In this article, which is part of a series on the 12 stories in the Harrogate district that shaped 2025, we take a look at our top eight sporting achievements of the year.

2025 has been a year to remember for the district’s athletes.

Since the Stray Ferret increased its sports coverage in January, we have reported on numerous remarkable achievements by local sports stars, from golf to athletics and football.

We have compiled a list of some of the best achievements made by sportspeople in our area, which you can read below.

8. Davina Ellis

Killinghall mum Davina Ellis made headlines in November for winning bronze at the New York Marathon – despite only running for three years prior. It was only her fourth-ever marathon.

Ellis, 45, completed the course in two hours and 52 minutes, placing her third in the 45-49 age group. Before joining Harrogate Harriers in 2022, Ellis’s only previous competitive running experience was in her school cross country, over 25 years ago. You can read about her here.

7. Max Dodds

November also saw the rise of a new, young Harrogate racing star. Max Dodds, 19, bagged £131,000 for winning a series of Formula 4 races across Europe, with 20 minutes left to go in the final race.

Dodds’ heroic last-gasp comeback saw him take an eight-second lead over the series leader to win the tournament. You can read about his series win here, and his race win at the iconic Le Mans course here.

6. Lottie McGuinness

A year after her Paralympic dream, Harrogate’s Lottie McGuinness had plenty left to prove. In July, the powerlifter broke the British record twice in the same event.

McGuinness beat the previous bench-press record of 104kg by lifting 107kg and 110kg consecutively. The Stray Ferret spoke to the athlete about her experience and ambitions for the 2028 Paralympics, which you can watch here.

5. Luke Richardson

In April, Harrogatonians had tangible proof of their Yorkshire grit when one of their own was crowned Europe’s Strongest Man. Luke Richardson, 27, won in front of around 10,000 people at Leeds’ First Direct Arena.

Strong performances in all five events saw him finish three-and-a-half points clear of fellow Englishman Paddy Haynes. You can read about his feat here.

4. George Mills

After a disappointing performance in the Paris Olympics last year, the first half of 2025 had Harrogate’s George Mills’s name written all over it. Mills quite literally flew out of the blocks this year, breaking the 3,000 metre British record in February.

In March, he won 3000m silver at the European Indoor Championships, coming less than a second behind Norwegian prodigy Jakob Ingebritsen. In June, he smashed British running legend Mo Farah’s 5000m British record by seven seconds. You can read about his achievements here, here and here.

3. Leah Galton

Harrogate-born Manchester United winger Leah Galton reached the FA Cup Final for the third time in three years in May. Suffering a broken leg in last year’s final, Galton couldn’t fully enjoy the celebrations when United won. But there would be no celebrations at all this time as Sonia Bompastor’s Chelsea came out 3-0 winners. We spoke to Galton before her big match, which you can read here.

2. Harry Hudson

Harrogate cyclist Harry Hudson made British history in September, becoming the first Brit to win the UCI Road Cycling World Championships. And his achievement in Rwanda was made even more impressive by his winning margin.

Pulling away from the main group with 35 kilometres still to ride, Hudson held onto his lead for the entire time, finishing an incredible 16 seconds ahead of second place. You can read about his achievement here, and our interview with him here.

1. John Parry

We have probably written about Knaresborough golfing sensation John Parry more than any other sporting individual this year. That’s because of the grandeur of his rags-to-riches golf journey.

Only a few years ago, he was playing in some of golf’s lowest professional tournaments. Now, he’s qualified to play in next year’s PGA Tour. And he’s put in some inspiring performances along the way.

Winning the Mauritius Open, tying for third in the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship and getting a hole-in-one in Britain’s most prestigious tournament, all while making around £1.6 million, solidifies him as this year’s Stray Ferret top athlete. You can read about his achievements here, here, here and here, and read our end-of-season interview with him here.