1 January 2009 - Happy New Year

Happy New Year to everyone. Hopefully the Christmas indulgences haven't taken too much toll, because as the old year was played out at the fantastic Auld Lang Syne race, the New Year is about to start with a bang at the Kendal Winter League.

The Auld Lang Syne race was competed for in sub zero temperatures by a massive field of 560. Full Results and photos can be found on the Woodentops website.

The ever popular series of races that form the Kendal Winter League start on Sunday 4th Jan at Scout Scar. Full details can be found on the Helm Hill Runners website.

28 December 2008 - Hebden DVD update

If you are a fan of superb country programmes like 'Dales Diary' and 'Countryfile', then this DVD is worth watching in it's own right. If you add a touch of nostalgia by marking an anniversary of a classic country show with its links to an Olympic champion, the appeal is significantly increased. Add the links to BOFRA, fell racing and Bank Holiday pilgrimage to the Dales, you don't get much better than this fantastic DVD. Mark Saville has produced a great record of Hebden Sports which is worth every penny, so contact Patrick Wiegand on 01756 752840 to reserve your copy - at just £5 a piece plus £1 to cover postage and packing, you will be more than satisfied.

5 December 2008 - Photo updates

Photos have been added for Burnsall and Rylstone races.

27 November 2008 - Hebden DVD update

The Hebden Sports DVD will 'unveiled' at the 'World Premier' at Hebden Village Hall on 12 December 2008. See attached flyer. Entry is free, but tickets must be obtained in advance.

Copies of the DVD will be on sale at the event for £5 but can be sent out for £1 extra to cover postage and packing.

Anyone wishing to purchase a copy should contact Patrick Wiegand on 01756 752840, and he will send you a copy direct after December 12th.

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19 November 2008 - Caption Competition

It is competition time. And this time, our photo takes us back to our second race of the season at Coniston Gullies. Your entries should be sent to and the person who sends in the most apt and amusing entry will be the winner.

Click on the thumbnail to enlarge the picture

Entries should be submitted by 24 December 2008 and the winner will be announced in the New Year.

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15 November 2008 - BOFRA 2008 Review Booklet

A Booklet reviewing the 2008 season has been made and this is now available at just £1 per copy.

A limited number have been printed, so please contact to reserve your copy.

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6 November 2008 - Hebden Sports DVD

If you were at the 2008 Hebden Sports, you may have noticed that the event was being filmed. Mark Saville is a professional film maker who volunteered to make a video record of the sports at no cost to the organisers. He has now produced a DVD which will be on sale through local village outlets. Arrangements are being made for copies to made available through the BOFRA website at a cost of £5 each plus £1 postage and packing.

Limited numbers will be printed, so if you would like a copy please contact to express your interest.

Mark also produces a regular DVD magazine called - "Around & About Yorkshire" which can be found at at www.oneyorkshire.co.uk

30 October 2008 - BOFRA presentation dinner - latecomers

If you are intending to go to the BOFRA presentation dinner, but have not already booked your places, please contact Pauline Scholes as she needs to notify the Carleton of our final numbers by Tuesday 4th November at the very latest. Thank you

22 October 2008 - BOFRA presentation dinner reminder

Just a reminder that the presentation dinner is ticket only and the deadline is rapidly approaching. If you are intending to go, please phone Pauline Scholes on 01535 631755 and return your application at your earliest opportunity.

20 October 2008 - Rylstone Race report

The wet weather this summer has had a dramatic effect on the BOFRA championship this year with the cancellation of the final counter of Wasdale. The committee decided that we would stage an alternative race at Cracoe, obviously it could not be compared with Kirk Fell but our President Kevin Rogan did us proud giving us probably the hardest championship race this year taking in both the Obelisk above Cracoe and then across the skyline to Rylstone Cross. Given the messy conditions which made the rocky path across the top very hazardous, you had to keep your wits about you. Our juniors did the same routes as the normal Cracoe summer event but with a lot more mud to think about, one consolation it didn't rain while the runners were out but the wind made it hard work in sections.

The senior's event saw Clayton runner Tim Edward put in a convincing performance coming home clear of Adrian Pickles who was first BOFRA counter and first v50. This was an outstanding result for him in a tough race, talk about going out on a high. Sam Watson needed a good result here to clinch the under 23's title so his 3rd place nailed it for him, Mark McGoldrick's 4th place ended what has been a great championship for him. Jack Holt came home strong in 5th place closely followed by Andrew Alton with Andy Smith and Jonathan Gibson in 7th and 8th places. This put Jonathan's name of the v40's trophy this year, Gary Bastow came home in 9th and 1st v45. The ladies were led home by Wharfedale runner Kathryn Bradley with Judith Marshall putting in an impressive run in second and Dawn Richards coming home 3rd (also BOFRA lady v40 champion).

The under 17 race set off with the seniors but they turned at the Obelisk, it's just as well seeing that Jonny Bradshaw and Jack Smith were leading both sets of runners up to it. Jonny came home just under a minute up on an in-form Jack Smith with Rossendale's Jordan Beard in 3rd. The first 3 in the girls were Melanie Hyder who has had a great BOFRA season with other classy runners Jenny Dybeck in second and Emma Spencer in third.

Seven seconds parted James Hall and Pascal Dark in the under 14's they came home 1st and 2nd with Harry Sessford running his heart out to claim 3rd prize. In the girls it was a Keighley duo which led the field with Pippa Barrett ending an impressive season with another win and gaining the under 14's girls title. Erica Carter and Nicole Narey finished second and third places in what has been a good year for them with BOFRA.

Ben Johnstone was heading for some Mediterranean sun later in the day but still managed to lead home the 24 runners in the under 12's, he has competed in all our under 12's championship races this year and won them all so he deserves his holiday in the sun. William Smith followed him home in second place with Oliver Keating and Oliver Willink in third and fourth place. The under 12's girls were led home by another runner with a clean slate; Lorna Jo Nunwick, with Ellamae Gibson putting in one of her best performances just 12 seconds adrift and Sophie Marshall showing her pedigree coming home in 3rd.

The under 9's saw 18 runners compete and it was a close thing with 3 seconds parting the winner Joshua Newbold and second place Charles Smith, this was followed by the first two young ladies with Katie Horn putting 6 seconds between her and Shona Hastings. They were closely followed by the third boy Adam Gibson with Helm runners Tom Willink and Joe Kent closely following. Third girl's prize went to Ellie Keating.

Finally I would like to thank everyone who helped us put on this race at the last minute, considering the amount of runners that supported us it was well worth the effort. Next event, the Presentation Evening - if you haven't been before you are missing a treat unless you are a fun dodger. It's not too late yet to book it - but time's running out. Hope I see loads of you there.

13 October 2008 - Rylstone replaces Wasdale

With the season poised for a sensational end at Wasdale, it was disappointing that the weather beat us for the second time this season, forcing the cancellation of Wasdale show.

The BOFRA committee called an emergency meeting last night to discuss the options and it was agreed that we should attempt to put on an alternative race. Having considered the venues available, it was decided to hold it at the Cracoe fell race, extending the senior race to Rylstone Cross. Fortunately the landowners have been very supportive and we will go ahead on Sunday 19th at 1200 noon. As usual, parking is provided next to the farm food shop, opposite the Devonshire Arms at Cracoe, with registration at the track end at the rear of the pub. The race will be called Rylstone to prevent confusion with the results.

By staging the race, we are allowing the championships to be finalised on the ground and giving opportunity for a number of you to complete your 8 races. A great deal of effort has gone into making the alternative arrangements including funding of the prizes, so please do your best to support the race by competing in or watching the season's finale.

We were left with very little time to notify runners of the cancellation at Wasdale, but with your help, all but a handful of runners were notified before you set off to Wasdale. Thank you to everyone who assisted with this.

13 October 2008 - Perpertual Trophies

Could any outstanding perpetual trophies please be returned to Colin Beck by Sunday 19th October 2008, to ensure that they can be engraved prior to the presentation. Colin will be at the rescheduled Rylstone Fell race if you are coming, alternatively please pass it on via another runner. Thanks.

11 October 2008 - Presentation evening

Please notify Pauline Scholes ASAP if you are attending the presentation dinner. I forgot to put a box on the application form for you to indicate whether you require the vegetarian option, so please let her know your choice or use the updated application form.

11 October 2008 - Garmin Profiles / Motion Based software

I will shortly be adding Garmin race routes and profiles for members to access via the Motion Based website. If you have registered the user name BOFRA for this software, please contact Tim Done.

10 October 2008 - Wasdale show cancelled

I have just been informed that as a result of excessive rainfall, the river at Wasdale Head has burst its banks, flooding the showfield. As a result the show committee have had no option but to cancel the show and consequently the fell race.

Every effort will be made to contact BOFRA members to bring this to their attention, but at this late date, it is a challenging task. If you pick up this report, please make an effort to circulate the message as far as you are able and the committee will do our best.

Clearly the situation will impact upon the championships and the committee will be meeting to determine the fairest option in the circumstances. Keep your eye on the website for any updates.

5 October 2008 - Great North Runners

After a successful season beating allcomers in the BOFRA under 9's category, Charlie Lowrie has shown what a true athlete he is. On the back of a victory at the great Yorkshire run at Sheffield recently, Charlie took on 1600 other runners in his age group at the junior North run on Saturday taking first prize. A fantastic result for a promising athlete.

Tom Sessford took 8th place at the 5km event which was a credible result in a very strong field. Tom Sessford has also had a fantastic season, winning the FRA English Uphill championships, the BOFRA U17 boys category and second place in the FRA schools Fell championship. Tom is off to Edinburgh next weekend with Johnny Bradshaw (runner up in BOFRA U17 boys' and the FRA English uphill championships) Ashley Kay, (winnner of the FRA under 16 championship) and Jack Thompson (3rd in the FRA under 18's and after a great first year standing 4th in the BOFRA seniors' championship) to represent England in the FRA competition against Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Two of BOFRA's top girls will also be in the line-up, representing England in Edinburgh. Emma Flannagan and Melanie Hyder will be racing in the under 18's and under 16's respectively. The two have had some great battles at BOFRA fixtures this year and it is fitting that they should now be racing for their country. Good luck to them all!!

2 October 2008 - Presentation evening

The championship presentation dinner/dance will be held on Saturday 8th November 2008 at the Carleton Inn, Morecambe. Doors open at 7pm and the proceedings start at 7.30pm. The evening includes a 3 course meal, presentation of awards, dancing and bar until 1am, raffle etc, plus the odd silly game or two.

Ticket prices are £22 for adults and £11 for Juniors (17 and under), and those of you who have been before will know that it is excellent value for money.To obtain your tickets, please complete the tear of slip on the application form and return to Pauline Scholes, 8 Meadow Lea, Sutton in Craven, Keighley BD20 8BY by Monday 13th October 2008 and please include a stamped addressed envelope.

Overnight accommodation is available at the Clarendon Hotel, 100 yards stagger away, on a first come first served basis and children under 14 stay for half price. BOFRA has booked a number of rooms at a discounted rate, which can be booked by ringing Pauline on 01535 631755.

We look forward to seeing you all there

28 September 2008 - Embsay race report

Our latest race at Embsay had a lot to play for in the senior race. This was the penultimate event in the championship and with the senior championship undecided, the two key players needed a result. Ted Mason and Alastair Dunn were level on points so both wanted a win. After a recent dry spell the ground was rock hard which made a nice change from what we've run in this year. It was Alastair who put in a brilliant run to come home well clear of Ted back in 2nd with Hallamshire's Scott Wilson in 3rd followed by Brendon Taylor and Lee Passco in 4th and 5th. First under 23 and 6th place went to Jack Thompson, with Mark McGoldrick in 7th, first v40 was Richard Barrett 9th followed by 1st v50 Adrian Pickles and Martin Speight collecting the v45 prize in 12th. Keighley & Craven runner Ania Sroka won the ladies race with Clayton's Carol Life 2nd followed by another Keighley runner Tracy Bailey in 3rd. 60 runners finished the senior race.

