom from over-regulation, the race date was subsequently moved to mid-July.

Last Sunday saw the 28th race, which in its 12 miles (3,300ft climb) takes in Kentmere Pike and Ill Bell, won by Rob Jebb (Bingley) in 1.31.08. Rob won the 21 miles 9,000 feet Wasdale race during the previous weekend and he is leading the British Championship table with one race to come so perhaps this is his year.

For Skyrac Graham Breeze was 63rd from 142 runners in just over two hours which is faster than the time he recorded, with 15 other Skyrac runners in the field, when he first ran the event 15 years ago.

"This illustrates the benefit of racing every weekend or perhaps just drinking good red wine," said Graham.

Skyrac can be contacted on www.skyrac.org.uk or 0113 229 0924

Yeadon athlete stars

Several local athletes played valuable parts for Leeds City AC in a very busy weekend for the club.

First off the mark were those who were representing the combined male and female senior team in the semi-final of the British Athletics League Cup at Gateshead's International Stadium.

Competing against some of the country's top teams, such as Edinburgh, Trafford, Gateshead, Piteavie and Wakefield, Leeds finished in a creditable sixth position out of the eight participating clubs.

In this pride of place went to Yeadon's Celia de Maria who set a magnificent PB to win the women's 400m hurdles in 68.4s.

She then showed great diversity and came second in the 3,000m (10.40.1) and immediately afterwards ran the 100m hurdles in which she finished fifth in 19.3s.

There were also some fine performances from Horsforth's Bethany Staniland, who the following day was South Africa bound on a hockey tour. The 15 year-old youngster achieved two third places in the women's discus (32.32m) and javelin (32.45m). She was also fourth in the long jump (4.89m) and ran the first leg of the third placed 4 x 400m quartet (4.10.7).

The following day many of Leeds City's younger athletes were in action in the fifth and final match of the Young Athletes League Northern Premier Division at South Leeds Stadium.

Here there were mixed emotions for the boys and girls teams; joy for the former as they finished in fifth position out of the 16 premier league teams but disappointment for the latter with a final position of sixth. As a result the boys have qualified for the Young Athletes League Auxiliary Final which will be held at Birmingham's Alexandra Stadium in late August - the girls missed out by one place!

Menston St Mary's Y7 pupil Jodie Gregorcyzk ran her heart out in an effort to raise Leeds's points and duly set a PB in the Under-13 girls' 1500m (5.04.2).

Another middle distance PB came from young Robert Hall of Guiseley who finished third in the Under-15 boys' A 3,000m (10.22.6) while Benton Park's Alex Davy came a well deserved second in the B event (10.43.9).

In the under-17 boys' events three local lads were each big points' earners. None more so than former Skyrac multi-eventer Matthew Hudson.

Finally back to some fitness after a broken arm he set three personal bests in his three technical events. These came with a third place in the A high jump (1.75m), first position in the B long jump (5.61m) and, last but not least, victory in the A 100m hurdles (15.1s).

Menston's Richard Ettenfield, despite suffering from a long-term hamstring injury, turned his attentions to throwing and promptly won the A shot (11.22m).