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The list of races I’ve found out about just seems to have grown and grown today, no matter where I turn, someone mentions another one!
It’s been a fantastic week and all of that grim winter training is clearly paying off with Harriers out and about all over the place bagging PBs, getting course records and just generally showing running who is the boss.
The Trunce
Let’s take a deep breath and wind all the way back to Monday when the first of nine races kicked off as part of “The Trunce Offroad Race Series”. Phil and Caitlin Swan headed over to the other side of the Peak District to race and Caitlin came in with a brilliant 2nd Junior Female. Elanor reliably informed me that Phil was not 2nd male…
Remember there are eight more races in the series around three weeks apart, so check it out if you fancy a Monday blast!
Manchester Marathon
The sprawling metropolis that is Manchester. Concrete and gleaming steel as far as the eye can see, from the hipster hideouts in the Northern Quarter to the monstrous Beetham Tower keeping a watchful eye over Deansgate and beyond. Such large cities know how to put on big races… well, only if you forget about the dodgy course measurements between 2013-2015 and the bag collection fiasco in 2016.
It’s all sorted out now though and it’s perfect PB territory. As a bonus this year, a marathon can also be used as an official counter for the club road champs. What happens when you get a load of hill runners and try and make them run on the flat? Does it work? Who was there? What happened?
It’s all over social media and it looked like a great race with some excellent results. Blurred photographic evidence shows an unorthodox “piggyback” finish by Ian McGarry and Alan Scholefield. I have no idea who was on who but, even more remarkably, their results are 5 seconds apart.
Sorry if I missed anyone out, let me know and I’ll update…
Steve Knowles – 2:54:34
Tim Culshaw – 3:42:26
Emma Rettig – 3:52:40
Ian Oates – 3:56:14
Ian McGarry – 4:13:05
Alan Scholefield – 4:13:10
Wendy McMahon – 4:35:12
Alan Byrne – 5:55:17
It also looks like we had some GDH volunteers out there. Massive thanks to Jo Brack, Charmayne Lisa, John Pollard and Rick Gwilt for stepping in!
Chicken run
I can’t believe they make you carry a chicken around the whole route! That didn’t deter a load of Harriers though who turned up on Saturday for the club-champs counter. Paul Skuse fills us in with the details:
The Chicken Run. What a belter! The sun was shining and a veritable swarm of GDH descended into Hayfield for the 2019 Chicken Run. Race HQ was the primary school with a nice range of activities for the kids such as bouncy castles, toy and book sales and the obligatory cake stall. I don’t think any GDH youngsters were running which was a shame –something to be remedied next year. Thanks to a heads up from Zoe, I knew I had to put some pace into the start as it bottlenecks almost immediately. This is a race for the fast trail runners. Jessica Camp, Sean Philips – get on this next year! Though there are a fair few climbs and descents, almost all of it is runnable. Conditions were pretty much perfect as the new CR shows so no kit was needed. Sorry but I’ve no idea about results but Jamie Helmer did bag the v40 prize – way to go Jamie. All those sneaky solo training sessions have paid off. I do know they had a nice banana bread at the end; that, with a cup of tea, in the sun surrounded by friends made for a really enjoyable Spring Saturday.
The results aren’t out yet but it looks like we had Nick Ham, John Stephenson, Charm Briers, Paul Skuse, Frank Fielding, Jamie Helmer, Rob Murphey, Joe Travis, Ian Crutchley (as if he’d miss a race), Chris Jackson, Ben Falla, Tracey Robinson, Rachel Walton, Lance Hamilton-Griffiths, Jamie Helmer, Lins Palmer, Zoe Barton and Rob Murphey. The results will no doubt be posted on the GDH page soon.
Kielder ultra trail 50k
Wendy Trelease took on her first ultra this weekend in the Kielder Water and Forest Park, Northumberland. Epic running! Here is her report:
Flying the orange and blue colours at the Kielder ultra trail 50k. After a cold start (only 3 degrees) I soon warmed up and got into the swing of things. The conditions underfoot were somewhat boggy at times and there was a deep stream crossing at mile 4. But the feet held out and the weather conditions couldn’t have been better, staying dry throughout. A one lap beautiful course around Kielder water with stunning views from the high points in the race. Overall a very well organised event with lots of tasty nosh to be had. A pleasing time of 5.54 for my first trepid attempt over this distance.
