Stanilands were

in action

The Spring Open meetings continued at the weekend with top class competition at Warrington A.C's Victoria Park Stadium.

The north Cheshire club must be one of the most enterprising in the region, hosting five open or trophy meetings in the 2001 season.

However, only two local athletes participated. Brother and sister pairing of Andrew and Bethany Staniland made the one hour journey over the Pennines, seeking a variety of competition and events.

Andrew Staniland of Skyrac A.C. won the Under-15 boys' javelin with 29.67m and then set a personal best in the discus with 27.07m for the silver medal. Finally, he was fourth in the shot with an outdoor personal best of 10.20m.

Bethany Staniland was representing the newly formed Kingston upon Hull A.C. This potentially powerful club has been formed by a combination of three Hull clubs - Hull Springhead Harriers, City of Hull A.C. and Hull Spartan A.C.

Looking for some early season speed work, 12 year-old Bethany, an 800m specialist, entered the Under-17 girls' 300m. Here she was second in 45.4s, an Under-17 girls' Grade 4 National Standard and personal best.

She also set three more personal best performances in the Under-15 girls' throwing events: shot(4th) with 8.65m; javelin (4th) with 20.15m; and discus (3rd) with 24.64m. She also gained a bronze medal in the Under-15 girls' long jump with 4.30m.

The West Yorkshire Track and Field League gets under way this weekend at York's Ryedale Stadium.

Many Skyrac athletes will be opening their season here, embarking upon a series of seven league meetings, and four of the club's girls must be in line for a top three trophy by August.

Under-15 girl Amy Howard, must be one of the favourites for Under-15 league title, although she will be pushed by middle distance runner and high jumper Laura Kirk. Also, both Georgina Ablett and Gabi Rowell should achieve much success in the Under-13 girls' category.

Ilkley Harriers

The first of this season's Bunny Runs (a series of four weekly three-mile fell races) was very successful. Dave Woodhead's new course at Cliffe Castle Estate had, apparently, a bit of a 'sting in the tail' but this was soothed by the chocolate egg for all finishers.

Mark Iley had a good run for 16th place in 20.40, and Alison Weston raced too, but there was an unexpectedly low turnout of Harriers - hopefully we'll see more at Bunny Run Two tomorrow, Thursday, April 12, at 7.15pm, and the following two Thursdays.

On Saturday, Ilkley Ladies fielded a team in the prestigious North of England Six Stage Road Relays, held this year on an undulating three mile course at Middleton Park. Team organiser Di Kitchen did a great job to cope with last-minute team changes and still get a full team out, and one that was good enough to finish in 14th place out of 30 teams.

First off was Sally Malir, finishing 19th in 23.04. Joyce Marshall's 24.48 brought Ilkley up to 16th place; Cath Wolfenden's 24.52 to 15th place, and Janet Hebbert's 25.37 to 14th, a placing that we held to the finish with Di Kitchen running 24.38 and Emma Barclay 22.57; the team's combined time was 2hrs.25.56.

The winners were Sale Harriers in 1hr.56.54 with a fastest leg time of 18.21.

On Sunday it was the men who were our racing on the road, in the Wakefield Hospice 10km race, which this year attracted some 780 runners. Andy Wade was well to the fore, in 14th place with 34.18 (the winner ran a very fast 31.00). Jim Ryder was next, 79th in 37.17, then Geoff Howard 104th (and third Vet 55) in 38.01. Martin Heath was 231st in 42.03, and Ian Adamson 427th in 46.54

Ilkley Harriers are a friendly club, running from Ben Rhydding Sports Club at 7pm on Tuesdays. Contact our Captain Ken Souyave on 01943 609597 or visit our web site www.ilkleyharriers.co.uk for more information.

Fellrunners

David and Eileen Woodhead received a round of applause from the 176 runners who assembled on the start line of the first of this Easter's Bunny Run series for their ingenuity in rearranging this popular event from the Harden Moor to the urban environs of Cliffe Castle in Keighley.

Despite the park location 'the Woodentops' had devised a course with some particularly technical sections in a wood where the combination of mud and evening gloom led to dozens of inexperienced competitors slithering sideways down the hillside.

