IAN Fisher stormed to victory once again in last Wednesday's Otley AC Ten Mile Road Race producing his fastest time for the course.

The facilities of Otley Rugby Club have provided a sound platform for the smooth running of this event. As last year the main sponsor was Otley Motors with further help from Unilever, Sinclairs and Otley Town Council. Thanks go to them all as they made possible another Otley athletic event.

Next year it is hoped to regain the event as a Yorkshire Championship race for both men and women.

This has been the second of the three athletic events which have been arranged for the year 2001 in Otley. Otley AC members pulled out all the stops to ensure a successful event. The weather was kind given the heavy rain earlier in the day. The start, outside the Civic Centre, was impressive, with two Otley AC members in the leading group.

It was not possible to have many members running as at least 19 race marshals were needed. In addition, many other jobs demand attention before, during and after the event.

By Knotford Nook Ian Fisher was closely followed by Ian Holmes (Bingley Harriers) and fellow Otley AC runner Neil Clayton. Holmes, British Fell Champion for the year 2000, was expected to provide a challenge on the sharp up and downhill sections between five and seven and a half miles.

The Bingley runner did indeed move into the lead at that point but not for long. It was here that a potentially dangerous happening occurred. A horse, watching from an adjacent field, cleared the high boundary and joined in the race just after the first lady had gone by. Rather than continuing on towards Beckwithshaw at the top of the long climb it skidded left into the narrow lane following the runners. The horse left the runners at the Washburn bridge below Lindley Reservoir, taking a side path.

It was rather disturbing for the runners. Fortunately no cars were coming towards the competitors in these two miles. The marshals dealt with the situation in a constructive manner.

Ian Fisher won the race in 51.22, his fastest time for the course. Ian Holmes was second, crossing the finishing line 12 seconds later. Neil Cayton was third and also first local in 54.10, Shaun Winstanley (Harrogate AC) came fourth in 55.32. The two other competing Otley members were Phil Williams, 70.21, and Andrew Sumner 76.40.

First male over 40 was Crawley's Andrew Carruthers; first male over 45 was Ilkley Harriers Nick Pearce; first over 50 was Spenborough's Steven Moss; first over 55 was Skyrac's Graham Breeze; first over 60 was Skyrac's Malcolm Coles and first over 65 was the unattached Dan Baldasera.

First lady was Darlington's Alison Raw in 64.20. She was also first lady veteran over 35. Second lady was Spenborough's Kath Drake in 66.15 and she was first lady veteran over 40. First lady veteran over 45 was Holmfirth's Barbara Hoyland and first lady veteran over 50 was Harrogate's Irenie Bass.

Results were:

1, Ian Fisher (Otley AC) 51.22; 2, Ian Holmes (Bingley H) 51.34; 3, Neil Cayton (Otley AC) first local 54.10; 4, Shaun Winstanley (Harrogate H&AC) 55.32; 5, Christopher Loftus (Keighley & Craven AC) 55.55; 6, Michael Wrench (Valley Striders) 56.34; 7, Philip Sheard (Pudsey & Bramley) 56.42; 8, Matthew Cox (Exeter H) 57.42; 9, Richard Hall (Thirsk & Sowerby) 58.12; 10, Anthony Bradford (Spenborough D&AC) 58.17; 11, Shane Green (Pudsey & Bramley) 58.20; 12, Stephen Bottomley (Pudsey & Bramley) 59.00; 13, Neil Eccles (Altrincham & DAC) 59.25; 14, James Franklin (Abbey Runners) 59.32; 15, Andrew Carruthers (Crawley AC) V40 59.50; 16, Stephen Vaughan (Kirkstall H) 60.05; 17, Jason Hemsley (Pudsey & Bramley) 60.36; 18, Nick Pearce (Ilkley H) V4560.56; 19, Stefan Macina (Pudsey& Bramley) 61.37; 20, Steven Moss (Spenborough D&AC) V50 61.50; 21, Ken Robinson (Bingley H) V45 61.56; 22, Gary Phillips (Pudsey Pacers) V40 62.10; 23, Paul Kelly(Darlington H) V40 62.19; 24, Paul Freeman (Leeds & Bradford Tri) 62.22; 25, Duncan Asquith (Skyrac AC) V40 62.28; 26, Jonathon Hendry (Leeds & Bradford Tri) 62.57; 27, Gerard Gill (Keighley & Craven AC) 63.14; 28, Dennis Hoey (Spenborough D&AC) V45 63.29; 29, Dominic O'Hooley (Dragons) 63.32; 30, Stephen Balmforth (Queensbury) V45 63.39;

