March 2025 round-up
It’s been a while since the last round-up, but from the huge response to our request for race reports, it looks like we’re back in business! We were a busy lot in March – thanks to everyone who submitted a report. They make entertaining reading and really emphasise the point of the round-up: to celebrate each other’s efforts, wins, mishaps, and to inspire each other to keep running.
If you get race report fatigue (although that’s hard to imagine with the breadth and depth of scintillating reportage that follows), do not fear! Lower down we have news of last year’s XC season and a new “meet the members” feature (we’re going with “Hello Harrier!” for now – alternative names for that column on a postcard please!). Finally, we have a couple of very heartfelt messages from former teammates John and Jules, who both moved to Scotland last year (no, not together, they have spouses) after a combined forty odd years with the club.
Races
Saddleworth Ten Res’s
Saturday 1st March
Report by Nick Ham
Organised by CraggRunner under the expert leadership of Darren Graham, this tough trail-come-fell race just gets better in its organisation and provision of facilities at the three refreshment stops and back at base at Saddleworth Rangers. This year for the first time we wore trackers. Also for the first time there were two extra distances on offer: a shorter 5 Res’s and a 15 Res’s ultramarathon.
The weather is unpredictable at this time of year. However, this year it was very kind to us with dry conditions, warmth after a frosty start and plenty of sunshine. That was in stark contrast to last year’s sideways blizzard which resulted in many retirements, including mine at Control 5 at “Ice Station Zebra” (Darren’s description, formerly known as Wessenden Head ;-)).
I set off on the early 8am start for walkers and “non-competitive runners” (“non-competitive” indeed; I’m as competitive as the best of them, it’s just that I’m slow!). Ian Jackson was also on the early start; he left me standing on the initial climb out of Greenfield as he benefitted from Ruby’s 4-legged dragging power. I never saw him again until the finish, where he’d been waiting and eating meat pie for over an hour. He had to wait because I’d given him a lift there.
The early boulder scramble to Control 1 at the foot of Rimmon Pit Clough remains as treacherous as ever. That’s followed by a vertical scramble alongside the clough onto Little Moss. It’s probably true to say that the route up to Control 2 at the A635 crossing (5.9 miles) is the toughest part of the whole route. Well, there’s also the descent down the new boulder-clad cresta run to Blakeley Reservoir. Oh, and the descent around the quarry to Crowden. Oh, and not forgetting the drag back up the Pennine Way to the turn-off at Laddow Rocks. Then there are the bogs across no-man’s land between Laddow Rocks and Chew Reservoir, mustn’t forget those.
Another Glossopdale Harrier taking part was Chris Webb. He set off on the later 9am start. He caught me as I was leaving the out-and-back to Blakeley Reservoir, meaning he had gained an hour on me within the first ten miles. He was in third place, which he held until the end, finishing in 3:59:00. Well done Chris!
One thing I like about going on an early start is that I get to observe the speed merchants doing their thing – a sight I would never get to see otherwise. I can only stare in awe and admiration as I plod onwards with them disappearing into the distance. It provides some excellent photo opportunities.
From my Strava plot the total distance was 27 miles with 4,206 feet of ascent, which I completed in 7:33:40.
Ilkley Moor fell race
Sunday 2nd March
Report by Chris Jackson
An FRA category AS race with 400 metres of climbing over 8 km. It has a fast run out at the start, followed by a climb and then on to a fast downhill. It’s a fast race and quite a runnable course overall. This year it was very muddy and drew a strong field of runners. Deffo one to try and Ilkley town itself looks like a really nice place for post-race exploring.
Cloud Nine race
Sunday 2nd March
Report by Aimee Baines
A brilliant 9 mile trail/fell race. We were very lucky with the weather: lovely and sunny, T-shirt and shorts on the 2nd March – I wished I’d worn a vest! A big chunk of the hills are done in the first few miles, and they are all pretty runnable. The course features lovely scenery, a good mix of trails, woodland, fields and a little road. There are some steps to run down after one of the woodland sections, which was not as much fun. All in all a fantastic race with a great atmosphere, very well organised all round and delicious cake to purchase for £1 afterwards, and free tea/coffee and biscuits before and after the race.
