WY Complete Runner Cross-Country League – 10th Oct – 5th Dec – OAC names with entry fee (£8) to John please before 10th September to be eligible for the first race in Guiseley (see link for details).

Sunday 12th September – Wetherby 10k (link includes entrants to date) – a Club Runner of the Year event.

Sunday 26th September – Horsforth 10k – a Club Runner of the Year event.

Thursday 30th September – Annual General Meeting at 8pm (training will commence slightly earlier at 7pm to accommodate).

Saturday 2nd October – Northern Road Relays at Wythenshawe Park, Manchester.

Sunday 3rd October – Harewood 10 Mile – a Club Runner of the Year event. NB NEW RACE DATE.

Sunday 3rd October – Ian Hodgson Mountain Relay.

Saturday 9th October – Northern XC Relay Championships – OAC members interested in competing please advise Andrew.

Sunday 10th October – First WY Complete Runner Cross-Country Race at Guiseley.

Sunday 17th October – Bridlington Half – a Club Runner of the Year event.

Saturday 23rd October – Yorkshire Veterans Road Relays at Ilkley.

Sunday 24th October – Club Handicap at New Inn, Eccup. Meeting 10.45am for 11am start.

More details in the Race Diary & Events tab above.

Report from Michael Fryer:

The Ilkley Incline (1 mile / 560′) was held on a beautiful, sunny evening in pleasant contrast to last year.

This race is beautiful in its simplicity. You run a mile up a hill as fast as you can! Simple as that.

The winner was Tom Adams (Ilkley Harriers AC) in 7.12. For OAC, Rogan Ashton finished ninth (8.38), Huw Illingworth tenth (8.55), Michael Fryer 44th (11.50), Don Buffham (pictured) 52nd (12.52) and Antonio Cardinale 63rd (16.08)

Results from Ilkley Harriers.

Mark Hall for Club Records MV45 & MV50 at the Sale 10 Miles (57.19), fifth overall (and first MV50) at the Askern 10 Miles (57.43) and a Club Record MV50 at 3,000m (10.07).

and

Huw Illingworth for a pb in a 5km Park Run in Leeds (18.10), eighth in the Bingley Show Fell Race, 22nd in the Round Hill Fell Race, 24th in the Burnsall Fell Race and an excellent 3,000m pb time (10.20).

Sunday 5th September was my first foray into the realm of ultra running as I ran the London to Brighton race (90km/56 miles).

A group of about 140 starters gathered on Blackheath Common at 6am to embark on the run, with most of us not having a clue when or if we’d make it to Brighton. I knew the 13 hour deadline should be “do-able” but after that didn’t know much more about my chances.

The first 10 miles or so of the course were along quiet London roads (most roads even in London are quiet at 6am on a Sunday morning!) but from then on the terrain changed and the remainder of the route was on trails, country lanes, through fields and even once through a garden (with permission) before finishing on the beach. The route wasn’t marked and so maps were required and definitely necessary. Many of the runners had cleverly receed parts of the course beforehand so after relying on my map reading abilities once too often for my own good and getting lost a couple of times in the earlier sections I stuck like glue to a bloke who had receed the first 70kms. The atmosphere throughout the race was fantastic with all runners always being willing to assist others in need. There were only five official checkpoints which offered very limited supplies (water and bananas) but most people brought along their own support crews to keep them well nourished, mine were excellent.

My own race went very well. I ran with a couple of friends for most of the way, taking a steady approach with plenty of segments of walking for rest and food. The last 15kms were my most pleasing, I still felt relatively fresh and so decided there was no point getting to the end with anything left so speeded up a bit (or reduced my rate of slowing down relative to others!) and managed to move from 56th to 35th place by the finish. I was very pleased with my time of 11.11.07 and who knows, maybe next year I’ll aim for sub 11 hours. The race had joint winners Matt Mahoney (Unattached) and M Laye in 8.32.51.

Overall it was a great day out and a wonderful way to discover what lies between London and the coast and also reassuring to know that you can run for so long even in the South East of England and not come across too many cars.

The organisers bill it as the toughest triathlon in the UK and they aren’t joking!

Ullswater was freezing. Allegedly it was 16 degrees but I’m sure I saw an iceberg bobbing past at one point.

The stiff southerly wind made the bike hard work on the leg between the A66 and Ambleside. Going up ‘the Struggle’ to Kirkstone Inn was carnage with many of the cyclists getting off and walking when the slope reached 20% (none of the OAC competitors walked though). The run was ridiculous – after a flattish first half mile we went straight up 600m along a flattish bit to Red Tarn and then had 300m of vertical rock climbing up Swirral Edge. Harness and fixed ropes were not provided. After that it was straight back down on tracks of loose rock to Glenridding.

Fantastic day out and highly recommended to the more masochistic element in the club.

From Trihard, the event was won by Julian Hatcher in 3.30.11.

The event includes a one mile swim / 38 mile cycle (including Kirkstone Pass) / 9 mile run (including 3,118′ ascent of Helvellyn).

OAC’s Renee Saxton finished 129th overall in 4:35:01 (and fourth lady), Giles Smith 192nd in 4:47:46 and Hugh Pearson 402nd in 5.21.02.

Certainly worth highlighting this was only four weeks after Hugh completed The Outlaw Ironman.

Just to let you know I ran in this race (3.5 miles / 750′).

It was considerably easier than the recent Burnsall Fell Race and I was pleased to finish 27th (third MV55) in 31.41.

The winner was Tom Adams (Ilkley) in 23.32 and first lady was Claire Pearson (Skipton) in 31.06

I won the race with 238.286km (just over 148 miles) – a personal best by about 7km.

The second runner managed 231.068k.

England also won the team prize. Very tired.

The event had participants from England, Wales, Ireland, Scotland, Italy and France.

More details from scottishathletics with a map and photos of the 2.381km lap around Perth’s North Inch Park available as a pdf download from here. Race photographs from roadrunpics.

There is also Chris’s Blog.

Setting off last with Matt and Julian, Sharron overtook everyone else to come home first. Colin prevailed in a sprint finish with Dominic for second.

With his third place finish Dominic moves up to fifth overall in the race for this year’s handicap title.

Club Handicap Championship