Ripon Ultra
Ripon Runners organized this years Ripon Ultra, with Jane Grundy delivering a great event as Race Director. The course starts and finishes in Studley Roger and takes in the surrounding villages of North Stainley, Masham, Grantley and Sawley before returning via Spa Gill. The club fielded many members with excellent results in all areas, most notably claiming 2nd overall place with Alex Fawcett in 5 hours 1 minutes, a win in the female category for Claire Baker (5 hours 54 minutes), second female place to Anneke Imeson (6 hours 6 minutes) and team prize for Kelly’s Heroes comprising Kelly Dunkley, Sue Skinner, Sam Miles, Trevor Schofield and Mark Ryder. Other individual finishers were: Colm O’Cofaigh (6.19), Stuart Pender (7.02), Helena Conlin (7.04), Donna Mitchell (8.08), Kim Holden (7.45), Simon McCudden (7.45)
Team Report below from Andy Purll
The five teams (Sam’s Smugglers, The Purlly Queens, Kelly’s Heroes, The Crazies and the T5’s) consisted of 5 members who had to run a leg of between 4 and 8 miles. To add to the excitement, Harrogate Harriers entered two teams also. Starting alongside the solo competitors, the early pace was fast and furious, so quick in fact that a number of team members were taken by surprise at the speed with which their members arrived to handover, resulting in some less than perfect baton exchanges!
By the 20 mile checkpoint The Purlly Queens held a 6 minute lead over the T5’s with the two Harrogate teams only 2 minutes behind. Sam’s Smugglers came next at 10 minutes down with Kelly’s Heroes apparently out of contention 20 minutes behind, and the Crazies running in 5th. The last 2 legs are technically the most difficult with paths hard to identify, some big hills and moorland to navigate, and it was here that the race changed shape. The Purlly Queens lead had narrowed and noticeably Kelly’s Heroes were making great progress, with the T5’s and Sam’s Smugglers remaining in the mix. It was with great anticipation that team members congregated at the obelisk at the top of the Studley mile to see who would appear in the lead for the final battle down the hill. Jill Holt, running the race of her life for the Purlly Queen’s emerged first into the parkland, her whole team at this point joining her for the final mile, screaming encouragement. Loud cheers and whistles from the supporting contingent of Kelly’s Heroes however indicated that Mark Ryder and Trevor Schofield had demolished their 20 minute deficit and with only 800 yds to go, Mark managed to break the hearts of the Purlly Queens and run the final yards to the finish in victory, in a stunning last mile time of 5 mins, 32 seconds. Not only that but Sam’s heroes and the T5’s had also overhauled Harrogate Harriers to claim 3rd and 4th place, with The Crazies not that far behind. Everyone had the most amazing time, teamwork, encouragement and fun being the order of the day. Hopefully the race will return next year and we would love to think we can enter even more teams next year.