Black Combe Fell Race
Saturday 8th March
Report by Chris Webb
8miles / 3200ft. Entry £10 includes a pie in Silecroft Village Hall at the end!
I’ve done most category A (i.e. steep) fell races in the Lakes, but there are a few that I’ve missed, including Black Combe. It’s in the south western Lakes and starts in the small village of Silecroft, virtually on the beach. It’s in early March so the weather can be iffy; there are stories of years when the race was run in thick clag with runners going all over the show! Fortunately for me, the weather was set fair and I took my wife and kids up, and they would end up having a great day on the beach whilst I ran! Parking is on the road to the beach and after registering in the village hall the low-key start is in a field at the foot of Black Combe itself, where I met up with Pete Daly and James Stubbs (Pennine), who had also made the journey north. A fast start sends you straight up Black Combe via a mix of rough, off-trail sections and trods for 2000ft. The sun was out and I felt half decent on the climb, despite a lack of training on the fells over the winter. After summiting, the route sweeps down and round to White Combe on grassy trods with views of the Lakeland fells in one direction and out to sea in the other – glorious! My legs weren’t feeling glorious though, Rhys F-R (Dark Peak) showed off his superior descending skills and caught me on this section and we joined Will Silvie (Black Combe), working as a trio to push the pace before Will dropped us on the steep descent to Whitebombe Beck. It’s from here that you’d really struggle if visibility was poor; the climb back up to Black Combe is steep with no trods and you’re aiming for the south summit, which is essentially on a plateau; I suspect this would be a pain to find if the clag was down. My legs had remembered that I like it steep and rough though, and Rhys and I re-passed Will and the clear conditions meant we hit the south summit with no issues before the superb, fast descent to the finish. I was careering down as fast as I could, it wasn’t pretty but it was great fun and I managed not to concede any places before dibbing in at the finish. I was 20th overall in 1hr 22mins and Pete Daly also had a solid run to come 72nd in 1hr 45mins.
After the usual post-race debrief with fellow runners, I decamped to the village hall to scoff a rather tasty cheese and onion pie (not quite Langdale standards of pie, but not far off) before a quick change and heading to the beach. There’s a lovely café on the beach too (Silecroft beach café), which I would recommend. All in all an excellent day out and well worth the 2.5hr drive from home. This is a tough race, but has the usual relaxed Lake District fell race vibes similar to the Lakeland Classics, drawing a strong field of runners. Highly recommended.
Haworth Hobble Ultramarathon
Saturday 8th March
Report by Ree O’Doherty
So 1st October, the usual GDH WhatsApp chat, you know how it goes – there’s a great race that has opened, it’s filling up fast, 659 places gone already, who is keen? You better get in quick. That kind of post. Momentum builds (not quite Tour of Tameside scale). All of a sudden there are lots of keen-bean GDH-ers signing up. Me, I was on the fence. It’s 32 miles, in March, in Bronte country, which in my head equates to windswept and wild – in March = bleak?? I weighed it up during the day, I had some bigger runs coming up later in the year and it would be good to have that mileage under my belt. BUT was it too much, so early in the year? A cancelled train put paid to my procrastination. I thought I have a half an hour to kill, if there’s spaces left I’ll sign up and so it was.
An early start at 8am on race day and a Travelodge sale led to a few of us going up the night before. While the on-the-dayers from Glossop had a ‘slightly’ earlier start, setting off at 5.20am. Slight hitch on race morning when a flat tyre on Rachel’s car nearly scuppered our race plans. But John P saved the day, and gave up race HQ breakfast to come and collect us. It meant a bit of a rush at registration, although we weren’t the only ones cutting it fine and still a lot of people were registering quite close to the start time. The race director was on hand reassuring everyone that the race wouldn’t start until there was no one left at the toilet queue!
So off we headed to the start with our local heroine, Jasmin, waving the starting flag and setting us all off from outside the Fleece Inn Pub. Uphill along the cobbles, not ideal, but it wasn’t long until we were in open ground and out in the countryside. The clag was down at this point, but boy was it warm. I was used to full winter kit, and early on had sweat running down my nose. I even went so far as taking my running jacket off early doors – unheard of! Then as we got closer to Bronte Bridge, music could be heard getting louder, and sure enough there were 8 members of a local brass band set up on the side of a hill entertaining the “troops” as we queued for a gate. A little further on, the haunting sound of bagpipes was carried across the moors and out of the mist a piper appeared, making it quite a moving moment.
