Richmond are the Champions of Yorkshire
The Yorkshire Vets Road Relay Championships were held at Roberts Park, Shipley and the Richmond mens V40 team were in fantastic form to win not only their age category but the whole event. This team now goes forward to the National Championships to represent Yorkshire. This slick unit were led from the front by Steve Middleton who ran a superb leg to hand over to Tony Lambert in the lead. Tony did not just consolidate the lead but extended it further, before Ken Harker took the penultimate leg with another top quality run. Late addition to the squad Lee Davis, still recovering from the Kielder marathon the week before took up the challenge and held off the chasing teams to bring Richmond home in pole position! Tony Lambert ran the 2nd quickest leg (14:37), Steve Middleton the 4th quickest (14:48), Ken the 8th (15:25) and Lee the 16th (16:33). The ladies team of Donna Riddler, Shona Fletcher and Pauline Whittaker also showed their metal with a great performance to finish in 5th position in the V35 category. Donna had the 9th quickest time (17:12), Shona the 10th (17:13) and Pauline in 28th (20:12), but the 12th quickest if she had run in the correct V45 age group!
The local and testing Richmond Castle 10k had an excellent turn out from our athletes. Young gun Liam Rabjohn produced another top class performance adding to his superb season with 3rd overall (1st U20) and another place on the podium (36:04). Next was the ever youthful Dave Hack in 8th (38:15), just ahead of Alan Ashcroft in 10th (38:30) and Mark Flannery (11th, 38:36 and top placed V45). Josh Lincoln was 18th (39:32), just ahead of James Greer who had a fantastic run to finish in 21st and the 1st U17 (40:05). Luke Hack was 28th and 2nd U17 (40:34), ahead of the stoic Lee Davies (40th, 42:36), Simon Withers was 101st (47:44), Ryan Canizo was 144th (50:11), Sue Thurlbeck had a great run to a new pb and the 1st V50 lady (168th, 51:23) and Pauline Whittaker after her heroics on Saturday was 174th (51:42). Ian Hepworth was in good form to finish in 200th and top V65 (52:58), Michelle Sprent was 251st (56:09), Nicki Billows was 304th (61:07) and the ever improving Ryan Greer in 317th (62:41).
The 3rd running of the Plusnet Yorkshire marathon dawned with near perfect conditions this year had several harriers in action with Steve Sadler leading our athletes in 119th and 6th V50 in a fantastic time of 3:04:48, 6 minutes quicker than last year (he hasn’t been seen since so great were the celebrations)! Tony Ditchburn finished 1563rd just outside 4 hours in 4:02:40 in his first marathon, despite cramping up in the last mile and not believing Mark Fletcher (who has been up it twice, carrying a bike I may add) how hard that last hill was ½ mile before the finish!
Carl Jones again was at the front of the pack at Darlington Parkrun in 2nd (17:18), Will Smith was 41st (21:33), Eliza Hack continuing her good form was 55th (22:21), Jane Hack smashed out another massive pb (26:00, 116th) and Dave Hack in 117th (26:00). At Fountains Abbey, Chloe Dalton was 45th in 22:07. Andrew Everard was 13th at Northallerton parkrun (22:26), Joe Withers (58th, 30:33) was just ahead of dad, Simon Withers (59th 30:33).
Ryan Canizo was spotted training for the 10k last Tuesday but unfortunately he was late to training and was running past runners coming back to the school, he was further spotted entering Brompton 15 minutes later, but managed to make it back in time to Richmond for the Sunday race! Tony Ditchburn has been heard handing out the compliments and suggested to the author that he is in better shape these days as he’s lost a bit of weight but could still do with a few more laps as he still has significant work still to do on his physique.