
The BOFRA AGM will be held at 3pm on Sunday 16 JANUARY 2010 at the Ex-Servicemen's Club (bottom club), Ingleton, North Yorkshire (after the KWL Firbank Fell Race). This is your opportunity to have your say and influence the organisation and direction of BOFRA. If you have any views, skills or innovative ideas, then come along and have your voice heard.
BOFRA is run by members for members, so if you have something to offer or would like to stand for election as an official, then we need you to be there.
Any item for inclusion in the agenda should be sent to:
Colin Beck
21 Airedale Mews
Carleton Park
Skipton
BD23 2TF
Tel 01756 792869
before 10 January 2010
Details of the Kendal Winter League have now been published on the Helm Hill Runners website, with the first race on Sunday 9th Jan at Scout Scar.
This is a great series of races which perfectly fills the gap between Xmas over-indulgence and BOFRA 2011.
The BOFRA presentation turned out to be a great evening where members received their end of season trophies, technical running shirts and 2010 BOFRA mugs. As usual, our host for the evening was Mr Cabaret himself; Kev Rogan who got the evening off to a fine start, whilst Wharfee presided over the display of photos and videos of the year. Hopefully the FRA video of the Coniston race slipped through un-noticed!
After a well received meal and a few drinks came Barry's quiz, chocolate throw-outs and lots of fun and games; and of course the presentations. Thank you to Lynn for organising the event and to our celebrity presenters. Hopefully everyone had a really great time.
Lots of photos are now available of the evening in the photo gallery. They are of relatively low resolution, so if you would like a higher resolution copy, drop Tim a line with the photo reference.
Further details to follow
The 2010 BOFRA Presentation Dinner will be held on Saturday 20 November, at The Rolls Royce Club in Barnoldswick. Doors open at 7 pm and the proceedings start at 7.30 pm.
The evening includes - a 2 course meal, presentation of awards, dancing and bar until 1am, raffle etc, plus the odd silly game or two.
Ticket prices are seniors £16 per head and £5 for juniors (under 17's).
For Tickets please complete the tear off slip on the attached form and return no later than 30 October to Lynn Whittaker, 7 The Green, Hellifield, Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 4LB and please include a SAE.
Hope to see you there.
The final event of the BOFRA season was held on Sunday 17 October - the Malham Charity Relay race. Teams of four runners (picked randomly) went head to head in a 1.5 miles relay race run from the Listers Arms in Malham to the top of Cawden hill (350ft of climbing per leg).
In ideal running conditions the five teams consisting of a mix of senior and junior runners completed the relay with four of the teams all in close contention. The winning teams were as follows:
The event resulted in £150 being donated to the Yorkshire Air Ambulance and our thanks to the Listers Arms, Malham for their hospitality.
Could all of the holders of the annual perpetual trophies please return them at your earliest convenience to Colin Beck, Lynn Whittaker or Tim Done
New photos added for Bradley, Lothersdale and Burnsall
The Burnsall race was won this year by Ted Mason, with Neil Crampton in second and Brendon Taylor third. 1st Veteran was Colin Moses in 10th. Cathy Bradley was first Lady, with Judy Marshall in second, just ahead of Val Done in third and 1st LV40.
James Hall from Wharfedale was 1st Under 17, with Danny Walsh out-sprinting Alex Brown for third. First three girls were Emma Spencer, Lauren Munro-Bennett and Zara Knappy. The under 14's was won by Ben Johnstone, with Phil Done in second, just ahead of first Girl; Annabel Mason. 3rd Boy was lloyd Davies, whilst Lorna-Jo Nunwick adn Ellie Child were second and third girls.
The under 12's saw Chris Richards take victory over Josh Newbold in second and Charlie Lowrie in third. Ellie Lambert notched up another win in the girls' race ahead of Sarah Atkinson in second and local, Ellamae Gibson in third. Logan Hargreaves Madhas was first boy in the under 9's with a close battle for second being won by Jack Muir ahead of Jack Walton. First U9 girl was Ellie Keating ahead of Alex Baker and Kitty Morris in second and third.
The next race on the BOFRA championship calendar is Embsay. This race is run over private land and the land-owners have asked us to inform you that NO DOGS ARE ALLOWED ON THE LAND. Please do not bring your dog to this race as will be asked to leave and may jeapardise our chances of holding this race in the future. Thank you.