31, James Senior (Bingley H) 64.02; 32, Scott Haslam (U\A) 64.15; 33, Chris Mobbs (U\A) 64.17; 34, Alison Raw (Darlington H) LV35 64.20; 35, Donald Kennedy (Huddersfield RR) 64.28; 36, Peter May (Queensbury) V40 64.40; 37, Neil Haggis (Kippax H) 64.41; 38, Robert Samuels Pudsey Pacers) V40 65.16; 39, Michael Scott (U\A) 65.18; 40, Mike Baldwin (Ilkley H) V40 66.02; 41, Mick Brearley (St Bedes AC) 66.04; 42, Graham Breeze(Skyrac) V55 66.11; 43, Kath Drake (Spenborough) LV40 66.15; 44, Jonathan Smith (Airecentre Pacers) 66.31; 45, Lionel Theobald (Kippax H) V40 66.40; 46, David Britton (Horsforth Fellandale) V45 66.50; 47, Andrew Barrett (Pudsey Pacers) 67.02; 48, Neil McDermott (U\A) 67.25; 49, Derek Emsley (Skyrac) V40 67.26; 50, John Forsyth (Skyrac) V40 67.27.

51, Malcolm Coles (Skyrac) V60 67.28; 52, Alan Judd (Fellandale) V50 67.31; 53, Oliver Downing (Bingley H) V55 67.67; 54, Julie Holdsworth (Baildon R) LV35 67.41; 55, Sarah Burgin (U\A) 67.42; 56, David Smart (Leeds & Bradford Tri) V50 67.45; 57, Paul Heigold (Airecentre Pacers) 68.00; 58, Mick Shakespeare (U\A) 68.12;59, Elizabeth Tomes (Keighley & Craven) LV40 68.14; 60, Lawrence Basham (U\A) 68.35; 61, Ian Marshall (Pudsey & Bramley) 68.52; 62, Kevin Moore (U\A) 69.05; 63, Graeme Tiffany (Pudsey Pacers) 69.14; 64, Steven Bradshaw (U\A) 69.16; 65, Simon Eastwood (St Bedes) 69.30; 66, Paul Sayers (U\A) 69.59; 67, Michael Long (St Bedes) V50 70.05; 68, Terry Myton (U\A) 70.12; 69, Phil Williams (Otley AC) V55 70.21; 70, Ernest Huck (Thirsk & Sowerby) V55 70.45; 71, Mark Bean (Valley Striders) 70.54; 72, Angela Haywood (Thirsk & Sowerby) LV40 71.09; 73, John Crawley (Baildon R) V45 71.10; 74, Gerry Orchard (York Acorn) V45 71.26; 75, Gary Edwards (U\A) V40 71.37; 76, Debbie Spurr (Keighley & Craven AC) 71.39; 77, Colin Crane (Keighley & Craven) V45 71.40; 78, Ian Bray (U\A) 71.57; 79, Philip Brown (Longwood H) V45 72.08; 80, Graham Seddon (U\A) 72.09; 81, Neil Smith (U\A) 72.13; 82, Ian Skirrow (U\A) V50 72.17; 83, Jose Carlos Diaz-Carlos (U\A) 72.36; 84, Ian Smith (U\A)V40 72.37; 85, Robert Acheson (U\A) 72.39; 86, Richard Thompson (U\A) V45 72.43; 87, Malcolm Lee (St Bedes) V50 72.50; 88, Victoria McParland (Abbey Runners) 72.55; 89, Graham Smith (U\A) V40 73.01; 90, David Buchanan (U\A) 73.02; 91, Tony Hodson (Huddersfield RR) 73.24; 92, Ian Johnson (Pickering) V40 73.27; 93, Sydney Lawton (Pudsey & Bramley) V55 73.36; 94, Neil Hunston (U\A) 73.41; 95, Ian Patchett (Abbey Runners) 73.49; 96, David Seed (Kippax Harriers) V45 73.58; 97, Kevin Ward (U\A) V40 74.00; 98, Sean Dalton (U\A) 74.01;99, Michael Mynett (U\A) V45 74.04; 100, Simon Davies (Harrogate H&AC) 74.07.

