West Yorkshire Winter League 2017-18,

Foster Park, Queensbury, Sunday, 4 March, 2018.

It could hardly be said that all roads led to Queensbury for the final Winter League race of the season; half of them were deemed impassable due to the remnants of the Beast from the East, which had left the outlying roads and pathways hampered by drifting snow. Where everyone parked their cars is anyone’s guess. The race officials had been out in the early light to check the course was safe, and though it looked, on the face of it, worse than when the event was cancelled last December, here there may have been more snow, but less ice. The race got the green light.

Nothing much deters the Northowram Pumas, and the thrill of running in ankle deep snow as opposed to mud enticed thirty-nine runners from the comfort of their beds. Foster Park, where the race started, cut a picturesque sight, a blanket of virginal snow lying peacefully over the lush green grass underneath. Oh that it would remain so. But the moment starter Dave Hepworth had counted down the seconds, the park would never look the same again.

A mass stampede followed, a total of 309 runners charging down to the far right hand corner of the park for what was just the beginning of a gruelling 4.2 mile course. And just to make them feel at home – this is the Winter League, after all – almost right on cue, it started snowing. Yeh!

The route hadn’t changed much from the previous year, so there was the accustomed anti-clockwise circuit of the perimeter of the park, which involved a hefty climb from the bottom, and another climb up through the woods before descending back to the start line and heading for the bottom corner once more. Here, the course doubled back on itself as it swung up through the line of trees which run adjacent to the park, before it crossed the top of the park and into the section of woodland on the opposite side. It then picked up the reverse of the perimeter of the fence, once again landing at the bottom section of the park, crossing into fields and a run out into the countryside, eventually coming out on Stocks Lane. All in snow, don’t forget. The route then carried down this track before veering right into more fields, climbing at certain points before reaching a farm track which, assuming one followed the right direction, brought the runners out at the junction of Stanage Lane, a familiar section of the route to most Pumas. It was but short, however, as the runners were then directed through a stile and down the fields, heading back towards Foster Park. Hitting the bottom section of the park once more, the competitors ran adjacent to the park itself, a tiresome section, so close, yet so far away from the finish line, and on an incline. They then entered the woods and made their way back to the bottom of the park for one last time through the trees, before following the perimeter as they’d done at the start, although this time, as opposed to last, the course omitted the final wood section that came out by the finish line; before reaching it, the runners were directed towards the mound down the field, rounded it, then headed for the finish line, just beyond the first set of goalposts.

The mist had descended by the time the first of the runners came home, Queensbury’s Tom Collinge crossing the line first, some way ahead of Stainland’s Gavin Mulholland. There was a trickle of runners passing through after that, and the atmosphere was all rather tranquil. Then, suddenly, there was a commotion, as, through the gloom, there was hurried activity. It was like the Batman and Robin scene in ‘Only Fools And Horses’ (1996), but here, three runners were making a mad-dash for the line, among them our own Tim Brook. He was edged out of that mini-battle by Dan Naylor of Baildon, but, by sneaking in front of his club mate Jeff Singleton, Tim secured a fourteenth place finish.

As far as the Pumas were concerned, only one other finisher came close to crossing the line in similar fashion as Tim, that being Andrew Tudor. He suddenly found that extra bit of energy to beat the pack around him, which included team mate Chris Ellis, to claim the coveted 130^th position. Sadly, Andrew’s efforts didn’t get him onto the scoring sheet, as there were several other Pumas in front of him, with Luke Cranfield the second home, finishing seventeenth. Also scoring for the male team alongside Veteran Tim were Rick Ralph and Jude Roberts, complimented by Deke Banks, Robert Shirlaw and Jon Ding to total 1,819 points and give them an amazing fourth position on the day. The Ladies team went one better, finishing third, helped in no small way by Diane Cooper, the first female Puma home, crossing the line in 109^th. She was backed up by Jane Cole, Kirsty Edwards and Ally Canning to give the Ladies’ team 1,133 points.

