| Rob Nock | 55:50 |
| Thomas Penn | 58:23 |
| Wayne Grant | 61:56 |
| Neil Colquhoun | 64:54 |
| James McGill | 65:03 |
| Brian Holland | 71:43 |
| Dave Bowen | 74:50 |
The final tables see Bec Day crowned the ladies’ Summer Fell Series champion, ahead of Julia Carter, and Robin Leathley the mens’ champion, ahead of Rob Nock, with Wayne Grant and Thomas Penn sharing third place.
| Robin Leathley | 39:56 |
| Rob Nock | 40:15 |
| Wayne Grant | 43:49 |
| Thomas Penn | 44:24 |
| James McGill | 44:49 |
| Neil Colquhoun | 46:21 |
| Ivan Whigham | 47:23 |
| Connor Lomax | 48:25 |
| Brian Holland | 48:43 |
| Roy Whittle | 51:45 |
Robin writes:
Upon reviewing the entry list, I thought it would be a small party at Hathersage, only to find that there were many striders entering on the day! 11 striders in total made the race, to continue the streak of a really well attended fell championship this year. (great race picking Kieran!)
Initially I thought it was strange to be given a leg tracker pre-race for timing, but it later became clear it was a great idea!
206 of us huddled onto a small taped off bit of grass for the pre-race briefing, nothing to note from the RD apart from the route would not be diverted by cows like a race a couple weeks ago. After shuffling onto the road it was a very congested start. It was made clear that we should all keep to the left on the road and bless weren’t people obedient of that. I did however use that to skip past on the right as once again, I’d let myself start too far back in the pack.
The race curves up a trail after a few hundred metres and your heart rate is elevated almost immediately with no reprieve for the first mile and a half with so much climb, before you reach the top of Over Owler Tor, what a name! There isn’t much room for overtaking on this race, whereas most would be happy with this, I was racked with guilt for holding people up on the climbs. Tired legs from the fast mile from the race before took their toll faster than I’d hoped and I graciously moved to the side when heavy breathing behind me became to burdensome for me to bear.
Once at the top after the narrow trails opened up at last, it was very reminiscent of the top of most of the edges around there, Stanage, Curbar, Frogatt, lots of rocks to dance around. A welcome shower of wind and rain helped cool me down at this point as I thanked the marshals who’d drawn the short straw on the tops. I should say all the marshals were brilliant, lots of clapping/encouragement, really a fantastic job.
After coming off the top of Higger Tor, I knew that if I’d kept Rob Nock at bay, that the 60 points would be mine, as I glanced round I hoped that perhaps he wouldn’t be in sight and I could run down to the finish a bit easier….sadly not he was only 5-6 seconds behind! Bollocks. Pushing to end are we Rob? Damn it.
With a wonderful descent of grass, road, trail, I pushed it as much as I could, passed a few and sprinted with whatever I had left around the school field to the finish. 33rd in the end, but the time was more-or-less what I was aiming for so I was happy and I secured the 60 points with Rob coming in 45 seconds or so later. I knew it was going to be close!
A great race, one which was hard fought but I’ll definitely go back for again, as it seems, fell racing just sucks you in like this. I’ve never done fell races in short sequences like this year, but man are they addictive. It’s 3 weeks till Brassington and I’m gutted I have to wait till then!
Last point to note was that with the leg tracker, the Hathersage team had put together a live results screen scrolling through all the positions as soon as you came in, wow, what a great idea and one I may have to look into for the future!
| Robin Leathley | 36:43 |
| Rob Nock | 37:28 |
| Col Allott | 39:12 |
| Thomas Penn | 39:37 |
| Wayne Grant | 40:03 |
| Chris Randall | 42:11 |
| James McGill | 43:18 |
| Bec Day | 45:20 |
| Brian Holland | 45:58 |
| Julia Carter | 53:29 |
| Pete Fotheringham | 61:20 |
by Rob Nock
9 Striders took part in the Hope Fell Race on Wednesday evening. Heavy rain from earlier in the day mostly retreated to leave a mild but moody June evening.
Race HQ at Hope Sports Club was busy with the 185 participants. The race began with a crowded lap around the school field, elbows out, before heading out through the village.
A flat(ish) first mile, was followed by a steep climb up the first of two hills Wooler Knoll. The initial crowds were now stretched out. There followed a fast technical descent into woods before the second climb of the course up Win Hill. Here the heather taunted legs and pulled at our shoe laces as we staggered on.
The pay off though was a fantastic sweeping mile descent through slick fields before a final push home.
The Striders were well represented across the age categories with a highlight being 2nd in the W40 for Bec Day.
Pete F’s report from Strava
> Dead last, dead hard, dead good!
Finally, here’s a post from 2019, including a report on that year’s edition of this race.
Nine Striders raced in Hope, with Rob first over the line for GVS and 38th of 185 runners overall. In the third change of leader in as many races, reigning Summer Fell Champ Wayne takes the front in the latest tables. Bec has all but sealed the ladies title after 6 of 9 races.
Fuller report to follow from Rob Nock …
| Rob Nock | 54:07 |
| Wayne Grant | 58:53 |
| Neil Colquhoun | 62:14 |
| Connor Lomax | 63:15 |
| Bec Day | 64:42 |
| Brian Holland | 65:09 |
| Roy Whittle | 69:48 |
| Andrew Dobson | 73:04 |
| Peter Fotheringham | 91:38 |
The Dash is a fast, tough race over the hills south-west of Castleton. It’s a major fundraiser for the Derbyshire Cave Rescue Organisation.
Bec Day was our on site reporter for this race.
Only 5 of us this evening. For those that don’t know this race has a very British start and a brutal finish. Once the initial climb is done it’s totally runnable. It was perfect conditions for the 45 minutes waiting for the start, unfortunately once the race had started the rain stopped and the sun came out and it was far too bloody hot! The boys had points to contend for and had a good race. It was a good evening for all involved.
Bec Day won the V40 category. It was a sprint for the line between Chris, Connor and Matt, with only twenty seconds separating them.
Bec and Thomas Penn now lead the way in the latest tables, after 5 of 9 races in the Summer Fell Champs.
| Thomas Penn | 49:55 |
| Chris Randall | 52:15 |
| Connor Lomax | 52.35 |
| Matt Biglin | 52.37 |
| Bec Day | 57.13 |
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.
| Robin Leathley | 54:23 |
| Wayne Grant | 59:33 |
| Thomas Penn | 61:13 |
| John Moore | 63:04 |
| Ivan Whigham | 65:19 |
| Connor Lomax | 66:25 |
| Kieran Smallbone | 66:29 |
| Roy Whittle | 72:37 |
| Andrew Dobson | 74:43 |
| Rebecca Day | 81:36 |
| Jamie Mifflin | 84:06 |
by Pete Fotheringham
Herod Farm is the first race in this year’s GVS Summer Fell series. No-one I’ve spoken to seems to like the race, and just about everyone refers to it as “Horrid Farm”. This is probably because, whereas most shortish fell races go up a hill, along a bit then down the hill again, Herod Farm does that twice. Up the same hill. So I’m not exactly bursting with the thrill of anticipation as I make my way to registration at the Reliance Garage on Turnlee Road in Glossop, on a pleasant Wednesday evening. It’s lucky the weather is warm and dry, as Race HQ is in the open air, and there isn’t a pub within sensible walking distance.
I bump into a few Striders, though I thought there would be a few more: maybe the others are saving themselves for the races that only go up a hill once.
I’m quite relaxed because I’ve been pretty organised (for me). Not only have I completed the registration form in advance, and brought my own safety pins for my race number, I’ve also done a recce. Actually, I’ve done two, but the first one was a minor disaster involving getting a bit lost and a bit cold, and beating a hasty retreat back to the car. The second was OK though – a pleasant morning walk with Helen, taken at a relaxed pace, in very pleasant weather – and I’m quite happy that I know what’s coming and where I’m going. I even have a plan!
I’ve mentioned before that I have a running mantra which goes: “You’re doing this to enjoy yourself, no need to rush, it’s not a race!”. This works quite well for me, even when it actually is a race. I’m not that interested in racing, I know I’m not going to win, and there’s no-one I’m desperate to beat, so I can focus on running purely for the joy of it. So my plan, for pretty much every run I do is:
This doesn’t mean I don’t push myself: there’s a lot of enjoyment to be had from getting out of my comfort zone, and from pushing myself and running hard when I can. And there’s enjoyment from the improvement that happens when I do push myself.
Anyway, point 5 pretty much covers the first part of the route, the track up to Herod Farm, and point 4 takes me me up to the crest of the hill – the end of the first trip up Whiteley Nab. Then it’s a fun lollop across the moor towards Monks Road, before turning at Herod Edge Farm – Thank you marshal! – where the serious downhill to Simmondley begins. (Lollop is a good word: there are a number of different definitions: please choose whichever definition best suits the mental picture you may or may not have in your head just now.)
The good thing – one of the good things – about being at or near the back of a race, is that the field is quite spread out – actually I’m not sure I can see any other runners at all just now – and you can go at whatever pace takes your fancy without having to dodge or show consideration for other runners. So now I can fly (slight exaggeration perhaps) downhill through heather and across fields until I reach the path before the houses at Simmondley – Hello and thank you another marshal!
More lolloping, some crossing of muddy streams, past Whiteley Nab Farm, and then I’m outside the Pennine Care Home, where some serious point 5 kicks in again, up a track past some posh-looking houses. When I reach the field, there’s a very long bit of point 4: real runners might be able to run the first bit, but I’d pay good money to see anyone actually run the last couple of hundred yards to the top of the Nab. Even walking, I’ve pushed myself quite hard by the time I get to the top, so a quick sip of water, some incoherent words to a marshal, and it’s back to pleasant running around the top of the Nab, before the lovely long downhill across fields and – carefully this time, let’s not have a fall here – through heather, down to the track and let gravity take me to the finish.
I’ve finished, and it wasn’t actually that horrid, but mostly because there was lots of points 4 and 5, so the race as a whole for me was a mixture of a fairly pleasant run, and a good, stiff walk. Which is OK, but I’d prefer something where I can actually run a bit more and walk a bit less. Something like the Rainow 5 maybe, which happens to be in a couple of weeks 🙂
Thirteen Striders made the long trip to Glossop, with James Rees first GVS gent, in 28:43, and Linette Ruston first GVS lady in 38:48. Thanks to Glossopdale Harriers for organising the race. See you next year.