101, Tim Forster (Chapel Allerton RR) V55 74.08; 102, Mark Hetherington (Abbey Runners) 74.12; 103, Jonathan Harrison (Thirsk & Sowerby) 74.29; 104, Ian Wilson (Fellandale) V40 75.00; 105, Neil Bland (Keighley & Craven) V45 75.04; 106, Philip Jones (Baildon R) V40 75.06; 107, Richard Baldwin (U\A) V40 75.22; 108, Gavin Ross (U\A) 75.23; 109, Julie Hustwit (Horsforth H) LV35 75.24; 110, John Messenger (Kippax Harriers) V50 75.26; 111, Keith Wilson (Tadcaster H) V45 75.29; 112, Simon Large (U\A) V40 75.34; 113, Neal Shotter (Kirkstall H) V45 75.36; 114, Barbara Hoyland (Holmfirth H) LV45 75.43; 115, Paul Wilson (Holmfirth H) V50 75.43; 116, William Mathieson (U\A) 75.44; 117, Stephen Thornton (U\A) V40 76.01; 118, Tim Pocock(RRC) V40 76.09; 119, Tony Blythe (U\A) 76.19; 120, Christine Preston (Keighley & Craven) LV35 76.27; 121, Keith Pratchett (St Bedes AC) V55 76.31; 122, Michae Hildegard (Airecentre Pacers) 76.32; 123, Andrew Sumner (Otley AC) 76.40; 124, Serena Blackburn (Horsforth H) LV35 76.47; 125, John Buddle (Baildon R) 77.24; 126, Clive Mack (U\A) V45 77.33; 127, Martyn Gregson (Kirkstall H) 77.36; 128, Philip Trueman (Kirkstall H) V40 77.36; 129, Alison Wilson(Fellandale) 77.37; 130, Jonathan Warden (Huddersfield RR)77.38; 131,Andy Roberts (U\A) V40 77.40; 132, Andrew Charles (Horsforth H) V40 77.50; 133, Nick Breton (U\A) 77.51; 134, David Moxon (Keighley & Craven) 78.18; 135, Andy Grant (Cumberland FR) M45 78.23; 136, Kenneth Earl (U\A) V45 78.32; 137, Jim Neve (U\A) V45 78.33; 138, Edward Walters (U\A) V45 78.36; 139, James Clifford (U\A) 78.44; 140,Rob Pawson (Ilkley H) V45 78.52; 141, Peter Hay (Kirkstall H) V45 79.03; 142, Neil Carr (U\A) 79.10; 143, Ewan Knox (U\A) 79.12; 144, Mark Swindlehurst (U\A) 79.16; 145, Lynne Barrett (Pudsey Pacers) LV45 79.45; 146, David Noble (Baildon R) V50 79.51; 147, Richard Handford (U\A) V40 80.11; 148, Ian Brown (Kirkstall H) V55 80.16; 149, Caroline Foster (Airecentre Pacers) 80.26; 150, John Lodge (U\A) V40 80.36.

