Running log

Hannah Oldroyd took to the track to run 5min 5.0sec in the Leeds Golden Mile at Beckett Park, where she was first woman home and 13th overall.

The Saltaire Strider has now, in the space of a few months, set an impressive set of personal bests from a mile to the marathon.

Spen’s Kevin Ogden was third in 4:51.7, while Ilkley’s Henry Heavisides’ mile in 5:19.3 was the age-graded performance of the event. The 58-year-old was 23rd of the 87 participants in Saturday’s event.

Caroline Lambert was first lady in the Wetherby Run 10K the following day, clocking 37:06 on home soil. She had finished behind Oldroyd in the Leeds mile.

Pudsey resident James Wardman (Rothwell) was overall winner in 34:01 (chip-timed), a football field ahead of Otley’s Scott Harrington. Skyrac’s Liam O’Brien was eighth in 35:25.

Notable were the long list of disqualifications by the referee for “MP3 infringements, despite repeated requests not to use them”. More races are banning headphones due to wearers’ inability to hear traffic, warnings or marshals’ instructions.

The Yorkshireman Off-Road Marathon over the moors around Haworth presented a notable victory for Bingley’s Ged Callan.

The tough course saw a battle between Callan and Shaun Wilkinson of host club Keighley & Craven. By the finish Callan had a minute advantage, winning in 3hr 18:29. Ian Symington (Calder Valley) was a further five minutes adrift in third.

Valley Striders’ Kim Threadgall was first lady in 3:46:55, 16th overall, in a close struggle with Essex-based Nikki Brockbank.

Queensbury over-50 Carl Heron had a good tussle with Leeds City star Jennie Guard, the fourth lady, just losing out in 4:10:09.

In the half-marathon variant, a tight three-way fight saw Ben Mounsey (Calder Valley – 1:41:04) hold off Wharfedale pair Christian Holmes (1:41:30) and Nick Charlesworth (1:41:40).

Baildon’s international orienteer Steve Watkins continues to improve, recording a fine fourth in 1:46:22.

The front four women were even closer, with Pudsey & Bramley’s Rachel Pilling (2:00:24) beating Claire Cooper (Keighley & Craven), Helen Livingstone (Leeds Bradford Triathlon) and Debbie Wilson (Trawden). Just 26 seconds separated them in 17th to 20th positions.