REPORT BY: WILL WORBOYS

This week has been very much about the next generation of fell runner for the Ilkley Harriers.

With up-and-coming star Sam Bentham taking centre-stage, perhaps inspired by clubmate and English fell champion Ben Rothery’s heroics last week. Bentham showed his class by winning one senior race this weekend and finishing second in another, at the age of just 17.

The win for the young Harrier came on Sunday at Farleton Knott, a BOFRA Championship race in South Cumbria.

The short, sharp but tough 2.6-mile race which took place in the hills north west of Kirkby Lonsdale, saw Bentham superbly attack the 750 feet of uphill to finish 10 seconds ahead of the athlete in second place in a time of 19.03. There were 96 finishers in total.

Earlier in the week had been the Eshton Moor race in which Bentham had finished in a strong second place behind Andrew Cairns of Wharfedale Harriers. The Thursday evening race five-mile cross country event, which took place near Gargrave, also attracted two other slightly more experienced Ilkley runners.

Prolific on the fells, Gawain Moor put in an excellent shift to finish seventh. While Dave Robson wasn’t much further back in 20th of the 66 finishers and bagging 3rd MV50.

Meanwhile closer to home another Ilkley Harrier Nick Kealey put in a great effort to come home in third place on Sunday’s Round Hill fell race. The 8.5-mile run is a figure of eight route across Blubberhouses Moor, starting and finishing close to the village of Timble.

Several other Harriers put in good performances; Jonny McKenny was in fifth place, Dan McKeown was 11th overall and 2nd MV45, Rachel Carter was 2nd LV45, Jane McCarthy was 1st LV50 and Geoffrey White finished 3rd MV40.

On Saturday four Harriers made the trip to the Lakes to take on the 50th anniversary event of the challenging Borrowdale fell race. This year 218 competitors tackled the brutal 27-kilometre route, which took in peaks including Scafell Pike and Great Gable.

The first Harrier home was Paul Carman finishing in a time of 4:23 hrs. Next was Martin Hartley in 4:29 hrs. Katie Poulter had a very good run to finish as seventh W40 in 5 hrs and Alison Weston was just behind her in 5:02 hrs for an impressive fourth W50.

On the road Ilkley was represented by Joanne Williamson at the York 10K. Nearly 5,000 runners took part in the race which is part of the Jane Tomlinson series. Williamson put in an excellent run to finish as 94th female in a time of 48:17 which was also personal best.

Finally at the nation’s 5K parkruns on Saturday, the most success was had by Harriers at Myrtle Park Bingley with Nick Kealey warming up for Round Hill by being first finisher. Harry Sime also came fifth at the same event. Elsewhere Geoffrey Howard made a successful return to Skipton after some time off from parkrun and managed well over 80% for his age score. Mark Hall was third at Heslington and Steve Coy finished fourth at Clitheroe Castle.