Sale Harrier’s long term love affair with the Calderdale Way Relay, a 60 mile circular loop spit into 6 legs, continued this weekend with five teams and a total of 60 runners competing.
Following success in the mixed team category in 2023 and 2024, it was time to branch out into other categories, with teams this year entered into the Open (three teams), Vets and ladies categories.
With the club’s track and road background, it’s always a challenge competing against the traditional fell clubs, however, this year Sale dominated.
The Men’s vets led from gun to tape in their category, ably led by Robert Dunn and Chris Donnelly who finished 6th after the first leg. Andrew Curvis and Richard Edwards also put a shift in on Leg 4 (10th fastest on the day) The team finished 11th overall, 1st vets team, with Matthew Harrison and Tom Stevenson bringing the team home, with over an hour to spare from their next rivals of Holmfirth Harriers.
Next on the podium was the ladies. CrossFit queens, Bea Cordingley and Amy Middlemast set the team off and they were second until leg 3, when Jess and Erin Terry brought the team into 1st (and nearly running faster than their dad!), and from them on, the team didn’t look back, finishing 4 minutes ahead of Calder Valley with Helen Armitage and Suzie Smith on the anchor leg..
The three open teams all ran well too. The Open A finishing just in front of the Vets, in 10th. Performance of the day went to George Noble and Fin Day, who were overall fastest on leg 3 and only two minutes off the course record! Open B 24th and the Open C in 54th.
Big thanks to Anne Chinoy who masterminded the ladies team victory and Paul Barrett for the overall organisation and co-ordination. Also thanks to Halifax Harriers who hosted the event. Always a great event and we’ll definitely be back next year hopefully defending the respective tiles.
Sale has now won four of the five categories in this event, with only the ladies vets outstanding!
