If there was a home ground for fell runners the Helm on the edge of Kendal has got to be the domain of the Helm Hill Runners whose athletes of all ages have trained there in the summer since the nineties.

Last Sunday’s BOFRA race on the Helm was going to be tough for the visiting runners to take any prizes. The good news on the day was it stayed dry but conditions on the hill – especially in the bracken – were very humid.

The senior race has quite a lot of running with three sharp climbs up to the trig point. It was Helm Hill’s Tom Addison who led from the start putting a minute between him and Ted Mason who did not do his championship hopes any harm at all. He was the first BOFRA runner home and so got maximum points. Wharfedale filled six of the top ten places. Jimmy Craig was the first under-23 finisher in fourth place.

Club mate Chris Newman followed in fifth with Silsden’s Jonny Bradshaw in sixth and Paul (Crabby) Crabtree and Paul Carmen getting back in seventh and ninth place which was a tremendous result for Wharfedale Harriers.

It was a close-fought race for the ladies with Ilkley Harriers having three runners in the top five with Jann Smith holding off the chasing pack. Diane Haggar came back in third and Rebecca Mon Williams was fifth with only 40 seconds between these Ilkley Ladies.

The under-17s race saw James Hall trounce the field coming back over a minute in front of his Wharfedale counterpart Declan Bulmer who was well clear of the third runner.

Wharfedale’s Harry Muir and John Lockwood were fourth and fifth respectively. Ilkley’s Lucy Williamson won the under-seven girls race comfortably from Keighley runners Zara Knappy and Sally Handford. Ingleton’s Hannah Newbold was fourth with Katie Handford in fifth.

It was Helm Hill’s Chris Richards who took the under-14 race with Ingleton’s Josh Newbold second.

Newbold’s Wharfedale club mate Thomas Nelson was only two seconds behind him in third while Keighley’s Robert Thompson was fifth.

Ingleton’s Ellie Lambert was the highest counter in the under-14 girls as she took third prize.

The under-12 race saw the in-form Robbie Johnstone have to make do with second place to Hyndburn’s Joshua Boyle – no doubt the Wharfedale runner will be soon back where he belongs at the front.

Keighley & Craven’s Elliott Brett put in a tremendous run to take third with Jack Walton also from Keighley in fifth place.

BOFRA’s next race involves their longest trip. Their runners will perform at the Highland Games in Alva near Stirling.