Too old for the track........

 As soon as I saw quite a few cars in the Nelson Seedhill track car park I knew my planned track session would be in jeopardy and so it proved.   I'd no sooner parked than the first of 18 local primary schools  had
arived for the district championships.  Serves me right for failing to frame myself  and getting there earlier.  I could have come and gone by the time they started at 12.15.   
Shame but at least good to see the track being used  for compettion. It was a canal run with efforts instead.  

1986. A look back at this week 25 years ago.
This week in 1986 preparations were being finalised for the ILKLEY 8 MILE ROAD RACE.  The  local Round Table initiated the event and invited me to join their race committee.  They set out their plans for a big "Fun Run"  hoping for participation by local runners of all ages.
  I immediately pointed out that registered club runners  couldn't compete against children and  the plan would rule us out.  Hence, a one lap 3 mile "Fun Run" and a longer lap of 4 mile run twice would take place instead.
Both involved the very steep Carter's Lane; so quite testing courses particularly for the "Fun runners" who included a great number of very young children in their number.   So not ideal but it was deemed to be best route available without closing roads as the recent "Race For Life"  organisation was able to do.
  Regretably, despite being on the organising committee and processing all the entries I never received a copy of the results!   My diary merely states 12th. Tough!  an obvious reference to not only having to cope with the hill twice but also the impact of a very steep descent tackled twice.
  I've mentioned before that in the '90s the event "went metric" with the change to an ouit and back 10K race up to Askwith and back.   But the route along narrow country lanes created inconvenience for local motorists and   was changed again with the introduction of a trail race.  This itself has seen course amendments but seems fixed now, currently ably organised by Ilkley Harriers with 272 taking part just recently.