Airecentre Pacers, organisers of the Chevin Chase on Boxing Day, are delighted to announce that World Triathlon Champion Alistair Brownlee will be defending the title he won so convincingly last year. Alistair will be joined by his younger brother Jonathan, the World junior triathlon silver medallist, which brings a truly world-class feel to the race. The pick of local athletes will also be out in force, demonstrating that as in the very first race, the Chevin Chase combines top class running with the enjoyment, fun and achievement of everyday runners. To mark this special anniversary, Dennis Gray himself will be starting the race.

The Chevin Chase on Boxing Day will be the 30th anniversary of the first race in 1979. Conceived in the summer of 1979 by local man Dennis Gray, it has grown from an initial field of 200 runners to the present race limit of 850 runners. What has not changed is the calibre of runner taking part. The winner of that first race was Richard Nerurkar, then a 15 year-old pupil at Bradford Grammar School from Menston. Richard went on to represent Great Britain in the marathon and came fifth in the Barcelona Olympics in 1996. Gray’s own sport was actually mountaineering/rock climbing, but during National Service he took up running to keep fit for climbing whilst based in Manchester. Throughout the intervening years Gray had taken part in many races over the country and the fells. Capitalising on the boom in running in the 1970s, he spent many hours running around the Chevin by himself and with friends working out a course, and with the support of his former wife Leni, launched the first event on Boxing Day 1979.

For the first few years the Methodist Schoolroom was used for changing, and the Senior Scouts acted as marshalls. Other well-known athletes who took part in those early years were Eric Smith from Otley, also a former international marathon runner, and Jack Bloor, a climber and fellrunner who had won the Three Peaks Race a few years before.

After the first few years based on the Methodist schoolroom the changing facilities moved to Aireborough Leisure Centre. The numbers taking part had more than doubled during that time. Gray left Guiseley in 1987 and handed the race over to the Leisure Centre. With the help of local athletes and people who had helped over the preceding eight years, the Leisure Centre ran the event until the Pacers took it over.

While the first race started by the junction of Town Street and Queensway, for many years now the race has started on Moorland Road and finished in the grounds of Guiseley Infant School. This year’s race starts at 11am and will take the traditional route up Carlton Lane to The Chevin. Road closures will be in place on Yorkgate and East Chevin Lane to enable the runners to pass. Spectators are therefore advised to be in place well before the start of the race.