The under 17's race saw Jonathan Bradshaw claim a convincing victory followed by Jack Smith and Rossendale's Elliot Wylie in 3rd. In the girls Emma Spencer collected 1st prize with Jenny Dybeck 2nd and Rosie Hellawell 3rd in what has been a strong age group all season.

In the under 14's Pascal Dark has put together a few wins lately so it was no surprise him winning here with Declan Bulmer putting in a tremendous run to come home 2nd with David Wilson 3rd boy. Pippa Barrett has really come to the fore with a string of wins; she crossed the line with quite a big margin from Erika Carter and Nicole Narey in 2nd and 3rd.

Ben Johnstone once again showed his talent, he's been a great supporter of our events and certainly knows how to win, what an impressive season he's had. His win here is one of many - not taking anything away from the 2nd and 3rd runners Alexander Speight and Marcus Preedy who are very classy runners. The under 12's girls was a close thing with Rebecca Flanagan and Ellamae Gibson only separated by 2 seconds and Sally Handford finishing 3rd. 28 under 12's supported our race on the day.

The under 9's were led home by Silsden's Charlie Lowrie, closely followed by Charles Smith, with Joshua Newbold in 3rd. The first 3 in the girls' were Shona Hastings followed by Imogen Campion and Leonie Harry in what was a tough little race.

The next BOFRA event is Malham Relays on Sunday 5th October which gives the juniors a chance to race with the seniors and the teams are mixed, picked on the day. Proceeds go to charity so raffle prizes would be appreciated and of course your support.

Thank you!

Barry Scholes

27 September 2008 - Perpetual Trophies

Could all perpetual trophy holders from the 2007 championships please ensure that they are returned to Colin Beck by Wasdale show race at the latest. Colin will be at the Malham Relays and Wasdale Show if you wish to return them at either of these races.

18 September 2008 - Message from Lee Pascoe

The following message was received from Lee, who had a fall at Burnsall: "I just want to say thanks to Martyn Speight and another person from Rossendale Harriers who helped me after my fall at the Burnsall fell race in which I dislocated my right shoulder. Thanks to these two, they managed to put my shoulder back in. Thanks also to all the runners who came to my aid at the end of the race. I'm making good recovery and should be at the Embsay fell race on Sunday". All at BOFRA wish Lee a speedy recovery.

17 September 2008 - Race number rescue

The 2008 season race numbers were kindly sponsored by CrossTrax of Leeds and printed by Active Numbers. Despite ordering 50% more numbers than had been used the previous season, we approached Burnsall with just a handful left. Thankfully, a couple of phone calls to Ed at CrossTrax and Active Numbers and an extra 150 of the same stylish race numbers were delivered the following day. Excellent service guys!!

16 September 2008 - Burnsall Fell Race Report

Burnsall fell race is probably one of the most hazardous races on our calendar. From the summit it's a steep rocky descent down a well worn narrow gully with plenty of drops from rocks. To negotiate through heather at speed you really need to be switched on. Once down this, the dash through the fields is a piece of cake.

The senior race saw Ian Holmes come home just 4 seconds up on Ted Mason with Alastair Dunn finishing 3rd, this made the senior championship very interesting with just 2 races to go with both Alastair and Ted level on BOFRA counters. Ladies champion Lisa Lacon had a comfortable win. 58 seniors ran so for a change let's bring in some of the club runners who ran on the day. Let's start with Wharfedale's Iain Gibbons who has been out through injury and came back late in the season. Last year he had quite a good season with us and his 16th placing shows he's on the way back. Back in 22nd we have a vet 50 John Adair in his first season with BOFRA and has had some good results on the way. Andy Smith was only 3 seconds behind, here's the guy who won the championship in the 90's and he's still a keen competitor. Dropping down to 28th we have Ben Proctor, although he hasn't regained the kind of form he had in his junior years he still remains a good competitor and keen sportsman. Helm's Paul Tuson 35th is well off where he normally is in racing but on his day he's a force to be reckoned with and he's also involved in the smooth running of some of our events which makes him worth his weight in gold. Pendle's Paul Wilson and club mate Dean Thompson have brought their families to our races for years coming home in 46th and 47th these guys are what BOFRA is about as we are a family orientated organisation.

The under 17's saw Tom Sessford come back in 1st place to put the under 17's crown this year within his grasp. First girl Melanie Hyder has her name on the girl's title this year with a string of wins. But looking beyond the top runners we have had plenty giving it their all and their day will come as this has been a very hard age group to get in the prizes. One who knows this better than most is Skipton's Robbie Swift; he has got better and better this season and is always challenging for the medals. Pendle's Sam Richards 11th place shows he's getting there it's only a matter of time. Another runner with a big heart is Wharfedale's Scott Baistow who is a lot better than his 15th place suggests. Dropping down to 19th and 20th we have 2 girls who have competed on our circuit regularly; Rossendale's Rebecca Swindells and Pendle's Sarah Wilson had 7 seconds parting them.

The under 14's saw 3 seconds separating the first 3 runners; Rossendale's Pascal Dark, Daniel Walsh and Skipton's Sam Westcott who claimed the prizes in that order after an exciting finish. Pippa Barrett is making a late surge for the girl's title getting a convincing win on the day. Looking down the list we have Faith Biddle who came back 6th girl, Faith had some good results in the under 12's and is finding her way in what's been a very strong age group .

The under 12's saw an enormous turnout of 37 runners with clubs like Keighley & Craven, Rossendale and Wharfedale Harriers turning up in force. It was Wharfedale's Ben Johnstone who crossed the tape first followed by club mate Will Smith and Alexander Speight a close 3rd. The girl's winner Lorna Jo Nunwick proved why she's been unbeatable this year with a convincing performance ahead of Rossendale runners Megan Solomon and Rebecca Flannagan. Looking down the list it's nice to see family members competing in the same age group so let's bring in 8th girl Eleanor Solomon, how long will it be before we see her in the prizes? Keighley's Holly Carter's 9th place in the girls could soon change if she follows in sister Erica's footsteps who's flying high in the under 14's races. Let's pick out a club we haven't mentioned, Blackburn Harriers have a rising star in 17th place in Leon Passco-If he's anything like his dad Lee, who knows what he could achieve. This also goes for his brother Thomas who came home 7th in the under 9's.

Moving on to the under 9's, 32 charged up the fields and they were led home by Ilkley's Charles Smith with Settle's Joshua Newbold breathing down his neck, Rossendale's Thomas Sumner was just 4 seconds behind in 3rd. The under 9 girls were led home by Keighley's Georgia Gray with Shona Hastings and Lucy Horrocks taking 2nd and 3rd prizes.

Just for a change I've just picked out a few names at random. We are not an elitist organisation, it's all about enjoyment as well as healthy competition wherever you are in our races, so wherever you finished at Burnsall your support is really appreciated. Keep turning up - a lot of champions started at the back in races, anything can be achieved there's always next time.

Finally I would like to thank our flaggers (including me), marshals and the guys at the start line for the tremendous job they did and a big thank you to the Coffey Family who kindly put £50.00 in towards our junior trophies. Embsay next on the calendar - see you there!

Barry Scholes

7 September 2008 - Bradley Family Day

Despite the awful weather, Bradley Family Day fell race was a huge success. There was a massive field of 109 junior runners and 60 seniors making it the biggest turnout in the history of the race. It's a pity that those attending could not benefit from the planned entertainment, after the poor weather prevented pitching tents on the playing fields and forced the show into the village hall. In the end, the sun shone for most of the afternoon and everyone had a great time

The races started with the under 9's. Thirty nine runners trudged through the long wet grass of their course in a race where the first two places were separated by just a second. Charlie Lowrie of Silsden and Wharfedale Harriers got the upper hand to take 1st place ahead of Charles Smith of Ilkley. Wharfedale's Robbie Johnstone finished in 3rd and the first local home was Alex Ridehalgh in 6th place, to add another Ridehalgh name to the shield. Georgia Gray from Keighley and Craven, is really on form and put in a storming run to finish 4th overall and 1st girl. Lucy Horrocks from Wharfedale Harriers hasn't been racing much this season, but there was no evidence of this as she finished in 8th place as 2nd girl, with another Keighley & Craven runner, Tegan Knappy in 3rd. The Bradley Brownies' trophy for first local girl went to Lucy Hutchinson who finished in 13th place overall, just a whisker behind Tegan as 4th girl. In total 10 locals competed.

It was intended to run the under 12's and under 14's together, to fit in with show schedules, but the large numbers warranted separate races, starting with the under 12's. Forty one runners thundered down the playing fields to gain pole position at the narrow bridge which takes them out of the show ground, led by two Keighley & Craven runners; Josh Ferguson and Bradley local Phil Done. The two led the way through to the turn, with Josh getting the upper hand and returning in first place. Phil Done sprinted back in 2nd place closely followed by another club mate, Oliver Keating who took 3rd. Ellamae Gibson was dominant in the under 9's last season but has been finding her feet as she moved up to the next age group. She appears to have found her form, returning in 15th place and 1st girl, whilst Sally Handford of Keighley & Craven was 2nd girl, followed by Sarah Pickering of Ilkley Harriers in 3rd. Local Brownie, Grace Waller finished as 6th girl to receive the local girls' trophy. 14 locals competed.

After a short wait, the under 14's set off through the now trodden down fields, crossing Skipton Road and making their way across the fells towards High Bradley and back. Ben Johnstone of Wharfedale Harriers has put on some outstanding performances in the BOFRA series and once again he showed his class. Racing in the older age group due to show rules, he once again came home in the lead, ahead of James Hall from Bingley Harriers. These two have shared honours in recent races, but on this occasion, Ben got the upper hand. Skipton runner Jack Beetham was a short distance behind in 3rd place. Another runner who has been on top form this season is Keighley and Craven's Pippa Barrett, who carried on her winning ways with another victory, ahead of Nicole Narey of Bingley Harriers and Annie Roberts of Todmorden Harriers. Local lad Sammy Simmonite showed he had the nerve to tackle the fast course to take the first local shield.

The senior race continues past the under 14's turn, along a walled track to High Bradley, along a farm track and up to the top of the fell, with the under 17's turn a few hundred metres below the summit. Under normal circumstances this is a fast runnable race, but the recent weather had turned much of the track into a shallow river and runners had to negotiate becks and bogs along the way to slow them down. This made for an interesting route choice on the fell between the established path and the direct but slower route.

The under 17's and seniors set off together, however, the race included a number of under 17 runners who compete at the highest level and could have challenged well on the full course. Billy Pinder from Skipton AC hasn't been doing too much fell running this season, but the course suited his strong cross country skills and he had a good lead after the turning point. However he was pursued by two Silsden athletes; Thomas Sessford of Keighley & Craven and Johnny Bradshaw of Wharfedale, who have been performing at the highest standard this season and look favourable for an England call-up. In the end, Thomas Sessford put in a fine sprint to take victory by just 4 seconds. Johnny Bradshaw finished a short distance behind in 3rd. Bradley's Robbie Swift has been steadily improving over this season and put in a sound performance to finish in 6th place as first local. Emma Spencer from Pendle AC is always up in the reckoning and had a strong run to finish as 1st under 17 girl, ahead of Becky Lambson from Skipton AC. 3rd place went to another Pendle athlete; Holly Crabtree.

