Lions runners shine in Halifax Marathon

Ninety of them went the whole distance with the rest opting for a half-marathon over one lap of a scenic but challenging course.

Conditions were ideal for long-distance running with still, fairly cool and dry weather.

The route took in Brackenbed, Mount Tabor, Mixenden, Ogden, the Raggalds pub near Queensbury, Bradshaw, Illingworth, Ploughcroft and Claremount.

Organisers from TeamOA in Huddersfield didn’t expect anyone to completed the 26.2 route in under three hours but they reckoned without Leeds City’s Jason Cherriman.

He romped around the hilly route in an unofficial 2 hours 47 minutes to beat Stainland Lions ace Gav Mulholland by around six minutes.

Mulholland, a North Ireland international who is more at home on the fells, was running for Bowling Green School at Stainland.

He was accompanied on one lap by clubmate and fellow Calder Valley RF runner Ben Mounsey, who is building up for a second Great Britain appearance in Snowdonia in a few weeks’ time.

Sarah Conway won the ladies’ race in a little over three and a half hours.

There was a Stainland 1-2 among the women in the half-marathon with Rochelle Drake and Paula Statham leading the field home.

The men’s first three were Paul Booker, Thomas Shaw and Jonathan Collins.