Running Log

Unaccustomed sunshine on the exposed tops and 3,065 feet of climbing took their toll on the Yorkshireman Off-Road Marathon around the Worth Valley.

Richard Pattinson (Pudsey & Bramley) lived up to his reputation for strength over challenging courses as he pulled away by halfway to win the full marathon in 3hr 16min 57sec.

Shaun Wilkinson (Keighley & Craven) overhauled Quentin Lewis (Baildon ) at the 18-mile mark to take second place by two minutes in a personal course best of 3:21:16. The other 140 individual finishers were another 17 minutes adrift.

First woman home was Nikki Brockbank of Springfield Striders in Essex. Carl Heron (Queensbury ) was first men’s over-50 in 4:23:53.

In the pairs race, Ian Livesey and Dave Motley (Clayton -le-Moors) won in 3:57:27, just ahead of mixed duo Lucy Thompson and Jonathan Collins (Stainland). An excellent third of the 31 pairings were Paul Stanhope and Gary Scott (Eccleshill ) in 4:31:58.

The half-marathon is almost 15 miles and follows the full marathon until beyond Oxenhope .

Ben Mounsey (Calder – 1:41:58) notched his customary victory, with Wharfedale Harriers duo Christian Holmes and Nick Charlesworth completing the podium.

Colin Walker (P&B – 1:45:29) and Simon Pass (Saltaire ) both just outsprinted Steven Carney (Bingley ) in a three-way fight for fourth.

* Rachael Bamford (Otley AC) made the best of excellent conditions to improve her course record at the Ilkley Incline .

She completed the one-mile uphill route, with 560 feet of climbing, in 8min 28sec to be nearly a minute clear of Caroline Lambert (Wetherby).

Wharfedale’s under-18 runner James Hall led from the start to win the men’s race in 7:29.

Ilkley’s Jack Wood dogged Hall’s footsteps until the last quarter-mile when former Hallamshire athlete Chris Smithard and Quentin Lewis (Baildon) came through to take second and third six seconds behind.

Ilkley lost their team title to Wharfedale thanks to Hall, Sam Haggar (eighth), Gareth Hird (tenth) and Jason Hemsley (15th). Ilkley Ladies retained their crown through Chloe Haines, Alison Bennett and Alison Weston.

The winners received prizes of giant marrows grown by local horticulturalist Bernie Connor.