Lothersdale fell race is one of the oldest in the country dating back to 1859 and is run with the Lothersdale Young Farmers Show. It is one of the few races where everyone, young and old set off together in a fast and furious manner. Measuring just one mile in distance, there is also opportunity for anyone to take the prizes. Today was no exception with Wharfedale's U17 Ben Johnstone taking honours in his local show in 8:28, just 4 seconds ahead of team-mate James Hall. Third place went to Halifax Harrier Bradley Chapman, also an under 17. Indeed the first 7 places went to juniors with Phil Done and Harry Muir finishing in 4th and 6th places as 1st and 2nd under 14 boys. Josh Newbold was 7th and 1st under 12 ahead of Thomas Nelson and Robbie Johnstone in 10th and 12th.
First Man was Matthew Hird from Wharfedale who finished 8th in 9:47, finishing neck and neck with Gary Travis of Calder Valley. Tim Done of Wharfedale was 3rd man.
First Girl back was under 14 Ellie Child in 15th with 1st U12 Shona Hastings in 23rd. First Lady was Val Done finishing in 27th, a few seconds behind 2nd under 9, Richard Done. Jack Muir was first under 9 back in 19th place.Sam Johnstone was 3rd Under 9 back in 28th.
To round up the next female runners, we had Hannah Newbold in 31st and 2nd under 14 girl, Sarah Wilson in 34th as 2nd Lady, then Keera Nelson as 2nd under 12 girl. 1st under 9 girl was local Phoebe Tidswell.This is cracking short and fast race which everyine can enjoy. It is easy to see why it has stood the test of time
Many of you will not be aware of BOFRA member, Lyn Eden's fantastic feat of completing 65 races one year to celebrate her 65th year. Fewer still will be aware of the challenges she has overcome
to be running at all. It is little wonder that her unrelenting cheery disposition; no matter how difficult the race, brings inspiration and a smile to us all.
Lyn's account can be found here
Jeff Chadwick has organised this new fell race to support Orton C of E School and it promises to be a great race. It is a mixed road, fell and track race, 6 miles in length, with 1.5 mile junior races.
Full details and entry form can be found here
Enquiries should be made to Jeff Chadwick 015396 242946 / 07832 297520 or Kate Arnold 01539 624268 (in school time 8am - 6pm)
The sun shone down for a record breaking fell race at the Bradley Family day on Sunday. For the first time in 3 years, it was possible to hold the show on the playing fields and the many visitors were given a great spectacle with record numbers competing in the senior fell race. Indeed, conditions were so good that the race winner Tom Adams from Ilkley Harriers was within 3 seconds of breaking the course record set by Alfie Atkinson in 1996. Second place went to Billy Pinder of Skipton AC, who was competing in the race for the first time as a senior, having set the under 17's record the previous year. Lee Athersmith from Bingley Harriers was third, with Richard Barrett in fourth place and first veteran. First Bradley local was Tim Done from Wharfedale Harriers.
The Ladies Race was won by Skipton athlete Clare Pearson, who took advantage of the fast course to make her transition from road to fell. Diane Haggar of Ilkley was second lady and first lady veteran, ahead of Wharfedale's Catherine White who having recently got married was competing in her first race in her new name. First Local Lady was Wharfedale clubmate, Val Done.
Wharfedale Harriers have an outstanding team of junior runners who have been prominent in all of the shows this summer and Bradley was no exception. First place in every race went to the club with new records in the under 9 and under 12 races.
Logan-Hargreaves Madhas; fresh from a number of recent victories including Malham Show and Grasmere Sports, set the scene, winning the under 9's race with a new record ahead of club mate Jack Muir. Jack Walton from Keighley & Craven was third. Richard Done, also from Wharfedale Harriers was 5th place and first local boy, finishing just behind first girl, Alex Baker of Pendle AC, who set the girls' record in the process. Emily Carpenter of Settle Harriers was 2nd ahead of Keighley runner Katie Cox in third. First local girl was Bradley Brownie; Kitty Blake.