151, Debbie Bland (U\A) LV45 80.43; 152, Gordon Brindle (U\A) V40 80.44; 153, Irenie Bass (Harrogate H&AC) LV50 81.06; 154, Cory Lewis (U\A) 81.19; 155, Shane Wilson (U\A) 81.19; 156, Reeve Young (U\A) 81.22; 157, Claire Mohammed (Kirkstall H) 81.57; 158, Rebecca Long (Dragons) 82.11; 159, Mark McNeice (U\A) V40 82.17; 160, Helen Walsh (U\A) 82.33; 161, Carl Walsh (U\A) 82.34; 162, Michael Dowling (U\A) V50 83.00; 163,Sheila King (U/A) V35 83.25; 164, Heather Hamblin (Keighley & Craven) L 83.42; 165, Stephen Blades (U\A) V50 84.27; 166, Julie Brunton (U\A) 84.37; 167, Moira Lenaghan (Kippax Harriers) LV50 84.45; 168, Lesley Barratt (U\A) LV50 85.05; 169, Sara Dyer (Valley Striders) LV40 85.34; 170, Alan Christie (U\A) V60 86.25; 171, Philip Bland (U\A) V45 86.29; 172, Chris Munsch (U\A) V45 86.41; 173, Kristian King (U\A) 86.55; 174, David Marshall (U\A) 87.03; 175, Dave Wheelwright (U\A) V50 87.23; 176, Julie Barley (Kippax) LV35 87.32; 177, Roy Barley (Kippax) V55 87.33; 178, Richard Ball (U\A) 87.41; 179, David Lloyd (U\A) 87.43; 180, Graham Carr (U\A) 88.12; 181, John Sutcliffe (Valley Striders) V50 88.54; 182, Michelle Hauers (U\A) 89.15; 183, Jeremy Northern (U\A) 89.48; 184, Roger Dawson (Skyrac) V50 89.49; 185, Penny Burrows (U\A) 89.54; 186, Helen Raffo (Abbey Runners) 89.54; 187, Gerald Biggs (Bingley H) V40 90.40; 188, John Mitchell (U\A) V45 91.00; 189, Chris Daffern (Valley Striders) V40 91.31; 190, Anne Troth (Keighley & Craven) LV40 91.54; 191, Jenny White (U\A) 92.11; 192, Ben Senior (U\A) 92.11; 193, Kevin Wallace (U\A) 92.41; 194, Dan Baldasera (U\A) V65 92.44; 195, Sarah Bullock (Keighley & Craven) 93.06; 196, Dawn Clark (Dragons) 93.06; 197, Debbie Flesher (Dragons) 93.08; 198, Michael Davies (U\A) V55 95.29; 199, Amanda Parry (St Bedes AC) 95.38; 200, Susan Hoernig (U\A) LV35 98.09.

201, Dorothy Carr (U\A) LV50 99.15; 202, Sue Morrell (Kippax Harriers) LV40 99.23; 203, Sheila Radford (Clowne RR) LV50 100.24;204, Roger Radford (Clowne RR) V50 100.26; 205, Robert Adamson (Bingley H) V45 101.10; 206, Anne Jebb (Bingley H) LV50 101.11; 207, Barry Robson (U\A) V50 101.14; 208, Jackie Rowntree (U\A) LV35 101.15; 209, Victoria Oxley (U\A) L 102.52; 210, Helen Clark (U\A) L 102.53; 211, Sarah Northern (U\A) L 103.44; 212, Trish Pearson (Kirkstall H) L 105.50; 213, Clyde Naden (Kirkstall H) V65 108.06; 214, Marlene Asquith (Kirkstall H) LV50 114.00.

