QUAKERS HAD a multitude of races to choose from last week, with league and championship races, as well as one which took in the entire length of a national park.

This year’s running of the Lyke Wake Challenge, once again organised, as well as marshalled by members of the club, took place across the North Yorkshire Moors. In much warmer conditions than last year’s event, Billy Harris completed the 42 mile route from Osmotherley to Ravenscar in 8:01 along with Charlie Bogg (9:07), Tom Chapman (9:09), Darren Wright & Gary Read (9:47) and Abbie Willson & Alex Kiel (11:11).

The latest championship race meanwhile took place at Kilburn, in the shadow of the White Horse. Michael Parry completed the undulating 7 mile distance in 45:04, followed by Paul Dalton (47:43), Marc Ellis (51:51), Brian McLaren (55:58), Phil Rutter (57:09), Rob Gillham (1:00:34), David Ledgerwood (1:05:34), Julie Whinn (1:06:31), Anna Hardy (1:10:04), Juliette McLaren (1:11:30), Gill Colling (1:15:40) and Alan Prest (1:30:28).

The biggest turnout had come midweek, just down the road at Croft for the Pitstop 10K, the latest league race, where the flat course enable quite a few runners to set new personal bests. Kyle Cook finished the three lap route around the racetrack in ninth place overall in 35:28 (PB), followed by Dave Jones (37:41), Rob Dent (39:04), Darren Wright (39:59, PB), Gary Read (40:43), Adrian Cottam (41:07, PB), Michael Thompson (42:04), Chris Minto (42:09), Steven Major (43:19), Brian McLaren (43:25), Mike Brown (44:26) , Ed Griffiths (45:08), Dan Rowlands (46:56), Tom Chapman (47:14), Jamie Pratt (47:57, PB), Gavin Armstrong (49:55), Richard Payne (51:20 and third in his age category), Juliette McLaren (52:02), Danny Gordon (52:25 and first in his age category), James Simpson (54:04), Ian Young (54:12 and third in his age category), Stuart Masterman (54:18), Pam Barrass (54:26), Julie Bell (55:10 and third in her age category), Lee Morris (55:51, PB), Darryn Wood (56:39), Lisa Jenkins (58:50, PB), Mark Trowles (59:14), Jo Dickinson (1:00:12) and Caroline Moses (1:01:39).

Two other races also took place during the middle of the week. At the Bridges of the Tyne 5 mile race, held along the banks of the river itself, Paul Dalton came home in 31:27 along with Nicola Wells (35:16), Diane Vaughan (37:03 and second in her age category), Michael Oliver (37:12), Clare Stradling (41:38) and Richard Hughes (52:35).

Meanwhile near Durham, three took part in the Willow Miner trail race, held over an undulating 5.3 mile distance. Brian Martin finished in 38:16 (and first in his age category) with Sandra Martin in 55:05 and Sarah Wilson in 55:53.

At the Great North 10K, where runners finished the race in the Gateshead Stadium, Dave Jones covered the distance in 38:36 along with Rebecca Bowes (52:59), Kelly Smith (1:03:40), Dawn Johnston (1:06:51) and Phill Johnston (1:07:20).

Ian Readman was the sole Quaker to head down to Leeds for the 10K race there, coming home in 42:33.

At Masham, Lyn Hatch took part in the Burn Valley half marathon, resurrected after a four year break, finishing the fairly hilly distance in 2:22:26.

On the western edge of the Yorkshire Dales, Peter Rowley ran in the Bentham Beagles Bash 10K, completing the fairly undulating race in 51:58.

Down in the capital, where temperatures were running into the thirties, Diane Vaughan completed a fairly warm Clapham Common 5K race in 22:34.

Lindsey Lester headed up to Jarrow for the latest of the North East Masters track and field events, setting a new club record in the mile by finishing in 6:46, while also clocking 31.6s in the 200m and landing 3.68m in the long jump.

In the Saturday morning parkruns, James Atkinson finished at South Park in 18:50 followed by Adrian Cottam (19:49), Chris Minto (19:52), Peter Commane (20:19), Dawn Richardson (20:54), Ian Readman (21:57), Paul Roberts (22:18), Rebecca Bowes (25:03), Dave Jones (25:03), Mark Trowles (25:12), Juliette Mclaren (25:27), Danny Gordon (26:22), Tracey Plaskitt (26:35), Chris Land (27:23), Julie Bell (27:33), Lee Morris (27:51), Michelle Scruby (28:14), Sue New (28:19), Dawn Johnston (29:45), Lisa Johnstone (31:09), Phill Johnston (31:13) and Michael King (33:01).

At Sedgefield, Gareth Kyle finished in 23:07 along with Lewis Boshier (25:36), Michelle Boshier (25:39), Gemma Marshall (30:39), Olly Moore (30:40), Adrian Colbourne (31:42), Sally Watson (36:33), Caroline Ridley-Marriott (37:46) and Jeff Marriott (37:46). At Tees Barrage, Darren Alderson and Lisa Alderson ran there in 27:11 and 35:40 respectively, Paul Dalton finished at Hackworth in 19:18, Stephen Moore did the run at Albert Park in 23:13, while Jamie Pratt completed the Catterick run in 23:10. At Hartlepool, Kristian Malcolm finished in 23:07, Rebecca Howard ran at Fountains Abbey in 22:14, while Diane Lockhart did the Prudhoe run in 29:14.

Further afield, Peter Rowley did the Fell Foot run at Newby Bridge in 24:50, Carol Penney completed the Woodhouse Moor run in Leeds in 33:27, Darryn Wood ran at Wakefield in 31:58, while in Pembrokeshire, Ty Hankinson finished the Colby run in 24:40.

Submitted by Rob Dent (photo by Mark Robinson)