Valley’s Howard breaks Tooth record in first run of the year
A contingent of 13 Calder Valley Fell Runners marked the new year in a fitting manner, by taking part in the Auld Lang Syne Fell Race.
The 6.7-mile race includes 984 feet of climb and many of those taking part donned fancy dress costumes to mark the occasion.
CVFR results: 4 Andrew Worster 45:48, 41 George Kettlewell 55:37, 47 Charlotte Jackson 56:43, 69 James Cooke 59:35, 95 Catherine Holden 1:02:42, 130 Charlotte Taylor 1:05:37, 137 Claire Hanson 1:06:05, 138 Samantha Hartley 1:06:09, 230 Marc Collett 1:18:13, 262 Ailsa Nicholson 1:23:46, 263 Cass Chisholm 1:23:47, 269 Tamsin Cooke 1:25:14, 281 Daniel Holt 1:28:20.
Valley’s Martin Howard started 2024 in sensational form, breaking the Giant’s Tooth record by seven seconds on New Year’s Day.
The record was last broken in 2020 by Tom Collinge, who took three seconds off the previous best, posted by J Hare in 2007.
There was more good news for the Calder Valley runners as as Anne Johnson claimed first place in the FV50 ranks and Jayde McGregor was the first female under-20s finisher.
CVFR results: 1 Martin Howard 16:32, 14 Aaron Roberts 19:54, 22 Stephen Smithies 20:59, 25 Jonny Croston 21:16, 37 Cass Chisholm 22:34, 47 Andrew Wright 23:50, 48 Anne Johnson 23:52, 56 Jayde
McGregor 24:28, 58 Rachael Beaumont 25:09, 79 Tony Moran 31:30.
Elsewhere, Max Wilkinson led the way for the club at Whinberry Naze, completing the course in an excellent time of 27:19 to claim 10th place overall.
He was followed a few minutes later by clubmate Steve Smithies in 21st.
Helen Buchan and Peter Heywood both crossed the finish line in less than an hour.
CVFR results: 10 Max Wilkinson 27:19, 21 Stephen Smithies 30:16, 45 James Cooke 32:56, 77 Helen Buchan 35:22, 141 Tamsin Cooke 44:33, 179 Peter Heywood 56:54.
Smithies was the first Valley runner to finish the Winter Bilberry Fields race, a 4.5 mile event that climbs up the lower slopes of Bride Stones.
Smithies was 11th overall in 42:12 followed by Layla Hirst in 33rd (50:07), John Underwood in 40th (52:26), Francis Wooff in 53rd (57:05) and Rod Sutcliffe in 71st (71:34).