Victory for Fisher on home territory clinches West Yorkshire League title

Club members started marking the course at Lawson's Farm off East Busk Lane at 9.30am for the mid-day start of the races.

They then marshalled all eight races and at the end of the day left the fields as found. The course was a mixture of firm, flat surfaces, stretches of mud, uneven terrain, gentle climbs and uneven downhill stretches.

The day was sufficiently cool and dry to provide a challenging course which was not too muddy. If the event had been held a week earlier the times would have been considerably slower and the mud deeper and more extensive.

A club official said: "Thanks go out to all the club members who ensured everything went smoothly on the day, and to David Lawson for the use of his land."

Fisher was pushed a lot harder in this race by second placed John Taylor (Bingley Harriers) than he was in the Yorkshire Championship the previous week but Fisher now has the winning habit and the 30 year-old forced his way clear in the second part of the course.

Fisher finished in 30.03 with Taylor doing 30.08.

Other leading placings were: 3, Andy Beevers (Leeds City) 31.28; 4, J Stephens (Longwood) 31.36; 5, S Mulhall (Spenborough) also first junior 31.39; 6, G Hall (Holmfirth) 32.03; 7, M Burrett (Leeds City) 32.12; 8, C Loftus (Keighley and Craven) 32.15; 9, A Swearman (City of Hull) 32.29; 10, C Saint (Leeds City) 32.32.

Team placings: 1, Keighley and Craven 104; 2, Leeds City 107; 3, City of Hull 180.

Fisher also carried off the overall league title with Dave Watson (Holmfirth), who had to drop out at Otley, second and J Stephens (Longwood) third.

Overall team winners were Keighley and Craven.

Otley brewer Paul Briscoe won the veterans title in convincing style after completing a clean sweep of wins in the four race series.

Paul, who has returned to form this season after a long spell dogged by injury, has also been prominent in other recent races, including being first veteran and 6th overall in the Chevin Chase and an excellent 24th overall in the mud at last week's Yorkshire Cross-Country Championships in Leeds.

As there was no Veterans category at the Yorkshire's, Paul now intends to contest the separate Yorkshire Vets race at Hull in March as part of his build up to his favourite race, the gruelling 24 mile Three Peaks classic, where he has previously placed as high as third.

The winner of the Ladies' race was Natalie White, of Holmfirth, who impressively stamped her authority on the race completing the course in 20.47. She also picked up the junior series title with the women's trophy going to Ruth Whitehead (Bingley).

Second in the Otley race was Andrea Dennison (Bradford Airedale) in 21.05 with Ilkley-based Jo Prowse (Keighley and Craven) third overall and first veteran on the day in 21.19.

After a tough four event series, Joe confirmed her return to running form with a strong run at Otley. Her third place gave her second veteran position overall in the league, and augurs well for the forthcoming FRA British and English Fell Championship series which kicks off with the Tour of Pendle Hill Race on March 24.

Saturday's winning women's team was Bingley Harriers with Holmfirth second and Keighley and Craven third. In the overall league Bingley carried off the title.

The Otley AC Ladies' team of Caroline Marler 29th, Caroline Wood 44th, Emma Payne 45th and Kath Robertshaw 52nd, finished in ninth position. This result gave them a sixth overall position in the four races series. A number of clubs failed to finish a team in all four races.

In the senior men's race Otley's Andrew Robertshaw was 15th followed by clubmates Neil Cayton 27th, Duncan Burgess 35th, Julian Mawson 55th and Ray Hawksby 71st.

The remaining Otley runners were Colin Best 109th, Steve Mann 113th and David Cattenach 128th.

Otley AC were sixth team on the day.

The points score of 204 for Otley AC was only two points behind Holmfirth Harriers and five points behind Spenborough. The overall team position for the season is unknown at the present time but it is anticipated that it will be higher than last year.

Ilkley Harrier Tim Ashelford was their first member home in 26th place in 33.30. Nick Pearce was 69th in 35.30, and Mike Baldwin 90th in 38.43. Ewan Welsh had a great run to finish 96th in 39.40 and Dick Hebbert was 104th in 40.30 These were all great runs in a very competitive league.

The Ilkley ladies team finished seventh on the day, with Sally Malir 15th in 22.39, Di Kitchen 24th in 23.14, Jo Foster 35th in 24.37, Janet Hebbert 41st in 25.08, and Bridget Doherty 43rd in 25.19. Consistently good performances by the Ilkley ladies - especially Sally, Di, and Janet, throughout the season helped Ilkley to sixth team place in the league, equal on points with fifth-placed Harrogate.

Horsforth's Elizabeth Spencer (Holmfirth) carried off the overall Under-17 women's title after finishing second to Scunthorpe's D Daly in Saturday's race. Daly finished in 17.30, Spencer in 17.30 with A Hoban (Wakefield) third. The overall team title went to Bingley Harriers.

The Under-17 men's race was won by S Pickering (Bridlington) in 17.33 with L Lawson (Scunthorpe) second in 17.40 and S Enright (Halifax) third in 17.47. The overall title went to Enright with the team title going to Holmfirth.

The Under-15 boys race at Otley was won by D MacQuarrie (Nestle Rowntree) in 15.01 with Bradford Grammar School winning the team race. In the overall series the individual title went to MacQuarrie with Bradford GS scooping the team prize.

