Skipton Athletics Club

Congratulations to Alastair

Alastair is now a proud father, his wife gave birth to a little Wallace on Thursday morning, mother & baby doing well.

 The club congratulates you both and looks forward to a new member in years to come.

Bill Smith Nearly Wins the Arkendale 10k!

With those people in mind who had joined in with JogSkipton, it was with fingers crossed that this event was targeted. It looked like it was a friendly, relatively small (400 max), teas and cakes, village green event but none of us had run this event before!

Anyway, a large contingent of Skipton AC-related folk (members, not quite yet members plus some supporters) headed to Arkendale, just the other side of Knaresborough. The weather during the week before had been cold, wet and squally but with a persistent sunshine symbol against the Sunday forecast. This turned out to be true with the sun cracking the flags and a clear blue sky. Perfect running conditions (drat, no excuses!).

The upshot of all this was one the best days in the life of Skipton AC seniors. This was up there with two teams in the Calderdale Way Relay (with the mixed team winning) and a grand day out at the Great North Run. We had 21 people running of whom 12 had come to the club via JogSkipton and all achieving very creditable times! The icing on the cake was that Clare Pearson was second female and Richard Barrett was first overall (having taken Bill Smith’s number during the week before!). The only blot on this idyllic landscape was that Derek Ives was poorly during the race and had to retire.

Well done to all and thanks to the supporters. We’ve apologised to the Arkendale residents for the noise which Chris Lamb was making when Baz won and have asked matron to increase her medication!

Results: Fountain's 10k

Results: John Carr 5K Incorporating Yorkshire Vets 5K Championships

The Three Peaks with Virgin, Andy Ellwood

Well done to Skipton AC runners at the Three Peaks, 25th April, 2009: James Mountain (3:48), Andy Ellwood (4:22) and Phil Hargreaves (4:43). It looks like from the results that Triss Kenny retired (hopefully not hurt) at the Hill Inn, so presumably the beer got too tempting! Andy Ellwood has kindly put finger to keyboard to tell us how his day went ...

Oxfam 100k Challenge

As you may be aware Mike (The Colonel) Lamb, Tim and Cath Coates with Ann-Marie Bulcock in support have signed up to take part in the Oxfam 100k challenge. They have to walk 100k (62miles) over a circular, challenging route which starts and finishes in Skipton. To top it all, they have to complete the walk in less than 30 hours.

Rather than ask for sponsorship they have come up with a novel and creative way to raise funds....

Dentdale 14

The Dentdale 14 was as ever a challenging run and a great day out always leaving one feeling ‘I’ll run it faster next year’. Although the weather was a big improvement on past years, and could not be used as an excuse for extended running times. Perhaps alteration of Ruth’s biomechanics through the absence of a tried and tested, worn ‘bum bag’ could be though, alongside motion sickness, Achilles tendonitis, new insoles, being too hot, too cold, too tired, too hungry and generally feeling lethargic.

Chris stoically helped Ruth come to terms with absence of 'the bum bag’ by supporting her all the way around with positive mental talk such as ‘dig in’ etc. This resulted in a non stop running experience, along some of the most scenic countryside in Dentdale, lasting 2hrs 19 minutes culminating in the usual culinary feast of cakes and sandwiches, with lashings of hot tea and coffee in the Primary School afterwards.

Forthcoming Events

• 31st May, Edinburgh Marathon.
• 6th June, Wharfedale Marathon & Half, www.wharfedalerufc.co.uk/rugger_ramble.cfm
• 21st June, Staveley Stampede (10), www.musttriharder.net/86701/index.html
• 28th June, White Rose Challenge (Bike Event), www.whiterosechallenge.co.uk/

Meeting Dates

• Training, every Tuesday and Thursday 07:00 at Skipton Swimming Pool
• Committee Meeting (all members welcome), 3rd June 2009. 30 Victoria Mill, Skipton BD23 1RL.