The seniors saw a strong performance from Ilkley Harrier Tom Adams, who seems to be in the form of his life, having recently won at Hebden Sports. Despite the conditions Tom finished in 1st place, a minute and a half off the course record in 25:41 and over a minute ahead of second placed senior, John Convery. John has been racing on the roads for many years, but this was his first attempt at a fell race, making his position all the more impressive. Third place went to Sam Tosh of Rossendale, just four seconds ahead of Skipton's Richard Barrett who had to settle for the first veteran prize after his second place last year. In what is becoming an irritating habit to some of us...Neil Pate from Skipton AC once again claimed the Bob Marchant trophy for first local, with a great run that saw him finish in 8th place overall. First Lady was Ruth Whitehead from Bingley Harriers who finished well up the field in 32:15. Catherine Gibbons of Ilkley Harriers arrived expecting to run in the under 17's, but as she had recently had her birthday, she fell into the senior age category for this race. However, undeterred she tackled the longer course in style, finishing in 2nd place. Wharfedale's Lynn Whittaker and Local Lady Val Done have had a number of battles this season and on this occasion, Lynn got the upper hand to take 3rd place, with Val finishing in 4th place to take the first lady vet prize and the Girlguiding UK trophy for first local lady. The event has been well supported by the local guides, who also provided the trophy for the first lady.

Sadly all of the planning that went into the family day was lost for another year, however the fell race was a resounding success. This could not have happened without the support of everyone who helped in their individual way. You all know who you are, so thank you once again. Hopefully next year the weather will be kinder to us.

Tim Done

6 September 2008 - Bradley Family Day update

The awful weather has waterlogged the playing fields at Bradley, preventing erection of the tents and stands. As a result, the family day has had to be cancelled. Stalls and exhibits will be moved to the village hall.

The good news is that the fell races will go ahead as planned, starting at around 2.15 pm with the under 9's. Under 12's and Under 14's will start at around 2.30 pm, followed by the Under 17's and Seniors around 3.00 pm. Depending upon numbers, the U12's and U14's may run separately as there is no schedule to follow. It is aimed to still provide refreshments and changing facilities at the cricket pavilion for those who wish to use them.

As the race is covered by FRA insurance, it is a requirement that every runner completes an entry form. These will be available on the day or can be downloaded here to save time.

Tim Done

4 September 2008 - Bradley Family Day update

Speculation is mounting over whether Bradley Day will follow Gargrave and Keighley Show and end up being cancelled. At present, there are no plans to cancel the show, and barring exceptionally bad weather, the fell races will go ahead.

Whilst Bradley is not a BOFRA championship race, the whole organising team will be ther to help, so it would be helpful if BOFRA members brought their BOFRA numbers.

If you have a perpetual trophy, please ensure that it is returned prior to the race day or contact me if you intend to bring it on the day

Keep looking at the website and I will update news as I get it

Tim Done

3 September 2008 - Muker Show report

Muker Show was quite a wet affair. Normally the race goes out and back through the river but with all the rain we've had the river was a no no. So the races went through 4 or 5 fields which also meant going through several stiles. The river was crossed via the bridge then you went along quickly to a steep climb up the fell. Once at the summit it was a dash across the ridge round a flag and back diagonally down the hill across the bridge, through the fields before finishing in the show ground...easy as that. With this being a senior counter at a crucial part of the season the big guns in each of the senior categories were all there, with the exception of our top lady at the moment Lisa Lacon.

So seniors and under 17's lined up on what is a very fast race, to do well you need to be switched on from the start. Jack Thompson started off like a greyhound out of the trap but when it came to the top of the fell Lee Athersmith was in number 1 spot with Alastair Dunn and Ted Mason hot on his heels. Things were very close between Lee and Alastair in the final fields with Alastair digging in and getting himself a hard earned win and Ted coming home in 3rd. This result put Alastair in pole position in the championship, but it's still to be won with 3 races to go. Back to Muker, Brendon Taylor put in another classy performance coming home in 4th with Mark Croasdale 1st vet 40 in 5th. Next was Mark McGoldrick followed by 1st under 23 Jack Thompson then another under 23 Sam Watson in 8th, first v50 was Jack Holt in 14th and 1st v45 Colin Urmston was back in 18th.

The ladies saw 2 locals take 1st and 2nd with Avril Hunter caliming victory, followed by Erica Moks. First BOFRA counter was Val Done in 3rd with a tremendous finish, passing Dawn Richards on the way in. Lynn Whittaker finished 7th lady with Sam Morphet first under 23 in 8th.

The under 17's saw a win for Luke Croasdale with Jack Smith in 2nd and Ben Stones of Muker 3rd.

The under 14's and under 12's saw 13 runners line up in this non-championship race, it was no surprise that two of our top BOFRA u12's came back 1st and 2nd; Ben Johnstone won by a 3 second margin over William Smith. 3rd place went to Leander Schlutermann on holiday from Germany only 10 seconds adrift. Mary Stones; a local, took 1st place in the girls with Muker's Madeline Hill in second and Leander's sister Emily in 3rd.

Our thanks to all who made this event run smoothly on a wet miserable day and to all who supported this event.

Barry Scholes

2 September 2008 - More photos added

Photos now added for Reeth Show, Cracoe, Ambleside, Hebden Sports, Grasmere Show, Kilnsey Show and Rusland Show

31 August 2008 - Photo Fest

Photos have been added for Badgerstone Relays, White Wells, Kettlewell, Weets, Beamsley Beacon, Cowling, Cracoe, Ambleside, Farleton Knott, Cray, Gargrave XC and Kilnsey Show.

More photos will be added soon for Hawkswick, Cracoe, Ambleside, Hebden Sports, Grasmere Show, Kilnsey Show and Rusland Show

28 August 2008 - Results added

Results added for Malham, Hebden and Kilnsey and West Witton. These will be updated to full xl/pdf files once verified by the race organisers.

28 August 2008 - Reeth Show report

Considering the shows that have been called off recently, our junior counter at Reeth Show went ahead, the rain kept off and conditions were very good. On the day we had a few problems with events running late and other things happening in the ring when the juniors were finishing. Also the flags on the fell were vandalised by some moron but hopefully we will be able to find a solution next year.

The senior race was first off with a field of 30 runners. It starts in the ring and muddles its way up several fields before negotiating the fell and once round the summit it's a rough descent through an old quarry and bracken before hitting a road section, down a little thicket and down the fields before finishing in the ring. On the day Andy Preedy brought home the runners, closely followed by Matthew Athersmith then 1st vet Gary Bastow. Ian Pudge followed in 4th with Andy Bennett and Andy Smith taking 5th and 6th. In the ladies it was nice to see 3 keen supporters of our races come 1st, 2nd and 3rd. Val Done collected a well earned win followed by Lynn Whittaker and Sue Narey.

Unfortunately Sam Athersmith went over on his ankle while descending and couldn't carry on. Thomas Wilson was the good Samaritan and pulled out of the race to help. Both lads were running really well so sadly we had 2 non finishers. Fortunately BOFRA members were on hand to give first aid before carrying Sam down to the safety of the showground. Last report was that Sam has a broken ankle, so we all hope that he makes a quick recovery.

The under 17's saw an in-form Jonathan Bradshaw put in a flyer. He climbed out of his skin with Tom Sessford not far behind but looking at their times these lads were giving it their all Johnny's time of 16.15 was astounding with Tom 24 seconds behind him. They were well up on the other runners led home by Robbie Swift in 3rd with Jack Smith and Will Marshall in pursuit. The girls were led home by Melanie Hyder who has been stacking up quite a few wins recently. She has had a great first year in the u17's, sealing victory in the championship with this win. 2nd and 3rd girls were Emma Flanagan and Jenny Dybeck. This has been a very competitive category and everything has been hard fought for.

The under 14's saw James Knox put in a classy performance to put over half a minute between him and James Hall with Daniel Walsh, Pascal Dark and Declan Bulmer taking the next 3 positions. Pippa Barrett put in a great descent to take 1st girls place, but not before a close fought battle with Lauren Munro-Bennett during which Lauren went over on her ankle and suffered a fracture to her leg. Incredibly, Lauren hobbled home in some discomfort to take 2nd place, with Nicole Narey in 3rd. Unfortunately Lauren will be in plaster for four weeks, making it a sad end to a great season. We all wish her well in her recovery.

The under 12's saw Ben Johnstone show why he's the boys champion in waiting with a cracking run leading home the 30+ runners comfortably, with Joe Stapleton and Phil Done finishing in 2nd and 3rd in the same time and Will Smith in 4th. Lorna Jo Nunwick carried on her winning ways leading home the girls with Rebecca Flanagan and Georgina Spencer 2nd and 3rd followed by Ellamae Gibson.

We had a few unexpected problems on the day but they were well managed by the committee and race organisers. We also had several nasty (but thankfully rare) injuries which hopefully won't keep our runners out for too long. Thanks to all who helped on the day. See you at Muker maybe!

Barry Scholes

16 August 2008 - Rusland Show

Russ Hyder sent in some photos of BOFRA members taken by Pauline Hyder, following victory in a number of races at the classic Rusland Show. They show (Left to right): Lauren Munro-Bennett, Melanie Hyder, Russ Hyder, Barry Scholes, Lorna Jo Nunwick and Tom Doyle.

Results as follows
Lauren: 1st U14 Girl and 2nd U17 Girl (Two separate races)
Melanie: 1st Lady in 5 mile senior race. 1st U17 Girl (Two separate races)
Russ: 3rd from last and suffering with the pain of it as I write this. 1.75 miles race
Barry: Not sure where he came in, but obviously miles in front of me. 1.75 miles race
Lorna: 1st U12 Girl and I think but not sure, she was also 1st overall (beat the boys)
Tom: 1st U17 Boy. Also ran 1.75 mile race but I don't know position.

Russ Hyder

16 August 2008 - Gargrave Cross Country race

The fell race had to be cancelled due to the state of the showfield, but John Thompson kindly put on an alternative race on his farm. The weather smiled kindly on the event and it was good to see all the youngsters out and about in this very picturesque setting. In fact, the whole event had a very nice atmosphere about it.

The leading U9s came in quite close together with Charley Lowrie of Wharfedale, just beating Charles Smith of Ilkley to the post.

The U12s was won by Will Smith of Wharfedale, ahead of Sam Convery of Bingley and James Broughton of Blackburn. Sally Handford was first girl, ahead of Ellamae Gibson of Wharfedale.

James Hall of Bingley took the U14s race ahead of Declan Bulmer of Pendle. Third place went to Pippa Barrett of Keighley & Craven, who was also first girl.

Jonathan Bradshaw had a comfortable win in the U17s ahead of Will Marshall and Ed Newbould.

The senior race was won by that remarkable athlete Gary Devine with a good lead on the chasers. Second place went to Lucas Payne, but with Sam Watson on his shoulder.

14 August 2008 - Gargrave show update

Following cancellation of Gargrave show, the BOFRA committee met today to discuss the implications of this on the championship. Kevin Rogan and John Thompson had decided at short notice to stage an alternative event at the Gargrave Cross Country venue on the same day. This race will go ahead, commencing at midday, with a full set of races (under 9, under 12, under 14, under 17 and seniors).

However, having considered all of the options and to ensure fairness it was decided that the Cross country race would NOT be used as a championship counter. It was also decided that we would not add another championship race in its place as it was too late in the day to arrange and ensure that all members were informed. This leaves the championship as the best 8 from 14 races.

It is unfortunate that the decision will result in a very small number of members being unable to complete the required number of races, however any number of incidents or events can occur over the space of a season which may prevent an individual from competing in a race. Cancellation of a show due to extreme weather is just another. For the small number who have been affected, the committee will look at how we are able to compensate you for this.

