Lakeland Trails Coniston Marathon Event Weekend

By Sara SherwoodNo Comments
HARC Runners at Lakeland Trails Coniston Marathon Event Weekend Lakeland Trails hosted their annual ‘Marathon Event’ in Coniston on Sunday 6th June. Three runners from Hambleton Athletics and Running Club took part. The marathon and half marathon courses wound their way through the foothills below Coniston Old Man, before taking in a lap of the extraordinarily beautiful Tarn Hows. The half-marathoners then headed back down to the village while the marathon runners ran all the way around Lake Coniston. Alasdair McWilliam took on the full marathon – 26.2 miles of challenging hills and terrain – a fantastic achievement, especially in the scorching heat. Gemma Birtles faced her first ever half marathon with support from Head Coach, Chris Lees. They finished the course despite a comic book head injury and celebrated with a paddle in Lake Coniston after crossing the line. Alasdair and Gemma are both qualified run leaders and have recently assisted the rest of the coaching team in delivering a Couch to 5k...
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Swainby Sweep Trail Race

Swainby Sweep Trail Race

By Gemma WardleNo Comments
Members of our club attended the Swainby Sweep Trail Race on Sunday. After months of cancelled events, it was fantastic for athletes to experience the return to a race atmosphere. Eight runners, including some of our Stokesley based members, braved the snow and wind to tackle the challenging trail event, taking in views of the Yorkshire Moors and across to the Dales. Sunshine prevailed, despite the early snowfall that led to the rerouting of the 16 mile race. Runners who had entered that distance were instead asked to complete two laps of the seven mile course – two miles shorter, yes, but with the added psychological hurdle of passing the finish line to continue for a second lap! In the seven mile race, Head Coach Chris Lees came 6th in his category (25th overall) with a time of 58:23, and Kay Kelly crossed the finish line in 1:13:16 to take 7th in her group. Anna Bonner (1:31:57) and Sara Sherwood (1:31:58) completed...
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What a year for HARC!

What a year for HARC!

By Gemma WardleNo Comments
2020 brought the formation of our wonderful club, which has swelled to 70 members in its first six months. This has led to lots of fun and laughter with friends old and new. We have managed to keep on running throughout these strange times, in groups or with “buddies” around Bedale, and through our pioneering virtual running option, which has been a huge success. We are proud to have welcomed 24 new athletes to the world of running via two Couch to 5k programmes, with a further eight due to graduate in January. Plans to develop a hub in Stokesley have progressed as we begin interval sessions and a Couch to 5k programme there. Although many events have been cancelled, our determined club members have tackled several Lakeland Trails courses, a couple of Gin Runs, the Falls and Castle, and the Three Peaks Challenge, not to mention a first marathon achievement. We even squeezed in a few “away runs” – Cod Beck,...
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