Goyt Valley Striders

The Strider

  • Boar’s Head

    Robin writes:

    Arriving nice and early with Kieran and Connor, we embarked on a modest 1 kilometre warm up on what looked ideal racing conditions, a nice breeze and beautiful early evening sunshine. With 11 striders posing for the team photo, including new Strider Jamie who’d picked THIS race as his first ever race, we lined up for the start. With the race split up with 3 checkpoints, there’s portions of self-navigation leaving runners to decide which route across Lyme Park is fastest. 

    The Race Director at last minute before announcing go, decided to make certain other amendments to the course known, but due to a loud and excitable crowd of runners, I only caught, “nesting curlews” and “don’t go this way”. Worried for my pre-planned route to the left of Lantern Woods I thought following the person in front would be fine, if they were listening…

    Chatting with a Wilmslow Strider (boo strider is ours) on the start line, he warned me of a fast start ruining his race last year, so what did I do, charged ahead of him before he later passed me just before the cage. We’re a stubborn bunch us runners aren’t we. I was happy with my route across to the cage, it seemed to cut out a good portion, “a nice start” I thought. On route up, there were 2 or 3 runners cursing their friend for suggesting this race, laughing and joking while I struggled to stay ahead breathing heavily wondering how they sounded so fresh! As soon as I rounded the cage, I immediately abandoned my plan and charged down to the reverse of the park run route, encountering a large group of deer I would have otherwise missed, so wonderfully fortunate. For the first time on a fell race I happened to be wearing a vest with my phone in so I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to take a video, simultaneously dropping my car key and losing precious seconds, I got the footage I needed and charged on. 

    The climb up to Bowstones from this side is much steeper but I was relieved to see I wasn’t the only one reduced to walking, although I did fear that I must be further back in the pack than I’d realised, I’ll catch a few on the downhill I hoped. Finally up and over the stile past Bowstones I charged across the Gritstone Trail after the few in my sights. Turning back down to Lyme Park, skipping along with a big grin in the reverse direction I saw Col Allott offering a “Well done Robin”, “Keep going Robin”? I can’t recall, it was encouraging nonetheless! 

    The second half of the course is much better than the first, although undulating you can really make up some time if you like downhill, which I adore. Taking a couple over each section, I knew I was making my way through the field which felt great. I then found a pair who were very much my equals. The first I accidentally closed a gate on the back of his shoe taking it nearly completely off, upon which he called “Sabotage! I’ve been cheated!” He wasn’t serious, I don’t think…I did linger behind him while he re-slotted his foot in his shoe as a gesture of good faith anyway. 

    Upon the final descent back down to the Boars Head, I got past the sabotee(?) and set off after the only other I could beat in the time remaining, a Sedgley Strider (boo again). My competitive nature can’t abide another Strider being ahead of me, even if they’re not Goyt Valley. I managed to pass him in the last 400 metres or so but was chased by heavy breathing over the line to finish 21st, take that Sedgley. 

    What a cracking race, one I’ll definitely do again and would highly recommend.

    Results

    Robin Leathley54:23
    Wayne Grant59:33
    Thomas Penn61:13
    John Moore63:04
    Ivan Whigham65:19
    Connor Lomax66:25
    Kieran Smallbone66:29
    Roy Whittle72:37
    Andrew Dobson74:43
    Rebecca Day81:36
    Jamie Mifflin84:06
  • April – night run in the demon valley

    April – night run in the demon valley

    By Mary Jones (This article was originally posted in Mary’s Blog)

    At the head of the Goyt Valley, towering above Buxton, lies Shining Tor. The Goyt Valley drops down to the east of the Tor. The Goyt Valley has always been a busy place, once it was a place of mining and industry; now it is a place for tourism and sailing. Families come to walk the paths around the two reservoirs which fill the valley, explore the ruins of Errwood Hall and buy ice creams from the vans which park in the many car parks.  If you drop down the western side of Shining Tor, the Cheshire side, you enter a very different valley. The hidden valley of Thursbitch, a quieter place; the demon valley; A place steeped in myth and legend. Made famous by the Alan Garner novel of the same name this is a place where, according to Garner, farmers lock their doors at dusk and the local vicar refuses to enter. It is a place of standing stones, ancient magic and pagan ritual. Thurs is the Old English word for demon so Thursbitch is quite literally the Demon Valley, according to the 14th century people who named it. 

