thanks to Dave for the write up and summary…
When you become a member of Belper Harriers, you are entitled to compete in the Derby Runner BDL series of races. There are 5 Tuesday night trail/road races through the summer months, and another 5 Sunday morning cross country (XC) races through the winter. Each race is usually about 5 miles, and like Parkruns, the extra incentive provided by a competitive environment can really increase your fitness. The team spirit is always tremendous.
We had another successful season through summer 2024. The men were incredibly consistent, achieving 2nd place in 4 of the races, and 3rd in the Denby Race. This gave then an amazing 2nd place overall for the league. In these results tables, low numbers are good numbers!
The women had a different approach, and improved their position dramatically with every race. April gave them a 12th position, but then they produced a 10th, 6th, 5th, and FIRST over the subsequent months. This tactic perhaps failed to give them a podium finish for the series, but it gave them 8th , and hopefully a flying start into the winter XC season, which Harrier women seem to do well in.
These team results are combined, giving us 4th overall.
These results are reliant on a combination of individual success, and a large, enthusiastic team presence to dominate the race.
Individual success for the overall league came in the form of the unstoppable Jan Forrester (1st F70), consistent Esther Broughton (2nd F45), powerful Adam Holland (2nd overall and 1st senior man), and David Horton (3rd M55). However, there’s very much more than those results that give us this level of success, as good results for individual races, and our strong middle field, and a huge yellow & black swathe through the whole field really push the points up the charts. You can see all the race results at https://www.webscorer.com/findraces?pg=results, typing in “BDL” in the search box.
AND LOOKING FORWARD TO THE WINTER LEAGUE…
We can now turn our attention to the XC series, starting with Shipley in October. Dates and location are below, but also in the Harriers Calendar. Dates for Winter XC Season 2024/25 (11am)
- 06/10/24 Shipley Park
- 10/11/24 Chaddesden Park + Summer Presentations
- 1/12/24 Pewit Golf Club
- 12/01/25 Bramcote
- 16/02/25 Holmebrook Valley
We’ve had a busy year, with a strong presence in fell races, ultras, and road races. Let’s use that momentum to get off to a cracking start in the cross country season.
David Horton
Chair, Belper Harriers