The weather then cleared and what an amazing day it turned out for a run. I did think crossing the slabs on the moor that it was very exposed, and the run could really take a different form in harsh weather. But it was not something I needed to worry about today on the hottest day of the year so far.
There were some obstacles in the form of tasty hills – Stoodley Pike and those lovely stairs out of Hebden Bridge immediately come to mind – but otherwise it’s a very runnable course, a lot on farmers tracks, slabs, road, with quite a technical descent at one point near the end.
There was great excitement around the food stops, with the promise of hot dogs, fresh doughnuts, Tom Yum soup, chip butties and whisky – yes you heard me right – both single malt and blended! They even had tasting notes, which made this the longest aid station stop – only because I was reading the tasting notes of course 
How did my race go? I really enjoyed it, it was runnable, there were hills but they weren’t hideous and I fuelled well, which is something I’m working on. I often eat everything around me when not running, and then during a race attack the orange segments, which isn’t enough fuel for long runs like this. So the last part of the race I felt a lot stronger than earlier on and could have run longer, which bodes well going forward. Also having done a recce of the last section of the course, this helped as I knew what I had in store.
At the finish, you run back again into the very quaint olde world high street of Haworth and finish the run at the local school, hand over your race tracker in exchange for fizzy pop and as much pizza as you want. But us GDH-ers had no time for such trivialities, as “Operation Man Down” was underway. Poor John P’s body had decided it wasn’t such a fan of the course and wanted to check out the facilities of the local hospital instead (can I caveat here, that him missing his breakfast because of us was not the issue). Meanwhile, we grappled with the logistics of car Jenga, a tyre that didn’t want to part company with Rachel’s car, while our poorly runner had seen as much of the facilities at the hospital as he wanted and required collection. But it all turned out all reet in the end: the tyre was released, John was released, Dan C was released a lot later than planned after chauffeuring John safely back home, and I, eventually, got to have a celebratory pint a tad later than expected!
I would wholeheartedly recommend this race and even as a weekend event for the calendar, to stay on the Saturday night and get to see more of Haworth as the town itself is beautiful. The atmosphere around the race was palpable and carried on after the race. The Fleece Inn being the apres event HQ and also, Jasmin was doing a talk later that evening after the race. Lots of clubs had big numbers representing them, and a lot of return runners, which I think says a lot about an event. In particular, I will put a shout out for Gary the race director and his helpers. He was omnipresent on the day finding quick solutions on pinch points. He also collaborated with SheRaces to make this a more female friendly event, with guided recces to grow confidence and generous cut offs for those newer to events, and I will say pristine toilets – they even had air fresheners!
Overall it had a great running community spirit to it, and I will definitely be signing up for next year and hoping for (but not relying on) the highs of 17 degrees also making a return on the day.
Edit to add that Ree wishes it to be known that she beat the panto horse 😉.
Tameside 5k
Saturday 8th March
Report by Lucy Wasinski
A bunch of us were on the hunt for some 5k PBs and so entered the Tameside 5k in early March that’s put on by Local Runners Podcast. It took place on a cycle track next to the athletics track used by East Cheshire Harriers. It’s a really fun family event, which started in the afternoon with the ‘family mile’ and then over the course of the afternoon there were different 5k heats held depending on what your target finish time was.
The weather was pretty perfect – gorgeous sunshine, although breezy in various places. There were pacers for the races with a variety of target times and they were easily identifiable by their pacer t-shirts. We had the chance to warm up on the athletics track whilst the other heats were taking place on the cycle track, which was super handy. Having watched Ed R fly his way round to a large PB, there were a few of us then lining up in the next heat (Frank, Rob S, Gaffers, Steve C, me), which was for runners wanting to run 18-20 min.