    Garner’s novel is based around the true tale of Jack Turner, a young salt jagger, who died in the snow near Thursbitch on Christmas Eve in 1735, or possibly 1755 – the confusion about dates is part of the mystery. He should have been heading home to Saltersford but was actually heading uphill towards Thursbitch when he died. A single woman’s footprint was found by his body. A memorial stone marks the spot. Garner spins a tale of an isolated community still bound up in the ‘old ways’ – strange rituals devoted to ancient deities.

    I am fascinated by folklore and the ancient history of the land under our feet. We walk on a landscape that has been walked for thousands of years and the ghosts that frightened our ancestors still haunt us today. So when someone suggested a Friday evening run in to the valley how could I refuse?

    We meet up near the Cat and Fiddle, which used to be the highest pub in the country until it closed down and has been turned in to a gin distillery. It may now be the highest gin distillery in the country. It is a calm, warm evening in early spring and we have a short run up to the summit of Shining Tor. 

    Pete’s selfie at the Shining Tor trig point

    At the top of Shining Tor we pause to take in the view. How many counties can we see from up here? From Hereford and Worcestershire in the south, to Lancashire and Yorkshire in the North and East. The view of the Cheshire Peak District hills include the alpine point of Shutlingsloe, and on this clear, bright evening we could see the Mersey estuary glinting in the sun. 

    We enjoyed the easy descent in to the Thursbitch valley. In reality, Thursbitch is a tranquil, verdant valley. It is warm and peaceful in the spring evening sunshine. If this place is has been special for generations, maybe it is because it is a fertile valley sheltered from the worst of the prevailing weather by the ridges of hills.




    We looked out for the standing stones which, according to Alan Garner, align with the Pole Star. We couldn’t find them although some people claim that many ancient sacred stones have been repurposed as gateposts in the valley. As we run along the valley we spot the ruins of old homesteads. Small dwellings with even smaller outbuildings for livestock. These are a reminder of the generations who have lived in this remote valley which is still farmed today. I recall Garner’s stories of local farmers who lock their doors at dusk and won’t so much as cross the yard in the dark. I am not sure any sheep farmer would be able to sustain his flock if fear kept him inside after dark at lambing time.

    We come across John Turner’s memorial stone. Garner describes how he came across it while running in the area in the 1950s. He describes getting his arm trapped as he looked at it. He panicked, and his panic increased when he read the back of the memorial which describes the footprint in the snow near the body. The experience stayed with him for years and inspired the novel. We tried to work out whether it was possible to get your arm trapped in the 6 inches between the stone and the wall. Are we seeing evidence of a modern myth maker? Much of the reported mythology of Thursbitch that I find online, references a talk Alan Garner delivered at Knutsford Literary Festival in 2003. A talk which marked the publication of the book. 

    So the myth of Thursbitch is a modern one, spun by a master story teller with a book to sell. Or is it?

    On the climb back up to Shining Tor I speed up the steep hill gaining a PR in the process. I tell myself it is because a cold wind has picked up and I am keen to get back to the car; but as the sun sets in to a blood red sky over the Cheshire/Manchester conurbation in the distance, maybe, just maybe, I do not want to linger in the valley of the demon for too long after dusk.


    References and further reading


    Garner, A. (2003): The Valley of the Demon: The writing of Thursbitch 

    Lewis-Lycett, E. (The Local Mythstorian: Death of the Jagger: John Turner and the mysterious birth of Jenkin Chapel

  • FRA Outdoor First Aid Course

    FRA Outdoor First Aid Course

    By Helen Parry

    Last weekend I completed the FRA recommended 2 day (16 hours) Outdoor First Aid course and I would highly recommend anyone who organises or marshals at fell races. In fact, I would recommend it to anyone who gets out and about ,enjoying the hills and mountains – running, walking, biking, horse riding, hang gliding………the list is endless. Whether you are on top of Kinder or a high Lake District fell, or just having a stroll up the Goyt valley, it can be invaluable. I was also not the only Strider on the course ….hello to Mark Richards who came all the way up from Oxford.