With Tim Brook, Rick Ralph and Diane making up the Veterans’ scoring, they totalled 849 points, to finish on the day in an incredible third place, with only Stainland and Baildon above them. The SuperVets also had a field day, with Robert Shirlaw and Jon Ding backed up by Katrina Wood, who had one of her best runs, to give the team 646 points and sixth place on the day. Overall, Northowram Pumas finished in fourth place of the fourteen competing clubs. Words such as ‘sensational’, ‘brilliant’, ‘awesome’ and ‘flipping amazing’ were used by some to describe the achievements of the team, and I’ll add to that by saying it was simply an astonishing feat.

Elsewhere, Paul Hopkinson ran home in 198^th, wondering how he’d gone from the buzz and excitement of Tokyo just seven days earlier to this, but the word ’jetlagged’ was never mentioned. Lindsay Grix made drastic child care arrangements and set off in good time to make sure she made the start, so due respect to her.

As suggested above, snow had begun to fall just as the race started. It’s fair to say that the later the runners finished, the worse the conditions were. And whilst most people gave the impression that they’d been ‘done in’ by the time they finished, Helen Jackson’s actions outwardly demonstrated how others probably felt, as she flung herself to the ground and lay prone on her back for what seemed an age. There were fears, naturally, until one marshal allayed these when he caught her just about breathing. Further down the line, Gabby Kenny made a strange admission: “You won’t hear me say this often, but I enjoyed the run,” then gave much credit to Shana Emmerson, whose girl talk along the way helped take their minds off the job in hand.

Northowram Pumas’ finishing positions;

14 Tim Brook (MV)

17 Luke Cranfield (M)

27 Deke Banks (M)

31 Rick Ralph (MV)

47 Jude Roberts (MV)

80 Robert Shirlaw (MSV)

84 Andy Barnes (MV)

97 Chris Crabtree (MV)

99 Andy Haslam (MV)

109 Diane Cooper (FV)

125 Jane Cole (FV)

130 Andrew Tudor (MV)

133 Chris Ellis (MV)

144 Jon Ding (MSV)

160 Kirsty Edwards (FV)

177 Ally Canning (F)

186 Peter Reason (MV)

188 Julie Bowman (FV)

198 Paul Hopkinson (MSV)

201 Tom O’Reilly (MV)

202 Neil Coupe (MV)

203 Simon Wilkinson (M)

208 Sarah Haigh (FV)

211 Paul Bottomley (MV)

218 Matt Newton (M)

240 Katrina Wood (FSV)

246 Paula Snee (FV)

248 Mark Kirkby (MSV)

249 Claire Ramsbottom (F)

259 Lindsay Grix (F)

263 Jo Coupe (FV)

268 Tiffany Lewis (FV)

272 Anna Ralph (FV)

288 Helen Jackson (FV)

289 Tracey March (FV)

290 Carolyn Brearley (FV)

296 Gabriella Kenny (FV)

297 Charlotte Reason (F)

298 Shana Emmerson (FV)

309 runners.

Photos courtesy of Joanne Punt, Carolyn Collinge, John Loughran and Steve Smith (Smith Photography).

West Yorkshire Winter League 2017-18,

Clay House Park, West Vale, Sunday, 25 February, 2018.

Sunday saw what was the penultimate fixture in this season’s West Yorkshire Winter League. As last year, it was intended that the event that took a tour of Clay Park Woods in West Vale and hosted by our good friends the Stainland Lions, would have concluded the race calendar, but with the Queensbury race having been postponed back in December, it means there’s another round of fun and hilarity still to go.

As in the last race, the Pumas were missing a few runners, notably Tim Brook, but the team was still strong and comprised thirty runners. They made up a field of 305 competitors, all of whom squeezed onto the cobbled path behind Clay House for the 10.00am start. The sight looked surreal last year and was no different this.

They began with the familiar loop of the woods, coming back along Dean End, down Lindley Road, then approaching the start line once more before they journeyed out into the sticks. There were several changes from the course of last year, helped in many ways by the reopening of Copley Bridge, therefore making the run for home slightly easier. But there were still challenges to face, not least the climb up North Dean Road at Copley, which thankfully was shorter than last year as the marshals sent the runners through a stile and down the fields.

