IT was a great afternoon of sport for all the family at the Gargrave Show fell races on Saturday.

There were generations of families taking part with youngsters and their siblings competing in the Junior races and parents flying the family flag in the Senior race.

Some Junior athletes were competing against each other with two sets of twins taking part, one in the under nines race and one in the U-12S race. Henry Smith and Jacob Smith from Gargrave ran in the U-9s race and Henry was the first local runner beating his twin by a mere one second.

Father Gavin, a member of Skipton AC won the first local in the senior race, having a good run to finish in eighth position. Eight-year-old George Simpson from Harrogate won the U-9s nines race and his father Jack a former winner of the senior race had planned to run but unfortunately sprained his ankle just days before.

The McGoldrick twins from Settle AC ran in the U-12s race and ten-year-old Calum led the field home with Finlay finishing in seventh position. Older sister, 12-year-old Mia stormed home in overall first position in the U-14s race, leaving the boys in her slip stream whilst their father Mark finished in second position in the senior race behind the indomitable Wharfedale runner Ted Mason.

Last year's winner of the senior race, Harry Coates was in third position with wife Becky the second lady home. The Webb family from Pontefract competed in the senior race, enjoying their foray into fell running for the second year in succession.

Numbers competing were similar to last years, with the overall total of athletes just two down on 2023. Local runners were thin on the ground with no girls competing in any of the junior races. Rachael Berry from nearby Bank Newton was the first local lady home in the senior race and was also the third lady home. Fairly new to fell running this was a great achievement for her and she won the Weatherill shield for the highest placed local female runner.

The races did however attract competitors from a wider area including Dublin and Amsterdam. 14-year old Londoner Billy McPherson and his elder sister Elspie were visiting family in the area and decided to take advantage of a Dales fell race, something quite new to them. Billy certainly rose to the challenge and came home to finish second in the U-17 race after a sprint finish with Skipton A.C`s Daniel Hood. The highest placed overall local male runner was Robert Shuttleworth from Gargrave who ran in the under fourteens race and he won the Donald McKell trophy.

It was a pleasure to see both old and new faces at the event. The ratio of club runners to those unaffiliated to clubs was about a fifty-fifty split.

A great supporter of the Gargrave Show fell races is 83-year old Norman Bush from Pateley Bridge who can still show the younger runners a clean pair of heels.

Another great supporter of the event is of course the race commentator Roger Ingham who despite not been in the best of health still turned out to help with the race commentary. He was kindly aided this year by Christine who also undertakes the excellent job of informing everyone about the overall activities taking place during the full show day.

They made a great team. A senior competitor personally sought out Roger to thank him for the tremendous job he had done with sports commentary over the years at all the local shows; he said he had the pleasure of listening to him normally as a bystander and this was the first time he had competed and it was a privilege to have heard Roger call out his very own name as he finished the race. Roger you are a legend.

Thanks must go to local landowners in particular Flasby estates for allowing runners over their land, they go above and beyond to accommodate the run, and special thanks to them for placing the straw bales at the fences to enable runners to either vault or climb over. Also, thanks to all race marshals and timekeepers for giving up their time so generously.

Prize winners: Under Nines Boys :1 - George Simpson U/A 5.33 2 - Billy White Keighley and Craven 5.59 3 - Oliver Ling Bingley Harriers 6.11. First local boy: Henry Smith U/A 7.33 Under Nines Girls: 1 - Meghan Knight Tiptree 6.40. 2 - Harlie Bradley Skipton AC 8.02 3 -Esme Muff Keighley and Craven 8.13. No local competitor.

Under Twelves Boys: 1 - Calum McGoldrick Settle AC 6.45. 2 - Isaac Howarth U/A 7.09 3. Thomas Stephenson U/A 7.20. First local boy - Jack Jubb U/A 10.04.

Under Twelves Girls: 1 -Florence Chatterton Bingley Harriers 7.34 2 - Phoebe Chatterton Bingley Harriers 8.29 3. Victoria Hood Skipton AC 9.27. No local competitor.

Under Fourteens Boys: 1- Jacob O`Sullivan Keighley and Craven 10.16 2-Harry Coke Sedbergh School 10.36. 3 - Sam Stephenson U/A 11.30 First local boy: Robert Shuttleworth Sedbergh School 11.35.

Under Fourteens Girls: 1- Mia McGoldrick Settle AC 9.53 2 - Camilla Hart Settle AC 11.07. No local competitor.

Under Seventeens Boys: 1 - Daniel Hood Skipton AC 13.29 2 - Billy McPherson U/A 13.31 3-Joseph Smith Wharfedale 13.56. No local competitor.

Under Seventeens Girls: 1 - Chloe Clark U/A 17.32 2 - Charlotte Bramham Smith Ilkley Harriers 20.06. No local Competitor.

Seniors Male: 1 -Ted Mason Wharfedale 23.22 2 - Mark McGoldrick Settle AC 23.52 3 - Harry Coates U/A 24.40. First Local -Gavin Smith Skipton AC 27.55 First Vet over 50: Joe Blackett Dark Peak 30.23.

Seniors Female: 1 - Jennie Cowley Wharfedale 35.58 2 -Becky Coates U/A 36.27 3 - Rachael Berry U/A 36.52 ( also first local lady) First Vet over 50 - Kate Arnold U/A 40.43.

Donald Mckell trophy for the overall highest placed local male runner from all categories: Robert Shuttleworth ( 4th placed boy in under fourteens) The Weatherill Shield for the overall highest placed local female runner from any category: Rachael Berry.