    “Does my arm look bug in this?”

    I decided to do the course at first purely because I often marshal and was involved in an incident on the Whaley Waltz about 4 years ago on the top of Windgather. The incident turned out fine thankfully, but it did leave me the thought of what could I have done differently. I also then thought about what I would do if I came across an injured or ill person while just out by myself. Or if someone with me became ill or injured. What if my phone has no signal? I do have some degree of knowledge being a nurse, but the situation is so much different on a bleak hilltop when the wind is blowing a hooley and mountain rescue could potentially be more than an hour away. I also wanted to know what the best kit is to have with you if an incident arises. That led me to discovering the FRA Outdoor First Aid course.

    I first completed it in Feb 2018 (last weekend’s course was a 3-year update). It was held at Woodhead MRTs centre. A lovely place inside but, being February, we had rain, sleet, hail and snow. All ideal conditions to lie outside on a cold hill playing at being injured while another person tried to help you. My overriding memory was trying to save an “injured” Nicky Spinks. However, it did bring home the reality of how difficult a situation can be if you are in more remote locations. This year’s course was held in the more lovely and user-friendly setting of Youlgreave and it was a lovely warm June weekend. The outdoor scenarios this time were held near to Youlgreave cricket pitch/park.

    Resus mannequins


    The course itself involves a mix of class-based discussions,(Covid secure) hands on sessions using resus mannequins, and then practising moving and positioning skills on each other. It is informative and interactive and very sociable. It seems a little perverse to say this about a first aid course, but it was fun. On the second day, we moved to the outdoors and practiced the learnt skills on scenarios. There is no exam at the end (hurrah). The course is an ongoing assessment with an extremely easy short multiple-choice question at end of day one. You are assessed by the instructor throughout the course. The course is ideal for any mountain/outdoor education leader.

    You can do a lot with a buff!


    If you want to do a course like this then I would encourage you to do so. It does not mean that you should feel obliged to be a designated first aider on a race if you do not want to. What it does mean is that you will feel more confident in dealing with a situation if you are out on the hills regardless of whether you are marshalling or running a fell race. This course is not just about how to patch up cuts and bruises to injured runners at the end of a fell race (you do not really need a first aid course to stick a plaster on) nor is it wholly like a work based first aid course even though much of that is covered too. In fact, one of the reasons Nicky Spinks did the course was not only because she is a hard fell runner; she is also did it because she is a farmer, and dangerous situations can come with the territory. For me, it is about trying to keep an injured/sick person (and yourself) safe/alive until help arrives. It is about using what kit you have to hand to help a person that is not necessarily in comprehensive first aid kit. (Although ideal personal kit is discussed) It is amazing how useful roll mats and bike inner tubes can be when you do not have bandages or sling. Or what you can use a buff for (no not a hat). I really hope I never have to use the skills but at least Ill be more confident now if an incident does arise.

    For more info on the course The FRA first aid coordinator and course facilitator is Ian Winterburn (everythingoutdoor@btinternet.com). The course costs £85 currently

  • February – The Long and the Short of it. A not quite race report

    By Mary Jones (This article was originally posted in Mary’s Blog)

    February is too short.

    Our running club has set a championship challenge (in lieu of races) to run a fast 5k during February. The route choice is your own. Hence lots of Goyt Valley Striders have been throwing themselves off the top of big hills and hurtling down in an attempt to break the land speed record.

    My first attempt was misjudged. I found a big hill, ran down it: I won’t bore you with the details but I still had a lot of 5km left when I got to the bottom. I ended up running back through the village at 6pm on a Friday night, dodging the socially distanced chippy queue, which must have cost valuable seconds. It was still my fastest ever 5k but I thought I could do better.

    The shortness of February meant that I didn’t have time to recover properly before having to do another attempt.