At the bottom of here, however, the runners had to negotiate the stream before following pleasant treks along man-made paths and farmhouse tracks towards and beyond Binn Royd Cottage Farm before entering a section of woodland and the part of the course which has been labelled ‘Log Flume’, which involved a steep climb. The route then descended across fields before picking up Hollas Lane at the far end of the Copley village and there was a routine run through the woods, with the River Calder on the runners’ right hand side for company. Eventually, they reached Copley Bridge, crossed it, then re-entered Clay Woods for the retreat of less than two miles. But there was still some climbing to do. The route took the path which made its way to the top of Clay Woods, and the affectionately-named section Muddy Bank (can’t think why). This was a test of character and, judging by the accompanying video, reduced many of the runners to walking as they reached the top. There was one more climb then the stretch towards the finish line, the runners emerging into sunlight at the back of Clay House. Roughly 5.6 miles.

There were no surprises when Luke Canfield crossed the line as #FPH, finishing twelfth, and in the Men’s team, he was backed up by 31^st placed Deke Banks, Robert Shirlaw (99^th) and Jon Ding (147^th), with the quota of Veterans scoring made up by Jude Roberts, Rick Ralph and Andy Barnes. They finished with a total of 1,694 points and finished on the day in eighth position.

Leading in the Pumas Ladies was (Veteran) Diane Cooper, an impressive 108^th, and she was supported by the ever-improving Jane Cole, Ally Canning and Kirsty Edwards. They totalled 1,146 points to finish third, the team proving to be a consistent threat.

The Veterans’ scorers were thus Diane Cooper, Jude Roberts and Rick Ralph; their combined points total was 812 to place them sixth. The Supervets’ scorers were Robert Shirlaw, Jon Ding, and, without Jenny Hopkinson, who with husband Paul, had flown out to the Far East for a local marathon, Katrina Wood, the female scorer. The team totalled 2,839 points and finished eighth.

There were, as always, stories to tell. The finish-line videos made for some gripping viewing, if we except Tom O’Neill, who casually walked over the line as if it was just another day at the office. Deke Banks proved to be the filling in a Queensbury sandwich, Jane Cole held off the challenge of Pudsey Pacers’ Tracey Wilman, whilst Kirsty Edwards’ last-gasp dart to the line had the officials retiring to a consultation room to decide whether or not she did in fact pip Dewsbury’s Flo Skidmore on the line. After much discussion, they requested a final opinion, and in the end the man from Del Monte said Yes. Ally Canning dipped early to ensure she beat a posse of runners, among which was Supervet Jon Ding, and further back there was a quick-fire Pumas’ 1-2-3 when sixteen seconds separated Sarah Haigh, Julie Bowman and Andrew Mellor. In years to come, Julie will recall how she spent her nth birthday trailing woods whilst negotiating tree roots, thick mud and severe hills, all the while having a whale of a time. Peter Reason already has a reputation for falling when least expected, and he didn’t disappoint here, although he left it late (just before the last climb). He did at least get up and finish the race, which is more than can be said for one unfortunate Puma, who took a nasty tumble and was forced to retire early on (said runner did manage to complete the initial loop, though) with injuries that later required medical attention. But what goes on in the woods, stays in the woods. You know who you are.

 

All-in-all, another splendid effort by the Pumas, and they can now go into the last race at Queensbury this Sunday full of confidence. More confident, perhaps, than the weather forecasters who will have their doubts about the race going ahead as the Beast from the East is set to take a firm ice grip. This race has already been cancelled once, what chance another? Check local press for details.

Pumas’ finishing positions;

12 Luke Cranfield (M)

31 Deke Banks (M)

39 Jude Roberts (MV)

45 Rick Ralph (MV)

80 Andy Barnes (MV)

99 Robert Shirlaw (MSV)

108 Diane Cooper (FV)

122 Jane Cole (FV)

131 Kirsty Edwards (FV)

141 Ally Canning (F)

147 Jon Ding (MSV)

156 Andrew Tudor (MV)

163 Peter Reason (MV)

173 Tom O’Reilly (MV)

175 Matt Newton (M)

193 Simon Wilkinson (M)

195 Sarah Haigh (FV)

196 Julie Bowman (FV)

197 Andrew Mellor (MV)

233 Katrina Wood (FSV)

235 Claire Ramsbottom (F)

236 Jodie Knowles (F)

243 Mark Kirkby (MSV)

270 Helen Jackson (FV)

277 Jo Coupe (FV)

279 Tiffany Lewis (FV)

288 Charlotte Reason (F)

290 Carolyn Brearley (FV)

293 Gina Farley (FSV)

304 finishers.