Not much faffing as we lined up on the start line for approx three laps of the course, and after a brief intro we were off! From my point of view, absolutely way too fast… having realised after one lap that the 18 min pacer was just behind me! There was absolutely no way that I was keeping that pace going, so it wasn’t long before I dropped back. As it was all twisty and multi-lap, you could see where the other GDH were. Frank was flying round and finished in 2nd in the heat I think. Steve C was also super speedy and strong and was getting further and further away in the distance as the laps progressed! I was more worried about what was going on behind me, and kept having to check where Rob and Gaffers were… not that we are competitive at all 😉 I could see the blue and orange vests and knew that I had to not fade as much as I had over the second lap! There was definitely a bit of a breeze on one of the straights, but nothing major. There was ace support on the course, especially from the Gaffney and Sheldon families! It’s fair to say I think we all gave as much as we could and there were some fast finishing times and lots of PBs.
You got a little cork coaster from Local Runners podcast when you crossed the line, and once we’d recovered enough we wandered off to watch the main race of the night… those going for sub 18 min! It was a masterclass in running, mostly Salford Harriers I think, and it was great to see two or three girls also on the start line for that time. Some seriously fast running, and really fun to stand and support!
Really fun event for competing and supporting, and a big thanks to Charmayne who was there marshaling and gave great support to us all each lap! Really well organised, chip-timed and definite PB potential… I will definitely be back! Hopefully the organisers might do an event at another point during the year as well as March… so watch this space!
Wolf’s Pit Fell Race
Sunday 9th March
Report by Mary Jeal
On a dry, balmy morning with an almost summer-like sky, a handful of blue and orange vests appeared at the Wolf’s Pit Fell Race in the quiet village of Shatton, in the Hope Valley. The race was a field of 214 runners who had trickled in from Peak District localities and beyond, with familiar faces and new fell runners alike, all keen to run this intrepid course of 5.6 miles with a sizeable 1476 ft of climb. The online entries had filled up very quickly, which is clearly testament to its popularity.
This could have been the warmest race so far in 2025, the air being thirst-inducingly dry and the ground hard underfoot. Combined with some relentless climbs and very runnable downhills, this made for a really enjoyable course. There was even a very cute border collie puppy for sale at the start line – needless to say it was spoken for by the time the race finished.
Looking at the results, it was a close call between Stefan Bramwell and Paul Skuse, finishing in 47:43 and 48:52 respectively, and Stefan made the podium for 1st M50 and finished in 14th place, well done Stefan! Skusey was closely followed by Chris Jackson 50:09, Steve Crossman 52:27 and Pete Daly also finishing in close competition with 54:42; then Rob Murphy coming in with an equally respectable time of 60:54. Last but not least in the Glossopdale rankings was Mary Jeal who made it round in a time of 77:33.
This is a must-do race for next year’s calendar, but be warned, as the weather can be quite unpredictable in March, so you may need full kit in 2026!
Blakey Blitz Fell Race
Sunday 16th March
Report by Chris Jackson
I’d heard good things about this North Yorkshire race. It’s one of few places I’ve never raced.
At 9 miles and 2700 feet of climb it didn’t disappoint. I left sunny Glossop to arrive at the race start, which was a pub in the middle of the moors. It was raining, misty and windy – my worst racing weather! The course was out-and-back and very similar to the fells round here. The map came out a few times, as I didn’t know the area. It’s a great race with an unusual uphill finish back to the pub. I’d go back and give this another go. Deffo worth the drive.
Chicken Run
Saturday 22nd March
Report by James Kendrick
14km, 472m
I did C25K about 18 months ago and where new-runner-niggles have allowed, I have been keeping up the running and gradually increasing my distance. When I saw that this race was in spring, I thought entering it would give me good motivation to keep running through winter. This worked well and, a month before the event, I felt like I was going to be able to give a good account of myself. Perhaps it worked a little too well – in the run up to this event, I had a flare up of a recurring knee niggle that meant I did little running for three weeks and only really turned up on the day to get round. If it wasn’t for good weather, peer pressure and the pre-emptive offer of a lift home from one of the marshals, I would have stayed at home. So while I was pleased to get round, and tried to keep perspective of this event being an unimaginable prospect for me just a short time ago, I was frustrated to only be able to struggle round with a very conservative approach to speed and to walking on hills.
This was only my second ever fell race (the other being the Charlesworth 5k), so I have little experience to compare this race to. However, my impressions are very positive and I will be looking to come back to the Chicken Run next year. I would also recommend it to anyone considering a first fell race, or anyone looking for some motivation for winter training.