    Attempting a route tried and tested by my better (at least at running) half, I took myself up another hill on a fine early spring day. I stood for a moment at the top of the hill and looked across the valley. The sun glinted on the reservoir. My other option for this morning was to go for a swim – why didn’t I choose the swim?

    I started to run down hill. I tried to increase both my stride and my cadence until it felt like I was flying – I remember this feeling as a child – running down hill without a care in the world. Running faster and faster. Leaning in to the descent like superman.

    I tried to keep up the momentum, even when the road took a slight upwards trajectory briefly, but my legs and lungs were burning. My breath was noisy in my throat. I know the next descent is shorter and soon my route will turn flat and I will no longer be able to rely on gravity to keep me going.

    I turn on to the trail. The second half of my 5k will be flat. Now it’s my legs, not the gradient of the path that must keep up the momentum. There are no runners ahead of me, no runners behind me, and no-one waiting to cheer me over the finish line, but this is still a race. This is the club championship, lockdown style.

    One mile to go. My body wants to give up but I have come this far and I am not doing this again! The pace no longer feels free and easy. I come to the end of the trail and drop down on the the canal. A moment of descent but it is not enough to gain any more momentum. Nearly there… and stop. My legs shake and I cough as my lungs try to recover. The coughing attracts stares from the families walking along the canal. I start to walk, I can’t run any more, my heart rate needs to return to normal. My legs need to stop shaking.

    I walk along the canal in the spring sunshine. A man walking in front of me in green wellies sings along to Frank Sinatra playing in his headphones: “Let me see what spring is like on Jupiter and Mars”. I don’t want to start running again and break the reverie of this moment. I listen a minute and then I start to jog again and overtake him as he sings along to ‘The Girl from Ipenema: “She stares ahead but not at me”

    I get home, download my run to Strava and run it through this website which will calculate the fastest 5k in the route. I was 7 seconds slower than last week’s run.

    February has also been too long.

    We have been in lockdown for what seems like years. This is lockdown number 2 or 3, depending on how you count – and I don’t count the not-lockdown before Christmas because I was still going to work and my children were still going to school.

    The government have finally released the long awaited road map out of lockdown. Now anyone who knows me will know that I am not good with maps but even I have noticed the ominous words ‘no sooner than…’ before every date where things might get released. ‘No sooner than’, which means that if it all goes tits up after any of the previous dates, and the dreaded R rate starts to climb, then it ain’t going to happen.

    England Athletics' roadmap back to normality
    England Athletics’ roadmap back to normality

    England Athletics have kindly translated the roadmap for the running community:

    I dream of summer fell races. The ‘turn up – pay a fiver – run up a big hill – run down a big hill – pray you don’t come last’ kind of races. I hope they can go ahead. I have entered the Manchester Marathon in October. The atmosphere at the first few big events will be amazing. I am looking forward to a summer of parkrun, gigs, music festivals, theatre. I am trying to remain optimistic but I am glad I am not the organiser of a summer event (any more).

  • AGM 2021: Club Championships Report

    by Chris Bowen

    2020 got off to a good start with three races taking place. We did the Meltham Tough 10k, the Marple Park Run, and the Haworth Hobble, and we had no idea that this would be the last of the championship races for the year. The committee started putting on a few challenges, suggested by various members, and asked people to record when they had taken part, the time taken not being important. The idea was to keep people running even when we couldn’t have club runs.

    It gradually became apparent that races were not going to be held for the rest of 2020 and so we finished the year with 20 of our own challenges in all. These included some relay events, some local race routes, and some navigation challenges. Some of these challenges were charity events, with members being very generous in their donations – thank you everyone! A lot of people enjoyed searching the Goyt Valley for Joe Brown’s Numbers, and testing themselves on the 5 Trigs route – thanks to Pete Ambrose for suggesting these. Also thanks to Chris Tetley for designing the August navigation event, where we had to find the green ‘Peak and Northern’ footpath signs; and to Brian Holland for encouraging us to run Every Day in May (and November!), and for planning various relays.