Otley AC's May Eric Smith Handicap event was incorporated in the Thirsk/Harrogate and District Five Mile Road Race. May's handicap was won by David Cattenach in a time of 39.09. Carol Armitstead was second in 39.46 followed closely by Antonio Cardinale with a time of 39.49. Antonio's performance has brought him into first position for the series of races so far. He has accumulated 41 points. In second and third places are Kath Robertshaw and Graham Stead, both having gained 39 points. The Farnley Lane 10k route will be used for the June Handicap race.

Advanced notice is given for a social and training evening to be held at the Sun Inn, Norwood, on Thursday, May 31. The group runs will commence at 7.30pm. Ttraining evenings are normally Tuesdays and Thursdays from Otley Rugby Club, Cross Green. Training groups leave at 7.15pm. Why not come down and give the club a try. They are looking for new members and will endeavour to provide encouragement and support in a friendly atmosphere.

Tri Club

BECAUSE of Foot and Mouth regulations many events of the new season have been cancelled or postponed but those that have taken place have produced good performances from Leeds and Bradford Triathlon Club members.

Patrick Berkhold ran the London Marathon in 3hr 16min.

Jack Maitland won the Cambridge Duathlon posting the fastest bike split with 56min 40sec, and a total time of 1hr 40min 48sec. The following week, at Swansea, Jack raced in the National Duathlon Championships, finishing sixth; Martin Roscoe was 11th. The club took the men's team prize at the White Rose Duathlon at York. Individual times were: Craig Maude, third in 1hr 41min 27sec; Tim Ashelford, fifth in 1hr 41min 52sec; Paul Freeman, sixth in 1hr 42min 39sec.

The following athletes also excelled themselves - Jonathan Hendry, 13th; Mark Roberts, 17th; David Swift, 18th, and David Smart, 40th, who also took the first place in the Men's Over-50 category. Estelle Brown was fifth lady finisher. These are terrific results from a field of 113 finishers.

Looking back to winter the club had terrific results also in the Leeds Swimathon. Many members swam the whole 5,000 metres, some did 2,500, and some of these individuals also swam in one of the five teams. They entered one ladies' team and four men's. The men's Elite Racing Squad of five finished the fastest team of the event in 1hr 9min 29sec. To show how widely the club spreads its talent Leeds and Bradford Triathlon Club members won the overall points score in the West Yorkshire Winter League at cross-country running.

There are several training sessions each week at different venues covering all three disciplines. Details of these and social events are available from Dave Robinson on 0113 2507158, or visit the website on http://www.leeds-bradford-tri-org.uk

Horsforth's Helen wins home City marathon

After winning the ladies race at the first of the John Carr Series of 5K races at Esholt Horsforth Harrier Helen Sly modestly remarked "I think of myself as a marathon runner really."

Just how true that statement was, was amply illustrated on Sunday when Helen won the Leeds Marathon in 3 hours 01 minutes 40 seconds. While the time did not quite match her personal best of 2 hours 58 minutes set last year at the

Manchester Marathon, where she was placed fifth, she judged the Leeds race perfectly to finish four minutes ahead of the second placed lady, Trina Carney of Dewsbury.

Helen is the second Horsforth Harrier to claim victory in the Leeds Marathon in recent years, following in the footsteps of Steve Thirkell, who has previously won the men's race in Horsforth colours. Thirkell, now running for Bingley, placed a creditable fifth overall in Sunday's marathon.

Helen was first Horsforth Harrier home, ahead of men's captain Marcellus Springer (3 hours 7 minutes) and Andrew Teanby, who set a big new personal best of 3 hours 8 minutes.

Steve Wood (3 hours 40 minutes) and M65 Phil Hill (4 hours 51 minutes) and Margaret Wilson (3 hours 52 minutes) also completed the full 26.2 miles.

In the half marathon there was the usual strong Horsforth turnout. Tony Hazell had an eventful race, running himself to a state of near collapse to finish near the head of the race, while two other Horsforth ladies, Jean Davey and Julia Day claimed new personal bests on the tough course in warm conditions in 1 hour 42 minutes and 1 hour 35 minutes respectively, both continuing in a current rich vein of form.