West Yorkshire Winter League: Fitting finale

Stainland Lions hosted the sixth and final race of the 2018/19 West Yorkshire Winter League cross country series from Heath RUFC on Sunday, and it was an absolute cracker.
Lorraine Naylor at the river crossing in the West Yorkshire League. Photo: Stephen SmithLorraine Naylor at the river crossing in the West Yorkshire League. Photo: Stephen Smith
Lorraine Naylor at the river crossing in the West Yorkshire League. Photo: Stephen Smith

Queensbury RC’s Tom Collinge was first home in a 400-strong field which also included 58 Lions.

In a fitting ending to the season, the course had something for everyone including lung busting climbs, terrifying descents, lots of mud, a log flume and a fantastic river crossing complete with marshals hauling runners out of the river and sling-shotting them in the general direction of the finish line.

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The series results will be published shortly, but the ladies again stole the show for Lions on the day with Margaret Beever third, closely followed by Danielle Hirst, Lorraine Naylor and Stefanie Hopkins in sixth, seventh and eighth places.

The Lions men were led home by Ed Hyland in third with Gavin Mulholland fourth.

Queensbury’s Alistair Galt and Paul Greenwood were 10th and 11th and Northowram Pumas’ Tim Brook was 13th.

Dan Marsden had a great race to finish 26th for the Lions, closely followed by Richard Hand and Leon Severn.

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The Lions vets team also had a great day with Dan Marsden lifting them into second place alongside the ever present Beever and Mulholland.

The Supervets benefited from the returning Mark Pigford, who joined Sean Thompson and Aileen Baldwin to also claim a second spot.

Club cross country captain Tim Walker said: “I’m still buzzing from the race and to get a set of results like this is the icing on the cake - I’m one proud, proud skipper.”

Queensbury took the super vets team honours and their men finish fourth, the ladies ninth and the vets third for fifth overall on the day.