Sunday’s BOFRA race was staged at Helm Hill near Kendal which is the summer training ground of the Helm Hill Runners and nothing is won easily here on an undulating course through gorse and bracken.
Senior runners had to climb up to the Helm trig point three times and the ground was quite slippery because of some previous downpours before the race making some of the short and sharp descents very difficult to negotiate. Wharfedale Harriers had five athletes in the top ten in what was a fast run race won by Shaun Godsman of Calder Valley. Wharfedale’s young star James Hall was never far off him and finished a close second. His club mate and defending BOFRA champion Ted Mason was fourth with three more Wharfedalers Paul (Crabby) Crabtree, Chris Newman and Sam Haggar taking seventh, eighth and tenth places respectively.
Threshfield’s Kirsty Hall was second in the ladies race which was won by Ambleside’s Hazel Robinson.
The first under-23 lady was Keighley’s Rosie Hellawell while Hellifield’s Lynn Whittaker was first LV45.
The under-17 race saw Harry Muir of Wharfedale Harriers take third prize with Ingleton’s Ellie Lambert and Keighley’s Hannah Thom taking second and third places respectively in the girls’ race. Wharfedale’s Thomas Nelson put in a tremendous run to get within two seconds of the Ambleside runner Luke Bowen who won the under-14 boys race with his clubmate Shona Hastings taking third place in the girls’ race.
Keighley & Craven’s Katie Atkinson was the top girl in the under-12 age group with a magnificent run in which she also finished fourtth overall in the highly-contested race. Settle Harrier Thomas Marshall finished highest of the local counters in third position. The Wharfedale duo of Jack Muir and Ciaren Crabtree took fourth and fifth trophies.
Keighley & Craven’s Euan Mills and Beth Roberts were the highest local athletes in the under-nines. Euan finished fourth boy and Beth was an impressive second in the girls.
BOFRA’s next championship race will be at the Kirkby in Furness Gala on Saturday, July 6.
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