1st Event – 19th March 2019 – Millhouses Park
Unusually, we had 4 walkers competing over 5km. Lara MacColl, in only her second race at the distance, set off very positively at sub-30 minute pace and soon pulled back the 32 second handicap on leader Tony Bell. On the 4th 500m lap, Lara slowed with stitch and trailed Tony by 6 seconds. It was 3 laps before she was able to work her way up to Tony again. Then, in the last 500m, she opened up a 15 second gap for victory in a new personal best of 30:21.
| Position | Competitor | Club | Time on Clock | Start Time | Actual Time | Distance |
| 1 | Lara MacColl | City of Sheffield & Dearne | 30:53 | (00:32) | 30.21 | 5km |
| 2 | Tony Bell | Lancashire W.C. | 31:08 | (00:00) | 31:08 | 5km |
| 3 | natalie Myers | City of Sheffield & Dearne | 32:15 | (03:59) | 28:16 | 5km |
| 4 | Ben Heley | 2Dash | 32:34 | (18:15) | 14:19 | 2km |
| 5 | Simon Pugh | Rotherham Harriers | 32:51 | (00:22) | 32:29 | 5km |
2nd Event – 15th April 2019 – Millhouses Park
In the closing stages of the race, the victory was always going to be between Ben Heley and Ellis Simmonds, the two walkers racing over 2km. After 1 km, Ellis had pulled back 1 minute and looked certain to win. Still closing, but at a slower rate, he was outsprinted in the final 100m. Ellis was rewarded with a 20 second PB and Ben’s sprint took him to a PB equalling 12:57.
With 500m to go, Natalie Myers, who had been chasing the field down, moved through to third.
| Position | Competitor | Club | Time on Clock | Start Time | Actual Time | Distance |
| 1 | Ben Heley | 2Dash | 31:04 | (18:07) | 12:57 | 2km |
| 2 | Ellis Simmonds | 2Dash | 31:07 | (19:35) | 11:32 | 2km |
| 3 | Natalie Myers | 2Dash | 31:55 | (04:12) | 27:43 | 5km |
| 4 | Lucy Walker | 2Dash | 32:18 | (13:00) | 19:18 | 3km |
| 5 | Simon Pugh | Rotherham Harriers | 32:21 | (00:00) | 32:21 | 5km |
3rd Event – 15th May 2019 – Millhouses Park
An uneventful race with all the walkers closing together as expected until just 38 seconds covered the field. The biggest question was how far through the field Natalie Myers could get, catching the field with 500m to go and failing to catch the winner, Tony Bell, by 10 seconds.
| Position | Competitor | Club | Time on Clock | Start Time | Actual Time | Distance |
| 1 | Tony Bell | Lancashire WC | 31:52 | (00:57) | 30:55 | 5km |
| 2 | Natalie Myers | 2Dash | 32:02 | (04:33) | 27:29 | 5km |
| 3 | Lucy Walker | 2Dash | 32:09 | (20:06) | 12:03 | 2km |
| 4= | Imogen Walker | Meadowhead School | 32:30 | (25:55) | 06:35 | 1km |
| 4= | Simon Pugh | Rotherham Harriers | 32:30 | (00:00) | 32:30 | 5km |
4th Event – 7th June 2019 – Olympic Legacy Park
This is our one SYL race each year that is not at Millhouses Park. This year we moved from the Woodbourn Road track to the paths of the Olympic Legacy Park on the site of the old Don Valley Stadium. The race is preceded by a coaching event that targets the qualifiers for the primary schools finals and new walkers representing Sheffield schools in the county schools championships. Only one regular walker in attendance, Simon Pugh, taking an easy ‘scratch’ victory.
Target times for the new walkers were calculated from their primary or secondary qualifying races. Most were amazingly close to their targets with 6 walkers within 7 seconds of their target. Just 2 beating their target times.
| Target Position | Competitor | Club | Actual Time | Target Time | Variance | Handicap Position |
| 1 | Simon Pugh | Rotherham Harriers | 05:49 | 05:45 | -04 seconds | 4 |
| 2 | Evan Shkul | Eccleshall School | 06:25 | 06:19 | -06 seconds | 5 |
| 3 | Lauren Robertson | Abbey Lane School | 06:31 | 06:37 | +06 seconds | 2 |
| 4 | Libby Davidson | Sheffield High | 06:42 | 06:00 | -42 seconds | 8 |
| 5 | Anna Bulger | Sheffield High | 06;43 | 06:22 | -21 seconds | 7 |
| 6 | Esther Peterson | Eccleshall School | 07:00 | 06:59 | -01 second | 3 |
| 7 | Daniel Webster | Totley Primary | 07:01 | 07:08 | +07 seconds | 1 |
| 8 | Amy Robertson | Abbey Lane School | 07:37 | 07:30 | -07 seconds | 6 |
5th Event – 25th June 2019 – Millhouses Park
With just 4 starters, the 5th SYL race soon developed into two separate races. Simon Pugh was first away with a 1:42 second advantage over Tony Bell and Lara MacColl a few strides further back. That gap didn’t vary much. Ben Heley slotted in 15 seconds behind Simon with 2.5km to go and it took him until the last 500m to close in and take a 2 second victory. Lara eventually won the battle for 3rd place a minute and a half later.
| Position | Competitor | Club | Time on Clock | Start Time | Actual Time | Distance |
| 1 | Ben Heley | 2Dash | 32:02 | (16:25) | 15:37 | 2.5km |
| 2 | Simon Pugh | Rotherham Harriers | 32:04 | (00:00) | 32:04 | 5km |
| 3 | Lara MacColl | 2Dash | 33:37 | (01:58) | 31:39 | 5km |
| 4 | Tony Bell | Lancashire WC | 33:44 | (01:42) | 32:02 | 5km |
6th Event – 17th July 2019 – Millhouses Park
Ben Heley and Ellis Simmonds both made their debut at 3km. When Ben started, he dropped into the race comfortably ahead of the 5km walkers and held onto his lead right to the end. Natalie Myers was over 500m behind with 2km to go and just failed to get past Ellis for second as they both produced great sprint finishes.