BOFRA is grateful for John stepping in to organise a race at short notice and would encourage as many runners as possible to support his event. Members may use their BOFRA numbers to assist with registration. Further information can be found here or by contacting John Thompson on 01756 749235

12 August 2008 - Gargrave show Cancelled

The Gargrave show committee met today and unfortunately due to bad weather, the show field has become un-useable. As a result, the show scheduled for Saturday 16th August 2008 has been cancelled. Terms of the insurance cover mean that it is not possible for the fell races to go ahead from that location.

Consideration is being given to staging the race at the Gargrave Cross country course on the same day, however it may be necessary to transfer championship status to another race

Further information will be updated on the website as soon as it becomes available

11 August 2008 - Muker Show

Muker show has returned to the senior championship list. Click on the image to see poster and generous prize list.

10 August 2008 - Kilnsey Race application form

If you are planning to enter the Kilnsey Show fell race, then you can pre-enter and get free entry into the show. Race entry costs £2 for seniors and is free for juniors

The application form is available by via the following link and should be forwarded with the appropriate fee and a stamped addressed envelope to Mr. P. Dean, 18 Wood Lane, Grassington, Nr. Skipton, North Yorkshire, BD23 5LU, by 16 August 2008

2 August 2008 - Ambleside report

Ambleside Sports seems to attract the rain as well as some Top Guns from the fell circuit so no surprise when Simon Bailey and Danny Hope lined up against our BOFRA runners for our senior event, with Alastair Dunn and Ted Mason in a tussle for maximum points in the championship. Things are very tight between these two at the top. In the race Simon Bailey came home a commanding winner with Danny Hope 21 seconds adrift, closely pursued by Ted and Alastair in 3rd and 4th. There was over a minute gap then to the first v40 Mark Croasdale and first v50 in 10th place was Billy Proctor.

Bingley's Mary Wilkinson showed why she's one of the top fell runners on the circuit coming home in 11th and 1st lady with Lisa Lacon 2nd and Kendal's Becca Robinson in 3rd; first lady vet was Dawn Richards back in 7th place and 60 seniors ran on the day.

In the under 17's race we had quite a bit of confusion over route choices but taking it from the finish however they got there Tom Sessford took the tape 3 seconds ahead of Tom Doyle with Johnny Bradshaw and Ashley Kay closely following .

Hannah Bateson of Lancaster & Morecambe came home 1st girl with Melanie Hyder close on her heels, Emma Flanagan took 3rd place.

Another Lancaster & Morecambe runner had a cracking race in the under 14's - Ryan Croasdale came home clear of the field to get a well earned win, whilst Ellenborough's Hannah Bethwaite took the honours in the girl's race.

The under 12's saw a massive 59 runners compete and the top guns in the championship battled it out, with Ben Johnstone scraping home by 3 seconds from William Smith - these lads were well clear of the 3rd placed Liam Burthem. Lorna Jo Nunwick had quite a tight win from Elisha Johnson with Lily Hodgson in 3rd.

Finally a big thank you to all who helped at this event.

Barry Scholes

1 August 2008 - Important note from the chairman

Regarding Ambleside Sports, on Wednesday evening Tim, Paul, Phil and Barry spent over 2 hours cutting the Guides race courses. Next day, (Show Day) we went off in our different routes to flag different parts of the courses hoping to make it easier to follow also trying to avoid scaling walls where possible. Everything we could do regarding your safety was done. The under 12's race and under 14's race went well. The under 17's race which was flagged slightly different to how it's been run in the past was well flagged but someone took it on themselves to try and send runners a different way to the flagged route (not a BOFRA member) so this caused quite a lot of arguments after the race about the positions at the top end. Immaterial of what short cuts people tell you to do, unless it's a BOFRA committee member and everyone else has knowledge of it - DON'T DO IT! We don't flag and cut out in the pouring rain for our own entertainment, the points for the under 17's have still got to be sorted out for the four counters as a result.

Also at the start of the season we said runners would race in their own age group - strange then that it was pointed out to me that a junior ran in the senior race with a number - if we make the rules we should stand by them.

Last thing - Registration. Everyone whether a BOFRA member or not needs to do this - it's hard enough for our people on the line, without trying to work out who has not registered when we end up with the wrong number of competitors at the start or finish. It is simple, if you don't register, you don't get your points. This was a BOFRA event and should have run by BOFRA rules!

Barry Scholes

30 July 2008 - Lee Proctor update

Lee has chipped a bone in the side of his foot and torn some ligaments, so he will be out of racing for a while. Morale of the story? If you are going to pose for the camera, make sure you can see where you are landing! Hope you are not out for too long Lee.

29 July 2008 - Message from Donna Baistow

Donna Baistow (Scott, Luke and Zoe's mum) collapsed after watching the Cracoe race and was taken to Airedale Hospital by ambulance. Fortunately there were a number of our members around to ensure that she was looked after until it arrived. Donna was released from hospital that night and while she will undergo some further tests, she is making a good recovery.

Donna and Bob are extremely grateful for the assistance that was given on the day and for the number of people who have subsequently called to see how she was getting on. Whilst they don't know everyone who helped on the day, their thanks go to you.

28 July 2008 - Cracoe Report

Cracoe Fell race starts off like a cavalry charge in every age group…whether you’re 6 or 60 you need to be switched on to stay with the runners. The race climbs several fields with a hay cart to vault and a couple of walls to scale. Each age group has it’s own turn round point except for the under 17's who do the senior course but in a separate race. It always creates a bit of interest as to who’s the quickest; the senior winner or the under 17 winner. The under 17’s and seniors go up some rough moorland to the obelisk above Cracoe, on their way negotiating some wide drainage ditches and a sheer climb up to and round the summit before launching themselves down the tussocky ground, jumping the ditches at pace and back through the fields as quick as your legs will move to the finish line. This all sounds good in theory but Sundays race was run in the hottest conditions we have competed in this year which slows most runners down unless you’re an athlete who likes the heat.

The senior race saw 2 high flyers from the F.R.A. ranks putting their feet on the line - Mary Wilkinson and Gary Devine. A field of 60 runners lined up in the senior race, and Gary fresh from a win at Cowling Gala took on the lead from the start building quite a lead at the summit with Ted Mason back in 2nd place. Even with Ted’s fearless descending this course is hard to bring back loads of ground, so crossing the line in 21.46 Gary held on by over half a minute, Ted came home 1st BOFRA counter for the championship making the half way point in our fixture list very interesting with him and Alastair sharing the honours with 4 wins each. Back to Cracoe with Ted collecting 2nd prize Brendon Taylor came home in 3rd with Lee Athersmith in 4th - both these guys are accomplished runners and Lee has run in BOFRA races for several years. 5th and 6th runners were Lee Passco and Sam Watson; considering Sam normally struggles in the heat this was a good result for him. The first vet 40 back was the race winner Gary Devine, Gary Bastow was the first vet 45 and the in-form Adrian Pickles took the over 50 prize and 10th overall.

The ladies race winner Mary Wilkinson had most of the senior runners behind her just outside of the top 10 in 12th place overall with a brilliant time of 25.26 considering the heat it was quite a result. Top BOFRA counter was Lisa Lacon in 2nd with Helen Glover taking 3rd prize and 4th went to Judy Howells. Lucy Griffiths was 1st u/23, whilst Dawn Richards put in a big run to keep her Lady Vets challenge alive ahead of Val Done and Lynne Whitaker.

The u/17's saw Tom Sessford put in a fantastic run with a time of 23.18 which in layman’s terms would have give him 4th place in the senior race (over the same course). This gave him a 36 second lead over Johnny Bradshaw with Matt Fretwell getting a well earned 3rd closely following. Jordan Beard was 4th with Ashley Kaye running back with one shoe in 5th. Melanie Hyder had a convincing win from Emma Flanagan to keep the under 17 girls competition alive, with Jenny Dybeck taking 3rd prize in a very competitive age group.

The u/14's saw James Knox carry on his winning form with a classy run, well in front of 2nd placed Sam Westcott and 3rd placed James Hall. The u/14's girls saw Pippa Barrett go past Lauren Munro Bennett in the last field to cross the finishing line as 1st girl, and Charlotte Cox came home 3rd girl.

The u/12's race saw 41 runners competing with Ben Johnstone getting another win and probably sealing the championship with a clean sheet. William Smith was only 6 seconds adrift in second and David Goad came home third. Rebecca Flanagan had a convincing win in the girl’s with Martha Pickles one second ahead of Sally Handford in third.

The under 9's saw 31 juniors charging up the field with Lewis Goad getting a close win from Charlie Lowrie and Thomas Sumner in second and third. The girls were led home by Georgia Gray, Lucy Whyte and Emily Cox having 5 seconds between them in second and third.

This week we are at Ambleside Sports on Thursday which is our ninth race in the championship hopefully we will see you there or next Sunday at Farleton Knott.

Barry Scholes

27 July 2008 - Ambleside order of events

The Order of events for Ambleside sports can be found here

27 July 2008 - A message from Lee Proctor

As many of you will know, Lee Proctor suffered a nasty injury to his ankle after turning it at Cracoe. Lee sends the following message

I would like to thanks all the kind people who aided me following my fall at Cracoe today, particularly Andy Bennett, Colin Moses, Ted Mason and the rest of the men (sorry, I don't know all your names) who took it in turn to carry (piggy-back) me down off the fell. Also thanks to the lady runner (who was on her way to a shift at A&E) who examined my ankle, and to whoever it was that ran off to the pub to get me some ice.

A final thanks to Andy Bennett, who drove my car back to Kendal!

Hope to see you all at a fell race soon! Thanks again,

Lee Procter

21 July 2008 - Hawkswick Report

A record field of 62 runners turned up at Hawkswick in the Yorkshire Dales. Hawkswick Dash is aptly named; it's a blast from start to finish negotiating some steep climbs, moorland and a cracking descent in about 11 minutes for the senior top guns. What a fine win Ted Mason pulled off, he broke off his work on the farm turned up at the race, kicked our butts, collected his prize and back to work. This keeps his championship hopes burning brightly. Brendon Taylor put in a massive run to finish in 2nd ahead of the 1st v40 Mark Croasdale. What a run by young Jack Thompson who had horrendous blisters last week at Alva, he came home in 4th. Mark McGoldrick collected 5th place with Colin Urmston 1st v45 in 6th, Matthew Athersmith was 1st u23 and 7th overall. Andy Preedy was 8th, with 1st v50 Adrian Pickles showing his class in 9th. Martyn Speight another vet finished in 10th. The race took a slightly longer route but it would only mean seconds to the times.

In the Ladies race the in-form Lisa Lacon would have beat the record from our normal start and finish so it was quite an achievement to come back in a time of 13.51. Further back there was an exciting tussle for 2nd lady with Val Done coming home like a steam train to pip Judy Marshall and Dawn Richards, Val was also 1st lady vet and this was her highest placed position in the ladies this season.

The under 17's took a new turn this week as Alva winner Tom Sessford sporting an injury turned up as a spectator, leaving Ashley Kay and Johnny Bradshaw battling it out up front. Two seconds parted them at the finish, with Ashley coming on top. Rossendale's Jordan Beard came 3rd with Matt Fretwell closely following. The under 17's girls saw the in-form Emma Flanagan take a comfortable win from Melanie Hyder with Pendle's Emma Spencer taking 3rd prize.

James Knox is stacking up the wins in the under 14's and put a six second lead over Ryan Croasdale in 2nd keeping him on track in the championship. James Hall was not far behind them in 3rd with three seconds separating Pascal Dark and Declan Bulmer. In the girls' Lauren Munro-Bennett looks the one to beat collecting an impressive win over Keighley's Pippa Barrett and Charlotte Cox in 2nd and 3rd.

