Fisher a mile clear of his rivals (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Fisher a mile clear of his rivals

11:17am Tuesday 28th October 2008 in Sport By Sports Desk

Ian Fisher of Otley AC destroyed a field of 212 to win the Holmfirth 15-miler.

His time of 80min 30sec was two minutes ahead of local runner Matthew Pierson and literally a mile clear of pursuers Andy Buttery (Rossendale), David Thompson (Barnsley) and Darren Newbould (Hallamshire).

Fisher was backed up by team-mates Julian Mawson (87.58) and Zack Whitehead (92.80).

The extra miles on a conventional half-marathon, plus the hilly two-lap course, make these times impressive. The descent and climb of 440 feet each lap involves sections of 1-in-12 gradient.

The race doubled as a Yorkshire Vets Championship event and saw Kate Nelson of Knavesmire and Bingley’s Andrea Dennison battle the whole way before Nelson opened up a six-second gap at the finish to win in 97.41.

Dennison’s training partner Claire Elener (Eccleshill RR) ran strongly to finish 11th in 1hr 53min 45sec, immediately ahead of Idle’s Denise Frost, who became F50 champion.

Queensbury’s Martin Firth (93.48) held off St Bede’s Mick Brearley (95.51) for second in the M45 category behind Dewsbury’s Martin Hall (92.55). Pudsey Pacers’ Nigel Craven achieved a personal best 1:48.

Elsewhere, atrocious conditions confronted 207 starters for the seven-mile WITHINS SKYLINE fell race, with a mucky surface and what felt like gale-force winds and horizontal rain making life difficult.

Kendal’s junior international Tom Addison escaped his home-town floods to arrive just in time, yet he powered up to Oxenhope Stoop checkpoint.

His only error was on the skyline by turning off too soon for Top Withins, ending up in knee-high tussocks and bog.

By the ruin he was back in third place behind 2002 winner Steve Oldfield (Bradford-Airedale) and 1994 and 2000 winner Andrew Wrench (Todmorden).

Addison passed this pair above Bronte Bridge and then used his speed to win by a minute from Wrench, while M50 runner Oldfield finished fifth to win the trophy picture for the third year in succession.

Meanwhile, Robert Samuels of Pudsey Pacers made an immediate impression after missing a full year with a serious knee injury.

He finished 12th in his comeback race, the inaugural KIRKLEES COUNCIL 10K CHALLENGE.