    We are delighted with the number of members who took part in the challenges, some of whom do not like the pressure of normal championship races, but they have enjoyed taking part in these challenges. A number of children and young people took part in the challenges as well.

    Zoom AGM 2021//embedr.flickr.com/assets/client-code.js

    (Click on the picture to see some of the prize winners with their prizes)

    7 members completed all 20 challenges, with 10 people completing over 15 but less than 20, and 10 more completing over 10. All these people were presented with a T-shirt this morning, thanks to another piece of relay planning mastery by Brian. These T-shirts have “Lockdown Championship” on the back and are gold – yellow actually – for 20 challenges, silver – grey – for 15 and bronze – orange – for 10. They also say “Tier 20”, “Tier 15” and “Tier 10” depending on the number of challenges achieved. (You may wonder where this came from – originally when we planned these prizes we were going to have Tiers 3, 2 and 1, but then Tier 4 was introduced so we had to change our plan! The three juniors who did lots of these challenges also received prizes today. Well done Magnus, Efan and Wilf.

    So, on to 2021. We hope that racing will start again later this year, and we have decided to try to have a more traditional championship, with different gender and age categories as normal. The three races from last year have been carried forward, and we hope that some of the rest of the races that were planned for 2020 will take place this year, and these will be included – especially as some of us have deferred entries for some these. Other races maybe added if things get back to normal.

    In the meantime, while there is no racing, there is a new series of homegrown challenges for members to take part in, for which championship points will be awarded. We’ve already had the Fastest Mile, and for February we have the Fastest 5k. Eventually, we plan that there will be 18 races/challenges as in a normal year with a variety of terrains and distances as in a normal year. A tentative plan is on the website but this will change as things become clearer.

    We very much hope that those members who don’t normally take part in championship races will continue to take part this year, as this increased participation has been an unexpected benefit of the Covid restrictions. If you do a challenge but you don’t want to post a time, you will still get recognition for having taken part. Once racing does start, there will be an option to do the race route on a different day to the race proper, and again get recognition (but not championship points). You could still get a T shirt at the next AGM if you do a set of qualifying events without having taken part in a proper race at all!

  • AGM 2021: Chairman’s Report

    By Lucas Jones

    The Chairman’s Prize: well done Brian!

    I don’t need to tell you all how strange 2020 was!

    Since March we’ve been missing a lot:
    • races (although Aidan and me somehow managed to do a half ironman triathlon)
    • parkruns
    • our usual, brilliantly informal Tuesday and Saturday club runs
    • and of course the pubs!

    However, I am very proud of how the club came together in these difficult times. Starting with the relay in May, and continuing with the Mob Match, and all the events that comprised the Lockdown Championship. Thanks to everyone who suggested or helped to organise those events: I know they helped just about save my sanity last year.

    Despite the lack of races and the ever-changing lockdown conditions, there were still many notable individual running achievements and I just want to quickly mention a few that spring to mind:

    Nathan – the ridiculous Eccles Pike Marathon (just about!) followed by a 35 minute 10k (at a very rare race); followed up earlier today with a sub-17 minute 5k!

    Mark Richards – attempt at “60 at 60” Bob Graham Round – the traditional 42 summits, plus an extra 18! He didn’t quite manage the 24 hour limit (ended up 32 hours 45 mins), but it was awe -inspiring to see Mark persevere; I don’t think stopping was ever on his agenda, despite looking in need of an air ambulance on more than one occasion.

    Robin Leathley – as well as many stupidly fast local runs, Robin completed a very swift unofficial Bullock Smithy (he wasn’t the only Strider to run the course this year despite the race having been cancelled).

    Julia Carter – Building on her V40 win in 2019, Julia has very impressively started dipping her toes into the murky waters of ultra-running; Bullock Smithy later this year!

    Louise with the ‘Keep on Running (around your garden)’ award

    Louise Smith – refusal to let shielding get in the way of joining in with our lockdown challenges, doing them on her own improvised back-garden running track instead

    On of course Rusty, and his wonderfully demented Eccles Pike ultra-marathon for Thomas Theyer Foundation: 25 ascents, 36 miles and 13.5 thousand feet of elevation, which is nearly halfway up Everest!

