Wow, last weekend was an incredible one for Hambleton Athletics and Running Club members! From trail runs in the Lake District, to races around a country house beside the River Ure and a tough half marathon in Leeds. It certainly has been busy, with some amazing efforts and achievements.
It all kicked off on Saturday with HARC members travelling to Keswick to tackle the Lakeland Trails Derwentwater events. The trail challenges took in the panoramic views of Derwentwater, the peaks of Skiddaw and Blencathra, and the northern fells. The family-friendly festival atmosphere was amazing with live music and race commentary.
Four of the group embarked on the 10k run – Dave Oldacres, Chris Lees and Gemma Wardle spent the morning chasing Polly Oldacres around the tough but beautiful course. Polly delivered an incredible time of 01:14:00 as she completed her second ever 10k run. She said, “Having never run in an organised trail race before I can’t hesitate to now say… sign up for one! You get to enjoy the amazing scenery and some great camaraderie. The whole event was buzzing, friendly and fun.”
Kay Kelly absolutely smashed the 15k challenge, crossing the finishing line in a time of 01:44:43 and surpassing her own goal to beat last year’s time. This placed her 6th in her age category and 145th overall, and she impressed onlookers with a celebratory gymnastic display near the finish line!
Next was the Newby Haul 5k & 10k event on Sunday, with seven HARC members taking part. This was a brand-new race organised by WMD Events. Both routes were flat yet challenging, taking in the sights of the Newby Hall Estate. The atmosphere was upbeat with fantastic goodies for all runners.
Bridget Maidwell ran the 5k and bagged herself another personal best of 33:56. Tony Jowett, who also ran the 5k, said, “Great atmosphere and very well organised. All the marshals were great. I felt very comfortable which was important as it was my first organised run.”
Sara Sherwood, Nick Wilson, Phill Heward, Sheila White and Anna Bonner all faced the 10k course which they completed with big smiles, perhaps due to the sausage butties and beers awaiting them at the finish line.
And finally, there was the Leeds Half Marathon – the biggest and loudest event of its kind in Yorkshire! Three HARC members took on this challenge which followed a loop around some of the most iconic landmarks in Leeds. The brilliant atmosphere, friendly volunteers and a phenomenal course made this race a truly wonderful experience.
Craig Keedy volunteered as an official pacer for the half marathon and crossed the line in 01:32:33. Ruth Hancock and David Fox completed the race in 02:42:29 and 02:48:59 respectively. Excellent times all round thanks to incredible efforts by all three, especially with the hot weather on the day. The runners were each rewarded with a medal, a t-shirt and a finisher’s goody bag. Ruth said, “For a first half marathon, I certainly picked a challenging one with a fair few hills, and it turned out to be a hot day for running! There was plenty of support on the way round though, and somehow I managed to finish on both feet, with a smile on my face, which had actually been my race goal all along. ‘Chuffed’ doesn’t even come close to describing how I felt to cross that line!”
Huge congratulations to everyone that laced up their running shoes and challenged themselves. Well done – the HARC family is extremely proud of you all!
