Strong across the board

Thursday evening brought the latest running of the Silkstone Shuffle, a hilly 4.5-mile trail race around Silkstone and Oxspring.  Penistone Footpath Runners turned out in good numbers and were rewarded with some standout performances and age group placings.  James Mumford led the charge for the club, finishing second overall and claiming 1st in the over40 category with a time of 29-21. In the men’s over50s, Ian Neville ran strongly to take 2nd place in 32-34, followed closely by James Pierce, who secured 3rd in the same category in 33-11. The ladies also impressed, with Rachael Mayston clocking 34-57 to finish 2nd in the over50s, while Loida Lopez followed as 3rd in the category with 40-04. Barbara Haigh claimed 1st in the over70s, crossing the line in 51-08. In the men’s over60s, Stuart Woodhead earned 2nd place in 42-05, and Stu Smith took 3rd in 45-46. Susan Hall also made the over60 podium, finishing 3rd in 49-21.

A small team from Penistone Footpath Runners made the short trip to Grenoside on Wednesday for the Wharncliffe Woods 10K, a popular evening trail race now firmly established in the local calendar. The 10K route offered undulating, fully traffic-free trails through woodland paths, with conditions favouring quick times. Phil Hinchliffe was first back for the club in 48-02, finishing 2nd in the men’s over50 category. He was followed by Mark Crossley (53-53), Michael Nicholson (55-50), and Dan Francis (58-21), all putting in solid efforts on the technical course. Martin Hughes clocked 59-09, while Chloe Hinchliffe (1-02-09) and Lisa Hinchliffe (1-06-19) rounded out the Penistone results.

Three of Penistone’s toughest off-roaders took on the epic Holme Moss Fell Race on Sunday - a 28.5 km AL-category route with over 1,280 metres of climbing across remote and exposed moorland. Chris Hodgson, Jon Hallam, and James Pierce all completed the demanding course, which included steep ascents, rough terrain, and multiple checkpoint cut-offs. With high summer temperatures and tricky navigation, simply finishing the race is an achievement—and all three Penistone runners rose to the challenge admirably. Official times and placings are awaited.

The inaugural South Cave 10K took place on Sunday, drawing over 600 runners to the picturesque East Yorkshire town for a scenic road race with historical charm and a few testing climbs. Two Penistone Footpath Runners took on the event, which started in front of the imposing gates of Cave Castle and looped through quiet country roads and the village of Ellerker. Peter Beever led the duo home in 46-47, with Kelvin Bowskill following in 56-54, both enjoying the well-supported course and earning a place in the event’s first-ever results listing.

Congratulations goes to Robin Clough, who completed the Ironman Leeds on Sunday—an immense physical challenge involving a 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile cycle, and a full marathon run. Competing in the men’s over55 group, Robin finished in a time of 14-50-03.

It was another strong weekend for the club across the parkrun scene, with 62 members running at 21 different venues. The club claimed three first gender finishes, with Jade Crosby taking top spot at Barnsley, Suzanne McGill setting a new PB to win at Brickfields in Dublin and Andrew Heppenstall clocking 17-29 to lead the field at Penistone. There were also third gender placings for Jill Scrivens at Black Rocks and Sean Pitt at Penistone, where he ran a personal best of 17-54.  The club’s run of the weekend goes to Julia Johnson, who topped the age-graded standings with a remarkable 84.72% at Rothwell, followed by Heppenstall (80.46%), Ian Neville (78.79%), Dawn Broom (78.12%), and Martin Ball (77.99%).  Other standout performances included Rob Lees, who was first over45 at Sewerby in 19-17; Oliver France, who ran a PB of 17-43 and was first over18 at Riverside; Tom Fryers, who posted 17-14 to win the over20 category at Storeys Field; and Suzanne McGill, who not only won at Brickfields but also set a PB of 20-25. Alan Nutton (18-04) and Jon Hallam (19-33) were both top-three age-group finishers at Selby, with Gemma Nutton also earning a PB.