Lara McColl was up with Ellis and Tony Bell midway through but then her shoe rubbed the back of her ankle raw and she slowed. She then put in a spirited sprint to regain 5th place on the line.
| Position | Competitor | Club | Time on Clock | Start Time | Actual Time | Distance |
| 1 | Ben Heley | 2Dash | 31:30 | (12:43) | 18:47 | 3km |
| 2 | Ellis Simmonds | 2Dash | 31:54 | (13:55) | 17:59 | 3km |
| 3 | Natalie Myers | 2Dash | 31:55 | (04:42) | 27:13 | 5km |
| 4 | Tony Bell | Lancashire WC | 32:09 | (00:32) | 31:37 | 5km |
| 5 | Lara McColl | 2Dash | 32:12 | (01:08) | 31:04 | 5km |
| 6 | Simon Pugh | Meadowhead School | 32:12 | (00:00) | 32:12 | 5km |
7th Event -9th August 2019 – Millhouses Park
Tony Bell started just 10 seconds down on Simon Pugh but with his usual slow start the gap lengthened before getting into his rythm and moving past Simon for a 22 second victory. Lucy Walker, tackling her first race beyond 3km, dropped into the race for her 4km stint at the front of the field, slowly dropping back and holding 3rd place until caught by Natalie Myers in the final 250m.
| Position | Competitor | Club | Time on Clock | Start Time | Actual Time | Distance |
| 1 | Tony Bell | Lancashire WC | 31:44 | (00:10) | 31:34 | 5km |
| 2 | Simon Pugh | Rotherham Harriers | 32:06 | (00:00) | 32:06 | 5km |
| 3 | Natalie Myers | 2Dash | 32:19 | (04:50) | 27:29 | 5km |
| 4 | Lucy Walker | 2Dash | 32:48 | (05:33) | 27:15 | 4km |
8th Event – 4th September 2019 – Millhouses Park
Lara MacColl and Lucy Walker started just a few seconds apart and a race long battle ensued, each one making efforts to move ahead. Soon after 500m to go, Lara made a determined effort and looked as if she had broken Lucy but Lucy came back at her in the final 100m and failed by 1 second to catch her. This took Lucy to a PB and Lara close to her PB. Ben and Ellis both walked solo races but also achieved their best 3km times.
With just 1 race to go, there are still 6 walkers who could get into the meals and it is still possible for Ben, Tony or Lara to take the trophy.
| Position | Competitor | Club | Time on Clock | Start Time | Actual Time | Distance |
| 1 | Lara MacColl | 2Cash | 31:02 | (12:36) | 18:26 | 3km |
| 2 | Lucy Walker | 2Dash | 31:03 | (12:39) | 18:24 | 3km |
| 3 | Ben Heley | 2Dash | 31:35 | (13:04) | 18:31 | 3km |
| 4 | Ellis Simmonds | 2Dash | 31:45 | (14:00) | 17:45 | 3km |
| 5 | Simon Pugh | Rotherham Harriers | 32:07 | (00:00) | 32:07 | 5km |
9th Event – 1st October 2019 – Millhouses Park
In the absence of 2 of the 3 series leaders, Simon Pugh had a chance of snatching the bronze medal, but he needed to take first place to do that. It was unfortunate for him that Helen Ellerker chose to use this event for a final preparation for her President’s Challenge and took a 22 second victory ahead of Simon. New walker Maya Marshall, recruited from the schoools races earlier in the year, held off series winner Ben Heley for fourth place.
With 4 races to score in the series, Ben scored 77 of a possible 80, second place was Lancashire’s Tony Bell with 74 and third was Lara MacColl with 72 points. 17 different walkers have taken part over the year.
| Position | Competitor | Club | Time on Clock | Start Time | Actual Time | Distance | |
| 1 | Helen Ellerker | 2DASH | 31:14 | (00:10) | 31:04 | 5km | |
| 2 | Simon Pugh | Rotherham Harriers | 31:36 | (00:00) | 31:36 | 5km | |
| 3 | Natalie Myers | 2DASH | 31:43 | (04:42) | 27:01 | 5km | |
| 4 | Maya Marshall | High Storrs School | 31:49 | (25:28) | 06:21 | 1km | |
| 5 | Ben Heley | 2DASH | 32:01 | (13:32) | 18:29 | 3km |
Final Positions – S.Y. Race Walking League – 2019
| Position | Name | Points | Position | Name | Points | Position | Name | Points |
| 1 | Ben Heley | 77 | 7 | Ellis Simmonds | 52 | 13 | Imogen Walker | 15.5 |
| 2 | Tony Bell | 74 | 8= | Daniel Webster | 20 | 14 | Evan Shkull | 15 |
| 3 | Lara MacColl | 72 | 8= | Helen Ellerker | 20 | 15 | Amy Robinson | 14 |
| 4 | Simon Pugh | 70 | 10 | Lauren Robinson | 18 | 16 | Ana Bulger | 13 |
| 5 | Natalie Myers | 69 | 11 | Esther Peterson | 17 | 17 | Libby Davidson | 12 |
| 6 | Lucy Walker | 67 | 12 | Maya Marshall | 16 | 18 |