Ribble Valley 10k Report

RIBBLE VALLEY 10k Sunday 29th December 2024 Incorporating the Northern Athletics 10K Road Championship

Report by Ken Smith

Yet again this popular and extremely fast 10K was sold out well before the closure date.

With the usual array of elite runners sourced by Blackburn’s George Davies, the 2025 entry list did not lack any sparkle in either the men’s or women’s race. With the course roads closed by 09.15 the 10:00 start came amongst ideal racing conditions. Cloudy, 8 degrees temperature, and no wind, at least at the start.

The first Kilometre marker was passed with a large bunch at the front, and no individual leader, but by the 3k marker however James West and Jacob Cann had started to pull away from the group behind them. These two remained at the front with Omar Ahmed in 3rd position. Meanwhile in the Northern Athletics race at 5k we had Matthew Ramsden 14.58, followed by Biruk Aduna Kedede 14.59, Leeds City’s Richard Allen 15.01, and Warrington’s Brandon Quinton 15.02 4th.

All tightly packed, but with Leeds having 3 athletes in the top 20 places at the 5k point, the winning team already had their name on the medals, and these 4 were going to thrash it out the 3 Northern Athletics medals on the last slightly downhill 5k

First Northern Athletics Athlete to cross the finish line was the Under 20 Clayton-Le Moors’s athlete Biruk Aduna Kebede, in 29.23, but given the same time was Blackburn’s Matthew Ramsden who was placed 2nd with Richard Allen 3rd, 7 seconds behind. Brandon Quinton was a well-deserved 4th in 29.37seconds.

Leeds City remained at the top of the Northern Athletics men’s team results, followed by host club Blackburn, with Horwich third.

In the women’s race it was another close finish between Blackburn’s Jessica Warner -Judd and Charnwood’s Hannah Nuttall. Throughout the race Jessica had been just ahead of Hannah, Jessica reaching half way in 16:10 Hannah in 16.13

2nd Northern Athlete was Emily Haggard Kearney who clocked 16.51 at the 5km mark with the Leeds City athlete Heather Townsend 3rd in 17:14 at the 5k point.

It was not until the home straight with the finish line in sight, and in view of her coach Helen Clitheroe, that Hannah Nuttall pulled ahead. Jessica, who had run a very determined race, won the Northern Athletics event in 32.01. Emily Haggard Kearney was 2nd 33.07 and Heather Townsend 3rd 34.22. The team result was another dominating win for Leeds City, with Border 2nd and Preston Harriers 3rd, much to the delight of their Team Manager Cathy Flitcroft, and ex athlete Helen Clitheroe.

Results

Men

Individual.

1 Biruk Aduna Kebede 29.23 Clayton Le Moors

2 Matthew Ramsden 29.23 Blackburn Harriers

3 Richard Allen 29.30 Leeds City

4 Brandon Quinton 29.37 Warrington.

Teams