2009
Read about the 2009 Bunny Runs in the Summer 2009 Fellrunner magazine articles.
Bunny Relays
Only mad dogs and Bunny Runners would go out racing in these conditions. A fantastic 60 teams toed the start line and the very wet and slippy conditions made for some interesting change overs with generally not much yolk being spilled. What a great effort the two fancy dress teams Sunny Furry Scaries and Tod Bunnies put in, one to get their outfits and two to compete in the atrocious conditions. As always at the prize giving there's a quirky element thrown in, this week it was flashing teeth for all category team winners, with the customary stash of Easter Eggs, although beer was also added to Rossendale Dwarves – overall winners, 3 People – first ladies, Plucky Pearce Pacers - first family and Sunny Furry Scaries - first fancy dress. A big, big THANK YOU must be said for all our marshalls and recorders who gave up their evening to make this event go ahead, especially in such apalling conditions, they stayed true to the cause, without these heroes it just wouldn't happen. A special mention must go to Michael Fryer who got saturated twice, once helping flag the course, and then afterwards collecting the flags back in, in between all this he even had time to marshal. The weather certainly tested UP & RUNNING's race numbers to the max, and the new colour washed leg numbers made life much easier for the recording team.
Results
As an Adobe PDF file here.
Photos
Paul Wood's photos: here. A bit soggy and shakey, like most of us there on the night!
Extras
Details
Tuesday 5th May at 7.30 pm. £6 per team of three on day (entry form if you'd
like to complete it in advance here). Over 10 for 2nd & 3rd legs, over 12 for 1st
leg. Almost any conceivable team composition welcome including mixed, family, junior, fancy
dress etc. (see entry
form for list of classes). Relay batons are eggs! Egg stage prizes on the first leg only, male and female.
NEW for 2009 Flashing Teeth for all team category winners!!!
Courses as in 2008, descriptions on the Bunny Map below.
Leg 1 2.5m/250', records 12.55 Jonny Brownlee and 15.36 Natalie White;
Leg 2/3 2m/200', records 9.23 Alistair Brownlee, 11.11 Mel Hyder.
Bunny 4
The weather broke here, with the rain making the parched ground a little 'tricksey' in places but it still didn't deter 223 hard core Bunny Runners. Bunny fame has even spread across the water to sunny California USA, wanting to sample fell running Professor Allen Doyle running for Golden Valley Harriers took time out from lecturing at Bradford University to finish 100th overall in 21-28. 2006 FRA Fellrunner cover girl, Blue Haywood is red hot at the moment and made it four straight wins in both the Egg Stage and the individual races to win the series for the third time, and be immortalised on the beer bottle label for next year's event along with Ian Holmes. 30 year old Willy Smith won his fourth Bunny after being pushed all the way by 32 year old Adam Osborne. Fell runners are renowned as a hard breed, well you can't get much harder than 28 year old Graham Pearce, who only 3 days prior had finished a magnificent 4th in the Three Peaks classic fell race, here he was determined to win the short sharp Egg Stage prize.
Results
As an Adobe PDF file here.
Photos
Paul Wood's photos: here
Dave Woodhead's photos here.
Extras
Top Bunny
Who was the Bunny Governor in your age class? First in class in each race got 1 point, 2nd 2 points, etc. and your best 3 races counted in the overall rankings. There were fabulous prizes (Homer Simpson donuts) for all class winners and bottles of Bunny Beer specially labelled with Bunny 2008 winners Willy Smith and Sharon Taylor, and Easter eggs for class leaders (10 men, 10 F, 3 V40, 2 V50, 2 V60, 4 U16, 4 U14, 2 FV25, 2 FV40, 4 FU16, 4 FU14).
Here are the final results: the PDF file
shows the leaders in each class; the Excel file also has a sheet with
all the results for those who have done 3 or 4 races and if you're a spreadsheet whizz you can re-sort it on different age classes.
Bunny 3, Tue 21st April
Ian Holmes' first ever Bunny win came way back in 1994, when this years FU14 winner Bo Haywood hadn't even been born, and neither had probably a good quarter of the field! The Bunny Governor as Ian is known eased to his 27th Bunny win, and fifth series win, but he didn't have things all his own way as Cumbrian international Tom Addison held his nerve to take the Egg Stage prize. 12 year old William Smith finished 31st overall and bettered his BR1 time by 45 seconds to win the U14. 17 year old Blue Haywood won for the sixth time and the series for a third, recording 17-31, an improvement of 18 seconds, she also won the Egg Stage for a fourth time in the second fastest ever. Second in 17-59 was 23 year old Emily Klee who overhauled Helen Glover on the final climb, Bunny regular Mel Hyder improved her own FU16 record to 18-19. Normal Bunny madness resumed at the Old Sun Hotel, with a special presentation and thank you to Steph and Stuart Thompson who each week take time out to video the race, Stuart sets off with the camera and does a nifty hand over to Steph, which enabled him this week to finish 2nd V60.
Results
As an Adobe PDF file here.
Photos
Dave Woodhead's photos here.