The under 12's had 31 runners lined up which for here is fantastic. Ben Johnstone kept a clean sheet with a narrow victory over William Smith who is coming into some good form. Alexander Speight came home in 3rd with Phil Done getting nudged out of the prizes in 4th. The girls once again were led home by the in-form Lorna Jo Nunwick with Ludlow athlete Emma Clarke in second and Rebecca Flanagan a close 3rd.

The under 9's did a tough little course around the field with only 4 seconds separating the winner Joshua Newbold , 2nd Thomas Sumner and 3rd and 4th Charlie Lowrie and Robbie Johnstone. The girls were led home by Emily Cox with Kitty Morrison, Erica Nicholls and Katie Cox taking 2nd 3rd and 4th, 21 runners turned out.

Thanks to all who competed in our races at Hawkswick, a big 'thank you' to the land owners for the use of parking in the field and to all those who help in whatever way to keep these events happening. Next week's race is in the Dales at Cracoe. Hopefully we will see you there.

Barry Scholes

17 July 2008 - Hawkswick Dash Update

There has been a small change in parking arrangements for the Hawkswick Dash on Sunday. When you cross the small bridge in Hawkswick Village, we are now using the second field on the left (the one with the barn) not the first one as used previously.

12 July 2008 - Alva Games Report

Well! It was over the border to Scotland to the Alva Games. To those of us who went up camping we were blessed with a dry weekend. We always get a warm welcome at the games and free entry to the games for competitors. We've had loads of rain down here in England but the course up the Torry was dry as a bone and ideal for some runners. The Torry is a huge hill which dwarfs the town of Alva. The senior race is the main attraction and most of it can be seen from the showground, it is quite spectacular for the appreciative audience in the show ring.

The senior race had 66 runners completing the race with a very strong competition from Scotland. Alastair Dunn who was on for a Hat-Trick of wins took the bull by the horns and pulled off an awesome display of climbing to collect his 3rd win here, with Stirling runner Ewan McCarthy half a minute back in 2nd. The 3rd runner, Stewart Whitley held off the fast finishing Ted Mason by a fine margin - Stewart was 1st V40 and Ted was reasonably pleased coming away with a P.B. Bruce Elsworth put in a great run to come back in 7th place with Mark McGoldrick in 9th. First U23 man was Sam Watson in 11th with V50 Billy Proctor hot on his heels in 12th. Jack Thompson in his first year in the seniors would probably have been a lot further up but had some horrendous blisters which needed hospital treatment after the race so was quite a tough lad to finish in 13th.

Lisa Lacon must have broken any recent records in the ladies race with a magnificent win over last year's winner; Alva's Judith Turner. Third lady was Rowena Bell Scott and our other ladies were led home by Dawn Richards in 4th with Val Done, U23 Sam Morphet and Sue Narey in 5th 6th and 7th.

The dry conditions meant that all last years times in the junior events were beaten, the U17 winner Tom Sessford beat last year's time by almost half a minute to win a hotly contested race, with Johnny Bradshaw putting in a big effort to come home in 2nd. Tom Doyle had one of his best results so far this season to get 3rd place on the rostrum. The prize winners in the girls were 1st the in-form Melanie Hyder with local girl Rachel McIlwraith in 2nd and Rebecca Swindells in 3rd place.

The U14's saw James Knox win by a huge margin to show why he's leading the championship. He was followed home by Ben Till, with James Hall taking 3rd place. Declan Bulmer seems to be getting better and better as the season goes on and came back in a close 4th. In the girls' Lauren Munro-Bennett had over a minute up on 2nd girl Nicole Narey with Faith Biddle collecting 3rd prize.

Ben Johnstone is one of our runners who has yet to be headed, he's got loads of guts and a clean sheet with BOFRA wins this year. Once again he put in a brilliant run to come home well in front. Will Smith kept up his challenge to take 2nd place followed by David Goad in 3rd place. Lorna Jo Nunwick is another to be headed, winning the U12 girls' race convincingly from Alva runner Shauni Dewar. Sophie Marshall got a well earned 3rd prize.

Well done to all our athletes in every age group who went up to the games and ran, we should be well pleased with how the weekend went. A big Thank You to all our friends in Alva and to all who put their leisure time into making sure these events go ahead.

Next week "The Dales" at Hawkswick.

See you there!

Barry Scholes

5 July 2008 - Kirkby Gala Report

Our runners turned up at Kirkby Gala to race to find that due to torrential rain in the morning a lot of the side shows had been called off because the Gala Field was soddened. Nevertheless the sports side of it continued and we got our normal warm welcome from the organisers of the Gala and despite the downpours our juniors enjoyed themselves with what entertainment was there. Both our juniors and seniors enjoyed the fine array of cakes and confectionery put on by the ladies at Kirkby.

The senior fell race saw a record number of seniors for this event and what's more astounding is that 33 of the 45 runners were over 40's. Was this a vet's championship race? Ted Mason never fails to amaze me, in a race which is quite runnable with road, fell and moorland sections he found another gear and held off Alastair Dunn to cross the line in first place. The pair of them were a couple of minutes in front of Bingley Harrier Lee Athersmith; 'a class act' on his day. Not far off Lee was the 1st over 40, Kendal's Paul Dugdale with Mark McGoldrick in 5th . Our next 3 runners were all over 50's with Adrian Pickles putting quite a gap between him and the chasing pair Jack Holt and Paul Harlow. 9th was Stuart Hunn, who was also the first u'23 man, followed by 1st o'45 Colin Urmston.

In the ladies race Lisa Lacon had a flyer to come back 13th overall in the main event and well in front of her rivals. Evelyn Dugdale was 2nd lady home and 1st vet with Lynn Whittaker taking 3rd place in front of Dawn Richards, Val Done and Sue Narey. This is one of the longest races we do in the championship, they may come steeper but they don't come much harder.

The under 17's once again gave us an exciting finish with Ashley Kay holding off the in-form Johnny Bradshaw, with the closely packed Tom Sessford, Matt Fretwell and Jos Addison hot in pursuit. The girls' race was just as exciting seeing Emma Flanagan and Melanie Hyder battle it out on the fell, with Emma ending up a narrow winner. Rebecca Swindells took 3rd prize. The under 17's championship is still wide open and I for one feel that any one of half a dozen runners could win it. So come on lads keep us on the edge of our seats!

James Knox put in an impressive performance in the under 14's and had over a minute up on 2nd placed James Hall. These were followed home by Pascal Dark and Declan Bulmer. Megan Stuart had a fantastic run to come back in 5th place and first girl, with Nicole Narey and Charlotte Cox taking 2nd and 3rd prizes.

Ben Johnstone carried on his winning ways in the under 12's and looks unstoppable at the moment. William Smith kept up his championship challenge in 2nd place with Kendal's Thomas Taylor in 3rd place with one second separating the next pair, which were David Goad and Phil Done. Rebecca Flanagan made it a family double on the day just holding off Helm's Loren Appleyard with Megan Solomon taking 3rd prize.

Lewis Goad led the under 9's home with Thomas Sumner and Josh Newbold hot on his heels. The girls were brought home by Emily Cox with Emma Gittings and Mikey McVey taking 2nd and 3rd placings.

Finally a big thank you to Kirkby Gala committee for making us welcome and a massive thanks to all who helped on the day. Roll on summer, see you in Scotland hopefully!

Barry Scholes

22 June 2008 - Helm Hill Report

The Helm Hill race made you realise how mad us fell runners are. Who else would go out in gale force winds with the rain blasting into them...British Summer time, it's great isn't it. What an horrendous day for our championship race to fall on, I think most of the runners just wanted to get the job done and get off home. Our helpers on the line were well togged up but the rain still got through, but our thanks must go to them and the guys from Helm who cut out and flagged the course. The day went quite well, our only hiccup was the under 12's race, where we have their positions but unfortunately we had some problems with our timer (sorry about this).

The adverse weather conditions did not deter the hardy runners who turned up. The senior field saw 47 competitors set off, these were led home by Alastair Dunn keeping his championship campaign on song with Kettlewell's winner Ted Mason following him home in 2nd place, keeping pressure on the top spot. Paul Dugdale finished 3rd and 1st vet 40, with Mark Croasdale in 4th. First under 23 man was Jack Thompson in an impressive 5th place. Adrian Pickles was first vet 50 and had a great result to finish in 9th place. First vet 45 was Helm Hill's John Bagge. In the ladies' Lisa Lacon put in an impressive performance to finish 13th overall well in front of her competition. Jennifer Dunn finished 2nd with Kendal's Evelyn Dugdale coming in 3rd.

The under 17's once again had a different winner with Ashley Kaye putting plenty of daylight between him and Johnny Bradshaw. Jos Addison followed in 3rd place with Joe Johnston in 4th. Melanie Hyder gave an impressive performance in the race to collect 1st girl with 2nd place going to Melanie Morphet, so you could say it was a Mel one two. No one runner is dominating the under 17's and I think this championship is going to the line. I salute you, well done!

The under 14's saw a turn around, Ryan Croasdale breathing down James Knox's neck at the two previous races but Ryan turned the tables and put 21 seconds between him and James to get 1st place, with Daniel Walsh in 3rd. Lauren Munro-Bennett carried on her winning streak ahead of Megan Stuart with Zara Knappy in 3rd place.

Considering conditions I was amazed we had 35 under 12's turn up and once again Ben Johnstone took top spot followed home by David Goad, William Smith with Phil Done in 4th . The under 12's girls winner Lorna Jo Nunwick looks unbeatable at the moment, but we've a long way to go. Helm duo Loren Appleyard and Charlotte Milligan finished in 2nd and 3rd.

20 under 9's braved the dreadful conditions (I just hope none of them get put off). They ran a shorter course than normal but on the day it seemed like a sensible idea. The winner was Thomas Sumner closely followed by Lewis Goad with Joshua Newbold, Ben Singleton and Robbie Johnstone hot in pursuit. 6th place was first girl Georgia Gray followed by Katie Horn with Imogen Campion collecting 3rd prize.

Thank you all for supporting our races hopefully the sun will shine at some of them.

See you at Kirkby Gala!

Barry Scholes

19 June 2008 - A View of the Weets Fell Race, by Graham Breeze of Skyrac

You are one of three Skyrac runners at a fell race you have never run before (Barnoldswick Weets) and since it is sheeting down with rain on a mid-summer June evening you are sheltering in the car discussing 20:20 cricket. It is 5 minutes to the start and you suddenly notice every one has disappeared so you all leap out of the car and half a mile away on the top of a hill you can see runners. You sprint off in their general direction but do not really know how to get near them. You choose the wrong lane and start powering up a steep hill and then realise you are on the wrong track so with some guilt you clamber over two dry stone walls after running through wet, knee high, grass and panting you finally reach the runners to be calmly told the start line is at the bottom of the hill you have just raced up and just a few hundred yards from where you chose the wrong lane.

You race down the hill to see every other entrant on the start line raring to go. You start to take excess clothing off and tie your shoe laces while the starter explains to the gathered crowd that somehow even after 20+ years of fell running you are "new to the game" and he then shouts "Go!". You have had your adrenaline surge in getting to the line in panic and so you now experience the consequential dip as runners race past you.

It is pouring with rain and you find yourself near the back of the field with runners who have never beaten you in their lives thinking that Christmas has come early. You dig in and haul them back one by one crushing their dreams but then find your hastily tied shoe lace has come undone so you plod to the line trying not to trip over your flailing shoe lace while runners re-pass you.

You finish and then have a good laugh with your chums. Fell running? There is nothing like it. After all, it isn't cricket.