The route, starting and finishing at a local school, was very well marshalled and it felt almost impossible to get lost. The organisers made a minor last-minute change to the route to avoid some cows and calves. The route followed rights of way, apart from a minor detour for yet more cows, and so the terrain was always ‘traily’. There were some interesting features that made this route stand out from the Saturday morning laps of Manor Park, making it, in my opinion, ideal for anyone wanting to step up a distance or vary from their typical running terrain.
Based on race numbers it appears about 50 people choose to do the shorter (~11km) route with closer to 250 doing the longer (~14km) route. While very well organised, the event seemed to have a chilled vibe with a mix of runners – all friendly and welcoming. For future reference, there were a small number of entries available on the day.
There are a few stiles near the start of the route and this caused quite a lot of queuing for those of us near the back of the pack. In hindsight (and had my knee allowed), it would have been a lot quicker to have taken the start slightly harder to get ahead of some others for queuing, even if that meant taking later bits slightly slower.
Given how few club sessions I have attended in the past year (and the low expectations I had on my performance), I was quite tempted to not wear my GDH club top. However, I am glad that I chose to wear the famous orange and blue colours, as it meant spectators and other racers gave me much appreciated shouts of “go on Glossopdale!”
As you might suspect, giving the opening to this race report, I ended up being far slower than I was hoping to be (slowest man under 60?). Given that the day before the race I was considering not turning up, I took just getting round and not dropping down to the shorter route as a mild success. However I had been hoping it would go better, so I guess I will be back next year and we’ll see how that goes…
Don Morrison Memorial Edale Skyline
Sunday 23rd March
Report by Pete Daly
Cat AL, 34km, 1373m elevation
This race has been on my tick list for a long time, so with it being an English championship race this year, I thought why not. Driving over to the race it became obvious that the whole Edale area was clagged in, so that was not a good start. Parking was really easy and I got one of the last spaces in the station yard before a lot of other people went on the field further up the road. It was super organised at registration with kit check and dibbers handed out, nice one Dark Peak!
I was glad to get underway as we headed up the zig zags to C1 Ringing Roger. The route itself was a mixture of rocky paths, good tracks and a lot of flagstone paths. C4-C5 route-finding was good, apart from at the Woolpacks where people seemed to arrive from all directions. But I tagged onto a group who seemed to roughly know the way across this point. When we reached Win Hill I foolishly thought I’m not doing to bad now, but the return to Ringing Roger seemed to go on forever. The climb up to Coffin Rock was a real slog. I was definitely on autopilot at the end, but really felt happy that I had got round the route in one piece. I have to mention the support out on the route, with Al, Ian, Paul, Clare and Sam all giving great encouragement – I really appreciated it! There was a big GDH turnout: Chris W, Chris J, Zoe, Neal, Ben T, Joshua S, Stefan, Rick, Rob M, John G and myself.
Overall I would say I enjoyed it, even though I felt done in at the end. There was a good atmosphere in the village hall and the food and cups of tea were enjoyed by all. Ben Rothery won the men’s prize in 02:36:01 and Elle Twentyman won the ladies’ in 03:01:19. Massive thanks to Dark Peak for putting on a great event and to all the marshals and helpers involved. See you next year, Pete D
Pulford 10K
Sunday 23rd March
Report by Luke Bidwell
In light of Trafford 10k being sold out well in advance (and subsequently postponed), I was on the hunt for a quick Spring road race and came across the Pulford 10k, organised by Run Cheshire (the same organisers as Wrexham Village Bakery Half & mid-Cheshire 5k). Previously called the Cheshire Elite 10k, it attracts a very high quality field, even more so this year as it was a European Road Running Championships qualifier, a new event taking place in Belgium next weekend. At a mere 54ft elevation, there was bound to be some lightning quick times.
The beauty of running is being able to mix it with some of Great Britain’s best athletes and it was a real buzz to share the start line with Olympians like Beth Potter, albeit they disappear into the distance as soon as the gun goes. Imagine turning up to a Sunday league game and playing against a Premier League player?
After arriving in good time and getting a decent warm up in, it was time to race in favourable conditions. Perhaps slightly intimidated by the quality of the field, I seeded myself too far back and ended up jostling my way through for the first couple of minutes up to a pack I was comfortable with. The plan was to maintain a good pace and keep moving through as people slid backwards, which worked well.
