A year of excellent results for fell runner Hannah Horsburgh has seen her honoured in the 2021 Cumbria Sports Awards.
Hannah, aged 30 and from Braithwaite, near Keswick, took performance of the year in the annual awards announced today.
In her day job, she rides out for Greystoke-based racehorse trainer Nicky Richards. Hannah has been in tremendous form during 2021. She won the English Fell Running Championship title, triumphing in all four races and setting new course records in each.
She also won the 2021 British Fell Running Championships, triumphing in the ladies race by a massive margin, and finishing fourth overall — the best ever finish by a female athlete.
More recently, Keswick AC member Hannah motored to victory in the world mountain and trail running championships’ uphill only women’s trial race, around a challenging Skiddaw course.
She is due to compete for Team GB in the World Mountain Running Championships in Thailand. The event was due to have been held in Thailand early next year but have been postponed to November 2022.
Penrith Netball Club have been named community club/group of the year following an impressive turnaround during the past 12 months. As the COVID-19 pandemic prevented them from playing or training, their participant numbers dropped massively.
In June 2021, they held their annual meeting and decided to merge with another group from their town. This brought in an additional 15 new members, and a completely new outlook. They are now much more social and have increased their membership to over 110 members aged 11 to 70-plus.
The Becky Underwood volunteer of the year award has gone to Julie Labbett — a British Cycling volunteer from Penrith. Julie is a British Cycling Breeze Champion and Breeze Ambassador. She is well organised, friendly and reassuring with a great amount of knowledge of cycling and the areas she is riding in.
This alone makes the women attending her rides feel comfortable and relaxed and keeps them engaged in cycling. She is out whatever the weather the rain and wind won’t stop her rides which shows her total dedication to cycling, and she has led over 500 rides over the last eight years.
Ruben Razzetti, from Hesket-new-Market, is named one of three rising stars having excelled in the sport of Orienteering. A Border Liners Club member, Ruben is making great strides and has won numerous races during the year across all parts of Cumbria.
He was also selected to attend a three-day summer training camp by his governing body, as well as being selected to join the GB Talent North Squad. Other rising stars were Emily Trotter, of Carlisle Trampoline Club, and Branthwaite-based athlete Anna Mason.
Sports personality of the year is Cockermouth swimmer Luke Greenback following his stunning performances in this year’s Tokyo Olympics.
Other awards:
- Junior personality — athlete Jessica Bailey, from Ulverston.
- Disability performance — shot putter Anna Nicholson.
- Team of the year — Workington Bowling Club. Junior team — Hensingham amateur rugby league under-16s.
- Coach of the year — Mark Stevens (karate), of Workington.
- Service to sport — Tom Armstrong (Cumbria Squash), of Flimby.
- Active education award — St Mary’s Catholic Primary School, Ulverston.
- Special award — charity marathon runner Gary McKee, of Cleator Moor.
