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Race Report

This year’s BOFRA pilgrimage north to the Famous Alva Games in Clackmannanshire, Scotland, was greeted with glorious sunshine and a landscape that had definitely been starved of rain. The lack of rain over previous days had an interesting effect on the course as one runner described it “as though someone had gone along the hillside and emptied bags of potting peat all over it.” In addition the gorse had taken over making the prickly section decidedly treacherous this year.

So, all the ingredients were in place for a spectacular lung-inverting, thigh destroying, 1,300 foot near vertical ascent and descent to the finish. All that was needed was the 84 senior and 48 junior runners to toe the start line. As in previous year’s there was an international flavour as the race brought runners from as far afield as the USA, as well as the whole of Britain. From the off this was to be a battle royal in both the men’s and ladies senior races. In the men’s race, Wharfedale’s Ted Mason, Calder Valley’s Ben Mounsey and Helm Hill’s Ben Proctor all locked horns from the start. Mounsey was first to the summit flag but this is a race where experience and course knowledge pay dividends. Mason used all of his prior knowledge to find the better line down the fell and overtook Mounsey to romp home as the winner in 20.13 mins, ahead of Mounsey (20.38) and Proctor (21.56).

The ladies race was no less spectacular as Wharefedale’s Kirsty Hall and Ochil Hill Runners’ Catriona Buchanan jostled all the way for first place with Buchanan looking like the winner until the very end where a sprint finish and a nose gave Hall the edge as she dipped over the finish line in first place (24.23) fractions of a second from Buchanan (24.23) and Helm Hill’s Kathleen Aubrey (30.01).

The U17 boys’ race was decisively won by Keighely and Craven’s Joe Hudson (11.11) from club mate Tom Barrett (11.43) and Settle Harriers’ Thomas Marshall (11.45). The girls race was won by Clayton-le-Moors’ Briony Holt (13.08) ahead of Bingley Harriers’ Emily Field (13.44) and Wharfedale’s Emily Jones (19.58).

1st U14 boy was Rossendale Harriers’ Joel Taylor (9.33) from Wharfedale’s Sam Smith (9.59) and Keighley’s Harvey Lewis (10.01). 1st girl was Wharfedale’s Alice Jones (11.49) ahead of Cumberland Fell Runners’ Emily Swarbrick (13.19).

The U12 race was won by Calder valley’s William Hall (10.04) from Blackburn Harriers’ Dexta Thompson (11.06) and Calder Valley’s James Duffy (11.29). Girls’ winner was Rossendale’s Evie Taylor (12.51) ahead of Teesdale’s Adele Dry (13.37) and Cumberland’s Faith Bowness (13.44).