THE Wharfedale Harriers’ duo of Ted Mason and Kirsty Hall repeated their performances from Alva Hill race to notch up another double win at this year’s Cracoe Fell Race.

Mason, whose last win in the race was in 2012, has now won it five times –

more than anyone else in recent times.

Covering just over 2.5 miles and 900 feet of ascent, this race is described by young and old as “harder than it should be,” perhaps due to the long, energy sapping run out over fields, bogs and wide land drains before the real climb up Cracoe Fell.

There is then a sting as a false summit lulls runners into thinking they are at the top prematurely when in reality, the climb to the summit at Watt Crag, marked by a war memorial, merely becomes steeper and more technical.

Despite of all this, the sun shone and the race attracted 86 senior and 140 junior runners.

In the men’s race, the podium positions were hard fought as Mason, Ilkley Harriers’ Jack Cummings and Barlick’s Craig Shearer were neck and neck all the way.

The summit was where it all changed as Mason, in his own words, “went for it” on the descent to gain the lead from Cummings.

Meanwhile, Shearer took a moment to sit and admire the view before commencing his descent.

Consequently, Mason won in 21min 46sec from Cummings (22:03) and Shearer (22:30).

However, Mason’s daily toil was not over as he and fellow runner, and Cumbrian farmer, Ian Swarbrick rebuilt a field wall that had fallen while they were out racing.

The ladies race saw a familiar battle between Hall and Pudsey and Bramley’s Rachel Pilling.

However, as on previous occasions, Hall gained the upper hand and romped home the winner in 27:04 from Pilling (27:51) and Wharfedale’s Pippa Barrett (28:44).

The under-17 race takes in the full senior course and was won this year by Rossendale Harriers’ Matthew Mackay in 23:32, a time that would have put him in fourth place in the senior race.

The second and third boys were Helm Hill’s Robert Askew (24:39) and Settle Harriers’ Sebastian Segger-Staveley (25:09).

The running machine that is Dallam’s Rosie Woodhams, won the girls race in 27:01, a time that would have won her the senior ladies race by three seconds.

The second and third girls were Clayton-le-Moors’ Briony Holt (27:30) and Bingley Harriers’ Emily Field (28:01).

Rossendale Harriers’ Joel Taylor won the under-14 race (10:38) from Kendal’s Fraser Sproul (11:06) and Wharfedale’s Alexander Thompson (11:14).

Meanwhile the girls’ race was won by Ilkley’s Bernadette Raven (12:52) who is on top form at the moment, from Wharfedale’s Freya Mitchell (13:28) and Keighley and Craven’s Emma Peel (13:54).

The under-12 race winner was Blackburn’s Dexta Thompson (8:07) from Calder Valley’s William Hall (8:10) and Keighley & Craven’s James Sadler-Townsend (8:32).

The girls’ race was won by Leven Valley’s Olesia Winder (8:35) who was fourth overall, after a tough sprint finish with the fourth boy.

The second and third girls were Keighley’s Maisey Bellwood (9:01) and Helm Hill’s Sarah Smith (9:28).

Settle’s Jack Sanderson won the under-nine race in 3:00 from Hoad Hill Harriers’ Blake Fleming (3:07) and Keighley’s Alex Sadler-Townsend (3:09).

Keighley’s Millie Timbers won the girls’ race in 3:20 in a nail biting sprint finish from Settle’s Lucy Bagot (3:20) and Wharfedale’s Isabella Wright (3:25).