CVFR’s junior racers, this week was more about park runs with Storm Ciara battering the fells. At the Centre Vale Park Run in Todmorden, Harry Cliff ran a personal best, finishing the 5km in an impressive 22:47 – 12th overall & winning the under 10s race by half a minute. Calder Valley’s Leo Hacket also raced well in his very first parkrun to finish 3rd Under 10 in 23:23. For the red & white seniors, both Elliot Corner & Marc Collet (who also ran a PB) were first in their respective age categories (4th & 36th respectively). Slightly further afield, at the Watergrove Parkrun, U14 Calder Valley runner, Oliver Pickens crossed the line over 3 minutes before any of the other junior runners with a strong time of 24:47.
Calder Valley Juniors continued to impress at Clougha Pike Fell Race in Lancashire, which is an FRA English Junior Championship event.
“On Saturday 22nd , a rare sunny June day hosted the penultimate FRA English Junior Championship race; once again CVFR juniors were out in good numbers. The races started at Quernmore, Lancashire and most of our juniors stayed on after their efforts to enjoy the village show (collecting plenty of winnings between them in the short fete races).
Harry and Charlotte Cliff competed well in the under 9 race. Harry convincingly led the racers home in first place and Charlotte finished 8th girl.
The under 11 English Champs race continues to draw in large numbers and yet again our CVFR runners finished in the top 2/3rds of a 60+ strong field. Clara McKee maintained her fantastic string results and dominated the girl’s field; she finished 1st girl and 2nd overall, a full minute ahead of the next place girl. Another great result for Joseph Stone coming 4th boy and Sam Annison and Leo Hackett battled each other hard to the finish with Sam pipping Leo at the line to claim 16th boy, Leo finishing 17th . Ted Parker came 27th boy.”
Harry Cliffe put in a sterling performance and was first back in the U9s category. Charlie Pickens also ran exceptionally well to finish 2nd in the U13s category.
Clougha Pike-Charlie Pickens, Harry Cliffe and Clara McKee (Credit TBC)
There were other strong performances with George McFie (8th) and Thomas McKee (9th) in the U13s section and Elija Peers-Webb (9th) and Tom Owen (11th) in the U15s.
Leo and Sam racing to the finish – Woodentops
CVFR also seen good results at the BOFRA juniors event this week with Charlie and Ollie Pickens going up to do the Hawkswick Dash. It was a long hard hill for the U12s but the U14s then had to navigate a brutal climb with scree that caused problems for some. Charlie Pickens came 1st in U14s and Ollie Pickens came 11th boy in U12s.
Ollie Pickens at the junior BOFRA (Credit: Cali Pickens)
The juniors members of CVFR took part in the BOFRA races at Sedburgh gala over the weekend. Starting with a smallish U14 field for a straight out and back run up a steep hillside. Charlie Pickens, 5th place and 3rd boy, said “It was a fantastic race and I’d absolutely love to do another BOFRA”. Ollie Pickens also enjoyed it and snuck in to the top 20 in the U12s. Thoroughly recommending the race to all.
Juniors gather at Lothersdale to compete in the 4th Junior Club Champs race of the season. CV’s Harry Cliff won the U9’s, with younger sister Charlotte finishing 11th. And CV secured the U11s prize too with the unbeatable Clara McKee first home. Leo Hachett was 5th and Ted Parker 10th. Charlie Pickins, Goerge McFie, Thomas McKee and Oliver Pickins were all in the top 10 for the U13s, with Wynn Standish, Olivia Falkinbridge and Fearne Hanson 11th, 12th and 15th respectively. U15s saw Tom Owen, Elijah Peers-Webb and Emilia Wright also finishing in the top 10.
On Bank Holiday Monday, CVFR hosted the popular Coiners race for both juniors and seniors. This year, the race was an English Juniors Championships counter, thus attracting large numbers of youngsters from all over the country, with over 450 juniors racing. The pressure was on for CVFR to pull off a super, successful junior event and they did just that with club members coming out in force to support and marshal the races, superbly organised and coordinated by junior coach, Alastair Whitelaw. The testing junior routes each started with a tough uphill, with the older the age group the wilder the route. The older runners take in large chunks of open moorland before a long fast downhill descent with a bit of everything – moor, tracks, woodland and fast grassy slopes. Smiles and mud were abundant as the juniors zipped their way round their respective course (U9, U11, U13, U15, U17 and U19). Harry Cliff again took the U9 title, with Joe Rochester close behind in 4th place, a super start to his season. Charlotte Cliff and Sol Doherty also ran brilliantly in the U9. CV’s Clara McKee scooped 1st in the U11 with Joseph Stone Sam Annison, Freddie Sharp, David Ritchie, Noah De Wi, Leo Hacket, Ted Parker, Lennon Wilson, Fred Slater, and Daisy Pope all also showing great determination and effort. In the U13, CV’s Charlie Pickins and Thomas McKee both came in the top 10. George McFie also ran superbly, despite getting stitch half way round, as did Seth Howson, Ollie Pickins, Wynn Standish and Fearne Hanson. The U15s saw a sterling effort from CV runners Tom Owen, Elijah Peers-Wood, Leo Illstone and Emilia Wright.
On Sunday, 13th January, Wharfedale Harriers hosted 93 juniors & 254 senior runners for their annual Stanbury Splash Quarry Runs & Soreen Stanbury Splash. Given the atrocious weather conditions, all who raced should be commended – with runners struggling to stay on their feet in the driving rain & gusting winds.
Even the junior competitors’ quarry races were unusually blustery, so much so that CVFR’s rising star Harry Cliff, described how he opted to let the runner who eventually came second go in front of him, so he could shelter behind him from the wind, until the final climb.. At that point, Harry stormed ahead to take first place in the under 9’s boys’ race.
Harry Cliff’s race plan – credit Dave Woodhead
All of the CVFR juniors who raced ran well, especially Emilia Wright who finished first U15 girl and Ted Parker who placed an impressive 11th in his first race after moving up to the U11 age category.
Ted Parker – credit Dave Woodhead
Finally, Sam Annison, who was aiming for a top 5 finish, may have come in 7th, but this was despite losing one shoe in the false start & the race starting without him (the other runners having misheard ‘no’ for ‘go’ set off without him). Sam deserves credit for not only getting his shoe back on but battling his way back into the race to finish so well!
