Holmfirth Harriers
For more than 110 years, athletes have represented Holmfirth Harriers at all levels of competition. Today the club is based at Neiley Pavilion on New Mill Road and offers a friendly welcome for people of all ages and abilities.
Juniors can join from their 8th birthday and on Tuesday and Thursday training evenings, Neiley field is teeming with youngsters enjoying their athletics.
There’s a strong competitive element at the Club, with members taking part in local, regional and national competitions. Over the years, several athletes have gained international honours, running, jumping or throwing for their country at junior, senior and veteran level.
The beauty of Holmfirth Harriers, however, is that you don’t have to be a budding Olympian to join or enjoy training sessions. There’s a warm welcome for ‘social runners’ with running groups that cater for absolute beginners, no matter how steady they may be.
For everyone at the club, beginners to international hopefuls, the main focus is enjoyment!
From fell to track and field
At Holmfirth Harriers, running isn’t just running! There are lots of different events and disciplines that you can try your hand at from road, cross country and fell running to triathlon and track and field events.
While Neiley doesn’t have its own track, sprint and endurance running can be catered for on the field. For those wishing to compete on the track, during the summer months members may also be invited to train at the Leeds Road track.
In the winter, cross country takes priority, and there’s no shortage of training routes in and around Honley. Fell running is another area in which the club excels, perhaps not surprisingly when you consider the plethora of hills surrounding our village.
There’s also a triathlon section, for those who like to make things even harder for themselves by adding swimming and cycling to the mix. This group has additional training nights in the pool and on bikes. If you’re interested in triathlon or duathlon, there’s more information on the Holmfirth Harriers website.
Competing for fun or personal achievement
While the emphasis is on enjoyment, the club is also serious about competition. During the winter, Holmfirth Harriers always has a strong entry for the West Yorkshire Cross Country League, and competes in the West Yorkshire Track and Field League in summer. It’s a great introduction to competitive running for all ages and abilities, and for juniors it’s often their first taste of competition.
While these events are competitive for top runners, there is no minimum requirement, so runners of all abilities can, and do, enter. Just be prepared for mud at most of the cross country venues! The club also (often successfully) enters teams in regional and national championships in both disciplines.
Holmfirth Harriers’ fell runners and triathletes have an equally busy schedule, with club, local, regional and national competitions, for juniors, seniors and veterans, taking place throughout the year.
For those who want to have a go at competing but in a more familiar environment, the club also hosts its own competitions. Stronger runners often face time handicaps, which puts all members on a more equal footing.
How to join Holmfirth Harriers
If you’re interested in joining Holmfirth Harriers, the club offers all prospective members a generous 3 free trial sessions. If, by then, you’re hooked you’ll be invited to apply for full or junior membership, depending on your age.
If you want to start running, get fit, improve your performance or eventually compete as an athlete, head down to Neiley Pavilion at 7pm on Tuesday or Thursday and have a chat with the person on the door! Alternatively take a look at the Holmfirth Harriers’ website.
Holmfirth Harriers helped us to put together some of the runs on our website. If you’re looking for new routes, check out our running page, there’s something for most abilities.