At about 6k, the group thinned and a Sale Harrier started to bridge to the next group, so I clung to his coat tails and made it across. We worked reasonably well together up to 8k, when he started to pull away again. I made the conscious decision not to follow in fear of blowing up and focused on keeping it steady ahead of the final run-in. Next time, I’d roll the dice and try to stick to him.
I crossed the line in 34:47, just outside my PB from Telford 10k in December, but happy enough to consolidate after a solid training block. Telford’s supposedly the fastest course in the country which had taken 90 seconds or so off my previous PB, so it was good to back that up with another similar time at almost equal splits per mile. It was fantastic to see fellow Harriers Nat and Bliss smash their PBs, both in fine fettle ahead of the London Marathon.
I couldn’t speak more highly of the race itself and it’s very representative of how Run Cheshire events work. They are efficiently run with minimal fuss on quick courses, hence why they attract such fast fields. I’m convinced the word will spread more widely about this race too – they only sold out days before this year’s event, whereas the early bird entries for next year went at the drop of a hat, so expect it to sell out well in advance for 2026. I’ll see you all there…
Wilmslow Half Marathon
Sunday 23rd March
Report by Frank Hamilton
Elevation: 387 feet
2025 had started well for me running-wise, with half-marathon and 5k PBs in the bag and a good performance at the Meltham 10k. This upturn in form had been a very long-time coming so I was determined to keep it going at Wilmslow!
Having achieved a long-awaited sub-1.20 at the Wrexham Village Bakery HM in February, I figured I could roll the dice a bit here, go out quite fast and see if I could hang on for another PB. In other words the “strategy” I employ in pretty much every race! There was a little bit of method behind the madness here though, as the first seven miles are mostly downhill, with a steady “climb” to the finish. However, unlike in February, I was now fully into marathon training and hadn’t been able to afford myself much of a taper.
I felt pretty strong for the first five miles or so but by mile 8 I could feel that it was going to be a real battle to go sub-1.20 again, and so it proved as other runners started to overtake me on the uphill. I got a gel down me at mile 9 to try and get myself going, but it had minimal effect. Mentally I switched my target to sub-1.21, which would still be a decent result, and managed to grind this out, coming in at 1.20.40. No quite what I wanted but certainly not a disaster, and my second fastest half marathon time to date.
A shout out to the other two GDH who ran this race – Mark Foster (for whom this was his half-marathon debut) got an impressive 1.52.24, and Nick Lord knocked it out of the park with a 2 minute PB, coming in just behind me in 1.20.48.
The race was mostly well organised, with great pre-race communication and a very friendly vibe. There was a buzzy atmosphere on the day, with various stalls selling clothes, food etc at the start/finish (Wilmslow Rugby Club). It’s a fairly scenic race, running around country lanes. The two negatives were that they ran out of parking spaces pretty quickly (which meant Mark and I were a bit rushed, and could only manage a very short warm up) and also some race numbers (thankfully not for any of GDH!)
I would definitely run this race again but probably go out a bit more conservatively at the start – it’s a race you need to do once to work out how to approach it most effectively. All-in-all a good morning out!
Trunce 1
Monday 31st March
Report by Paul Skuse
This was starting to look like a cursed race. GDH was looking to have about 10+ on the startline, but bad backs, scheduling conflicts, and a bit of lurgy dropped the contingent to just four. No matter, as the event was heaving. I have never seen it so busy (at just £3 for the first midweek race of the season, you can’t blame folk for wanting to get involved).
After queuing to get registered (the start was delayed due to the number of folk still waiting to get registered), there wasn’t time for even the briefest warm-up. A quick dash behind a bush for the obligatory pre-race wee was all there was time for. It really was rock-up and run.
For those that don’t know, the Trunce is a race that runs nine times throughout the year on the same course. It’s proper multi-terrain, with tarmac, mud, river crossings, the lot. And it has a parkrun vibe. Yes, there are the racers up front, but 70% of the folk are there to have fun whilst getting a dab on. I love it – the route, the atmosphere, the camaraderie, the whole shebang!
Conditions were pretty good, but the number of runners did cause a few bottlenecks, and it was unusually muddy on the climb back to the start. The river was also a little deeper than expected, but that’s all part of the game.