The under 12's race was set for a real showdown, with last year's winner and record holder Alistair Harvey from Carleton taking on Wharfedale Harriers Charlie Lowrie and Josh Newbold. Following recent victories including Kilnsey Show and Grasmere sports, Charlie was in outstanding form and claimed his victory, knocking 21 seconds off the record in the process. In fact all three beat the existing record, with Josh Newbold easing into second place ahead of Alistair. In 7th place was Josh Swift to claim the first local trophy. First girl was Sarah Pickering of Ilkley Harriers who was convincing winner in the girls' race, beating the existing record by 16 seconds and finishing in 5th place in a field of 31 runners. Second place went to Cononley girl Hannah Thom of Keighley & Craven, ahead of Abigail White of Bingley Harriers. In a frantic battle for the line, Local girl Lucy Hutchinson narrowly beat fellow Brownie Kiera Zeibol to claim the first local girl prize.
The under 14's race saw Wharfedale Harrier, Phil Done stride home on the back of victories at Malham, Kilnsey and Grasmere to add his home race to his recent wins. Second place was Oliver Keating from Keighley & Craven, with another Wharfedaler Harry Muir from Silsden in third. Keighley Girl, Ellie Child has had some great performances this year and she gained a well deserved win in the girl's race, with Sally Handford from Keighley & Craven in second, ahead of Katie Boden of Bingley Harriers in third.
The under 17's race promised an interesting challenge as Wharfedale Harriers' James Hall and Ben Johnstone went head to head once again. This pair have been outstanding all summer, winning all of the local shows between them. Setting out with the seniors, the two ran in formation for the whole race finishing almost side by side in a show of mutual respect. On this occasion James claimed victory and the under 17 trophy to add to his English championship Silver medal. Third place went to Helm Hill's Alex Brown who despite this stiff competition has been up competing for the medals all summer. First Local was George Herbert, flying the flag for Keighley & Craven, whilst club mate; Pippa Barrett was first girl. Second girl was Holly Crabtree, competing in her first race for her new club; Wharfedale Harriers.
As the races drew to a close there was just enough time for runners to enjoy the sunshine for the remainder of this ever popular village show. Thanks to everyone who gave up their time to make it all a success.
The results are attached here. Thanks to Graham Wadsworth at the summit, we now have split times / positions and net gain / loss on the descent.
Photos have been uploaded for the following races:
Bradley Fell Race is covered by FRA insurance. As such, you will need to fill in a registration form for this event. You can save time on the day by downloading and filling out your Registration Form before the event. Click here. for the form
Pauline Scholes took a video of the day and is available for viewing from the link below
Pauline's Video
Kilnsey show provisional results have been attached here
Reeth Show Results added here
Provisional results for the Gargrave Show Fell race are now available here. Club details and veteran categories are not available for non-BOFRA members at present and will be updated in due course.
Woodheads photos added for Cracoe, Ambleside and Cowling Gala
Bill Smith has written a short article about the event which makes great reading and can be found here.
Results for the Cray race have been updated and can be found here, photos added here.
If you left a windproof top behind, Lynn Whittaker is taking care of it for you.
We now have confirmation from the land owner that there will be parking facilities at this race. Please car share where possible as space is limited.
The gate to the field needs to closed as there are some sheep and a cow in the field. It is preferred that you do not take dogs with you as they upset the livestock. If you do take your dog, IT MUST BE ON A LEAD.
If you are planning to enter the Kilnsey show fell race, then it makes sense to pre-register using the attached form, which must be returned with your fee (£ for adults, children free) before 15 August 2010. Your entry ticket will be sent out in the post, saving you time and money on the day.
At present, it has not been possible to confirm with the land owner whether his land can be used for parking. As this is a very congested location, if this permission is not obtained in time, then the race will have to be cancelled. An update should appear on the website in the next few days.
the timetable of events at this excellent village show is now available here
The results for Farleton Knott have been added here.
It was lovely weather for Cowling Gala, which saw Billy Pinder (despite taking the long scenic! route) take the title in 18:53, ahead of Nick Charlesworth in 19:43. Third and fourth place went to James Hall and Ben Johnstone in 19:54 and 19:55 respectively. First Lady was Lucy Griffiths in 23:13 with Kirsty Hall in second in 26:17 and Lynn Whittaker leading a 5 person sprint to finish 3rd Lady (1st Lady Vet) in 26:17
Full results can be found here
BOFRA is a family orientated organisation, which a large number of children enjoy.
