Adams and Fines take the Stoop…
Tom Adams at the Stoop 2012
One the Yorkshire’s best-loved fell races went off in dry conditions on Sunday, as 270 runners lined up for the Yuletide 5 miler that is the Stoop which attracted some of the UK best to hills and fells near Halifax…
Winners on the day were Ilkley’s Tom Adams and CVFR’s Helen Fines, though both were a little shy of Andi Jones and Olivia Walwyn-Bush’s course records.
The men’s event was probably going to be a three-way battle between Adams, 2011 winner Sam Tosh and Lancashire raider Rob Hope. Pudsey and Bramley man Hope had a fine run at the Really Wild Boar the week before and though still suffering a little calf niggle, was looking in sprightly form as he, Tosh and Adams headed up the field in the first mile or so.
One stand-out figure was Ian Holmes. The Bingley man decided that he was going to wear a little more that the obligatory Santa hat which all runners wear to this one, and donned full Santa regalia. Still, didn’t seem to hinder him too much as he claimed a very good 5th overall, and of course a clear win in the V45’s.
Ian 'Santa' Holmes
As the leaders headed back on the descent it was Hope though who tried to get away, putting in a dig, but as he describes Adams wasn’t going to let him get away:
“I tried to get away on the last descent, as I knew Tom (Adams) would be fast on the run-in. So it proved, as he was just a bit quick in the end!”
The Ilkley man claimed a 15 second win in the end, looking comfortable as he crossed the line in 31:30, with Hope (31:45) holding off a fast-finishing Tosh (31:49) for second.
In the women’s race, top British fell runner Fines was a clear winner, taking an excellent 25th place overall in 37:58. Horwich’s Lindsey Brindle took second (40:54), with Preston’s Nichola Jackson (43:01) in third.
Helen Fines
Jpeg results via the Woodentops site and images via David S Brett and Dave Woodhead here
