There must be some days when the sun shines gloriously over the Pennine Country Park near Haworth but fellrunners will never know because Dave and Eileen Woodhead organise their Withins Skyline, The Stoop, Auld Lang Syne and Soreen Stanbury Splash races between November and January when the weather is either bad, or awful.

Eight runners from Skyrac turned out last Sunday for the first race in the ten race year long Derek Emsley Memorial Trophy which, as the Skyrac Handicap Fell Championship, is now in its 17th year.

The weather was as good as it gets, that is it was freezing. Rock hard ground is at least conducive to fast times although the four stream crossings-hence 'Splash' - were, as ever, cold and wet.

Ian Holmes (Bingley) is alleged to attribute some of his racing success to eating malt loaf for breakfast before he races but what is indisputable is that he won the Stanbury race for the tenth consecutive time in 44.46 ahead of fellow international John Brown (Salford) in 45.07.

First lady in 26th was another international, Natalie White (Holmfirth) in 52.52 ahead of 38th Sharon Taylor (Bingley) in 55.11.

Amongst the 249 runners were Skyrac's Duncan Asquith who was 77th (58.29) and 82nd Martin Farrar (59.14), 92nd Robert Pritchard (60.45), 113th Graham Breeze (63.16), 142nd Stephen Batley (66.37), 180th Max Wood (71.40), 212th Malcolm Coles (77.56) and 223rd Roger Dawson 82.20.

Fell runners, juniors, fun runners, it does not matter. If you can put one leg in front of the other you will be given a warm welcome at Skyrac which can be contacted via www.skyrac.org.uk or 01943 874046.

Good news for Andrew

There was double good news this week for 18-year-old Horsforth athlete Andrew Staniland, of Leeds City AC, as he was presented with two prestigious invitations.

He has again been selected to represent the Great Britain Under-20 team, this time in an indoor international in Valencia, Spain. In this, he will contest the heptathlon (60m, 60m hurdles, long jump, high jump, pole vault, shot, & 1000m) against France and Spain.

With a PB score of 4,885 points, he is currently Britain's second ranked junior (U-20) in this event.

Additionally, as the UK's ninth leading senior long jumper with a PB of 7.46m, Andrew has also been invited to the Senior AAA and European Indoor Championship Trials at Sheffield's English Institute of Sport.

However, both competitions take place over the same weekend! A sensible decision will have to be made by Andrew and his coach, Wilf Paish.

Mindful of the higher tier of competitions that lie ahead in 2005, Andrew restricted himself to the Under-20 men's shot putt (6kg) at this weekend's North of England Indoor Junior Championships.

With gold medals going a-begging in the other various technical events, especially long jump and high jump, he settled for a bronze with a putt of 12.92m, 26cm off his best.

Nevertheless, there was no shortage of medals for other local athletes. Skyrac AC's Laura Kirk picked up the bronze in the Under-20 women's 400m with 60.37s. Close behind was Bethany Staniland (Leeds City AC) who has just moved up into this older age group. She came fifth with 60.67s, an indoor PB and quite remarkable, as it is only five weeks ago that she came out of pot after badly twisting her ankle.

She also set another indoor PB in the 200m with 27.16s but did not progress beyond her heat.

Yet Bethany did win a medal as she came third in the shot (4kg) with a respectable putt of 10.90m.

Fellow Leeds City athlete, Guiseley's Emma Moutrie also opened up her career in the under-20 women's age group with a fourth place in the long jump with 5.13m. However, injury prevented her from doing her speciality triple jump, which she surely would have won

Also new to an older age group, was James Heaton of Ilkley. He enjoyed two sixth places in the Under- 17 men's category with 5.60m in the long jump and 10.34m in the shot.

Guiseley's Tom Wagner (Leeds City) continued last season's success and performed well at this level of competition with sixth place in the Under-17 men's pole vault with 2.90m, although he has previously been over three metres.

Otley Athletic Club

OTLEY Athletic Club's Ian Fisher represented Team Great Britain in the Mumbai Marathon in India and in temperatures averaging above 30c recorded an impressive time of 2.28.04.

As the penultimate race of the four race The Greatest Race Series, this result improved the UK's overall placing in the integrated Nation's Challenge to fifth position.

On the back of such a performance, Ian reluctantly declined his defence of the popular York Half Marathon held on Sunday morning. However, Otley AC were still superbly represented by 18 members (including a handful of personal best performances) in the field of 969.

Official times (and positions) show Neil Cayton 70.47 (4th), Matthew Cox 72.58 (11th), Julian Mawson 73.27 (12th), James Cullen 84.37 (95th), Howard Jeffrey 87.57 (147th), Hugh Pearson 88.46 (165th), Mick Jeffrey 88.55 (167th), Carl Walsh 90.52 (204th), Graham Stead 95.45 (295th), Helen Walsh 100.22 (398th), Dave Hainsworth 100.22 (399th), Neil O'Brien 101.59 (428th), Antonio Cardinale 104.30 (494th), Mark Blagg 105.45 (516th), Hannah Peacock 106.27 (528th), Peter McManus 113.04 (660th), Jennie McKenzie 119.16 (784th) and Clare Kellett 126.38 (866th).

On the same morning and undeniably more undulating than York with a total ascent of 1,200ft over seven miles, three members participated in the Stanbury Splash Fell Race at Haworth.

Andrew Robertshaw finished 15th followed by Colin Best and then David Cattanach who recorded 83.20.

This weekend, a number of members will be participating in the North of England Cross-Country Championships at Consett and a further two members are continung the international theme by racing in the Las Vegas Half Marathon.

A week tomorrow (Friday, February 4), the club will hold its annual Presentation Night at Korks, Otley.

For further information on Club activities visit www.otleyac.co.uk or club training nights every Tuesday and Thursday from Otley RUFC commencing 7.15.