This message is a timely reminder that threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour of any kind will not be tolerated. Anyone seen to be using any such language or behaviour at any BOFRA races will be
immediately disqualified from that race and may face further sanctions.
The weather held out today, making perfect conditions for the Cracoe Fell race, which was raced over the original route. The senior race had a strong field of 81 runners who had to tackle the first wall without the aid of the long standing trailer. I wonder who preferred it that way? The race is one of two halves; a long steady cross country, then from the 2nd fell wall, you are launched into the long grass, bogs and steep climb to the memorial. This year, the ground was very runnable, making it ideal conditions for some good times.
Despite a noble attempt to pass Ted Mason on the descent by Sam Watson, it was not enough to keep Ted at bay and he pulled away on the fields to take 1st place and the brand new Senior trophy, which was donated by our very own Wharfee; Andy Holden to commemorate his win at the race in 1993. It was a lovely gesture, which guarantees some silverware for the winner for some years to come.
Next places went to Sam Watson, who managed to maintain second place despite a challenge from Ben Stevens who finished 6 seconds behind. U23, Johnny Bradshaw was fourth ahead of Lee Athersmith in his new 'Tomlinson' team colours. Two further U23s' took the following places; Tom Doyle and Jack Smith, ahead of first MV40; Nick Charlesworth and first MV45 Chris Smale. First MV50 was Pete Wilkin in an incredible 11th place.
First Lady home was Helen Glover; who has made a habit of winning this race in the past, in a time of 26:32. Next Ladies were Emma Flanagan and Tamara Hird. First LV40 was Jean Powell
in the juniors' the Under 17's run their race along the same route as the seniors and this race was won convincingly by James Hall in his first year in the age category. His time of 23:46 would have placed him 8th in the senior race and this could easily have been improved with some close competition. Elliot Wylie and Alex Brown were second and third, again in good times. First U17 Girl was Mel Hyder in 26:46 just a few second behind the senior Lady's time. Watch out Helen for next year!! Emma Spencer and Lauren Munro-Bennett took the next two places
The Under 14's saw a change of winner from previous races, with Ben Johnstone taking first place ahead of Will Smith. Lloyd Davies had a strong run to finish 3rd. First Girl was Mary child, ahead of Ellie Child and Holly Carter.
The under 12's saw one of the closest races this season, with Josh Newbold shadowing Charlie Lowrie for the whole of the race, but Charlie showed his current form by taking first place by just 2 seconds to take hs 8th win of the season and the championship title. Tiarnan Crorken followed close behind in third. In the girls race, Ellie Lambert put in another storming performance to gain her 8th win in 8 races, which also gives her the U12 Girl's title just over half way through the season. Excellent work Charlie and Ellie! Sophie Marshall has always been nearby and once again finished in 2nd place ahead of Ellamae Gibson in 3rd.
In the under 9's race, Logan Hargreaves-Madhas continued on his winning streak, to get first place today in a close race with Jack Walton (2nd) and Johnny Thompson (3rd). Once again, Alex Baker was first Girl, with Emma Thompson in second and Ellie Keating 3rd.
Our thanks go to the land-owners for supporting the race and everyone who helped. As usual we had Dave and Eileen out leading the photography, but have you noticed what Dave considers to be a suitable frame for his shots? - A fine view of the summit in the background, neatly placed near to the treacherous drainage ditch and usually encouraging the runner behind you to speed up; in a manner reminiscent of Dick Dastardly in the Wacky Races. Did any of you fall (literally) into his trap? Hopefully not, because it is Ambleside Sports on Thursday and you need to be in good shape!
As many of you will know, the Addingham Gala fell race has been resurrected and took place earlier this month. In order to provide further details of the race, the organiser, Paul Wood is seeking any information that is out there about previous races, winners and times. If you can help him, please give him a call - details on the Ilkley Harriers Website.
In the same vein, I am striving to add further details about the other BOFRA races. I have a lot of results going back over the last 10 years thanks to Barry Slater, but anything further would be appreciated.
Tim Done
The Murder Mile results have been added here. Whilst my photos were shocking, there were some great photos taken as usual by Dave and Eileen Woodhead and David Brett. David's photos can be found here, the rest to follow.
