Chevin Fell Race/Guiseley Gallop   Past Winners - a complete listing

Guiseley Gallop Results provided by UK results Please click link to UK Results

Video of Guiseley Gallop start provided by Otley AC Please click link to Otley AC then use video clips button on menu.

Information & Map of Route   Information 2008 - Map

Guiseley Gallop 2008 Apologies

All those runners who were mis-directed off the course in the 2008 Guiseley Gallop our apologies, and if you want to run in 2009 you will receive a free entry. Feedback from people revealed that an arrow had been moved, and some people were pretending to be marshalls, and actually told runners to turn left off the main path, and that it was 3 laps.

Once again our apologies, so when you enter the 2009 Race which will be held on 12 April 2009, please write on your entry form that you were one of the mis-directed runners.

Guiseley Gallop

The Guiseley Gallop is a 10 K Trail Race that takes part on Easter Sunday each year from West Side Retail Park, Guiseley, Leeds.

For competitors who have Sat Nav the post code for the event is LS20 9NE

The course starts near the railway bridge in Esholt woods and descends through the woods via tracks and paths to Esholt water treatment works. It then goes to the River Aire via a works road and path to a suspension bridge. Once across the river the path joins the Leeds Liverpool canal towpath which is followed for approx 1.5 miles passing a set of locks and going under a railway bridge. At the first swing bridge after the locks the route leaves the canal and re-crosses the river via a track and footbridge. A short section of road leads to Esholt village is then followed by a climb back up through Esholt woods using paths and tracks to the finish at the rear of the Retail Park.

Skyrac AC is based at Nunroyd Park on the Guiseley/Yeadon boundary and enjoys the facilities of the magnificent ANSA clubhouse. Skyrac can be contacted via www.skyrac.org.uk or 01943 874046.

Guiseley Gallop 2008 / Guiseley Gallop 2007 / Meanwood Valley Trail 2006 / Guiseley Gallop 2006

Pictures of Guiseley Gallop Route

Guiseley Gallop 2008

After waking at 6 am to the sight of snow Peter Rawnsley, who for 13 years has brilliantly organised the Guiseley Gallop on behalf of Skyrac, thought his problems were over when, just a few hours before the gun, for safety considerations he managed to reorganise the race into a two lap event based on Esholt Woods.

Unfortunately some spectators thought it would be fun to sabotage the race by moving race route signs and also orally directing some of the front runners off-course. This meant that a group of a dozen runners who had been chasing Ian Fisher (Otley AC) for the generous race prizes were denied their chance and finished twenty places down the field having run further than anyone else.

Fisher's winning time of 32.01 was therefore nearly 5 minutes ahead of the second runner which was somewhat flattering but fortunately the ladies race was not affected with Catherine Farrow (Valley Striders) winning in 39.57.

There were 404 finishers from an entry list of 548 so the snow had clearly persuaded some entrants to stay in bed. The race is always held on Easter Sunday, which has not fallen so early since 1913, and snow is of course more likely in March than, say, on April 25th which is the latest date on which Easter Sunday can fall.

However, as Peter noted, Easter will not fall so early again until the year 2228 by which time race headaches will have passed to the shoulders of others.

Skyrac welcomes new members of any ability and can be contacted via www.skyrac.org.uk or 01943 874046.

Report by Graham Breeze - Last update 25th March 2007

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Guiseley Gallop 2007

The 12th Guiseley Gallop (supported by The Complete Runner) produced its 11th different male and female winners on Easter Sunday although there was no anonymity for those of the 498 runners who had pre-entered because, courtesy of co-sponsor Active Print Solutions, all competitors had their name and vet category printed on their race number.

At the half way stage a bunch of three runners were running shoulder to shoulder and the final result was a relatively tight finish with Kim Critchley (Knavesmire) finishing in 35.08 just 2 seconds ahead of the 2006 Otley Chevin race winner Jonathan Hare (Halifax). Third was Jamil Parapia (Otley) in 35.40.

At the same point in the ladies race the front runners were also close together before Abey George-Plunkett (also of Knavesmire) who was lying third broke away to run an excellent second half to finish in 79th on 44.21; the slowest ever lady winning time. The next three ladies finished within 12 seconds of each other.

Male vet category winners were: V40 4th Richard Pattinson (P&B) 35.55, V50 16th Peter Pyrah (Bingley) 39.10, V45 26th Duncan Asquith (from organising club Skyrac AC) 39.50, V60 49th Dave Waywell (Wesham) 41.28, V55 76th Bob Jackson (Valley Striders and organiser of the Meanwood Valley Trail Race) 44.07, V70 184th Gordon Booth (Longwood) 50.45, V65 212th Tim Cock (Holmfirth) 52.14.

Lady vet category winners were: V40 91st Diane Haggar (Ilkley) 45.08, V35 113th Sarah Grant (Abbey) 46.46, V50 158th Jacqueline Ackroyd (Harrogate) 49.21, V45 204th Diane Streets (Aire Centre Pacers) 51.43, V60 228th Maggie Haley (Dewsbury) 53.08, V55 292rd Patsy Fenelon (Goole Viking) 56.41.

