North Yorkshire quintet battle to 24-hour gong

Team captain Sharon Barlow Hamilton of Ripon Runners was joined by clubmate Donna Riddler, Harrogate Harrier Wendy Marks and Shona Williams and Michelle Nolan of the Richmond and Zetland club to win the Equinox 24-hour endurance race.

The race was held at the Belvoir Castle Estate, Lincolnshire and teams were tasked to complete as many 10km laps of the undulating, off-road course as possible from 12pm on Saturday to midday on Sunday.

The North Yorkshire team scooped first place in the small teams category, beating not only all the womens team but also the mens.

The team completed 34 laps (340km) in the 24 hours and averaged 42 minutes per 10km loop.

Ironically the 340km completed is approximately the distance they would have covered if they’d set off from home in North Yorkshire to the event in Lincolnshire and then ran back again - all in 24 hours!

Marks said: “Given that 50 per cent of the running was in the dark this was a fantastic achievement.”

Meanwhile, Harriers’ David Fountain took part in the 60th Lake District Mountain Trial earlier this month, He acquitted himself well with a time of seven hours, 4:17 minutes, earning 38th position.

On the road, Coralin Harrison completed Grunty Fen Half Marathon in 2:16:40 and was the first female veteran over 65 back by more than 30 minutes. She was accompanied by fellow Harrier, Darren West, who felt a fast start was his undoing and left little in the tank.

However, he still finished in 1:44:45, 189th in a field of 527.