About 700 people took part in the Race for Life fundraising event in Harrogate on Sunday, generating £95,000 for cancer research.
The number appears to be sharply down on last year, when some 1,400 people pledged to take part.
Cancer Research UK organises Race for Life events across the country to fund scientists to find new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat cancer.
Participants on the Stray dodged the thunder storms to take part in 3k, 5k or 10k events.
Lisa Millett, Cancer Research UK’s spokesperson in Harrogate, said numbers were down because there wasn’t a Pretty Muddy or Pretty Muddy Kids event this year.
She said the charity was “incredibly grateful to everyone who took part”, adding:
“The atmosphere at Race for Life Harrogate was hugely moving — full of emotion, courage, tears and laughter as people celebrated the lives of those dear to them who have survived cancer and remembered loved ones lost to the disease.
“Now we’re asking everyone who took part to return the money they’re raised as soon as possible.”
Race for Life has raised over £940m towards life-saving research since it began 30 years ago. More than 10 million people have taken part.
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Olympic champion to present prizes at Sunday’s Harrogate 10K
About a thousand runners will take part in the Harrogate 10K on Sunday.
The event, organised by running club Harrogate Harriers, starts and finishes at Harrogate Sports and Fitness Club on Hookstone Road.
Olympic triathlon champion Jonny Brownlee will present medals to the winners of the adult races, which starts at 10am.
The adult event will be preceded by a fun run for children, which includes a 1.3 km route for children in school years 2-5 will and a 2.5 km course for those in years 6-9.
The event, sponsored again by Knaresborough renewable energy firm Harmony Energy, takes runners on around Crimple Valley, finishing with the notorious Crimple killer last uphill kilometre.
A total of 486 adults and 70 children took part last year. This year, more than 800 adults have already registered.
However, local running star Cal Mills, who set a men’s record of 33 minutes and 13 seconds last year, won’t be defending his title.
Cal Mills (green vest) on his way to victory last year.
The women’s race last year saw Emily Gibbins, of Ilkley Harriers, destroy the female record by more than four minutes in a winning time of 38 minutes and 15 seconds.
Entry for the 10k race can be done here https://racebest.com/races/375cy
Online entries, which can be booked here, close at 10am tomorrow. If places remain, you can enter on the day.
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Up to 1,000 runners set for Sunday’s Harrogate 10k
Up to 1,000 people are set to take part in the Run Harrogate 10k this weekend.
The annual race, which goes around Crimple Valley, is Harrogate Harriers‘ premier event of the year.
It starts at Harrogate Sports and Fitness Centre on Hookstone Wood Road at 10am on Sunday and finishes at the same place.
This year’s event, which is sponsored by Knaresborough renewable energy firm Harmony Energy, includes a new kids’ fun run, starting at 9am.
The fun run has a 1.3km run for children in years two to five at school and a 2.6km run for children in years six to nine.
Rudding Lane will be closed from about 9.30am to 11am while the race takes place.
The multi-terrain route is about 70 per cent tarmac road, with the remainder on good footpaths.
The men’s race record is 33 minutes and 29 seconds, set by Marcos Palacios. The women’s record is 42 minutes and 32 seconds, set by local athlete Tam Calder, who has entered this year.
Marcos Palacios
Tam Calder
About 550 people have entered so far. The race capacity is 1,000 so you can enter on the day.
Sue Moul, membership secretary at Harrogate Harriers, said:
“It’s our premier event and we are looking forward to welcoming everybody back to the course.”
All finishers receive a medal and goody bag and there is a £1,500 prize fund.
Entry fee for runners who aren’t affiliated to Harrogate Harriers is £19 if paid in advance.
The kids’ race costs £3 to enter and all proceeds are donated to CALM, the Campaign Against Living Miserably.
A donation from the adult races will go to Yorkshire Air Ambulance.
Further details are available here.
Ripon’s 10k Muddy Boots race returns after two years
Ripon’s annual Muddy Boots 10k and Fun Run returned at the weekend after being cancelled for the past two years.
The run raises funds for St Wilfrid’s Primary School in Ripon. The two races take runners over a multi-terrain course finishing at the primary school.
Held this past weekend, the event saw almost 350 runners turn up for the mud run and a further 83 for the fun run.
The run had been cancelled in 2019 and 2020 due to bad weather and coronavirus but parent volunteers from the St Wilfrid’s Association wanted to make sure they didn’t miss another year.
Race director, Yvonne Parkes, said:
“It’s great that we can host the Muddy Boots 10k and Fun Run again after a two-year hiatus.
“Muddy Boots is a well-established feature of the local running calendar and a great community event that raises much needed funds to offer children who attend St Wilfrid’s Primary school a full range of activities, including extra-curricular opportunities.”
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Race Results
Ladies:
1. Helen Cross (40:25) (York Knavesmire Harriers)
2. Nik Tarrega (43:35) (York Knavesmire Harries)
3. Stephanie Breckon (47:40) (Unaffiliated)
Men:
1. Jack Mudd-Bowes (39:17) (Unaffiliated)
2. Ted Leahy (39:48) (Ripon Runners)
3. Marc Ellis (40:20) (Quakers Running Club)
Teams:
Mens Team Prize: Ripon Runners
Ladies Team Prize: York Knavesmire Harriers
A 10 kilometre race and fun run that raise money for a Harrogate district primary school is set to return this month.
The event, which was founded by race director Rebecca Owen, is called Beck Busters and helps Bishop Monkton Church of England Primary School.
It hopes to generate £10,000 to get an all-weather track for the school field that children can use all year round.
Beck Busters didn’t take place last year because of lockdown restrictions but will return on September 19 for a fourth time.
Nina Swainston, one of the organisers, said:
“It’s a big local community event, anyone of all ages can take part.”
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Ms Swainston said runners were still welcome to enter. There are currently about 20 spaces for children out of a maximum entry of 150 and about 110 adult spaces out of a maximum entry of 330.
Entry costs £5 for children and £18 for adults (£16 for members of a running club).
The Beck Buster run is 10 kilometres, while the fun run is two kilometres.
Participants from clubs such as Ripon Runners and Harrogate Harriers have taken part.
In past years, the fundraiser has allowed the school to afford iPads for children, as well as save towards creating an all-weather track.
For more information see the Beck Busters website.
Scotton girls run 24 hours to raise funds after vandals strike
A junior football team from Scotton that was targeted by vandals has completed a 24 hour fun run to raise money for repairs.
Vandals damaged the goals used by Scotton Scorchers under 14s girls team during lockdown.
This prompted the team to raise money towards creating safe storage for the goalposts and upgrading the clubhouse kitchen.
So at 2pm on Saturday the players set off, helped by coaches and parents, on the run in an attempt to raise £1,000.
At least two people were running at all times during the challenge, which was successfully completed yesterday.
The team beat its £1,000 target — at the time of publication the fundraiser is at £1,255. You can click or tap here to donate to the gofundme page.
Tinker the horse, an unlikely team mascot who wears the Scotton Scorchers’ number 10 shirt, even helped by guiding the runners home.
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It will cost more than £5,000 to complete the works so the club has more fundraising events planned.
Wayne Latimer, the under-14s girls coach, told the Stray Ferret:
“It has been a difficult year for the team but they have come back and not only have the under-14 girls team won their league but so have the under-16 girls team.
“I am sure quite a few of them will still be resting up in bed today but I am incredibly proud of all of the girls who took part in the 24-hour fun run.
“They have absolutely smashed the target of £1,000 and it will make a big difference for the club.”
Anyone who would like to join the team can find out more information on the club website. Or send an email to the club secretary Mike Collier.