More than 200 runners took part in the Knaresborough Crag Rat Run yesterday.

The five-mile race around the town is the primary event organised each year by running club Knaresborough Striders.

Harrogate Harriers provided the top female athlete, Davina Ellis, who finished the mixed terrain course in 32 mins 11 seconds.

The men’s race was won by Mark Holden, of Dewsbury Road Runners, who blitzed around in 28 mins 27 seconds.

Gareth Somerville, of Harrogate Harriers, was the second male and Jack Brierley, of Nidd Valley Road Runners, was third.

The race, organised annually by Knaresborough Striders since 2016, started and finished at Knaresborough Cricket Club. A total of 217 runners took part.

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Female champion Davina Ellis

Men’s winner Mark Houlden

Up to 300 people will experience the beauty of Knaresborough on foot in a fortnight’s time in the town’s biggest running event of the year.

Knaresborough Crag Rat Run has been staged annually since 2016 by Knaresborough Striders.

The event is suitable for all abilities and attracts a combination of serious club runners and people who just enjoy the challenge of completing the five-mile course.

The mixed terrain route starts at Knaresborough Cricket Club at 11am on Sunday, September 24 and includes sections on tarmac, woodland and the town’s crags. No road closures are required.

Tom Calvert, who won the race last year.

The course takes in some of the finest parts of Knaresborough, including Birkham Woods, Abbey Road and back along the crag top back to the cricket club.

Guy Close, chairman of Knaresborough Striders, said:

“In my view it has to be one of the best local races around. It’s family-friendly, suitable for all running abilities and cheap as chips to enter!

“Runners will also get the benefit of being cheered on by a fantastic group of Knaresborough Striders who are hosting the event.”

Tea, coffee and cakes will be served for cash donations. All money raised will go to local charities.

Further details, including how to enter, are available here.

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Knaresborough Striders won the prize for the best team performance at the Harrogate 10K yesterday.

A total of 742 runners took part in the race — well up on last year’s 486.

It started and finished at Harrogate Sports and Fitness Club and took competitors around Crimple Valley, finishing with the dreaded ‘Crimple killer’ uphill final kilometre.

Organised by Harrogate Harriers, Olympic triathlon champion Jonny Brownlee was on hand to present trophies to the winners.

Ben Douglas, of Leeds City Athletic Club, claimed first place in the men’s race in 34 minutes and two seconds. The 33-year-old had won the Leeds 10K in May.

Jack Kelly, running for Knaresborough firm and race sponsors Harmony Energy, was runner-up for the second consecutive year.

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Rebecca Flaherty, of Bingley Harriers, took the women’s race in 37 minutes and 14 seconds — her mum Sarah was second.

Knaresborough Striders’ trio Tom Calvert, Dan Caven and James Ireland secured the Berwins team prize.

It went some way to alleviating the disappointment they felt at last month’s Great Knaresborough Bed Race, when they were part of the team who saw their hopes dashed when a wheel on their seized up.

A fun run for children preceded the adult event.

Here are some photos of the event.

Pictures by Richard O’Brien and Andrew Hawkes Photography

The winning Knaresborough Striders team

Mother and daughter Rebecca and Sarah Flaherty took first and second in the women’s race.

The men’s top three receive their prizes from Jonny Brownlee.

Still smiling despite the tough route.

Jonny Brownlee (left) and Peter Kavanagh, chief executive of race sponsors Harmony Energy.

Knaresborough’s hopes of a home town bed race winner ended in bizarre fashion on Saturday when their bed malfunctioned early in the race.

The town has proudly hosted the whacky annual event since 1966 but its men’s running club, Knaresborough Striders, has never won.

The club’s fastest runners trained hard in the months leading up to the 2.4-mile race in the hope of putting that right.

They lined-up third on the grid behind defending champions GH Brooks and Ripon Runners, confident they could mount a challenge in what is a fiercely contested event amongst local running clubs.

But hardly had the team got out the traps at Conyngham Hall than its bed started wobbling and shortly afterwards a wheel seized up completely on Waterside.

As other teams raced by, their hopes of victory shattered, they ditched the bed, sprinted along Waterside to collect a spare bed one of the team had at their nearby home and rejoined the race.

They managed a remarkable 16 minutes and 12 seconds, which would have been good enough for 10th place, but it is not listed among the official results because the spare bed did not have a timing chip.

Guy Close, chairman of Knaresborough Striders, hailed the “incredible team spirit” shown at a time of crushing disappointment. He said:

“This was the first time a team has ever had to stop and then replaced its bed mid-race.

“We were all absolutely gutted because we hoped to challenge the top couple of teams, but these things happen.”

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A still from the bed camera showing the team marooned on Waterside.

This video shot by a camera on board the bed captured the team’s bad luck. Mr Close said:

“The bed broke almost immediately. You can hear from the link to the YouTube video that it wasn’t right from the start.

“We were all so determined and the support from the crowds was incredible.”

Full results of this year’s bed race are available here.

A new trail running group has been formed for people who want to get fit while enjoying some of the best scenery in the Harrogate district.

Pateley Runners will stage free off-road runs three times a week around the fields of Nidderdale.

Si Lawson, who is setting up the venture along with two friends, said he hoped it would appeal to local people as well as tourists.

Mr Lawson, who moved from Harrogate to Pateley Bridge last year, likened the group to the Early Bird Run Crew, which was set up as an informal, free running community in 2019 and now organises regular runs in Harrogate and Knaresborough.

Trail running involves being close to nature, so those taking part will face the added challenges of rough terrain, cow pats and low hanging branches but also feel the exhilaration of exercising in spectacular scenery. He said:

“Trail running is a different type of running to road running. It’s much more sociable. The intention is to be totally inclusive. Anyone can run with us.”

A post on the We Love Nidderdale Facebook group announcing the venture has received a large response.

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The group will meet at the bandstand in Pateley Bridge every Tuesday night at 7pm as well as on Thursday nights and during the day on Sunday.

Mr Lawson said the Tuesday group would be aimed at everyone, with a view to getting beginners fitter for longer runs later in the week.

He said other local running clubs, including Harrogate Harriers, Nidd Valley Road Runners, Knaresborough Striders and Ripon Runners provided a great service but Pateley Runners would cater exclusively for trail runners.

A scientist who still runs for Harrogate Harriers, he said he was less minded to travel 70 minutes to Harrogate and back to join fellow runners when there was a public footpath outside his house into the heart of Nidderdale.

He plans to set up a Facebook page called Pateley Runners shortly.