Race date: 19 February 2023

Race distance: 20 miles (Dave Beech)/half marathon (Dave Hewitt)

Race report by Dave Beech

I was one of only two representatives from the club in this race – most Striders battling it out in either the club Road Race Championship race at Wombwell or the club Trail Championship race at Parkwood Springs.

The Bingley Bo!!ocks is a Grim up North event that includes an ultra, a marathon, a 20 miler, a half marathon, a 10 miler, a 10km and a 5km race all taking place on the same morning. My race – the 20 miler – was an out and back run along the towpath of the Leeds-Liverpool canal from Bingley to Silsden, flat except for the famous flight of five locks near Bingley, and mostly along a good surfaced path although the middle 5 miles was on a muddy, grassy part of the towpath. I finished 9th overall in a time of 2:54:48, some 5 minutes faster than I achieved in the same race last year. I also ran a negative split this year; my time for the second half of the race some 80 seconds faster the first half time. I was absolutely shattered at the end.

There was one other Strider wearing the green and yellow on the day. Dave Hewitt ran in the half marathon race finishing a respectable 38th.

All finishers received the usual post race goodies – this time vol-au-vent, cakes, chocolates and beer – and a blingy medal.

Results for the 20 miler:
Darren Tomlinson (Tadcaster Harriers) won the race in 2:07:53, Rachel May (Bury AC) was first female in a time of 2:54:50. Striders results were as follows: