Ingleton Scenery race

Thur 28th May

4.2 miles
620 feet

This was the 1st Ingleton scenery race. A midweek evening race on the waterfalls footpath. A quick blast on lots of stairs. After getting stuck behind the 1st lady on the narrow paths on the way up, I could only manage 17th. Maybe if I could have passed earlier, that could have been 3 or 4 places higher. My time was 33:54, Tom Duncan won in 29:27. A strong field turned up mainly from the west coast Lakeland area making up the numbers in a good sized field  of 93. It was an interesting race, but too many stairs for my liking. I think this was a one off race for me.

Old Counties Tops race

Sat 16th May

35.3 miles
10,220 feet

Very cold windy this year, but I still managed to complete it in a T-shirt and a thin Gilete. We set off fairly quick, but Bill had missed a lot of training, meaning after Greenup edge we had to slow down. Bill had severe cramp on the steep descent of Sca fell Pike slowing us further. It was the a case of just complete and try to beat last years time. We didn't, but we got around in 9h:03:54 and 34th out of 97. Martin Mickelson Barron and Adam Perry won in 6h:48:22

Buttermere Sailbeck race

Sat 9th May

9.5 miles
4,036 feet

Cool, cloudy and perfect weather for a proper fell race. The climb up Causey Pike at about half way never gets any easier. I felt slow here as others I had passed earlier, passed me. I was reasonably strong after that though. I made a slight error on the last part of the last descent off Whitless Pike. This meant I lost my race long battle with the leading lady Catherine Spurden to finish 19th in 1h:53:21 out of 115. Simon Booth won in 1h:34:29.

Wray Caton moor Fell race

Mon May 4th

6.3 miles
986 feet

The race is part of the scarecrow festival, which was an interesting aside as I have never been to it before. A nice sunny day also helped me enjoy the busy event. The race was a quick up and down of the local hill, Caton Moor. It started fast out of the main festival street then up a steep hill the onto the open fell side via a trail or two. By the time we reached the open fell I was in about 8th place. The lead 2 were now quite distant. But fellow Bowlanders Quentin (in 5th) and Mark Chippendale (in 3rd) were still in sight.

Then the summit neared and the leaders came into view, the gap to the leaders didn't appear too big but in reality I wasn't going to catch them. I tried hard on the rough boggy climb overtaking a couple. Then gave it everything on the descent, but only maintained 6th position ( in 48:22) to the finish. Still a good result out of 141 runners. I also won a mini Scarecrow and a beer, as part of the winning team (Bowland FR). Mark Chippendale was 3rd, Quentin was 5th, Michael Cayton won in 43:10.