There was an element of deja vue at this year’s Cracoe Fell Race. Unusual for Yorkshire – the weather was very similar to last year, being cloudy with sunny intervals.

The course, which starts on grazed pasture, bounds over fields, a strategically placed trailer and walls, became a familiar bog-fest as soon as the fell base was met.

To add to the delights of peat bogs, the fell is criss-crossed with marram grass coated ditches and rabbit holes.

However, the deceptive nature of the race becomes apparent as the serious ascent to Watt Crag begins. The terrain is now rockier and bilberry coated but the rabbit holes are still omnipresent, making the near vertical approach to the summit a lot more interesting.

The steep nature of the final ascent is not apparent from the pasture below and catches out those who are not prepared.

The summit is marked by the obelisk war memorial; and wind! The race now descends the way it came, unless you are one of the minority who know a different route back to the fields below.

The final element of the Deja vue came in the finish funnel of the senior race. As in 2015, Mercia’s Simon Bailey won (21.05) with Wharfedale Harriers’ Ted Mason coming second in 21:20. The third man home was Wharfedale’s James Hall (21.32).

The ladies race was won by Wharfedale’s Kirsty Hall (26.16) with Pudsey and Bramley’s Rachel Pilling second in 28.44 with third place going to unattached runner, Pippa Barrett (28.57).

Cracoe is one of a clutch of races where the under-17 course is the same as the senior route but is run separately.

The race was won by Rossendale Harriers’ Matthew McKay (21.47) with Keighley and Craven’s Joe Hudson (22.04) and Ambleside’s Joe Edmondson (22.38) coming second and third respectively.

All three would have been in the top ten in the senior race. The girls’ race was won by Clayton le Moors’ Briony Holt (27.56) with Keighley and Craven’s Katie Atkinson (30.30) and Rossendale’s Corinna Howorth (31.31), completing the top three.

The under-14 race was won by Settle Harriers’ Thomas Marshall (11.12) but there was a real battle for second place.

The final field became a sprint to the line which saw Keighley’s Louis Hudson (11.25) pip Wharfedale’s William Thompson (11.26).

The girls’ race was won by Wharfedale’s Freya Mitchell (13.08 from Helm Hill team-mates Annabelle Taylor (13.34) and Lottie Beardwood (13.44).

Helm Hill’s Henry Hunter stormed his way to another superb victory in the under-12 race, in eight minutes exactly.