The 1st Guisecliff Gallop Fell Races took place on Sunday 4th July with the following race categories catered for: under 9, under 12, under 14, under 17 and seniors. The races were a joint venture with the very successful Nidderdale Horse Show taking place in the Pateley Bridge / Bewerley Showground and organised by the Nidderdale High School PTA to raise funds for the school.
The races were organised by Nidderdale High School teacher Mick Hawkins a former international runner himself, to try and encourage as many local children as possible to give fell racing a go with the hope that some may continue in the sport.
Although the fields were relatively small all the competitors thoroughly enjoyed the courses which were very scenic and quite challenging in places. The events culminated in a 3 mile senior race run to two Stoops and back. There was a field of 34 runners for this race which was amazingly won by 14 year old Will Smith who 1 hour previous had won his own race category and wanted to challenge the adults. The talented Giggleswick student clearly looks to have a bright future ahead of him. In 3rd place Allen Bush from Glasshouses making a come back to racing won the challenge of the locals holding off the improving Jack Simpson.
As with most new races the Guisecliff Gallop has made a good start and hopefully over the coming years can become an event you must not miss.
There were over £350 in prizes and trophies so those that did enter did very well for themselves. A big thank you must go to the event sponsors who were:
Finally a special mention must go to all the marshals and helpers who made the Guisecliff Gallop such a well-organised event.
The results were:-
Full results can be found here
Just a quick note about the Kirkby Gala Fell Race in the land of sunshine and cakes. If fell races were measured on the quality of the buns (apparently some are?!), then this has got to be up with the best. It is a long trek out from, well, everywhere, but certainly worth it. This beautiful country fair has been host to the BOFRA championship race for many years now and we are always made to feel incredibly welcome.
As usual, the course was marked out by Dave Fell, but with the absence of the usual timekeepers, we were also absent some flags for the under 9's. Roger from the show stepped in and we were up and running without too much fuss. It was great to see so many people stepping up and volunteering after our cry for help last week. It shows that people are more than willing to help but probably don't realise that help is needed as we are such a well oiled machine!
So with just Bryan remaining from the usual team and some organising by Lynn and Val, we got the job done. Special thanks must go to Gina Spencer and Caroline Johnstone who were first class timekeepers, supported by Sharon Newbold and Wendy Gibson. We had Bolt and his brother-in-law (who for the sake of this report we shall call 'Bolt's brother-in-law), Eric Rhodes and Paul Crabtree taking photos and doing a first class job (I will have them all loaded up soon). Then we had Lynn Whittaker, Dave Spencer, Paul Wilson, Carl Bradshaw, Janet Athersmith, Val Done and Dave Fell marshalling on the roads and course, plus plenty of others helping out on the field... and I even got to blow the whistle!. If I have missed anyone off, then my apologies, we were very grateful.
Apparently some running took place as well! The results have been added here.. Part 2 to follow!
BOFRA is entirely organised by volunteers, without whom none of the races which we all enjoy would be possible. Many hours are put in to:
To ensure that we keep the organisation running as it has done for so long, rather than complaining, we need more volunteers to help, particularly with marshalling.
There is also no shortage of folk taking photos on the hills, but the results are only ever seen by a few. Why not send your photos in and share them with the rest of your organisation. You don't need to be a David Bailey, in fact the more different styles the better.If you feel you could help BOFRA in any way, even if it is just at the odd race, it would take a huge amount of pressure off those who do their bit every week. Drop me a line or have a word with one of the committee at one of the races.
Provisional results for the Beamsley Beacon Fell Race can be found here
Lots of Kettlewell Photos added here
Guiscliffe Gallop is a new fell race; and the first for many years in Nidderdale. It has been organised by BOFRA legend and international athlete Mick Hawkins as part of the Nidderdale Horse show which takes place at Bewerley Park showground. Any profits will be used to support Nidderdale School.
The senior race is a typical BOFRA style race, about 3 miles long, involving mixed terrain and some steep climbs. There is a full schedule of races from under 9's upwards and covering the usual BOFRA categories. Seniors run at 1pm.