Jonathan Hare who was second is technically categorised as a junior. The first lady junior was 336th Mary Gibbons (Ilkley) in 58.49 and at the other extreme Basil Thompson (Airenteers) was first and only V75 and he finished 495th in 1.23.40.

Skyrac meet at 7.30pm every Tuesday at Nunroyd Park. Why not come down and join in the fun?

Report by Graham Breeze - Last update 11th April 2007

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Meanwood Valley Trail 2006

Runners talk about the running boom as something in the past but those who turned out for the first two races in the Airedale Triple Challenge might well wonder what has changed.

The 400 entry limit for the Baildon Boundary Run on April 1st was reached in mid-January and for last weekend's Meanwood Valley Trail race there was a record field of 338.

Entries for the third event, Easter Sunday's Guiseley Gallop, could reach 600 and so runners who have not yet entered are advised to arrive well before the 10.30 start from the West Side Retail Park (Focus and Argos). Complete results for the race will be reported here.

The 11th Meanwood Valley Trail was won by Chris Miller (Harrogate) in 43.23 and first lady was Lisa Mawer (Bingley) in 49.15.

For Skyrac Rob Weston was first to finish in 37th (51.09), followed by 40th Duncan Asquith (51.31), 53rd Jonathan Lester (52.52) and 60th Graham Breeze (54.03). Graham was 2nd V60 to Geoff Howard (Ilkley Harriers) who was 52nd in 52.35 and passed Graham at the 3/4 stage "going like an express train" on his way to a third consecutive V60 win. But as Graham said "coming second to the 2004 English & British Fell Champion is almost as good as a win" and anyway he still received his 2nd prize from Tracey Morris (Valley Striders) who was 4th in the recent Commonwealth Games Marathon.

Damian Burras was 62nd in 54.27, then 79th Peter Rawnsley (56.57), 85th Malcolm Coles (57.33), 86th Peter Wade (57.35), 182nd Helen Wade (66.07) and 272nd Roger Dawson in 74.44.

Report by Graham Breeze - Last update 10th April 2006

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Guiseley Gallop 2006

At the half way stage in Easter Sunday's Guiseley Gallop Andy Hilton (York Acorn) was so far ahead of the chasing group that the marshall on Otley Road wondered if the 527 chasing runners had all missed the turn off the canal towpath and were on their way to Shipley rather than back to Esholt.

Andy cruised, as top athletes can, to his second victory in 34.42 and could easily have broken Martin Scaiff's 2003 record if he had wished. The next three home were within 11 seconds of each other with Chris Miller (Harrogate) 2nd in 36.07 and Karl Gray V35 (Calder Valley) 3rd in 36.14.

Karl is often seen on the fells as is rising star Jo Waites (Calder Valley) who was first lady and 26th overall in 40.07. She was one minute ahead of the second lady at the half way point but doubled this before the finish where Amanda Oddie LV35 (Ilkley Harriers) finished 52nd in 42.13. Third lady at 65th was the well known LV40 Alison Raw (Darlington) in 43.50 just ahead of the 2005 Three Peaks winner Sally Malir LV40 (Ilkley Harriers) who finished 68th in 44.00.

Male category winners included MV40 Richard Pattinson (P&B) 4th in 36.18, MV45 Andy Normandale (York Acorn) 15th in 38.42, MV50 Garry Perkins (Scunthorpe) 27th in 40.14, MV60 Dave Waywell (Wesham) 39th in 41.37, MV65 Fred Gibbs (Bingley) 98th in 46.09, MV70 Peter Lambert (Valley Striders) 213th in 52.06 and MV75 Derek Gill (Bingley) 518th in 77.04.

There was particularly loud applause for the MV55 winner, Bob Jackson (Valley Striders) who finished in 80th on 44.31. Bob is organiser of the companion Meanwood Valley Trail and later awarded the prizes for the Airedale Triple Challenge.

Lady category winners were LV45 Denise Johnson 182nd in 50.25, LV50 Jo Prowse (K&C) 90th in 45.51, LV55 Lynn Morris (U/A) 332nd in 58.28 and LV60 J Mosby (U/A) 528th in 87.16.

Skyrac had one runner amongst the prizes with Duncan Asquith coming 4th V45 and 48th in 42.07.

The race, which is supported by The Complete Runner, always gives generous prizes (up to £65 for First) and this year even recognised the new Vet 35 category for men although with 4 Vet 35s in the first 10 runners the need for this category might be questioned.

The third race in the Triple Challenge is the Baildon Boundary Run and the overall winners for the series were Overall Male Chris Miller (Harrogate), MV40 Dave Parker (Harrogate), MV50 Jim Wheldon (Pudsey Pacers), Overall Lady Rachel Mackie (Abbey), LV35 Serena Blackburn (Horsforth) and LV45 Susan Sunderland (U/A).

Report by Graham Breeze - Last update 18th April 2006

Guiseley Gallop 2008 / Guiseley Gallop 2007 / Meanwood Valley Trail 2006 / Guiseley Gallop 2006

Pictures of Guiseley Gallop Route

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