Harriers of the Month and Chair’s Blog – September 2024

What a month! HPH has been so busy, it’s been tricky to keep up with it all – check out the Highlights section below for evidence!

First and foremost, congratulations to our Harriers of the Month for September 2024:

  • George Anderson (multiple nominations):
    • George has always been a very talented runner, but seems to age like a fine wine and only seems to get better. This nomination is for his new shiny PB at the Great North run, 1.15.26. A fantastic time on what is not the easiest of courses and in what didn’t look like the most favourable of conditions. Well done George!
    • Never a man to draw attention to himself, our George wears his frankly ludicrous running ability lightly. He ran a ridiculously quick new time at the Great North Run and deserves all the plaudits!
  • Laura Garratt, Jonathan Carpenter and Cara Gates (multiple nominations):
    • For organising two teams for Leeds Country Way!
    • Huge thank you to the trio who organised and co-ordinated the Leeds Country Way Relay teams – a lot of hard work was put into making the day run smoothly and the club is very grateful!

Well done to all our nominees, copied below:

  • Adam Lomas – Winning Rombalds – brilliant effort!!
  • Ally Fellows – Congratulations to Ally for smashing the Helvellyn Triathlon – a really epic event, including summiting the mountain via one of its trickiest ascents… Brilliant work sir!
  • Amy Ramsden-Young (multiple nominations):
    • Amy stormed the Ilkley Incline to finish first woman – a fantastic performance!
    • A blazing first finish at Ilkley incline, a year after being too pregnant to take part, she’s come back STRONG!
    • Fastest mixed pair on leg 3 LCW – fab run guys
  • Anne Akers – Anne has taken the lead in organising not one but two club socials – the ever-popular tour of Light Night and a pantomime! We really appreciate everything Anne does for the club – it’s about so much more than just running!
  • Charlotte Eva – Charlotte managed to run PB times at Woodhouse Moor parkrun in consecutive weeks this month – fantastic to see progression like that!
  • Daisy Wales (multiple nominations):
    • An amazing run at Ilkley incline! Second place in a very tough race
    • Daisy is running so well at the moment – at Ilkley Incline, she finished as second woman with a brilliant run!
  • Dan Donnelly (multiple nominations):
    • Dan’s recovery from a nasty injury, which necessitated shoulder surgery, has been incredible – fantastic to see him running a low 21 minute 5K this month!
    • For fighting back from a bad bike crash and a couple of shoulder operations to run 21:25 (72.85% age grade) at the recent York 5km. 
  • Dan Stevenson – Dan’s running ridiculously well at the moment and ran a brilliant new PB at Woodhouse Moor this month!
  • Debbie Brown – Debbie’s run some great parkrun times – well done, great running
  • Ed Shakespeare – Ed ran brilliantly at the Ilkley Incline after a really frustrating few months with injuries – it’s great to see him back out running strong again!
  • Gordon Crawford – Gordon’s runs recently have been incredibly inspiring – he’s had a tough year or so with bad luck with injuries and yet has come back so strongly!
  • John Pratt – JP did brilliantly at the Ilkley Tri, winning his age category!
  • Jonathan Spain (multiple nominations):
    • Congratulations to Jonny on a fantastic run and a new PB at the Worcester Half Marathon, a cracking sub80!
    • Breaking 80mins for the half marathon at Worcester half
    • Fastest mixed pair on leg 3 LCW – fab run guys
  • Joseph Elmes (multiple nominations):
    • Running a PB at Northampton half
    • Congratulations to Joseph on a brilliant PB at the Northampton Half Marathon!
  • Olly Hulson, Nigel Wallis and Nick Baines: Congratulations to all of three of these fine gentlemen for PBs at the Vale of York Half!
  • Peter Norén: Pete took an incredible 10 seconds off his already frightening mile time, running 4:42 at the Vitality Mile in London. Seriously impressive stuff!
  • Richard Knighton: Congrats to Rich on a superfast VoY Half – a new PB! He’s going to smash his marathon later this year
  • The Vale of York volunteer squad (multiple nominations):
    • Thank you to everyone who helped out with marshalling at the VoY races – it’s always hugely appreciated by EvenSplits, HPH and the running community!
    • Well done to all the Vale of York volunteers for standing out in the rain and volunteering

THANK YOU!

A huge thank you to all our leaders this month – Adam L, Ande S, Beatrice W, Ben H, Cat M, Charlotte E, Clare E, Daisy W, Ed S, Ellie W, George A, Grace R, Honor B, Jane P, Jon C, Jonathan S, Joseph E, Kevin L, Lisa B, Lorraine B, Lucy B, Lucy R, Matt B, Michael G, Mike G, Richard K, Samantha T, Sharron N, Steve P and Victoria S!