In the Under-13 boys race on Sunday R Pickering (Bridlington) was the winner with A Brownlee (Bradford GS) second. The team prize went to Skipton. In the overall series the title went to Pickering with Skipton picking up the team prize.

The Under-15 girls race on Sunday was won by N Maddock (Hull Springhead) and the team prize went to Hull Springhead. In the overall series the individual title went to Maddick and the team prize to Hull Springhead.

Her clubmate S Bloor won the Under-13 girls' race on Sunday and Hull Springhead again took the team title. Skyrac's Gabby Rowell was third in this race. Overall Bloor took the individual title and Holmfirth the team title.

Otley AC

Members are reminded of the forthcoming annual prize presentation dinner in early February. Please contact Emma Payne or Neil O'Brien if you wish to attend and they will be very willing to take your money off you. The menu was in the December Newsletter.

On Saturday the first club handicap race of the Eric Smith Series will be run from The Square and Compass, North Rigton. Meet there at 10.45. The run is approximately 10k long and, if previous years running of the event is anything to go by, the final climb back into North Rigton will see a tight finish.

Otley AC train out of Otley Rugby Club, Cross Green, on a Tuesday and Thursday evening at 7.15pm. A number of new members have joined us recently. If you are wanting to train with a group why not come down on either of the evenings.

Skyrac indoors

The first major indoor track and field meeting of the 2001 season, the North of England Indoor Championships for shot putt, long jump, triple jump and pole vault was held on Saturday at Thornes' Park, Wakefield. Four local athletes took part and although none of them won any medals there was much individual success.

Andrew Staniland of Skyrac A.C. was the highest placed of the quartet with

5th in the Under-15 boys' shot (4Kg.), setting a new personal best with 9.92m. His sister, Bethany Staniland (Hull Springhead Harriers), despite being a first year Under-15 girl, had a fine day with 7th in the shot (3.25Kg), also achieving a personal best performance with 8.25m.

She then went on to jump 4m exactly in the long jump for 11th place. In this same age group Skyrac's Amy Howard came 9th in the long jump (4.29m) and 9th in the shot (7.98m).

This latter event was won by Skipton A.C.'s Emma Shaw, who set a new championship best with11.08m. Finally, Alex Merrill, of Skyrac A. C. was pleased with 8.98m in the Under 17 Women's Shot Putt (4Kg) for 6th place, although again competing one year under age.

Skyrac AC Fellrunners

"We are all better than we know" wrote Kurt Hahn, founder of the Outward Bound movement. "If only we can be brought to realise this we may never again be prepared to settle for anything less."

Those who compete on the high fells can readily identify with this philosophy of character development because

whereas most running events come down to a race against the watch, fellraces provide the runner with the additional challenge of terrain and weather that is unique to the sport.

Therefore fellrunning has no season and whether in January or July fellrunners can find a race somewhere every weekend. However even fellrunners enjoy light relief and this was provided last Sunday at the final West Yorkshire Cross-Country League race held in Otley where Skyrac runners enjoying their stroll in the park included Alan Bye, John Forsyth and Malcolm Coles.

Other clubmates were out training for the next club event which is the 45 mile Rossendale Relay to be held on February 11 after which the 2001 season comes alive with the first of the 2001 Skyrac Fell Championship races.

Tradition demands that this is the Ilkley Moor race organised by Ilkley Harriers.

The next event of the year long ten race series is the five mile Midgley Moor race from Booth, Halifax and after that things become serious with two lakeland races. The FRA has selected the nine mile Coniston and the 20 mile Duddon Valley race ( 6000 ft of ascent) in the 2001 English Championship series and so Skyrac have included these races in their championship so Skyrac runners can pitch themselves against the best.

Early summer will see Skyrac competing in two local Wharfedale races in Buckden and Kettlewell and Graham Breeze, who is co-ordinating the Championship this year, has then proposed three particularly challenging events within a six week period.

First the 17 mile Borrowdale race with its 6500 ft of ascent which takes runners over Great Gable (2949 ft) and the 3208 ft of Scafell Pike.

The Grisedale Horseshoe from Patterdale is only ten miles and so only merits 'medium' length status but its 5000 ft of ascent takes runners over five peaks in the Helvellyn range including Hellvelyn itself at 3116 ft.

Then the championship moves to Little Langdale for the 12 mile 4000 ft Three Shires Race event which is one of the glories of English fellrunning.

October is given over to the Ian Hodgson and FRA relays and the final race of the series returns to local territory with the ten mile Rivock Edge race from Silsden.

The Skyrac Championship is unusual because Howard Sawyer developed the competition to recognise improved performance rather than pure speed and therefore over the last 13 years seven different runner have won the shield as evidence of their improvement in all-round fellrunning ability.

Character development through events ranging from the four miles of Ilkley Moor to a 20 mile race over the mountains of Cumbria will ensure that whoever wins the Championship Shield next November will be able to take pride in a real victory; but one achieved within a sociable and friendly athletics club. Telephone Skyrac on 113-229-0924 for a warm welcome.

Ilkley Harriers

It's a great time to come and join Ilkley Harriers. They meet at Ben Rhydding Sports Club on Tuesdays at 7pm. Go along for a run, or chat to Ken Souyave on 01943 609597, or visit their web site ww.ilkleyharriers.co.uk for more information.