So, into September & we’re still hanging onto the last traces of Summer!
First up, on Saturday 5th, we had the AL Groovy Kinder Love, where, according to reports, the organisation was somewhat haphazard, with no headcount at the start, people missing from the results & runners receiving random emails & phone calls later in the day from the organiser to check they’d got home OK! As far as the race itself was concerned, we had 9 Harriers on the start line for the 15 mile, 4200ft course & it was a pretty successful day out, with Tim Brook 3rd overall & 2nd MV40 in 2.34.51, Jamie Wood 4th overall in 2.39.34, Bob Dickinson 10th overall & 1st MV50 in 2.53.42, Helen Haigh 11th overall & 1st lady in 2.54.40, Adam Sunderland 12th overall & 2nd MV50 in 2.55.30, Paddy Needham 15th overall in 2.59.42, Michael Sanderson 22nd overall in 3.08.41, Simon Broxton 23rd overall in 3.11.54 and Fran Whitworth 41st overall & 3rd lady in 3.32.51. Not sure if there was a team prize, but Tim, Jamie & Bob would have scooped it if so!
Although not in the Champs as such, a select few headed up to Hesket Newmarket, near Keswick, on Saturday 12th for the final British & English Champs race, the Old Crown Round. Advertised as 22.4 miles & 7200 feet, with plenty of pathless terrain, this is not a race for the novice fellrunner! On the day, the race route was tweaked, due to 50mph cross winds on Skiddaw, and that climb was swapped for a yomp up Great Calva instead, although this didn’t seem to worry The Famous Five too much & they performed very well against the best in the country. First back was Phil Hinchcliffe, who had a great battle with his twin brother Lewis (running for Saddleworth), with Lewis just sneaking it, finishing 49th in 3.22.33, whilst Phil was 51st in 3.23.20 – the splits would suggest they ran together, with Lewis saving just enough to pull away on the run-in from the final checkpoint at High Pike! Next back & cementing her place in the British & English Champs was Helen Haigh, who picked up some notable, younger scalps to finish 59th overall, 4th lady & 1st Lady Vet in a cracking time of 3.30.09. This meant that for the English Champs series, Helen finished 5th lady overall and 1st FV40/FV45/FV50 and was also British Long Course V50 Champion – a superb achievement & many congratulations! Tim Brook had another solid race & clearly saved a bit for the final section, as he was 22nd fastest from High Pike to the finish, coming in 70th overall in 3.37.21, whilst Paddy Needham wasn’t too far behind, finishing 82nd in 3.46.34. Adam Sunderland and long races have a love/hate relationship, but he was determined to get round this one so that he could qualify for the English Champs. Having been on a recce with Paddy, Lewis & Phil a couple of weeks previously, he knew what he was letting himself in for and stormed round to finish 98th overall & 7th MV55 in 3.58.29, which meant he finished the series as 9th MV55 overall, which is a fantastic result in what is a fiercely competitive category (Karl Gray & Ian Holmes being the top 2), so many congratulations to him!
The following week, it was the Cross Keys Road & Fell Relay on Saturday 19th, and we had 8 teams (32 Harriers) amongst the 34 starters, across all the different categories. And a pretty successful day it proved to be, with the Mens Open team of Jonny McClean, Patrick Needham, Paul Sammonds & Tim Brook finishing 2nd overall, the Ladies Open team of Jo Jones, Sophie Cromwell, Annie Greenwood & Katie Walshaw 2nd Ladies team, the Mens Vets Team of Stu Sharp, Adam Sunderland, James Washington & Andy Jones 1st Vets, with Mark Wilson, Gavin Baxter, Nick Helm & Chris Beadle 2nd Vets and the Ladies Vets of Clare McCarron, Fran Whitworth, Elaine Stewart & Debbie Hall 1st Ladies Vets team. Jo Jones also took the Ladies fastest road leg prize, whilst Kaeden Booth (guided by Rob Kersey) also took part in his first relay event & absolutely smashed it! Well done to everyone who took part & a big thanks to Adam Sunderland for organising the teams once again – if only the race organisation had been as slick!
Huge congratulations to Annie Garside, who became the first lady at Holmfirth Harriers to complete the legendary Bob Graham Round over the weekend of the 26/27th September. Starting & finishing in Keswick, this is a punishing test of endurance over 66 miles, 42 peaks & with 27,000 feet of climb, to be completed within 24 hours! Annie has promised a write up for the website, which should make great reading, if only to hear her take on the atrocious weather conditions on Leg 3, particularly around Great Gable & Green Gable, where her support team were seriously questioning their life choices! Despite a fall near the end of Leg 1, she toughed it out & reached the Moot Hall in Keswick after 23 hours & 22 minutes, which is amazing. Chapeau!
Little change in the Champs, with Adam Sunderland still leading the Men on 261 points from 8 races, ahead of Tim Brook (203 points from 6 races) & Paddy Needham (199 points from 7 races), whilst Helen Haigh sets the pace for the Ladies, with 248 points from 7 races, ahead of Fran Whitworth (199 points from 7 races) & Sophie Cromwell (176 points from 6 races).
Coming up for the seniors we have the Hodgson Brothers Fell Relay from Patterdale on Saturday 3rd October, where we have 2 teams, which this year are an Open & a Mixed team, whilst at the UKA/British Fell Relays in Todmorden on Saturday 17th, we only have 3 teams going, as the ballot wasn’t kind this year (being the Mens Open, Ladies Open & MV40’s). The juniors are back in action at the Strawberry Lace Race on Sunday 4th, based at the Cross Keys Inn, in Uppermill, followed by the Race You To The Summit, over near Littleborough, on Saturday 31st.
Elsewhere, great to see a few out & about in Amber, including Katie Walshaw at Hades Hill (where she was 11th overall & 1st lady, breaking the Ladies course record), Annie Garside & Andy Shaw (with his 20th completion) at Ben Nevis (where Annie was 8th lady), Tommy Holroyd at Grisedale Horseshoe (where he finished 13th overall), Mark Henderson at Blackshaw Head Fete, Chris Beadle & Jim Durrans at Groovy Baby Love, Matthew Rose & Diane Lee at the Yorkshireman Off-Road Marathon, Annie Greenwood at the Yorkshireman Half (where she finished 5th lady), Tim Street, Bob Dickinson, new member Richard Culverwell & Neil Robins at the Heights Ultra Trail 50km (where Tim was 2nd overall, Bob was 8th overall & 2nd MV50 & Richard was 9th overall & 1st MV40), Ben Kellett, Diane Lee & Joe Brereton at the Heights Ultra Trail 27km (where Diane was 1st FV50), Jack Ilsley & Helen Ilsley at Thornthwaite Round (where Jack was 1st MU23 & Helen was 2nd lady & 1st FV40), Jamie Wood & Nick Helm at Three Shires, Curtis Firth & Jordan Horrocks at the Ladybower 52km Ultra (where Curtis was 12th & Jordan was 13th overall), Katie Walshaw at Pilsley (where she was 6th overall, 2nd lady & 1st FV40) and Mark Henderson at Thieveley Pike.
Finally, some local(ish) races to have a go at:
Castle Carr (AL)/Castle Calf (AM) – Old Town, nr. Hebden Bridge – Sunday 4th
Tideswell Terminator (BS) – Tideswell – Saturday 10th
Withins Skyline (BM) – Penistone Country Park, Haworth – Sunday 11th
Monsal Mash (AS) – Monsal Head, nr. Bakewell – Saturday 31st
Race You To The Summit (BS) – Summit, nr. Littleborough – Saturday 31st
See you on a hill sometime.
Cheers,
Phil
