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Race Report

The 12th Yorkshire Junior Fell Championships brought some sunshine into what otherwise was a very wet dismal day at the annual Hellifield Gala now in it's 38th year. After the parade down the main street with the pipe band leading the procession all the attractions had to be transferred into the main marquis, with even all the children's novelty races having to be cancelled as the field got more slippery as the afternoon wore on...and the rain kept coming. Full credit to the Gala committee, who never wained of enthusiasm to keep the day going.

19 year old World and European triathlon Champion, Alistair Brownlee won his 7th Yorkshire title, having previously won 2 at U14, U16 and U18 level, so unsurprisingly he took the course record set by Steve Oldfield in 2002, slicing nearly one and a half minutes off, that despite the heavy rain, this lad is just unstoppable! In fact earlier that morning he was even seen on the BBC competing at the Salford World Cup Triathlon. The first four athletes home all bettered the previous record, and Karl Gray in fifth equalled it, as Steve Oldfield himself now 50 finished 6th in 25.50. Yorkshire silver medallist last year Jonathan Hare took the U18 championship trophy, finishing only 8 seconds behind Alistair, while in 4th Rob Shaw took the U18 silver, with Skipton's Luke Maude in bronze.

In the ladies fresh from winning the Mount Snowdon international for a record 3rd time, scary Mary Wilkinson took Lisa Lacon's ladies record down to 27.31, from 29.14. Mary also did the honours of starting all the other junior races off, and even signed the juniors numbers as a memento. Skipton's county hockey player Claire Lilley finished 2nd but won the U18 championship trophy, now taking Skipton AC tally to 14 Yorkshire fells titles.

Congratulations to James Hall and Emma Wlikinson the U12 champions, Ben Marriott and Rosie Hellawell the U14 champions and Tom Sessford and Holly Craig the U16 champions, also special congratulations to Jack Hardacre and Issy Wharton the U10 winners, future Yorkshire champions in the making. Some age groups were a little shy of runners and with holidays in flow maybe some gains were made, but remember you have to be there to win. These Yorkshire championships are forever indebted to Hilary and Norman F. Berry of Burton Safe Company who generously sponsor the championships, and enable it to be undoubtedly THE BEST!

Dave & Eileen Woodhead