No results yet (but some rather pics have been posted on the Trunce FB page). GDH were proudly represented by Steve Kirkham (with a tender hammy), Chris Jackson, Pete Daly, and yours truly. We also had former GDH, Matt Crompton, who appears to have been battling with Pete.
The next Trunce is on the 21st April. Hope to see a few more of you on the start line.
Cross Country Season Round-up
Report by Nat Hicks
SELCC (South-East Lancs League)
Well done to everyone that signed up and took part in SELCC this season, please do so again next time!
Some great results again for us:
1st V50 Male Team
3rd V40 Male Team (only prizes for 1st and 2nd though now, sorry guys).
Steve Crossman, 2nd V55
David Chrystie-Lowe, 2nd V65
Pete Daly, 5th V55
Charmayne, 4th V55
The Ladies team finished 9th overall, 7th V40.
Congratulations everyone!
MACCL (Manchester Area League)
Last year the Men were promoted to Division 1, battling against the real behemoths of NW running. Our previous success was due to consistent turnout, but unfortunately cancellations and other fixtures conspired against us meaning reduced numbers at many events. No matter, after the parachute payment for demotion we will come back stronger next year and return to the top flight.
Thanks to everyone that made the more varied trips across the NW to fixtures this year. Every event was enjoyed.
XC is a tricky event to gauge – sometimes we have lots of teams, sometimes struggle to field any. This is all fine, Saturday plans chop and change for everyone, I would like to encourage anyone that fancies having a go though to sign up… it’s cheap as chips to enter… if you can then make the fixtures that’s great, if not it’s okay, no pressure!
Whilst we will 100% enter both leagues next year to maximise £2 racing, thoughts could turn to a focus on one league or other to reduce pressure on people’s diaries. As reiterated above, consistency is key. I particularly think there is an opportunity to win SELCC if we make a coordinated effort. ECH wouldn’t see us coming…
Well done again everyone, hope to see you all next season
Keep an eye out for the Northern Champs next year as we are now part of Northern Athletics and should make the most of it!
Glossopdale Harriers Club Champs March Recap
Report by Ian Crutchley
The official champs update is imminent but, as a sneak preview, it looks like 27 Harriers submitted times for the Edale Skyline in March. This might have been even higher, but for a fair few getting beaten back by the crazy strong wind at Ringing Roger, or going the wrong way (naming no names!). 570 miles and 122,000 cumulative feet of climb were suffered.
For April we return to the asphalt with Tatton 10K. As ever it can be done at any time in April, but the race itself is on the 12th, so get your entry in. All details on the champs webpage. Good luck!
NEW FEATURE: Hello Harrier!
We thought it’d be nice to get to know a bit more about what makes us tick as runners and people. Big thanks to Spirit of John Hewitt Award 2024 recipient, Pete Daly, for being a good sport and agreeing to be our guinea pig for this new “meet the members” feature.
When and why did you start running?
I originally started ‘proper fell running’ in about 2013 as an alternative to cycling, as it had got a bit stale and I needed a change. I still commute and cycle for fun.
What kind of runner are you these days?
I don’t have a training plan as such, but just race as often as I can. It fits with my life pretty well at the moment, so I am making hay while the sun shines so to speak.
How long have you been a Glossopdale Harrier?
I will be honest, I’m not sure exactly how long I have been in the club. I joined as a second claim, so I could run the X-Country as, being in Pennine at the time, they were not affiliated to EA as they mainly did the fells. I really like being in GDH. It is a great club and I have got to know so many good people over my time being a member💙🧡💙
Tell us about your Big Year of Racing mostly car-free in 2024.
Last year’s racing was a real eye-opener and a great experience. I managed to do 59 races (ed: you read that right, fifty-nine!), mainly on the fell with a couple of trail races and two ultras. The motivation to do it was because I really enjoy racing and you get to see lots of different places along the way. The best ones to get to are any in the Calder Valley area. The worst, or hardest, I would say is the Leo Pollard at Rivington, which is not great for public transport. The main thing I learned from the whole experience is that the milkman of human kindness is alive and well. The amount of people who gave me lifts to and from some awkward races was so kind. The Macc Harriers couple at Terry’s High 5, St Helens lad at Leo Pollard and Ben at Waddington. You remember these acts of kindness because they often save the day.
