Bethany is the UK indoor champion

Teams from Northern Ireland, Scotland, Wales and the nine regional districts of England came together in the UK National Sports Hall Finals.

Twelve year-old Bethany Staniland, of Horsforth, was crowned UK Champion when she won the Under-13 girls' six lap race (480m) in 76.8s, one full second ahead of the silver and bronze medallists who were representing the South East and the West Midlands respectively.

Twenty-four girls had qualified for the National Finals in this event, two from each area.

One lap in Sports Hall Athletics consists of two 40 metre straights with reversaboard turns. Therefore, Bethany's six laps race was made up of 12 x 40 metres straights with 12 reversaboard turns; the constant stopping and starting being incredibly energy sapping, a mixture of 400m speed and 800m strength the necessary ingredients for success.

Earlier in the day, Bethany, whose West Yorkshire team was representing the North East of England, had also come fifth in the shot with 9.47m.

Overall, West Yorkshire finished as silver medallists in the Under- 13girls' team challenge behind the powerful West Midlands contingent, who were competing on home soil. Nevertheless, this was the highest position ever achieved by the county at the National Finals.

In order to reach the finals, Bethany, of the Girls' Grammar School, Bradford, and Kingston upon Hull AC, had won both the six laps and the shot at the West Yorkshire Championships and then the North East Championships.

At Bingley she set two new county records. However, this was Bethany's last competition as an Under-13 as she now has to compete as a first year Under-15 in the summer outdoor track and field season.

In order to run in Birmingham, Bethany had to give up a place in the West Yorkshire team which had been invited to run in the Adidas London Mini Marathon the next day.

Nevertheless, four young athletes from our district represented their county at this prestigious event and each acquitted themselves excellently over the 5Km course, passing in front of Buckingham Palace and finishing in The Mall.

Laura Kirk, of Guiseley School and Skyrac AC was the highest placed of the quartet with a magnificent sixth position in the Under-15 girls' race in the fine time of 16 mins 17secs. Her performance was closely matched by a tremendous run from Elizabeth Spencer (Horsforth School and Holmfirth Harriers) who was 17th in the Under-17 girls' competition, finishing in 16 mins 13secs.

Jill Harrison, of Woodhouse Grove School and Keighley and Craven A.C., ran 18 mins 30secs for a superb 36th placing in the Under-13 girls' category while Bradford GS pupil, Nick Howard, also of Skyrac AC, showed that he is back to full fitness with a confidence boosting 32nd place in the Under-15 boys' event.

In the Trafford AC Open Meeting on Easter Monday saw the continuation of the track and field Spring Open Meetings - this time at Stretford Stadium.

However, only Amy Howard from Skyrac AC made the short journey across the Pennines, and she enjoyed an extremely successful day in five Under-15 girls' events.

The highlight of her busy afternoon was 9.89m in the shot for first place and a personal best performance. She also won the discus with 27.51m and came fourth in the long jump with 4.47m.

Taking advantage of being able to do more than the usual three events, Amy also recorded times of 13.7s in the 75m hurdles and 29.0s in the 200m.

Taylor beaten

in Bunny Run

Fresh from his victory in Skyrac's Easter Sunday Guiseley Gallop John Taylor (Bingley) could be seen before the third of Dave and Eileen Woodhead's Bunny Runs carrying out his full warm up session with interval sprints, etc., whilst club rival Ian Holmes, who he had beaten in the first two races of the four race series, could be seen just, well, ...chatting.

Twenty minutes later Ian came home the victor (17 min 28 sec) with John nine seconds behind.

This means that the fourth race will now be the decider for the overall series winner. If John wins then the series prize is his, with three victories out of four. However if Ian wins and John is second because they will both have two victories and two second places then the stopwatch comes into play and Ian will need to have beaten John by at least seven seconds in the final race to be overall champion.

After three events some of the series prizes have already been decided and the Over-60 prize must be won by Skyrac's Malcolm Coles who already has three wins from the first three events.

Also in the prizes in the third race was Graham Breeze who picked up more chocolate to give to his expectant grandchildren for finishing second in the Over 50 category whilst moving, at least temporarily, into first place in the Over-50 category for the series.

Over two hundred runners are turning up for the Bunny Run races which have been relocated from Harden Moor to Cliffe Castle, Keighley, but which still include 500 feet of ascent in the three mile route.

Last Thursday there were 208 runners and for Skyrac Graham Breeze was 60th on 22.22 followed by John Forsyth in 65th on 22.45 and Malcolm Coles who was 82nd on 23.23.

When all other fell races have been cancelled because of the foot and mouth epidemic the Woodheads deserve praise not only for re-arranging their Bunny Run races to an alternative venue but also for maintaining the unique and theatrical atmosphere of the prize giving. With around £500 worth of chocolate (and other paraphernalia) to give out every week the prize giving takes longer than the races but the evidence of 200 fellrunners turning up to a park in Keighley on four consecutive Thursday evenings is testimony to the affection with which the 'Woodentops' are held within the fellrunning fraternity.

Even so one Skyrac fell runner was tempted south by the sirens of the London Marathon where an unwell Nigel Kirkbright finished in 3587th on 3.28.26.

If you would like to join Skyrac the club can be contacted on 0113-229 0924.