Up at the front Bingley Harriers reigned supreme taking the first four places led home by John Taylor (18min 01sec) ahead of Ian Holmes (18.15).

Main category winners took home a large carrot (put it down to Dave Woodhead's sense of humour) plus a cornucopia of chocolate goods; mostly egg-shaped and the usual jollity of a 'Woodentops' prize giving was enriched by the joy displayed by fellrunners in being able to put their Walshes on again after the famine of events during March.

Find a fell race and you find Skyrac's two prolific racers and true to form Graham Breeze and Malcolm Coles were present to collect their numbers and later to collect their chocolate eggs with Malcolm winning the First Over-60 prize (54th in 24.46) and Graham (39th in 23.23) picking up an Over-50 award.

There are three more races in the series and a warehouse of chocolate to be given away after which fell runners hope that other race organisers will be ready to display the ingenuity and commitment to the sport demonstrated by the ever popular Woodheads.

Mandale Harriers who normally organise Sunday's 12 mile Guisborough Moors Fell Race displayed droll humour in substituting this event (postponed because of the foot and mouth outbreak) with the 12 mile Redcar and Saltburn Sea Shanty most of which was run along a sandy beach with the occasional foray into the North Sea. From an entry of 53 runners Mike Openshaw won this unique race in 62 min 08 sec and for Skyrac Graham Breeze was 23rd in 79.32.

On the same day two Skyrac road runners were attracted by the Wakefield 10K where Stephen O'Neill produced a PB of 34.35 in 17th position with Peter Rawnsley some way behind on 40.19.

Skyrac AC who will be organising Easter Sunday's Guiseley Gallop can be contacted on (0113) 229 0924 or (01943) 875516.

Otley AC

ON Saturday, Otley Athletic Club competed with other teams in the North of England Men's 12 stage Road Relay based around the paths of the South Leeds Stadium and Middleton Park and finished 37th overall.

The relay consists of four long legs (5.6 miles). On legs one, four, seven and ten and eight shorter legs of 3.2 miles, Andrew Robertshaw finished the first leg (long) in 30th position (19.07), Andrew Sumner recorded 23.24 and 39th overall after leg three and handed over to Ian Fisher on a long leg who ran 28.08 to finish 30th.

Ray Hawksby took over and recorded 20.41 on leg five and maintained the club's overall position at 30th before handing over to Steve Mann who recorded 23.42 and position 38th after leg six. Dale Foster ran 31.55 on long leg seven and improved the team's position to 37th and John Straiton recorded 21.32 on leg eight maintaining 37th place.

Julian Mawson recorded 19.13 on leg nine, also without changing overall position and Neil Cayton recorded 30.18 on the last long leg of the day on leg ten and improved the team position to 35th. Andrew Willis finished leg 11 in 21.16 taking the team to 34th and Phil Robinson ran the last leg in 23.44 bringing the Otley team home in an overall time of 4hr 53min 22sec. Comprehensive results are available at http://www.race-results.co.uk/

On Sunday morning, Mark Hall finished an impressive 11th overall in 33.42 at the Wakefield 10k and Beth Massey finished in 44.30.

Entry forms for this year's Otley Ford Motors Ten Mile Road Race which takes place on Wednesday, May 16, are now readily available from Otley Ford Motors, local sport shops and sports centres. Alternatively, runners of all abilities are welcome to join in with club nights each Tuesday and Thursday evening at 7.15pm from Otley RUFC, Cross Green.

St Mary's coaching

LEEDS City AC multi-event coach Mike Stanyard, from Guiseley, has been working with Year Seven, Eight and Nine pupils at St Mary's RC School, Menston, for the last month.

He is leading fun taster sessions for budding athletes at the school on Monday evenings in the school's Sports Hall.

Mike, who coached local javelin hope and ex-St Mary's student Catherine O'Halloran, has provided the young athletes with lots of advice and experience of a range of events in preparation for the summer season.He will continue to work with the schools' athletes throughout the summer as they prepare for the Leeds Schools' Championships in May and the Leeds Schools' Athletics league events.