Thanks to Steve Boyer, Wendy Paulson and Andrew Falkingbridge for the use of photos. But not for the one above.

The fourth race in the Winter League was hosted by Skipton Harriers on Sunday, and, as last year, they’d set out a simple three-lapped course around Aireville Park and adjacent golf course. I use the word ‘simple’ loosely. I can testify that when the Pumas sampled the delights just over a year ago, it was challenging enough. It seems this time around, conditions were worse. Those runners living on high ground had woken up to a covering of snow and there was the ever-so-slight possibility that this race may have had to be put on the back-burner on Health & Safety grounds. Sadly – if that’s the right word – there was no such luck.

The Pumas were represented by 27 runners, a number that could possibly have been doubled had Neil Coupe not enticed a ferry load to what he termed a ‘sight-seeing weekend’ of Amsterdam to help celebrate his birthday (by all accounts, he didn’t have to try too hard to get his numbers up). Among his party were several runners who more than likely would have scored points at Skipton, so it could be argued that, despite managing a great set of results regardless, the team could have done even better. This augurs well.

Aireville Park is probably picturesque in summer; perhaps not so much at the beginning of February, and the course, around 4½ miles long, was always going to be prove a stern test even before one considered the elements. The main obstacle, indeed, a recurring theme, seems to have been the mud of the thick variety type. The course was changed slightly from the previous year, with the mud section at the entrance to the golf course encountered only on the way in, therefore the runners waded through it just the three rimes as opposed to the six the year before. Having run the perimeter of the golf course and climbed up through the woods, the runners re-entered the park higher up. This meant the route was slightly shorter but it was no less easy because of it. In fact, the general consensus was that the course was harder than last year because of the sapping mud, which was just about everywhere, and worsened with each lap as over 270 runners pounded, slipped and slid their way around.

The race was won by Adrian Holliday of Crossgate Harriers, who crossed the line just before Jon Ding was about to start his last lap. But Jon, who finished 133^rd, had a great run himself and scored yet again to help the Pumas’ Supervets team attain their highest ever points tally. First home for the team in this category was Robert Shirlaw, who was 86^th, and the Supervets, bolstered by the first appearance this season of Jenny Hopkinson (spurred along the way by husband Paul), scored 676 points to finish seventh on the day, their highest placing of the season.

First Puma home was Veteran Tim Brook, going one better than in his last two outings by finishing tenth. He was followed home by Luke Cranfield (18^th), and the Pumas’ Male team scoring was completed by Deke Banks, Andy Haslam, Robert Shirlaw and Vets Rick Ralph and Andy Barnes. They totalled 1,800 points and finished sixth, equalling their position on home soil two weeks earlier.

Taking the honour for the first time as first female Puma home was Jane Cole, who ran a superb race to finish 123^rd. Classed as the Veteran scorer, Jane was backed up by Ally Canning, Jenny Hopkinson and, scoring for the first time, Sarah Haigh. They totalled 1,103 points and finished fifth.

The Veterans’ scorers were thus Tim Brook, Rick Ralph and Jane Cole; they totalled 856 points, a score which gave them a sensational second position on the day. They were, in fact, just twenty points behind leaders Baildon.  Not only was this the highest position the Vets had achieved – and don’t forget, they were placed only seventh after the first race at Dewsbury – it was also the highest place any of the Pumas’ teams had attained throughout the season (and last season, for that matter).

All-in-all, it had been quite a day and once everyone had recovered, experiences were shared, with the main topic of conversation being, of course, the conditions, and in particular, the mud. When Andy Haslam takes to social media to give his account, you know it’s serious stuff. “The course was much more difficult today when compared to last year, purely due to the mud,” The said. “The hill out of the woods, especially on lap three, was horrendous.” Andrew Tudor concurred: “There was mud everywhere,” he said, “The hill up to the top of the golf course was worse [than last year] and even the faster runners were struggling to run up it, and when you fell it was very difficult to get back up and get going.” When asked for his initial reaction, Paul Hopkinson said the course had been “very, very, very muddy”, whilst Dawn Higgins admitted, “It was like having lead boots on,” and when pressed further, had this to say: “Mud? From the initial ascent, then down to the gate, it soon became ankle deep, which was nice; wet feet to start with! The uphill beyond that was muddy, downhill was treacherous due to the mud. The sections through the trees were muddy. Uphill was ridiculously difficult due to the mud (have I mentioned that yet?) but on the plus side, coming down through the trees was so muddy no one was overtaking anyone as it was, you guessed it, muddy!” I think we get her drift. And debutant Lynsay Riding had this to say of her first experience of the Winter League: “I’m glad I did it but I don’t think it’s really for me! I’m not sure whether it was just a bad course because of the muddy conditions but it was really hard to get a proper momentum and pace because of slipping everywhere and it felt a lot more than four miles. It was really tiring and hard work.”

