Penistone Footpath Runners
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Victory and podium haul for Penistone at Norman Cole 10K

Sunday saw the Norman Cole Penistone 10K take place, a popular fixture on the local running calendar. The race follows a fast, scenic course on roads and the Trans-Pennine Trail and has, since 2022, been named in honour of club stalwart Norman Cole. Penistone Footpath Runners turned out in force once again, with 38 athletes taking part and delivering a string of strong performances, including an overall win and ten age-category podium finishes. Suzanne McGill led the women’s team in style, finishing as first female overall and first in the ladies over45 age category in 42-17. Jade Crosby also topped her category, coming in as first senior lady in 44-17. In the men’s field, Andrew Heppenstall took third overall and first over40 man (36-27), with Robert Lees also securing a category win as first over45 man (41-18). Michael Nicholson claimed first over50 man (47-02), and Jon Bentley added a second over55 man placing (41-34). Ashley Firth rounded out the senior men’s podium with third senior man in 38-41. There were also third-place age-category finishes for Ian Neville (over60 man, 44-38), Nick Pepper (over50 man, 48-16), Loida Lopez (over50 ladies, 50-25), and Alan Knox (over70 man, 53-49), making it a notably successful morning for the club on home ground.

Penistone junior Graihagh Turner continued her rise through the fell running ranks with a superb run at the Clougha Pike FRA/Inter-Counties Championships, representing Yorkshire. Competing in the under19 girls category, Graihagh finished an impressive second place, helping Yorkshire to team victory in the under19 girls' race. Her result adds to an already stellar season and underlines her status as one of the region’s top young mountain runners.

Wednesday evening saw club members take on the Tom Holmes Gala Chase, part of the Oughtibridge Sports Night. The event, named in memory of Tom Holmes, a pillar of the local community—features a steep 6km course for seniors and a shorter 3km route for juniors, both run through Wharncliffe Woods. There was a clear win in the junior race for Penistone’s Flynn Rogers, who stormed home in 13-28, over two minutes ahead of his nearest rival. In the senior event, Ian Neville delivered a standout performance to finish seventh overall and take first place in the men's over60 category, clocking 26-43. Loida Lopez also impressed, finishing as first over50 lady in 30-33, while John Howsham claimed second over60 man in 33-40. There was a clean sweep at the top of the over70 men standings, with Stuart Woodhead taking first over70 man (34-56) and Nick Whittingham securing second (38-35). Additional strong runs came from Rebecca Timms (33-49), rounding out a night of excellent age-category results.

Penistone had several teams competing at the Damflask Relays on Tuesday night. All teams performed well against some of the strongest teams in the area. Two teams managed to finish in the top three of their category. The over50 men's team picked up bronze while the men's over40 team went one better picking up silver just 36 seconds behind a strong Hillsborough & Rivelin team. The men's over50 team consisted of Jonathan Bentley, Martin Ball, Matt Robinson and Tony Wright. The over40 team was Alan Nutton, Andrew Heppenstall, Richard Cottam and James Mumford.

Further afield, Jon Hallam and Damian Kilpin took on the Kinder Trog, a notoriously tough fell race held from Hayfield in the Peak District. The route features over 15 miles of steep climbs and rugged terrain, testing even the most experienced runners. While full results are still to be confirmed, they performed remarkably well. Penistone’s James Pierce took on the Great Lakes fell race, a legendary test of endurance through the Lake District mountains. The course spans 21km with 7,000ft of ascent, covering rugged ground and steep climbs in challenging conditions. Despite choosing the wrong shoes and contending with slick, humid terrain, James powered through to finish in 4-11-55, securing 7th place in the men's over50 age category.

Kelvin Bowskill had a good race picking up third over70 man at the Grindleford Fell Race. Martyn Goodwin and Steve Storey took part in the DCRO Dash fell race at Castleton. Keith Gordon was first over70 man at the Not The Ulley Reservoir race. Jill Scrivens and Mandy Mallinder also had strong runs.

It was another strong weekend of parkrun performances from Penistone Footpath Runners. At Penistone, Oliver France ran 18-38 to finish second overall, with Suzanne McGill clocking 20-58 to take first female. Chris Hodgson was first over50 in 21-48, and Danny Batty was first over80 man in 35-13. Other highlights included strong runs from Ben Wilkinson (24-46) and Lucy Clough (28-26). Elsewhere, Dawn Broom was second female at Withernsea Prom, where she also broke the ladies over60 course record, while Phil Hinchliffe placed third overall at Frickley. At Barnsley, Ian Neville was first male over60 in 21-29, Stu Smith was first male over65 in 27-25, and Shaun Swallow celebrated his 200th parkrun, finishing in 31-00. A special milestone goes to John Broom, who completed his 300th different parkrun venue. Top age-graded efforts came from Dawn Broom (84.04%), Suzanne McGill (79.01%), Ian Neville (74.63%), John Broom (73.64%), and Phil Hinchliffe (71.69%).