Results can be found here

15 June 2008 - Kettlewell Race Report

Kettlewell attracted record numbers in our latest event. It also attracted the rain, making conditions on the limestone course fairly hazardous. But fortune favours the brave and in the senior event Ted Mason excelled putting nearly half a minute between him and Alistair Dunn, making the championship look very interesting. This was a race for young guns with four under 23's in the top seven. Sam Tosh and Tom Addison were third and fourth and new to the seniors, Jack Thompson and James Mountain took sixth and seventh. Bruce Elsworth, who has run BOFRA races in every age group put in a sterling performance to finish in an incredible 5th place. First vet 40 and 9th place overall was Mark Croasdale, Peter Wilkin of Thirsk took the vet 45 prize and Jack Holt the vet 50.

The Ladies did us proud with 18 of them competing, these were led home by Holmfirth's Lisa Lacon who put in a brilliant performance with three quarters of the senior runners behind her. Helen Glover and Jennifer Dunn kept their eyes on the ladies championship with a second and third. First lady vet was Carol Life.

The under 17's once again changed hands with Tom Sessford holding off Johnny Bradshaw in a very competitive 31 runner race. These were followed in by Coniston Gullies winner; Matt Fretwell, with Helm duo Tom Doyle and Jos Addison closely following. In the under 17's girls Emma Flanagan put in an impressive performance with quite a wide margin over second place Melanie Hyder. Third place went to Emma Spencer. This age group is very strong and everything is earned the hard way with a great deal of effort.

The under 14's boys saw James Knox keep Ryan Croasdale at bay - these two lads are having quite a battle at the front. Following these were Sam Westcott, Daniel Walsh and James Hall in a very competitive race. The girls race was once again won by Lauren Munro Bennett with Keighley's Pippa Barrett and Charlotte Cox collecting second and third prizes.

The under 12's saw Ben Johnstone collect his 3rd BOFRA win this year, with William Smith and David Goad taking second and third. The girls were led home by another athlete with a clean slate this season; Lorna Jo Nunwick, with Megan Solomon and Ellamae Gibson in second and third places. This was a great turnout for the under 12's with 33 runners.

Considering we don't have an under 9's championship we still managed to attract 35 up and coming runners. In our under 9's races we like to think that our courses are not too severe in their introduction to fell running but I implore parents not to put them off running at an early age by putting too much pressure on them, it should be enjoyable when you are this age. Anyway getting back on to the under 9's race, Helm's Lewis Goad led home probably our biggest under 9's field with second and third places going to Joshua Newbold and Ben Singleton. The girl's first second and third were Emily Cox, Lucy White and Amy Wescott.

Well done to all our competitors and a big thank you to everyone who were involved in the smooth running of the races on a very wet day.

Hope to see you all again at Helm.

Barry Scholes

13 June 2008 - Member discount deal

For 2008, BOFRA have teamed up with one of their sponsors to provide nutritional products for BOFRA members at a discounted price.

Team Nutrition is a UK based company dedicated to developing tasty and effective sports nutrition. All of their hydration, nutrition and physio products are developed around the body's natural ability to process the ingredients effectively to ensure the products contribute to the competitive edge during leisure pursuits, training and competition. Team Nutrition, believe that theirs is the only range of sports nutrition supplements that are completely free of all preservatives, additives, artificial colours and aspartame. All of their products are certified drugs free as per the WADA code.

Having used a wide range of these products during preparation and completion of the 2008 Yorkshire 3 peaks race, I was pleased that they performed far better than expected. The drinks, gels and energy bars all provided effective and tasty hydration and nutritional support without upsetting the stomach - which in my experience cannot be said of other leading brands. My particular favourites were the nak'd and trek bars, natura fruit bars and the honey based gels which were both delicious and effective.

Team Nutrition will be coming along to championship races later in the season to provide samples of their products and nutritional advice. In the meantime, you can benefit from a special deal to claim a 10% discount on all products purchased via their website - www.teamnutrition.co.uk. For each purchase made, a donation will be made by the company to BOFRA, so everyone wins. Just put the code BOFRA10 in the discount code box at checkout to claim your discount.

Further information will be posted in due course, but if you have any questions just ask.

Tim Done

12 June 2008 - Fancy having your photos/videos on a national website?

If you have ever fancied having your photos displayed on a national website, for all to see and marvel at, then this is your opportunity.

Since the website was launched we have had a number of keen photographers who have kindly submitted their photos of our fell races for all to see. Website hits show this to be a particularly popular area, however only a handful of individuals ever contribute, placing a heavy commitment on them to keep providing content for your website.

Many parents regularly turn up and take photos of their children, friends, clubmates etc which are rarely seen by the subjects. Whilst it may entail a bit of effort on your part, it would be great if they could be shared with all. If you can spare the time to drop the photos onto a CD or forward them via Picassa (provided by Google), then I will happily spend the time uploading them onto the website.

The only stipulation I make is that photos are 'appropriate', correctly orientated and any necessary editing is done before the files are saved to file/CD. Your photo may end up on the front page of the website and if uptake is good, I will be in a good position to pursuade the committee to provide prizes for a photo competition!

Recent feedback about display of Andy Holdens fine video clips of Coniston Gullies on the website, show that videos are very popular and you would like to see more of them. I have tried numerous ways to embed video onto the website and none are reliable without extensive outlay on software. However the advent of You tube has allowed this content to be very easily displayed without difficulty, so let's see what you have got!

12 June 2008 - Calling all Garmin owners

I have made a bit of a start inputting a race route and course profile on the Sedbergh race page and whilst it looks OK, there is a bit of tidying up to do. I intended to map out the rest of the championship courses in this way, but I failed miserably on the second race, by missing Coniston Gullies. If you have a Garmin course profile for any of the BOFRA races, it would be appreciated if you could forward them by email so that I can provide course information before each race.

Tim Done

10 June 2008 - Alva Reminder

Just a quick reminder. If you are intending to run at Alva games, could you please notify Colin Beck (details on news item below) before 30 June 2008. Colin will be at Kettlewell if you want to see him personally. Alternatively you can send your details to me by email and I will forward them on.

10 June 2008 - Coniston Gullies Video

Andy Holden turned out to support the runners at Coniston Gullies and took along his video camera. He took some great footage which shows just how challenging this course can be. With Kev Rogan's help, we now the video to view here. Hope you enjoy it. Cheers Andy.

Whilst on the subject of Coniston, I am trying to update all of the championship races with course profiles, with the assistance of my Garmin Forerunner GPS. Unfortunately I was relegated to spectator at Coniston, so was unable to obtain a course profile. If you took your Garmin watch could you please forward your workout by email to . Thanks.

5 June 2008 - Press clippings

I am starting to add press cuttings to the results section as they provide a report of the race from a more local perspective. If you have any press cuttings that you would like to add to the website concerning any of the BOFRA races, could you please forward them to including details of the paper in which they appeared.

2 June 2008 - Alva Games race programme

The famous Alva Games 2008 take place on Saturday 12th July 2008, incorporating the British Championship Hill Race and British Junior Championship Hill Race (under 17) as well as separate races for under 14 and under 12 competitors.

Competitors can enter on the day and do not need to be BOFRA members, however, the organisors like to list competitors in the official race programme, in which case they need details of those intending to race in advance. If you are planning to race at Alva this year, could you please inform BOFRA secretary; Colin Beck at 21 Airedale Mews, Carleton Park, Skipton, BD23 2TF with your details before 30th June 2008, so that he can pass them on to the organisors. Alternatively, you can telephone Colin on 01756 792869

29 May 2008 - Killington Sports Results

Killington Sports took place in beautiful sunshine. The Senior Fell race was won by Tom Addison of Helm Hill followed by Ted Mason of Wharfedale and Mark Addison of Helm Hill. First Lady was Helm's Jennifer Dunn with Lynn Whittaker from Wharfedale and Judith Marshall in 2nd and 3rd.

Full results as provided by the race organisors can be found here. Please let me know if there are any typos etc. whilst queries regarding results should be directed to the show organisors.

24 May 2008 - Badgerstone Results

This postponed race took place this weekend and fourteen teams took part. Pudsey & Bramley dominated the event by taking the first team place with their vets team coming second. The Wharfedale team came third. As usual with this event, all sorts of teams took part and full results can be found on the Wharfedale Harriers website.

18 May 2008 - Sedbergh Race Report

The 2008 season kicked off at Sedbergh Gala, with record attendances in most of the age groups. As usual, the day started off with the seniors' race, where a change to the start line due to the gala adding a second show arena, made the mass charge to the outer fence all the more important. The weather held out leaving almost perfect conditions for the long climb up Winder and allowed for a fast descent. Once again, a number of runners were caught out by the gorse bushes at bottom resulting in a number of imaginative route choices.

The seniors' season started as 2007 finished, with Alistair Dunn returning in first place, followed by Mark Horrocks (who also took the prize for 1st V40). Ted Mason completed the trio coming back in third. Helen Glover started the season in style as first lady, with Nicky Lavery and Lucy Griffiths in 2nd and 3rd. Paul Tuson took the prize for 1st local.

The under 17's race saw Jonathan Bradshaw beat Tom Sessford and Ashley Kay into 2nd and 3rd places and sets the tone for some really good racing this season. This year has seen a huge increase in the number of members in the under 17 girl's category and three of the top runners competed today. Melanie Hyder took first place ahead of Emma Flanagan and Emma Spencer in 2nd and 3rd. James Brock took the first local prize.

The under 14's race promised to be a close fought battle, with James Knox moving up from the under 12's which he dominated last season fighting for the lead with Ryan Croasdale. Unfortunately, James mistook the turnaround point and failed to complete the full course. He declared his mistake at the finish and despite the obvious disappointment accepted his inevitable disqualification in a sporting manner. Ryan Croasdale cruised home to take first place, followed by Sam Westcott in 2nd place and David Walsh in third. This age group is set for some exciting races over the season. Sprint finish of the day has to go to Pippa Barrett, who arrived at the gala field fence together with Lauren Munro-Bennett and Megan Stuart. The race went right to the line, with Pippa holding off Lauren and Megan into 2nd and 3rd places.

Final race of the day was the under 12's, with a massive entry of 47. The charge to the fence was as ferocious as the seniors, but some of the younger runners were hampered by their size. Up front, Ben Johnstone and first local, David Goad led the field from the start, and returned in 1st and 2nd places ahead of Harry Cooling in 3rd. Lorna-Jo Nunwick dominated the under 12's championship last year and started 2008 as she means to go on, with another fine win. Lauren Appleyard and Rebecca Flanagan took 2nd and 3rd places.

Dave and Eileen Woodhead turned up to cheer on the runners on have taken some great photos of the event. Once again there was great support from the gala committee who put on an excellent show.

Membership to date is up 30% on last year and there has been a significant increase in the number of ladies who have joined, so hopefully we will see some great racing in all of the age categories. Next race is at Coniston Gullies on 2nd June.

Tim Done

13 May 2008 - White Wells Reminder

Just a reminder that the White Wells race scheduled for 17 May 2008 was cancelled. Junior races will be run at the rescheduled Badgerstone relay on Saturday 24 May 2008.

If you have any queries, please contact the organisers - Bob Hamilton 01943 816776 or Dave Hird 01535 653826

11 May 2008 - 1 week to go

Well it's back round again - The 2008 BOFRA season is just a week away. Race numbers have been posted out and should be with members now. The championship races are open for anyone to enter on the day, but if you want to claim points towards the BOFRA championship you need to be a paid up member. As membership applications cannot be processed on the day, the last date to receive applications and get numbers out in time to claim points at Sedbergh will be Wednesday.

If you fancy a good midweek race to prepare, why not come to the Jack Bloor Fell race at Ilkley on Tuesday 13th May. It is a great run, with proceeds to a great charity. Full details on the attached flyer or visit the Jack Bloor Website

3 May 2008 - Race numbers are ready

The 2008 season race numbers have been delivered and have definitely been worth the wait. Last season a number of members thought that the 2007 numbers were not durable enough to last the season, so our numbers sponsor; CrossTrax have forked out for some top quality triathlon numbers, adding some neat graphics for good measure.

The numbers have been allocated and are ready to post out, so they should be with members midweek, in plenty of time for the start of the season at Sedbergh.

I have worked out that I have just one day free before Sedbergh to sort out any new membership applications in time, so if you want championship points from the first race, you need to get your applications in pretty sharply. Whilst membership applications will be accepted at Sedbergh, they will not be processed until after the race.

23 April 2008 - Dick Hudsons results

The first of the races on our calendar took place with a fine turnout of runners and cyclists. The race was won by cyclist Graham Pearce of 'Crosstrax', followed by Runners Ian Nixon of Pudsey and Bramley and Mark Horrocks from Wharfedale Harriers. Full results are attached as an XL file or Pdf file. A race report can be found on the Wharfedale Harriers Website

14 April 2008 - Chairman's foreword - 2008 BOFRA Season

Having run in BOFRA events for 20 years now, how can I not try to convince other runners to put on their fell shoes and join us. We are a family orientated organisation and are keen on encouraging athletes to compete at whatever level or ability. BOFRA is a nice grounding for any runners who want a sense of achievement in their lives; it's not always the ones that win that get the most out of races, the runners at the back of the field have everything to aim for without the pressures of those at the front. It's a lot nicer to see a junior runner doing their first race come back with a smile on their face, than seeing a top runner get pipped at the post coming out with a bunch of excuses or disappearing quicker than they raced!

Some of our senior champions have come from the back of the field and set a great example to other's when it comes to taking defeat on the chin, there's always next week. Paul Buckley a former BOFRA member hit it on the head when he said "it's nice to be winning, but it's winning to be nice". Everyone wants the good guys to win and your attitude to racing can influence your amount of support, so it's worth giving it some thought. With the start of the 2008 season quickly approaching, I hope you are all eager to give us your support in whatever way at our races, which start with a really nice day out at Sedbergh Gala on the 17th May.

Tim Done has taken over as Membership Secretary this year, so if you are signing up get your forms in before Sedbergh. Last year's Membership Secretary Andrew Biddle, after years of loyal service to BOFRA, stepped down from this position but will still be involved in other aspects of the organisation. He deserves a big 'thank you' for all the good work he's done. Tim's workload seems enormous with maintaining the website, stats and now the membership secretary, so any way we can make his job easier will be gladly accepted in whatever form.

Colin Beck will continue the great job he does as our Secretary which keeps the Shows, Landowners, National Parks, Pub Sponsors etc., happy and the smooth running of our events. Graham Grinstead will carry on this season as our Treasurer which means our finances are in safe hands. Kevin Rogan carries on his role as our President involves a number of tasks as the season moves on. Vice Chairman Bryan Morphet and wife Jayne will be there on the line for us at our events; and with the help of my wife Pauline, they do a sterling job, week in, week out. Without these people, there would be no point in turning up, as we wouldn't have any races. The Chairman's job will remain in my hands this year I will continue to provide support in whatever way I can. Lots of people get involved as the season progresses, but if you feel you can help us in any way it will be more than welcome. I'm sure we will all have an enjoyable 2008 season and I look forward to seeing you at our events.

Good Luck, stay fit and enjoy your racing.

Barry Scholes
BOFRA CHAIRMAN

9 April 2008 - Badgerstone Relay postponed / White Wells cancelled

I have just received notification from the organisers that due to organisational difficulties, the Badgerstone relay planned for Saturday 12 April has had to be cancelled. The race has been rescheduled to Saturday 24 May 2008 and will now include a full range of junior races.

The White Wells race scheduled for 17 May 2008 has been cancelled. Any queries relating to these affiliated races should be directed to the organisers - Bob Hamilton 01943 816776 or Dave Hird 01535 653826

The BOFRA championship races commence on 17 May 2008 at Sedbergh gala.

28 March 2008 - Season update

The BOFRA race calendars have been printed and have been posted to all of last year's members, together with an application form for the 2008 season.

Please try to return your application form as soon as possible to allow for allocation and posting of race numbers prior to the first race at Sedbergh on 17 May 2008.

4 March 2008 - Season update

The AGM took place on 6 Feb 2008. A summary of the meeting is attached here

Membership forms and race calendars will be circulated to 2007 members once printed, however if you want to send you application in before then, application forms are now available on the membership page

Fixtures for 2008 season are now available on-line on the 2008 Race Calendar page

6 February 2008 - AGM reminder

Just a quick reminder that the AGM will be held after the Barbon Fell Race on the 17th February approx 2-30pm at Ingleton Ex Servicemen's Club (Bottom club). Any items for the agenda should be forwarded, in writing, to the Secretary, Colin Beck, by 12th Februay 2008 at the following address:

Colin Beck
21 Airedale Mews
Carleton Park
Skipton
BD23 2TF

The website will be updated with any information about the 2008 season as soon it is available.

21 January 2007 - Website changes

The website has recently moved to a new server, which has resulted in some files being unavailable for a few days. Most of the initial problems have now been remedied although there are a few broken links and a few pages that still aren't behaving as they should!

If you come across a page which doesn't load after a couple of attempts, or does not display properly, then let me know and I will sort it out. Send an email to:

I only need a few details and it will make the site better for everyone if everything works correctly.

21 January 2007 - Caption Competition results

There were fifteen entries for the caption competition and some amusing suggestions were received. The competition was judged by an independent panel and after much deliberation, the most apt and amusing entry was chosen. Click on the thumbnail to view the winning entry which was submitted by Eileen Woodhead.

Congratulations to Eileen - a bottle of wine is in the post. Thanks to everyone for your entries and to Emma and Roger for the inspiration, I hope it has been a bit of fun.

11 January 2008 - Chairman's update

Just an update on what's happening at the start of 2008. Quite a lot of BOFRA runners are now competing in the Kendal Winter League which is a good way of keeping fit early on in the year. The next race is at Firbank fell on Sunday.

The BOFRA AGM will be held after the Barbon Fell Race on the 17th February approx 2-30pm at Ingleton Ex-Servicemen's Club (Bottom club). If any of our members have any ideas to improve our organization or any offers of help / sponsorship then we would appreciate it if you contacted us on the BOFRA Website so any issues can be put before the members at the AGM; or come along and voice your concerns or ideas.

The 2007 season went well with plenty of you helping out with events, which is very much appreciated. Any offers of help however big or small are gladly accepted. At the moment the start of the BOFRA championship seems a long way off but its surprising how quickly it comes round, so hopefully we will be well prepared when we start at Sedbergh Gala.

See you at the AGM or the races.

Barry Scholes.

4 January 2008 - A touch of nostalgia

Our Barry is great one for nostalgia and has sent in the attached photo to show that he isn't the only winner of the 2nd division trophy. It is nice to see that prior to his rise to stardom, Borat was a capable athlete who also achieved great things on the fells.

Barry thinks that the year is 1995, but is he right? Can you identify the correct year and names of the winners? Click on the thumbnail for a bigger picture.

Apparently it was a lot harder in those days too, when the season spanned 52 weeks and the race calendar looked like a phone directory. Attached is a copy of the race calendar for 1997 which contained 52 races in the English calendar (of which 18 were championship races) and 17 in the Scottish calendar. This was back in the days when BOFRA fielded a national team.

2 January 2008 - New Year Round-up

The New Year is upon us and there have been several races giving us the opportunity to blow away some of the Christmas excesses. The year ended with the ever popular Auld Lang Syne race from Peniston Hill on New Year's Eve. The 6 mile race across the moors around Haworth was won in fine style by Alistair Brownlee of Bingley Harriers, setting a new course record. First lady was Olivia Walwyn from Altrincham. Full results, race report and photos can be found on the Woodentops website.

New Year was kicked off with the 24th running of the New Year's Resolution road race from Silsden in Yorkshire. The 3 mile race featured a steep uphill start and blistering finish to suit many a fell runner. The race was won by Wharfedale Harrier Jason Helmsley. Full results are attached here.

For those of you who want to get stuck into some fell running, then Helm Hill Runners have just the thing, with the excellent Kendal Winter League. The first race starts on Sunday 6th January at Scout Scar, Brigsteer Road, Kendal. Full details can be found on the Helm Hill Runners website.

The BOFRA AGM, will be held on Sunday 17th February 2008 (after the Barbondale KWL race), in the ex-Servicemen's Club (the bottom club) at Ingleton, commencing at 2.30pm. Any items for the agenda should be forwarded, in writing, to the Secretary, Colin Beck, by 12th Februay 2008 at the following address:

Colin Beck
21 Airedale Mews
Carleton Park
Skipton
BD23 2TF

The website is in process of being updated to remedy some early scripting errors and to meet different requirements of our new web server. This is also an opportunity to freshen up the pages and make them easier to load. During this process you may notice some web pages fail to load correctly. If the error does not resolve using the refresh button, then please let me know. If you have any ideas about how the website can be improved, which are not included in the planned update, then now is a good time to put them into effect. Jot your ideas on an email and send them to:

18 November 2007 - Caption Competition

Well the season may be over, but there is still chance to take part in another BOFRA competition. This time it is a caption competition and the rules are simple. Click on the photo, decide what Roger has just broadcast and email your answer (in not more than 12 words) to with the title "Caption Competition".

Entries close on 28 December 2007 and the winner will be the person who pens the most apt or amusing quote.

Some BOFRA booklets reviewing the 2007 season are still available at £1 each. Contact me to reserve a copy.

Tim

11 November 2007 - BOFRA Presentation dinner

If you're not up for a good time then the BOFRA Presentation was definitely not the place to be. The Carleton once again provided a great venue, with a great atmosphere and really good meal.

Once we got the business of eating out of the way, we got down to the trophy presentation. We had a fine array of awards courtesy of the Royal Mail Sports Foundation, a bundle of T-shirts and Hope Technology gave us seven superb head torches for the senior winners. This year we had two guests of honour: first the Daddy of Sport - Roger Ingham MBE!; and our Scottish envoy who you all know from the Alva Games - Craig Dunbar.

First up was Roger to present the junior trophies. The recipients of most of these are known before the night, but we have two special trophies for the juniors which are revealed on the night. The Silver salver for most improved runner went to Amy Fretwell, whilst the shield for the most outstanding athlete went to another young lady - Melanie Hyder. All the juniors seemed well suited with their well earned awards.

Craig came up to present the senior awards which saw last year's senior winner Alastair Dunn take the main award once again - by a one point margin. Here's a true champion! Our lady champion this year was Kate Rogan.

Once again we had another award which is only disclosed on the night - the 2nd Division. This was another trophy that went back to last year's winner - yours truly. No it's not a fix I gave ten quid to Colin. The senior prizes were mostly glassware and t-shirts and everyone went away happy. I for one did and I'm sure the winners of the head torches will be lightheaded from now on!

Getting the business end of the night out of the way it was time to party. To start off with we handed a sheet of clues and anagrams relating to 16 of our runners to get us all thinking. Our Master of Ceremonies Kev Rogan revealed the answers and we had five teams tying on points. We set another conundrum as a tie-breaker and the first one to get to us with the answer being the winner. It's the first time I've seen Tim Done out run Ted Mason to get the prize.

The night continued with a few more party games which everyone enjoyed whatever age. We also had the raffle with loads of good prizes up for grabs. The disco saw our young athletes show us they are not only gifted runners but party animals as well, as they strutted round the dance floor in their best togs. Ted once again took total command of the dance floor and what a mover this guy is. Plenty stayed on 'till the finish at one o'clock, partying the night away.