Everyone had something to say, and it seems they were all glad when it was over. But the final word must be reserved for the aforementioned Andrew Tudor, Ian Evans and Lisa Aspinall. All suffered injuries and, using horse-racing parlance, were pulled up. Andrew retired at the end of the second lap having struggled around on his one good leg, whilst Ian felt his knees giving way on the hills, something that was particularly galling for him as he’d travelled all the way from Manchester especially for the event. Lisa, making her long awaited Winter League debut after capturing so much of it on film, jarred her knee coming down a slope on the second lap and on partner Tim Brook’s medical advice, decided it best not to carry on. Thankfully, upon inspection, none were deemed ready for the knacker’s yard and will hopefully be fit for the next Winter League race hosted by Stainland Lions on 25 February, although Lisa’s involvement is more likely of capturing the action rather than being part of it.

Pumas’ finishing positions;

10 Tim Brook (MV)

18 Luke Cranfield (M)

24 Rick Ralph (MV)

46 Deke Banks (M)

65 Andy Barnes (MV)

77 Andy Haslam (MV)

86 Robert Shirlaw (MSV)

120 Shaun Casey (MV)

123 Jane Cole (FV)

133 Jon Ding (MSV)

141 Ally Canning (F)

174 Paul Hopkinson (MSV)

175 Jenny Hopkinson (FSV)

177 Tom O’Reilly (MV)

203 Sarah Haigh (FV)

212 Lynsay Riding (FV)*

215 Dawn Higgins (FV)

219 Helen Jackson (FV)

220 Jodie Knowles (F)

224 Anna Ralph (FV)

227 Katrina Wood (FSV)

231 Paula Snee (FV)

236 Kathryn Cleaver (FV)

250 Gabriella Kenny (FV)

Lisa Aspinall, Andrew Tudor and Ian Evans all retired.

274 finishers.

 

Photos courtesy of Dave Butler and Robert Samuels.

 

q

West Yorkshire Winter League, Race Three,

Shelf Park, Sunday, 21 January 2018.

It’s fair to say that Northowram Pumas delivered what it said on the tin; a league race set in winter. What would you expect? Hosting one of these unique events for the first time, if the feedback is anything to go by, they pulled it off in style. One visiting runner remarked, “Absolutely a credit to you guys for putting on the show. Doesn’t get any more XC than that!” But that wouldn’t even be telling half the tale!

The planning into what was the third race in the Winter League schedule, the course, the marshals, car-parking, you name it, was meticulous, and the visiting clubs were full of praise for everyone who worked behind the scenes. But as at South Leeds in the preceding race, the overnight frost caused some problems and necessitated a slight re-route, although the course itself was no less challenging for it.

To say the weather was cold would be – pardon the ironic pun – putting it mildly. It could have been described in one or two words, but let’s just say it was fit for brass monkeys. And that was just for the runners. The marshals, too, had to brave the elements, some for almost two hours, and the thought must have crossed their minds that there could have been better ways to spend a Sunday morning. So hats off to all of them.

