Running log

Spenborough’s Jennifer Walsh was an under-20s silver medalist for 1500 metres in the National Championships at Bedford.

Her time of 4min 21.28sec was 1.46 seconds off the winner but there is no disgrace being so close to Georgia Peel (Aldershot & Farnham), who was sixth last year in the World Youth Olympics at 1000m.

Bingley Harriers throwing trio Sarah Benson, Jessica Mayho and Adanna Okeahialam also mixed successfully with the UK’s best under-20s and under-23s.

Benson came closest to a medal, holding third spot in the shot with an effort of 12.95 metres until the penultimate round.

Hannah Evenden, second to Benson the previous week at the Northern Championships, then threw 13.22m to take bronze. The winning putt of 16.08m was by Rachel Wallander (Windsor, Slough, Eton & Hounslow).

Mayho was seventh in the under-20s hammer after a throw of 48.11m, Okeahialam finishing 11th with 44.41m. Hull’s Abbi Carter won with 55.87m.

A small but select group of 61 ran the Esholt Bash Trail Race around Esholt Woods, a race organised by Peter Rawnsley of Nunroyd Park-based Skyrac AC.

Ilkley’s Tom Adams was a clear winner in 32min 22sec, with Niall Bourke (35:08, Pudsey & Bramley), Peter Branney (35:52, Leeds City), Dave Safranauskas (35:52, Trafford) and Leon Ricketts (36:08, West Yorks Police) fighting for the remaining honours.

The women’s race was arguably of higher quality. Scottish track star Emma Raven (Bingley) won in 37:47 but she was pushed hard by Guiseley’s Gemma Smith (38:26, Kirkstall).

Philippa Aukett, another top-ranked track runner new to the area who is now competing for Pudsey & Bramley, was next in 42:20.

Ilkley junior Georgia Malir starred in the Bradford Park Run 5K at Lister Park with a first-time effort of 19min 41sec to finish seventh.

But on the age-graded scale, where performances are compensated for by gender and age, the top two runs were by steely veterans.

Andrea Dennison clocked 19:58 (for an age-graded figure of 82.72 per cent of a world’s best for a female over-45), while Pete Pyrah was timed at 18:48 (82.45 per cent for a male over-55).