Reeth Show Fell Race Results
Monday 29 August 2016
Race Report
A record 103 hardy senior fell runners gathered in the show field for this year’s Reeth Show Fell Race.Despite it being the August bank holiday, the sun streamed down upon the show creating a glorious day out in Swaledale.
Once the starter’s gun had sounded the runners streamed out of the ring and commenced their journey through fields, woodland and bracken to reach the fell side and thence ever upwards to the summit of Fremington Edge. As is tradition, the summit is marked by a large Union Jack flag. This year, however, it was a little disconcerting that the flag could not be seen from the show ground as it was slightly over the summit. Contenders now traverse the edge for a short distance before descending through bracken coated, gnarly ground to reach the short road section again. Spectators were entertained as a large cohort of runners got lost in this section and found many and varied routes down through the bracken and knee wrecking rocks. All now have to negotiate the tricky descent through the woods before a long, leg-stretching run down the fields and back to the show ring. The sting in the tail of this race, for the seniors at least, is the run around the ring to the finish funnel. It is lined with eager supporters and tired legs must put on the show of their lives to appear fresh in the face of a short flat distance that feels like a 5 mile uphill sprint!
This year’s senior winner was Ilkley Harriers’ Jack Wood (17.03) who had ben 1st at Halton Gill and 3rd at Malham in the previous 2 days. 2nd and 3rd men were Chris Smithard of Deeside Orienteering (17.20) and Eden Runners’ Jack Eyre (18.22).
The ladies’ race was won by Helm Hill’s Katherine Lawson (21.10), who had won at Grasmere the previous day. 2nd and 3rd ladies were Ripon Runners’ Sally Houghton (22.01) and Wharfedale Harriers’ Jean Powell (22.16).
The U17 race was won by Keighley and Craven’s Joe Hudson (12.54) with Wharfedale Harriers’ Logan Hargreaves-Madhas close behind in 2nd place (13.03). 3rd boy home was Keighley’s Jack Walton (13.50). U17 girls’ winner was unattached runner Emily Field, from Burley in Wharfedale (16.25). 2nd and 3rd girls were Wharfedale’s Emily Jones (17.39) and Keighley’s Alana Willis (23.28).
Joe’s brother, Louis Hudson won the U14 race (12.07) with Ambleside’s Daniel Sanderson 2nd (12.26) and Settle Harriers’ Thomas Marshall 3rd (12.29). The girls’ race was won by Rossendale Harriers’ Lauryn Gregg (14.41). 2nd and 3rd girls were Middlesbrough AC’s Bethany Berestrand (15.56) and unattached runner Rosie Langstaff (25.32). The U12 race was won in style by Helm Hill’s henry Hunter (8.10). Behind him were Keighley’s Sam Conroy (8.20) and Ilkley Harriers’ Lewis Carr (8.37).
The girls race was won by Clayton le Moors Ella Dorrington (19.09) followed by Houghton Harriers’ Amy Leonard (19.13) and Broughton runners’ Emily Swarbrick (19.33).