The mass of runners gathered at Shelf Park, a venue that probably hasn’t had as many visitors at this time of year since – ever. Set for a 10.00am start, the race got under way just as the first flurry of snow landed on the heads. The course took the runners around the football pitch then had them descend into the woods, many treading gingerly in the manner of the secret lemonade drinker. Those at the front had a clear run, the main body of runners forced to form an orderly queue as they negotiated the steps. Once they’d hit the bottom there was the arduous climb up the other side before they entered the tarmacked Green Lane and heading right to the top corner. The long stretch down the track which was a continuation of Green Lane was welcome enough as it headed down towards Norwood Green, and once Village Street had been reached the runners followed the track that took them to the fun that is known as Judy Woods. Climbing up the infamous steps, the runners followed the path, emerging at a farm track, swinging around to the right, crossing fields and tracks before re-entering the woods and heading back up towards the top of Green Lane. By the time the runners reached this point, they were contending with a mini-blizzard, but at least they had a downhill canter towards Brow Lane before they entered the woods at the kissing gate. They were now on the homeward stretch, but Shelf Woods still has the knack of asking questions of each and every competitor. Slushy mud, steps, water, a brook, and if the sharp descent wasn’t hazardous enough, the climb up the other side and back into Shelf Park pushed the runners to almost breaking point. Many had already had the energy sapped out of their legs, but once they’d climbed out of the trees the finishing line was in sight, with many, if not most, reaching it in the manner of someone who had found the crock of gold at the foot of the rainbow.

The race was won by Crossgate Harriers’ Adrian Holliday – his wife Lindsay was second female home in 38th – whilst for the Pumas, Tim Brook was not only first home, but as at South Leeds two weeks earlier, he finished eleventh overall. Luke Cranfield was next, finishing eight places behind, though it must be added here that he and Tim between them had clocked up more than twenty miles, having checked the course early in the morning to make sure it hadn’t fallen foul of would-be saboteurs.  The Pumas’ male team’s scoring was completed by Rick Ralph (34th), Jude Roberts (37th), Deke Banks (64th|), Andy Barnes (74th) and Shaun Casey (95th.  They finished the day in sixth place of the fourteen competing clubs.

Tim Brook and Rick Ralph also scored for the Veterans’ team, and they were joined by Diane Cooper, now running back to her best, who was first female Puma home in 121st. They amassed 844 points. And the Super Vets, once again, managed a full quota of finishers, with Jon Ding (179th), Mark Kirkby (265th) and Katrina Wood (282nd) all scoring. But the real talking point, especially among the girls, was of the girls, who exceeded all expectations – or perhaps that’s doing them a disservice – by finishing an amazing third, as Diane was followed home by Ally Canning (135th), Kirsty Edwards (143rd) and Jane Cole, who came home in 173rd to give the team 1,127 points.

There had been Winter League debuts for Lindsay Grix, Karen Matos, William Bonfield and Carla Sharp, who elected to act as a tail-runner with Shana Emmerson, just to make sure nobody got lost. And despite the elements, there’s no doubting that the Pumas had pulled off a great event, well organised, cheery marshals, and the snow was, when all’s said and done, a fantastic bonus! The plaudits were led by Dewsbury’s Laura Pearmain, who said, “Thanks for a great run today, especially the marshals for standing out in those conditions. Think Northowram gets the prize for muddiest course so far this season!” But she was more grateful than most, in fact – her car needed to be given a shove by several runners to get her out of the car park!

Pumas finishing positions;

11 Tim Brook MV

19 Luke Cranfield M

34 Rick Ralph MV

37 Jude Roberts MV

64 Deke Banks M

74 Andy Barnes MV

95 Shaun Casey MV

115 Chris Crabtree M

121 Diane Cooper FV

128 Andrew Tudor MV

135 Ally Canning F

143 Kirsty Edwards FV

173 Jane Cole FV

179 Jon Ding MSV

185 Tom O’Reilly MV

188 Peter Reason MV

209 Victoria Owen F

210 Julie Bowman FV

218 Simon Wilkinson M

222 Ian Evans M

236 Paula Snee FV

237 Sarah Haigh FV

238 Matt Newton M

251 Andrew Mellor MV

253 Claire Ramsbottom F

255 Kathryn Cleaver FV

257 Dawn Higgins FV

265 Mark Kirkby MSV

268 William Bonfield M*

272 Lindsay Grix F*

282 Katrina Wood FSV

287 Anna Ralph FV

288 Jodie Knowles F

303 Tiffany Lewis FV

306 Neil Coupe MV

309 Gabriella Kenny FV

318 Charlotte Reason F

322 Jo Coupe FV

335 Karen Matos FV*

348 Carla Sharp F*

349 Shana Emmerson FV

349 runners.

With thanks for the use of photographs to Lisa Aspinall, Smith Photography and Steve Boyer.