It is always a challenge to set a new race, so it would be great if BOFRA members went along and had a go. Further details of the fell race and show can be found here. If you have any queries, please contact Mick on 01423 711246 or 01756 770255
Oh dear, there were a few hiccups today with navigation and we are grateful to all of you who informed the timekeepers that you had gone the wrong way. To ensure that I record the results accurately, please contact me with details of any errors you see on the provisional results, which can be found here. The course is complicated but was well marked, however we recognise that it is easy to miss a turn under racing conditions. We will look at what went wrong to ensure that the problems aren't repeated again. Further details will be updated in due course.
Tim Done
No one can say that BOFRA races aren't interesting and Kettlewell is no exception. Starting with a gallop through the river, it includes loads of wet rock, steep climbs, slippery grass and scree. For the second year in a row, we had an electric fence and a herd of cattle to negotiate in both directions. Once we have installed the machine gun posts, we will have perfected it.
This year we are endebted to Paul Sessford, who having completed the Lyke Wake Walk the previous day set out on his blistered and sore feet with Tom to flag the course. It was a great job as everyone seemed to get back relatively intact. As usual, there were a small number of over-enthusiastic entries into the river and resultant early baths and I am told that Ted Mason (who does very little by half) had a spectacular tumble just above the scree. It may well be the case that Dave Woodhead (who has a knack of being in the right place at the right time) managed to photograph the incident to be later displayed to the worldOnce again, Alastair Dunn was on top form and following Ted's fall was a convincing winner. Ted recovered to finish 2nd with Brendon Taylor in 3rd. We have a whole host of competitors in the under 23's category who are continuing to dominate the top of the field, so there will be some battles to come over the season. Chris Smale and Ian Rowbotham showed that it is not all about youngsters, finishing in 8th and 10th place as 1st MV45 and MV50.
Lisa Lacon was back this week taking first lady ahead of last year's BOFRA champion; Jenny Dybeck and Emma Flanagan in 3rd. Val Done was 1st LV40 in what looks to be a competitive category for this season. Whilst Wharfee, Andy Holden took part in his patriotic shorts, the senior race was being videoed by Will Marshall and can be viewed here
As usual, the juniors attracted a good turnout for what is a challenging race and great spectator event.
Full Results can be found here, Next race Helm Hill - race pages will be updated shortly..
Coppice fell race is race number 3 in the Accrington and District race series and will make a change from many of the local races. It is 5 miles / 600' and starts from the Peel Park Hotel, Accrington, Lancashire at 7.30pm. A full set of junior races are included, starting at 6.45pm.
Full details can be obtained from Lee Passco, Tel: 01254 879839, Mob: 07746 523691, email: runningspec@btinternet.com or clicking here
Please note that due to the World Cup, the Beamsley Beacon Fell Race has been changed to Thursday 24 June 2010
Registration is from the Swan Inn at Addingham.
The season started off with a great turnout and a warm welcome at Sedbergh Gala. Results have been posted on the home page, but due to problems uploading data, there may be some delay in uploading photos and other information.
The problems have also caused the BOFRA database to lose some recently updated information which I am gradually putting right. Consequently, the first draft of the Sedbergh results showed a number of people (including myself) attached to our old clubs. The results have been updated, but if you find that you are not shown against your current club, please drop me a line and I will refresh the database again.
Tim Done - (very tired) Webmaster, Statistician and Membership Secretary
News entries between 9 Jan and 15 May appear to have been eaten by the www. They will be restored once located!
The BOFRA AGM will be held at 3pm on Sunday 14 February 2010 at the Ex-Servicemen's Club (bottom club), Ingleton, North Yorkshire (after the KWL Fairmile Fell Race).
This is a new book which has just been published and is a collection of articles written by various fell runners and includes extracts from the BOFRA website.
All profits are going to the UK Mountain Rescue. The book is available on line from
http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/the-best-of-the-fells/8144940
The KWL Scout Scar fell race has been cancelled due to the declining weather. Alistair will be looking at Firbank next week and will update on the Helm Hill Website or FRA forum
Scout Scar - 10th January 2010
Unless conditions improve both on the Brigsteer road and on the race route, I will cancel this weekend's race. The paths are still covered with frozen snow and are treacherous.
I will post my decision later in the Helm Hill Website and on the FRA forum.
Alistair Dunn