It was a great night and I feel very privileged to have been part of it. I haven't named all our category winners as they can be found on the BOFRA Website. Also, it's a must to go to our picture gallery to see all the runners at the BOFRA do, dressed in their finery enjoying a great evening. If you are looking for a memento of the season, we have also put together a limited edition booklet, with our thoughts on the season, league positions and a selection of photos. There are few booklets left at just £1 each. Contact Tim to reserve your copy before they all go.

Hope to see plenty of you at the Winter League races which start in January. Have a nice Christmas and keep fit.

Barry Scholes

28 October 2007 - Woodentops on line

It has taken some time, but the Woodheads have at last been dragged kicking and screaming into the 21st century with the release of their new website Woodentops.org.uk. It covers all of their races from Penistone Hill, together with information about the Yorkshire championships and other FRA races that they organise. With race info, results, photos and even some video, they have got off to a fine start. Pop in and have a look.

13 October 2007 - Wasdale show report

Wasdale show is the final race in the BOFRA championship and with many final positions up for grabs, the races proved to be particularly competitive. The senior race takes runners on a steep climb up the 2,500 feet of grass, mud and scree to the summit of Kirk Fell and back. Juniors find their turnaround points along the route.

Conditions on the day were not ideal, with half of the imposing mountain shrouded in mist. Whilst to the uninitiated this made the task look less of a challenge, the visibility from midway to the top made this a real challenge to complete the race without losing the track, falling on the difficult terrain, or getting injured. A large number did one or the other, whilst some of us managed to do all three, but we all returned to fight another day. Despite all the cuts and bruises our runners all showed great determination and tenacity that has made the season so exciting. Well done to you all.

The senior race saw Mark Horrocks (and his compass) claim his 5th victory of the season, bringing him within a single point of the championship leader Alistair Dunn. In 2nd place was Colin Moses, a minute ahead of 3rd placed Bruce Elsworth. Sam Watson put in a strong performance to take 4th place in both the race and the Championship as well as 1st position in the U23 category. Vet 40 Colin Urmston was in 5th place, sealing a great season which saw him finish in second place in the V40 championships. 6th place went to first V45 Paul Tuson, who also claimed 2nd place in the V45 championship. First V50 was Jack Holt in 10th place to seal his position as first V50 in a really consistent season.

The ladies championship couldn't have been closer leading up to the final race, with both senior and V40 categories being decided on the day. First lady was Kate Cooper who returned in 27th place overall, followed by Lyndsey Buck four places behind. Third place was sufficient for Kate Rogan to claim maximum championship points and finish the season as overall winner. Fourth place went to Jane Rousseau. The battle between Dawn Richards and Lynn Whittaker has been relentless all season, so it was no surprise to see the two battling it out for the final championship positions. On this occasion Dawn got the better of Lynn to finish just one place ahead in 5th place to claim 2nd position in the senior ladies' championship and 1st in the V40 category (again, one place ahead of Lynn in each category).

The under 17's category has been one of the most fiercely competed this season and today was no exception. Matthew Fretwell has been troubled by injuries this season, but this was not evident by his performance on the day, beating Tom Doyle, Tom Sessford and Johnny Bradshaw into 2nd, 3rd and 4th places respectively with just 16 seconds between them. The result saw Tom Sessford retain his 3rd place in the championship behind James Mountain and Alex Till. Jack Thompson could only manage 6th place on the day behind Scott Thwaites, but secured 4th place in the championship. The under 17 girls race was missing Emma Flanagan who has already secured first position in the championship, however the three girls brave enough to take on this mountain were fighting for their place in the championship, having all secured wins in previous races. On the day, Amy Fretwell completed a family win taking first place, with a comfortable lead over Emma Thompson and Sarah Wilson to take 2nd place in the championship ahead of Emma and Sarah in 3rd and 4th.

The under 14's race set off with the seniors and despite the short stampede to the wall climb, they all seemed to come out of it without getting trampled. Paul Richardson led the way taking first place ahead of Dale Sutton whose 2nd place secured him 3rd place overall in the championships. With championship positions at stake, Scott Baistow put in a strong performance on the day to take 3rd place ahead of Jake Uren. Their efforts were rewarded as they moved up to joint 4th place in the championship. Only 3 girls competed in this race and they returned home in the same order as they finished overall in the championship, with first girl - Rebecca Swindells finishing 3rd for the season, Mel Morphet in 4th and Faith Biddle 5th.

The under 12's race saw championship winner James Knox put in another strong performance to win his 9th race of the season. As usual there was strong competition from the following field, with Ben Johnstone only 9 seconds behind in 2nd place. James Hall was 5 seconds behind in third place to secure second place in the championship ahead of Ben. Sam Stockdale put in a strong performance to finish 4th in the day (5th overall), ahead of Phil Done (4th overall) and Declan Bulmer (6th). Lorna-Jo Nunwick finished the season as she started it, with another win, taking her tally to twelve. Nicole Narey pulled out the stops to complete her eighth race in 2nd place, ahead of Lilly Hodgson and Ellamae Gibson to finish 2nd overall in the championship. Next Girl was Chelsey Holder who finished in 5th place on the day and 4th overall.

As usual thanks must go to everyone involved in the organisation of the race, particularly to the support from the Fell rescue teams that spent a couple of hours at the summit of Kirk Fell in dismal conditions to ensure that everyone arrived safely.

So that is it for the Championship this year, but there is still some opportunity for a bit of fun at the Malham charity relays at 11.30 on Sunday 21 October. Finally we have the BOFRA Presentation dinner on Saturday 10 November, so don't miss it.

Tim Done

7 October 2007 - Chairman's reflections

It's hard to believe that the 2007 season has nearly come to an end. We've had great support at our races in all age groups and some very close competition, which has been great for the supporters and spectators. We have also had a lot of people who have been hands-on, so things have gone really smoothly. We have one championship race left at Wasdale which could alter some of the final top placings in most age groups so there is still plenty to play for.

Moving on, we have Malham Relays the weekend after Wasdale which is great fun, with the juniors running with the seniors in this team event. All proceeds raised will be given to a local charity - and that's not me!

Our grand finale of the year is the BOFRA dinner where we all let our hair down. It's a great night for all the family with quizzes, raffle, games, disco and Ted doing his dance floor athletics. It's a chance to put on your glad rags instead of your running gear. It's also a time for getting rewarded for all your efforts through the season at our Annual Presentation. If you havent been before, it's a brilliant evening with good food, good fun, refreshments and most of all good company. If you've supported our races it's a night not to be missed. 2007 has been a great year thanks to you all and I hope to see you soon!

Barry Scholes

7 October 2007 - BOFRA Kit recycling

Have you ever run a couple of miles and realised that your brand new Walshes should have been half a size bigger? More likely, have your children cost you an arm and a leg on fell kit only to find that they have grown out of it in a couple of weeks, or decided that they really preferred the first pair of shoes they had tried on after all, or they have simply found that fell running is not their thing?

If this all sounds familiar, and you are left with a load of kit that you no longer use, but it is too good to throw away - then help is at hand with the BOFRA recycling scheme! This year, we have seen an increase in the number of adults and children who have tried their hand at the sport. Many have really taken to fell running and will keep the sport alive in the future.

The aim of the scheme is to liberate that old fell kit from your wardrobe and give it a second and third chance with our new / up and coming athletes. There would be no charge for the service but any donations could be fed back into the sport / charities if it proves to be successful. It is hoped that the scheme will also allow newcomers to have a proper go at fell running, with the proper kit before they decide if it is for them.

If you want to take part and have any fell shoes / other kit which you think would be of use to someone else in the fell running community, particularly the juniors, I will help to find it a new home. To pass it on, bring it along to Wasdale / pass it on through friends and colleagues / post it or give me a call and I will arrange to collect it wherever possible.

My full details can be found on the contact page. Many Thanks,

Tim

1 October 2007 - Photo competition update

Apologies for the delay with this one - things have been quite hectic. Anyway, the entry with the most information was submitted by Lee Proctor, who filled most of the gaps. Additional information has been provided by Damien Scholes. Click on the photos to open in a new window.

Photo 1 is from the 1990 Under 12's Grassington fell race. Front row From Left to right we have David Huff and Gareth Hird in the black shorts, with a Robertshaw in the background. Number 15 is Tom Griffin, holding back Lee Proctor, with Michael Pearson behind in the Manchester Utd top. Out in front is Ian Bush, with Michael Rosser and a Wigan boy behind. Next is Richard Fell fighting his way past Damien Scholes on the right, with another Robertshaw twin directly behind.

Now for the background - on the left, by the drainpipe, there is Johnny Marchant, next to his mum, then Maggie and Norman Bush, with Andy Holden in the cap. The starter (central with the whistle to his mouth) is Peter Dean with Fiona Scholes to his right. The tall man (rear right carrying the child is Mr Wigan, father of one of the runners. Photographer is Dave Woodhead.

This photo proved to be little more difficult. It shows the 1992 under 14's race at Cracoe. Only two of the runners have been identified, being Damien Scholes (far left) and Gareth Hird (far right). Again, the photo is courtesy of Dave Woodhead.

Congratulations to Lee for his entry, a T-shirt and some lager are on their way. Thanks to everyone for joining in, and for Barry and Damien for providing the photos.

If this competition has brought back some memories, have a look at the 'days gone by' section of the photo gallery for a further selection of photos provided by Dave and Eileen Woodhead.

24 September 2007 - BOFRA Presentation dinner

If you haven't already received your letter about the 2007 BOFRA Championship presentation dinner dance, it should be dropping through your letterbox any time now.

The presentation will be held on Saturday 10th November at the Carleton Inn, Morecambe. Doors open at 7pm and proceedings start at 7.30pm, so don't be late! The evening includes a 3 course meal, presentation of the awards, dancing and bar until 1am, raffle etc, plus the odd silly game or two.

Ticket prices are £21 for adults and £11 for juniors (17 and under) and those of you who have been before will know it is excellent value for money.

Overnight accommodation is available at the Clarendon Hotel, 100 yards stagger away, on a first come-first served basis and children under 14 stay for half price.

For tickets, please complete the tear of slip on the attached letter and return it to: Pauline Scholes, 8 Meadow Lea, Sutton in Craven, Keighley, BD20 8BY by Monday 15 October 2007. Please include a stamped addressed envelope.

If you require accommodation, please give Pauline a ring on 01535 631755. Rooms get booked up quickly, so don't delay.

Hope to see you there.

Andrew Biddle - Membership Secretary

16 September 2007 - Embsay Fell Race Results

Sunday's event at Embsay starts from the fields behind the Elm Tree Pub and winds up through the fields towards the fell gate, where you negotiate a sharp climb up through the bracken to reach the summit.. From here a short run across the top takes you to a fast descent before coming off the fell back into the fields where, except for the last section, it's mostly downhill and runable. Conditions this year were ideal and dry underfoot plus it was not too warm.

The Senior race had a whopping 71 runners lining up and they were led out by the winner Tom Anderson, who was the only senior to run under 20 minutes. Mark Horrocks put in another fine performance to get 2nd place and 1st vet 40. Graham Pearce was back in 3rd with a rejuvenated Mark McGoldrick in 4th, closely followed by Jeff Chadwick. First over 45 was Adrian Pickles in 8th spot and Jack Holt carried on his winning form in the over 50's coming home in 12th place. In the ladies Tamara Hird a previous BOFRA champ came home first lady with Alison Bennett and Kate Rogan in 2nd and 3rd. Lynn Whittaker came home in 4th and first lady vet.

In the under 17's Duncan Birtwistle had a 3 second gap up on second placed Alex Till with Tom Sessford breathing down thei