Clougha Pike fell race

Sat 20th June

5 miles
1,260 feet

A misty drizzly start to the day meant a very low turnout of 37 for what is a great, tough little race, and the one most local to me. I look at it everyday (when visible) from where I currently live. So after missing it for a few years, I felt I must do it this time.

As ever the start was fast and immediately uphill on the typically rough farm fields. The mist created a strange atmosphere and nothing looked particularly familiar. After about 600m fellow Bowland runner Sean Bolland passed me puffing like a steam train (he maintained it well finishing 4th). I held about 8th position as we climbed clear of the farm fields and onto the open access land and finally the summits rocky ridge. It was on the ridge where I felt the pace and, to my surprise, had to walk some of the steeper  little ramps. It was a poor ascent, things could only improve, they did a bit. Chris Balderson passed me here and I used him to try and force some sort of pace to the summit. I followed Chris on the tricky little, flagged descent. Still in the mist it made it awkward to keep on track. As the fields flattened out I made a move and managed to pass Chris and 1 other. I just held on to run at full pelt down into the finishing field. I finished 7th in 45:01 and Anthony Dalton won in 40:55. Bowland fell runners made up the next 7 places after the winner!