Records fall as distance runners cash in (From Bradford Telegraph and Argus)

Records fall as Wharfedale distance runners cash in

4:30pm Tuesday 5th June 2012 in News By Simon Forde

Running log

Richard Pattinson (Pudsey & Bramley) set one record and lost another amid the limestone scenery around Grassington as the WHARFEDALE HALF AND FULL MARATHONS celebrated their tenth anniversary.

Cool, breezy conditions were perfect for any runners fancying their chances of winning the cash prizes on offer for breaking the existing course bests.

Pattinson, already holder of the half-marathon record, set a new milestone of 2hr 48min 41sec on the full course, 20 minutes clear of Shaun Wilkinson (Keighley & Craven) and Rob Furness (Horsforth).

The ladies’ race was won by Kim Threadgall (Edinburgh) in 3:24, while Stainland duo Julie Field and Aileen Baldwin were the runner-up and first lady over-60 respectively.

In the half-marathon event, the first two runners both broke Pattinson’s record as Ted Mason (Wharfedale) and Quentin Lewis (Baildon) battled it out.

Lewis made the best of the long drag up Mastiles Lane to prevail in 1:25:07, with Mason two minutes behind.

Over-60 runner Jeffrey Pickup (Clayton-le-Moors) won his category in a brilliant 1:45 ahead of the Carl Heron (Queensbury) and Marcellus Springer (Horsforth), who took the M50 and M55 categories.

Ilkley Harriers dominated the ladies’ half, with Catherine Farrow (1:46) and Rebecca Mon-Williams first home and Alison Eagle the leading over-45.

Helen Shaw (Wharfedale) and Barbara Robinson (Skipton) were clear in the F50 and F60 categories.

The 10km APPERLEY BRIDGE CANTER two days earlier gave Nick Hooker (Leeds City) a confidence boost as he returned from injury.

With an 8min 22sec performance over 3,000 metres to his credit in 2011, the 23-year-old ran prudently through the ups and downs of the first half of the race before outpacing his rivals to win in 34:13 on the final canal section.

Baildon’s Lewis was left in no man’s land a minute later, with the same margin back to Simon Pass (Saltaire) in third.

Donna Edmondson-Booker was a clear winner of the women’s race in 40:23, ahead of Lucy Thompson (Stainland).

Baldwin (Stainland), Peter Hughes (Queensbury) and Richard Balshaw (Valley) were victorious in the F60, M55 and M45 categories out of the 420 finishers.