Running log

Skyrac duo Jenny Beaumont and Rebecca Cesar de Sa were the first two women home in the Baildon Boundary Way.

It was Beaumont’s first victory as she continues her improvement since starting running competitively in 2010, while Cesar de Sa’s time was five minutes faster than her last outing in 2012.

Tom Hooper, of Bingley, scored his first win as a senior, his previous victories as an under-15 on the track coming a dozen years ago.

His 83min 39sec in Sunday’s race was four minutes slower than his lifetime best over the distance in February at the flat Blackpool Half-Marathon.

Hooper beat several specialist fell runners, with Colin Walker of Pudsey & Bramley second (83:53) and Chris Miller (Harrogate) third (84.10).

Host club Baildon were rewarded with fourth place for Quentin Lewis, who built a minute’s gap over Saltaire’s Simon Pass (85:45). He in turn had a minute lead over Bingley’s Graham Watson.

Miller and Hooper already had a good lead at the end of the canal section at Hirst Lock before the long climb round and up onto Baildon Moor. Hooper then took a decisive lead and, at that point, Walker and Pass were together.

Shaun Wilkinson of Keighley & Craven was tenth and first over-50 (88:17), while Stephen Fry (Bingley) held off Steve Webb (Valley) in a good battle for second in the category.

Webb’s training partner Andy Peake, from Burley-in-Wharfedale, was a fine 35th, just bettered by Carl Heron of Queensbury.

Helen Livingstone was first lady over-45 (1hr 39:08), not far ahead of Bridget Coomber (Denby Dale).

A total of 368 runners finished, with 25 walkers having set off earlier in the day and most completing the hilly route in around four hours. But Sandy Gee (Long-Distance Walkers' Association) recorded an impressive 3:10:57.

A video of the race is available at www.youtube.com/watch?v=R2o7z8zgUDs.

* Baildon Runners’ beginners’ group, who meet at 10am every Saturday at Roberts Park in Saltaire, are featuring in an introductory video to be filmed on April 26.

* Matt King, last year’s Bradford Half-Marathon champion, won a 12K in Southland – New Zealand’s annual Surf-to-City race – wearing his Bradford City Runs T-shirt and featured in his home-town newspaper.