  • End of May Relay

    By Julia Carter

    Yet another fabulous event, and weren’t we blessed with the weather? The start was “a bit early” to quote Mary, with Chris T, Alistair, and the Joneses setting things in motion, all setting off on separate routes. The starting block was from outside Louise’s house. Louise was self isolating at the time but there she was with a smile and a cheer to welcome the first arrivals.

    “Lockdown Lou”

    On the basis of the various drafts and spreadsheets, I had, some may argue naively, been expecting my fellow Striders to arrive at approximately 9.00am. Chris T however announced his arrival at my house with a message “Here” at 8.29 am, so out I shot with wet hair, and one running shoe on and one running shoe in my hand. I was greeted by a very spritely Chris, and Chloe Abbot (and dog). Having failed to interpret the rules correctly I had not prepared a treat for my relay benefactors, so apologies Chris and Chloe, but I did take a couple of brownies with me to my onward recipients Brian and Sue.

    “Chirpy Chris”

    As temperatures soared iced treats were in order for the remainder of the day.

    Iced treats were the order of the day!

    A big “Hats off!” to Brian for managing to coordinate the relay. Blimey – that was a job and a half! I think there were at least four drafts of the route, but we got there in the end, and all those who wanted to take part were included, including Louise who completed the relay in her own back garden. The route traversed Whaley Bridge, Bugsworth, Chapel, Chinley, Buxton, Bollington and Marple.

    In true Striders style, all abilities and ages were encouraged to engage, and it was fabulous to see some of our potential future talent joining in too.

    • Magnus
    • Ethan
    • Wilf
    Emerging talent!

    In essence, it was meant to be a bit of fun and fun it was. You only have to look through the handover photos posted on Facebook to see how much we all enjoyed it. One of the many things I love about our club is how inclusive and encouraging it is. Throughout the lockdown, our little club has excelled itself in keeping us all together and active, and for that I am truly grateful.

  • GVS 2.6 Relay Challenge

    GVS 2.6 Relay Challenge

    26th April 2020

    By Kirsty Pierce

    It was a good day. No, it was a great day. Possibly one of the best during these series of Groundhog-like days when there is often nothing particular (no Tuesday night training, no Wednesday hill and speed sessions, no Saturday breakfast or Sunday evening group runs) to differentiate one day from the next. So I hope I speak for everyone when I say that when I woke this morning and knew I would be slipping on my running shoes at the same time, just before or just after my running pals, it felt almost like I was running alongside others. Something I hadn’t felt in a while.

    So firstly, special thanks go to Brian Holland for sowing the seed of an idea and then putting it together. Thanks also to Pete Fotheringham for creating our entries page. From concept to concrete took only a matter of days; in the words of Paul Oakley “it shows how creative we all get when put to the test”.

    And creativity certainly was a theme throughout the day with the variety of batons – from stuffed toys to artfully decorated toilet rolls, golden running shoes, a Trump themed toilet brush (fabulous), baton shaped vegetables, and we mustn’t forget the recycled broken wooden spoon from Anna Aspinall and smiling spatula thanks to Helen Gray. Oh and was that a banana baton being held aloft by the Grant family?

    All in all, we had already proven the strength of our club creativity with the Goyt Valley Striders Christmas Tree in December but today we took that artistic flair to greater heights.

    It’s all about the batons…

    I feel the need for a “design your own baton” competition as part of the re-run of the Covid-19 2.6 Relay which I am certain Brian will be keen to put on the calendar next year! But next year, wouldn’t it be marvellous to actually hand the baton in person over to someone else?

    Yes, it really was a good day. There isn’t a picture without smiling, happy faces. From the youngest Striders to the wiser members of our running community….we all had fun, running up hills, down hills, along towpaths, through fields, or even in the case of Louise Smith, 84 laps of the garden! And if we couldn’t run together in person, we certainly ran together in our heads and hearts.

    Not only that but between us we managed to raise about £550 for our chosen charities – pretty good for a club of our size. And in these times when charities are receiving no donations from the big sporting events that run through the summer season, I am sure we all felt the importance of doing our bit for such worthwhile causes.