Thanks also to those who led the North Running Club runs from Springwell!

If you’d like to give leading a go, speak to any of our existing leaders or committee members and we’ll give you all the support and help you need.

HIGHLIGHTS OF SEPTEMBER 2024

  • Always a highlight of the year, the Leeds Country Way Relay saw two teams of Harriers go into orbit around Leeds. A huge thank you to Jonathan C, Laura G and Cara for all their hard work in organising the teams and co-ordinating the day itself, it is very much appreciated!
  • Ally had a nice trip to the Lakes, which he proceeded to make all kinds of gnarly by taking on the Helvellyn Triathlon – a 1,500m swim in Ullswater, a 59km cycle in the Thirlmere and Ullswater valleys and then a 15km run up to the top of the mountain (via Swirrel Edge…) and back… Incredible stuff!
  • We were out in force at the Ilkley Incline – one mile of brutal uphill racing! Congratulations to Amy and Daisy, who finished first and second women respectively! Well done everyone, that hill is unforgiving!
  • Two brave Harriers took on the Ben Nevis fell race – summer hadn’t quite finished with northern Scotland, so Rich G and Adam L had to cope with some searing heat! Well done chaps!
  • HPH was well-represented at the Great North Run – well done to everyone who took part in one of the UK’s most popular road races!
  • Massive thanks to all the Harriers who helped out with the Vale of York races – it’s really appreciated by everyone involved and really helps to support and publicise the club. Kudos to everyone who ran the half marathon or 10K – wet conditions, but some fantastic runs and PBs!
  • We attended the England Athletics Volunteering Awards, having been shortlisted for Club of the Year and with Amy having shortlisted for Club Leader of the Year. A fun evening was had celebrating the brilliant contributions and achievements of clubs and individuals across Yorkshire and Humberside, and we finished runners-up in both categories.
  • Dan D ran a fast 5K at the York 5K series – his fastest time in 18 months, really excellent to see!
  • Several Harriers took on the Buttermere Skyline race – nearly 30km of gruelling climbs and descents in the Lake District. The weather was typically Cumbrian, but it looks like everyone had a fun time regardless – well done folks!
  • An HPH favourite, it was good to see a decent contingent of red-and-white at the Pudsey 10K this month. That’s one hilly course, so well done to you all for battling through it!
  • Lucy R took an a rather different 10K (or rather 20K) at Malton – running the route firstly as a normal race, and then all over again as the Malton Du Medoc, with food and wine stops! Sounds brilliant, definitely one to look out for next year!
  • Helen and Alan took on the foreboding Darkwood Demon Trail – six miles of off-road racing near Slaithwaite. The conditions looked suitably demonic, but Helen finished second in her age category – cracking stuff!
  • Jonny S and Joseph E both took on southern half marathons (Worcester and Northampton, respectively) and both stormed their way to new PBs – congratulations guys!
  • Nick L ran his first race in club colours and picked a real challenge – the Turpin Challenge, running as many laps as possible of the York Knavesmire course. Nick managed nine laps, more than 34 miles, an incredible achievement!
  • Great to see a decent HPH turnout at the Rombald’s Romp on Ilkley Moor – Lou and Colin remembered their hats, at least! Adam stormed to overall victory, brilliant stuff!
  • HPH’s German correspondent Peter Norén returned to the UK to run the Vitality Mile in London – he did OKish… (see HotM nominations above!).
  • There’s Norway I’d forget to mention the Harriers who headed to Oslo this month – well done to Lee (who ran a new PB by one second in the 10K) and Ruth (who took on the marathon)!
  • The Kirkstall Abbey 7 is always a great event in the Leeds racing calendar and we had a big contingent take part this year! Well done Tom M, who finished second overall, and Mike V, who won the coveted “fastest runner from LS5” as defending champion…
  • The Tri club were out in force at Ilkley, with JP finishing third overall and first in his age category and Naomi finishing fourth overall and second in her age category. Great to see – well done folks!
  • The nights are drawing in, but HPH move faster than light! Some great performances at the late September evening races – congratulations to Jonah K and Sam T on their new PBs at the Brownlee 5K, and to Dan and Sharron for age category victories and Josh D for overall victory at Piglove!
  • Ten Harriers went bounding down the Meanwood Valley Trail at the end of the month – always a lovely course, but also hard work! Well done everyone!
  • We had some ultra-awesome achievements this month – congratulations to Alice H, who completed the 5 Valleys Ultra in the Lakes, to James T, who completed the Ultra Trail Whistler 50K and to Chloe B, who had a great stab at the mindboggling Spartathlon!

As ever, sincere apologies to anyone I’ve missed in the above summary – congratulations to everyone on another great month of running! October will see us head to Lisbon and there are also several social events towards the end of the month – check them out here!