Harrogate runner sets new goal at 81!

Four veteran runners from a Harrogate running club combined age of 300 are determined to show it's possible to keep fit beyond the age of 70 this weekend at Parkrun.
Harrogate runner Alan Harby, 81, is part of the Nidd 300 team this weekend.Harrogate runner Alan Harby, 81, is part of the Nidd 300 team this weekend.
Harrogate runner Alan Harby, 81, is part of the Nidd 300 team this weekend.

In fact, one of the team is keen to demonstrate it’s possible past 80!

Calling themselves the ‘Nidd 300’ - the members of Nidd Valley Road Runners - as they are calling themselves - are undertaking the challenge of Fountains Abbey parkrun on Saturday.

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Dressed in the club colours of gold and black, Alan Harby (81), and three septuagenarians Tony Ledwaba-Chapman (75), Robert Hill (73) and David Seaman (71) are aiming to complete the run in under two hours in total between them, making it an average of 30 minutes for the 5k course.

David Seaman, who is the club’s treasurer, said: "We hope that a good number of Nidders will come along to support and, it would be good if someone would act as unofficial timekeeper so that we will know how we've done without waiting for the official results!"

Know as the ‘friendly club’, Nidd Valley Road Runners was first formed in 1984 during the running boom of the early 1980’s when the emergence of the London Marathon captured people’s imaginations and running became a mass participation sport.

Other members of the club, which is based at Harrogate Hockey Club at Harrogate High School, are expected to turn out to cheer on the Nidd 300 when they set off on parkrun at 9am on Saturday.

David Seaman said: “The club does aim to encourage participation by people of all ages in recreational and competitive running.

“But we seek to achieve this through the sheer enjoyment of running.”

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