    …and the numbers: 2.62 miles in 26.21 minutes 🙂

    I know I won’t be alone in hoping that the worst of this lockdown will soon be behind us, and also in looking forward to some runs when we can once again share the beautiful scenery around the Goyt Valley with friends. Until then let’s stay safe and keep positive and we can be thankful that against the odds, we could still find a way of running together.

    To finish, I’m going to steal the words of our excellent collage photographer, Jane Adlard: “I’ve felt really proud of our club today”. And so say all of us!

  • Goyt Valley 2.6 Relay Challenge

    by Brian Holland

    I saw an article in the news about doing a fundraising event based round 2 and 6. (marathon distance which are all cancelled). So with the help of Helen Gilbert here is what GVS is doing.

    • Sunrise to Sunset relay
    • 26 people or groups of people who live together run/walk 2.6 miles
    • On 26 April

    Hope you get it 🙂

    Below is a link to a page where you can pick your time. Thank you Pete F for sorting this out.

    This is not just about having a good excuse to go out. I am unlikely to be staging the Shining Tor Fell Race which last year gave £600 to Buxton Mountain Rescue. And Helen was going the run London Marathon to raise money for Phab Kids which supports clubs and holidays for disabled kids. Links are below. DON’T FORGET TO GIFT AID IF YOU CAN.

    The Rules

    Sign up by picking a time on the list here

    Make a donation using one of the links below, suggestion is £5 but more or less is perfectly acceptable, also donations from people not actually taking part.

    Sort your 2.6 mile route out, this has to be from your home, can end anywhere not necessarily back at your home, but end your route at 2.6 miles.

    Once you have done your run, put a Strava or Garmin route somewhere so we can all see where you have been, a photo to go with it would be nice

    Things you must do!

    1. Only run by yourself or with people you live with.
    2. If your route takes you through gates or stiles, remember be careful about touching things, wear gloves and wash hands.
    3. Do not select a route which goes through farm yards or gardens, so places like the path from Whaley Sewage works to Dolly Lane is out.
    4. No one can do two legs, advice is to only do one exercise session a day.
    5. Remember to follow the government advice to avoid spreading the virus, keeping 2m distance.

    Many thanks for your support, please contact me with any questions.

    07905100710 or bholland28@hotmail.com or GVS facebook page

  • Herod Farm

    Herod Farm

    by Helen Gray

    These strange times have made me feel sorry about things I can’t do even though I didn’t like them.

    Herod Farm

    April, the evenings are light once more
    I will miss Herod farm
    Not a phrase many thought to hear
    I’ve long made clear my dislike
    Of this short, sharp test
    And yet, in these strange and anxious times,
    I will miss Herod Farm.

    The first of the year, the promise of more to follow
    Friends old and new
    Bright in their vests, names registered, numbers pinned,
    Trotting, chatting up the road,
    To Herod Farm.

    In order of strength, fitness, hopefulness
    We line the track,
    Shuffling feet, shoulder to shoulder
    Announcements made and then we’re off,
    Past Herod Farm.

    The steady uphill through the fields,
    Don’t waste your legs now
    Steep rise of the Nab ahead,
    Digging in for the climb
    Cheery faces at the summit, gather yourself,
    Then belt through the tufted fields toward Monks Road,
    Away from Herod Farm.

    Turn back, downhill now to Simmondley.
    Legs flying over broken stone walls, small boggy streams
    Keep your balance!
    Double back, then, on tired legs,
    Climb the Nab once more
    Cursing Herod Farm.

    Lungs burning, heart pounding, hands on thighs
    All muscles straining
    Grasp the sharp yellow grass
    Haul yourself up; “Made it! Well done lass!”
    Turn back down towards Herod Farm.

    Clattering downhill, feeling reborn.
    Light fading over the hills beyond,
    The town spread out below.
    This is why we run, the challenge brings this reward
    Only a fell runner can describe.
    Breathless celebrations of the finish and
    The knowledge that it is also a beginning.

    I will miss Herod Farm.