Paul Wood's photos: Start!, just after the Egg Stage, end of big lap, Silhouettes
Extras
Bunny 2, Tue 14th April
43 year old fell running legend and Bunny Governor Ian Holmes incredibly won his 26th Bunny Run beating 3 times winner Willy Smith in an enthralling battle with 249 runners. But first Pendle AC's numero uno athlete Jack Thompson convincingly won the Egg Stage, equalling the course record of 3-23 set by Andi Jones last week. On the dry but overcast evening Ian and Willy were locked together: it was only in the last 400 metres that Ian opened the winning margin. Richmond and Zetland athlete Marc Scott added the U16's record to his U14 record, taking an impressive 31 seconds off Thomas Sessford's old time. Junior England international Blue Haywood won the ladies race for the 5th time, and won the Egg Stage again! More in the results!
Results
As an Adobe PDF file here.
Photos
David Brett's photos, www.photos-dsb.co.uk
Dave Woodhead's photos here.
Paul Wood's photos: Start!, towards the Egg Stage, and towards the finish.
Extras
Bruce Duncan's race video, Part 1 and Part 2, Prize and chocolate throw-out
Bunny 1, Tue 7th April
What a surprise package Bunny One had: a record field of 286 included 113 ladies; a perfect sunny evening; and a Welsh Wizard won to boot! 26 year old Jorge Thomas had the magic formula to claim the rabbit trophy, with a new course record of 14-41. Last years winner, Andi Jones set a sizzling pace and claimed the Egg Stage prize in a new record of 3-23. Ian Holmes won the veteran Bunny trophy for the 6th time. In the ladies Blue Haywood won her 4th Bunny Run and also won the Egg Stage for the 2nd time in 4-04. Younger sister Bo took the FU14 honours in 6th overall. The Old Sun Hotel was packed to the rafters with eager wide eyed happy Bunny Runners all waiting in anticipation of a magical chocolate frenzy prize giving, they weren't disappointed. More details in the results ...
Results
As an Adobe PDF file here.
Photos
David Brett's photos, www.photos-dsb.co.uk
Dave Woodhead's photos here.
Paul Wood's photos: Start!, after the Egg Stage, and towards the Finish.
Extras
Details
They're here, they're eggciting, they're bunnylicious, they're testing, they're what you've been waiting for all winter, the Bunny Runs sprang to life on Tuesday 7th April, with a chocolate prize list even a chocoholic would have problems coping with!
For the true Hares amongst you, remember the 'Egg Stage', a fast and furious dash round the small loop will bring extra chocolate for the first man and lady past the new bunny sign.
All runners will be entered into a free prize draw, with a choice of a drum of 420 Flying Saucers, a set of flashing teeth, or a giant box of Lily O'Brien chocolates, or an Easter Egg.
All runners can also take part in the 'guess the winner's time' competition – guess what the prize is? AN EASTER EGG! See the clip board at registration to enter.
The Bunnies are renowned for post race fun – free soup and roll in the Old Sun Hotel, race video of that night's event, stacks and stacks of Easter Eggs in the extensive prize list, watch in awe as the first man, lady and vet stagger under the sheer weight of goodies, then the finale the famous chocolate throw out with a twist this year, as in amongst the chocolate will be magic popping candy!!
Many thanks to UP & RUNNING who are providing the race numbers for all the Bunny Runs. There's space
on the back 
if you want to record medical and emergency contact details, PLUS a 10% off
voucher - just take your race number into one of the U&R shops listed.
-
4 individual races on successive Tuesday evenings, 2009 dates are:
7 April 7.00pm, 14 April 7.15pm, 21 April 7.30pm, 28 April 7.30pm
followed by the Bunny Relays on the Tuesday 5th May at 7.30pm -
All from Dimples Lane Quarry (Do not park in the quarry itself as you'll be in the way!).
Registration at the Old Sun Hotel, Haworth, W. Yorks (GR 026372), 5 mins. from start. - Individual Bunny Runs: Details as in 2008: CS. 3m/300'. £2 on night only. Teams free. PM. Over 12. Records: 15.00 I.Holmes 2007; f. 17.20 M. Wilkinson 2007; "Egg Stage" 3.24 M. Buckingham 2006; f. 3.59 M. Wilkinson 2007. Cadbury's Creme Egg for all finishers. All prizes Easter eggs. 3 races out of 4 to count for overall awards.
- Bunny Run Relays: CS. 7.30pm £6 per team of three on day. PM. Over 10 for 2nd & 3rd legs, over 12 for 1st leg. Courses as in 2008. 1st leg 2.5m/250', 2nd & 3rd legs 2m/200'. Almost any conceivable team composition welcome including mixed, family, junior etc. Relay batons are eggs! Egg stage, first leg only male and female.
Map
Relays:
Leg 1: normal Bunny Run start, normal small Lap 1 incl. Egg Stage (prize), following
the black bunnies on the map anti-clockwise. Then long Lap 2 following the blue
bunnies anti-clockwise back to the Start. BUT then finish early by continuing
past the Egg Stage marker and entering Dimples Quarry from the North-East.
Legs 2,3: exit Dimples Quarry the way a Bunny Run normally finishes, then cut
across to join the Lap 2 blue bunnies down towards the road, back up by the
cemetery wall, round the long lap anti-clockwise as normal, then finish as Leg 1.
To see an animation of the map showing the normal Bunny Run, click here
Copyright © 2024 Dave & Eileen Woodhead