Can I just add that winning the John Hewitt trophy was a complete shock! I just did the racing and did not think of anyone noticing it.
Do you have a favourite race & why?
My favourite race is the Famous Grouse, which is in November near Hayfield. It was only brought back this year after a few years off the calendar. It has all things good about a classic, short fell race. I did it originally in 2013 when I first started out.
What does running mean to you?
I find that running really helps me deal with the bumps and curve balls of life. Being in the hills and taking in the scenery (when there is no clag) is the best thing ever and I can just focus on what is around me on the race or run.
What’s your best piece of advice for other runners?
One thing I’ve learned as I have got older and wiser is just enjoy it and not to focus too much on PBs and what position I came in the race. I used to stress about that stuff, but it took away the enjoyment of the event and spoiled it a bit.
Committee Corner
Honorary Lifetime Membership Awards
John Stephenson and Julien Minshull
It was announced at the AGM that the committee voted to award honorary lifetime memberships to two former longtime members. Former club chair, John Stephenson, and former men’s captain, Julien Minshull, both moved away from the area to Scotland in 2024. We caught up with them both and thought you would enjoy reading their memories of club life and on the award.
John writes:
I joined about 1,000 years ago, in the last millennium anyway. At the end of the 90’s it was a small club, about 50 members, but they were very welcoming and encouraging. I could only run on the flat back then, but of course quickly learned about hill running in the Peak District. Bill Buckley, Carl Buckley and Rob Poole were the people who I remember for their patience, always willing to wait for me to get up the hills.
By the year 2000 I ran the London Marathon in the spring and the Tour of Tameside in the summer (back when it was 6 events in 7 days totalling 52 miles). This was only possible because of the support of new friends in the club. I went on to enjoy fell running for the next 24 years.
Midway through the noughties I was asked to organise the Shelf Moor fell race and this drew me into learning more about what went on behind the scenes, and I joined the committee later on just as a minion. Somehow I avoided the officer posts such as secretary, treasurer etc. partly because I could see how much work was involved in these roles. As the late great John Hewitt neared his end, the committee asked me to take over as chairman round about 2018, which came as a surprise but an honour.
Throughout my membership of Glossopdale Harriers I used the example set by Bill, Carl and Rob to encourage people to join the club and to build up self confidence in their own abilities, to explore their potential. As many will know I was a keen navigator or orienteer and loved to set up little test courses around the Peak District.
Being part of the Harriers was probably the best thing I ever did in this part of my life story. It was only fair that I gave something back into the club, and it has been a source of wonder how it’s grown so well, especially in the past ten years with the influx of new, younger runners.
I was immensely pleased and touched when I was given life membership of the club in 2024. I have been remiss in saying thank you to the committee for this (retirement and moving to Scotland occupied my limited faculties last year) and welcome the opportunity to scribble this wee potted history and thank you letter.
We caught up with Jules on the phone between his stints working on the Elgol to Coruisk boat on Skye. He had this to say:
I think I joined the club in about 2005 when I started fell racing properly. Along with the Glossop Mountain Rescue Team, the Harriers became a big part of my life for the next two decades. I thoroughly enjoyed the camaraderie and social life of the club, and value the great friendships I made by being a part of the Harriers.
In particular I loved the great social club holidays over the years. Stand out memories are of beautiful weather for the Harriers trip to the isles of Eigg and Rum in July 2011, and again two years later on the club holiday in Switzerland. It was on that Swiss trip that I found the fin of some defunct wartime munition poking out of a glacier and gently excavated it. We took it home and had it mounted as the Bombed Out Trophy that gets awarded at the Harriers Christmas do for best (worst) navigational blunder of the year!
Since we’ve been living on Skye for about a year now, I’ve come to realise how much I miss being part of a local running group, so I’ve recently started going out with the Cuillin Dubh Running Club. I’m Glossop born and bred though, so I still hope to stay in touch with my many friends back home and maintain my links with the club. It’d be great to have people visit Skye – maybe we can see if the village hall here can be booked to accommodate a group of runners!
I was truly humbled to receive the lifetime membership award – I didn’t know it was a thing in the club, so it came as a complete but very heartwarming surprise. Thank you for the honour, it means a lot to me.
Thanks to everyone who contributed to March’s monthly round-up. Please keep sending in your reports throughout April!