Winter Half Tour of Bradwell

Five club members took to the fells for the Winter Half Tour of Bradwell, the second race in the 2022 Fell Championship.

The race is one of a series of races held in Bradwell in the Hope Valley, which are organised by various groups to raise money for good causes within the village.

The Winter Half Tour is 17.5 miles long and includes 3478 ft of ascent.  It’s a great route, covering a variety of terrain, including high level tracks, a short section along a disused railway line, forest tracks over the shoulder of Win Hill, the steep ascent of Lose Hill, a section of the Limestone Way through Cave Dale, before the final descent along the rough and rocky Dirtlow Rake track, into Pindale and back into Bradwell.

The weather forecast for the day was wet and windy, with 40 to 50 mph, rain becoming more persistent through the day, and a significant wind chill.  In view of this, the race organisers added an extra upper body layer and long leg cover to the kit list. In the event, the day started much better than the forecast, but, as promised, heavy rain did eventually set in, making the race a tough one for many.

A bottle of locally brewed Intrepid ale was presented to all finishers.

Fastest finisher for the Harriers was Tim Brook in an impressive 2:29:25 (4^th overall, 2^nd V40).

Results

The race was extremely well organised, with friendly marshals.  I would highly recommend the Tour of Bradwell races.