Halifax Harrier Josh registers personal best to win Great North West half
HALIFAX HARRIERS’ Josh HallBrown put in a superb run in appalling weather to win the Great North West Half Marathon on Sunday.
Josh posted a new personal best time of 1:17:34 to take victory while clubmate Tom Needham finished seventh in 1:22:59.
Five Harriers braved atrocious conditions on Saturday to take part in the eight-mile Flower Scar Fell Race that takes in almost 2,000 feet of ascent.
The steep climbs, rough moors and paths were all covered in several inches of fresh snow but Ryan Barker led the
Harriers’ contingent home in a time of 1:23:13 in 67th place, followed by Michael King in 1:28:27 in 99th.
Jane Hobson was the first placed woman in 1:51:19 and was third in her age group (F50). She was followed by Martin Ellis (1:59:11) and Margaret Deacon (2:01:19). This was the last race in the club’s Fell Race League for the season, with both Will Carver and Jane Hobson confirmed as champions.
Two Stainland Lions also took on the challenge of the Flower Scar Fell Race and Andrew Earnshaw clocked 83:57 while Damien Pearson finished in 92:55.
Rebecca O’Neill was the solo Lion to run the Wombwell 5 Mile road race in South Yorkshire on Sunday and she finished in 38:31.
James Penson came in 17th place at the Midgley Moor Fell Race, a short five-mile fell race up, down and around Midgley Moor, with route choices of across paths and heather moorland.
He recorded a time of 54:46, followed by fellow Lions Paul Patrick (1:13:45) and Aileen Baldwin (1:14:42).
The Doctors Gate Fell Race took place on Sunday with runners tackling the 12.7 mile route with nearly 3,000 feet of ascent.
The route takes runners along the old packhorse route out of Old Glossop to meet the Pennine Way before heading to Higher Shelf Stones and onto Lower Shelf Stones. After returning to Doctor’s Gate, the route climbs to James Thorn via Shelf Benches before returning to Old Glossop via Dog Rook, Torside Clough and Cock Hill.
Lions’ Ray Mooney finished in 1:25:08 with Rikki Hammond clocking 1:26:08.