It all started in November 1986 when a group of athletes met at The Shoulder of Mutton pub in Mytholmroyd.

One of them was West Vale based Jeff Winder, who though regularly turning out for his club in road events, realised his real passion was running on the rugged moors and mountains of the Yorkshire Dales, Peak District and Lake District.

He decided to form a new club dedicated solely to off-road and mountain running.

"It was a really exciting time," remembers Gary Webb of Hebden Bridge.

"We were going to strike out and start our own little club, governed and financed by ourselves.

"Jeff's observation that the blue and white hooped vests of the great Bingley Harriers could be distinguished amongst crowds of runners gave him the idea for our strip. He simply substituted red for the blue, and now people can see us coming miles away!"

Other founder members included Cragg Vale's Rod Sutcliffe, then living in Heptonstall, Jimmy Sheard and Russell Arrandale of Luddenden Foot and John Riley.

The club's constitution was written, races were organised to raise funds, and the Calder Valley club quickly began to earn respect, and 21 years on, little has changed except that membership has swelled to around 100 active members, including more than 20 women, and a new junior section is thriving.

Basing themselves at Mytholmroyd Community Centre, the club still meets at 7pm on Tuesday evenings, and this social, friendly club celebrated its coming of age by running a circuit of bridleways, trails and moorland footpaths totalling a distance of 21 miles, with meeting points along the way so members could join, or drop off, in order to do as much, or as little of the route as they desired.

The "21 run" was the brainchild of Hebden Bridge GP Alistair Morris and an estimated 80 members took part on Sunday as the route climbed to Crow Hill above Sowerby, down to Cragg Vale, up and over Erringden Moor to Stoodley Pike monument, down Daisy Bank and across Great Stubb to Mytholmroyd.

From here the route proceeded up to the Hare and Hounds at Chiserly, before climbing to High Brown Knoll, the highest point on Midgley Moor, across the soggy marshes to Sheepstones Edge where a host of junior runners were waiting to join in for the final mile back to Mytholmroyd.

A total of 52 members descended the final run-in with 21 completing the entire circuit.

"It has been a day to remember," said club membership officer Thirza Hyde."The route was great and well thought out."

Present chairman Bill Johnson of Luddenden, whose wife Anne is a former champion runner, summed it up.

"The great thing is that the club has stayed faithful to its roots," he said.

"Even though there are many more members nowadays, it's still a low key, no fuss friendly club, catering for everyone who shows an interest."

For more information about Calder Valley fell runners, their website can be found at www.cvfr.co.uk