Prague Marathon
There was a half-marathon in Prague and Sean Phillips did it in a blistering 1:22:06 (Strava). There’s no stopping him!
The Four Inns
All I know about this race is that the kit list is huge and you have to run down the Snake. With those two things in mind, I firmly forgot all about it. Lucy Wasinski teamed up with some fellow speedsters and blasted round to claim the fastest ever ladies time!
Just before we get to Lucy’s report, I happened to be crossing the Snake myself on Saturday by Doctors Gate. As I approached the race checkpoint, I heard one volunteer say to the other “Do NOT give him a hot dog!”. So, there you go. If you see me out running do not give me a hot dog, you never know what might happen.
It goes something like this, new girl starts at work – she invites me to join 4 inns ladies team – I agree – I find out they want to break the ladies record that’s stood for 10 years. Gulp. They thought this was pretty achievable if, unlike 2018, they didn’t stop at every checkpoint to sample hot dogs, rice pudding and whatever other delights were on offer. They also figured their packs were too heavy (not surprising with the “comprehensive” kit list) so I imagine that’s where a new addition to the team might come in handy…. hmmm.
After much stressing that I was gonna let these lot down on their quest for a new record, the 6.32am race start finally arrived. Fuelled by Greg’s good cooking on Fri (he’s a good un) we set off out of Holmbridge faster than I’d perhaps have gone so I just trailed along slightly behind the other 3 for a bit with plenty of negative thoughts going around my head. Several hours later it was with some relief I heard some cheering and whooping at the top of Torside Clough and could make out 2 figures silhouetted against the sun – never have I been happier to get a hug and some positive words of encouragement – MASSIVE THANKS Tim & Lynne for the support, you’ll never know what that meant, my head wasn’t in a happy place! After that it was many more miles of great conditions underfoot, hot sun, the not-to-be-missed chance of running along the Snake (just why?!), a couple of stiff climbs (or were they gentle and my legs just tired?), some of the best views in the Peaks, foot cramp, and many missed dining opportunities at the checkpoints (team orders not to faff and to just grab n go ;)!) and the miles gradually rolled by. We made it to Buxton in 8h49 to the standard low key ultra finish (as in where the heck is the finish line?) which was good enough for 2nd overall, and knocking just over 35 mins off the ladies team record. Result!
Howgill Fell Race
The Howgill Fell Race is 23km with a quad-aching 2,070m of climb. As part of the English Championships there’s always going to be some quick times here. Mark Davenport and Andrew Fox took on the challenge in the glorious English sunshine and it looks like they both had a fantastic race. Here’s how they got on:
Andrew Fox – 3:36:11
Mark Davenport – 3:59:30
Three Shires LDWA
Steven Pepper was out doing a rather strange shaped run judging from Strava, but clocking in a big 48km. I have the following detailed report: “B***ard of a route, no rest, all niggle, lots of nav. Great day out.”
Lincoln 10km
Big bottle necks at the start of the Lincoln 10km, but Paul Amos got round and enjoyed it. That’s as much as I know.
Fleetwood 10km
Again, scant on the details but Paul Gatley took on the Fleetwood 10km, looks like a sub-50 from Strava. Good work.
Parkrun Corner
Still a decent number of Harriers at Parkrun this weekend even with all of the racing going on. Christine Peters claimed a new PB and David Chrystie-Lowe is ever creeping towards getting a free t-shirt for bagging 250.
Check out the consolidated club report HERE
Bob Graham Round
If you say it on Facebook it happened, right? Luke Holme and Pete Wallroth claimed a Bob Graham Round by climbing the steps at the Moot Hall in Keswick and there is photographic evidence to prove it. Well done chaps!
Phew, anything else?
Tim “must’ve lost my running shoes” Budd took on the Ronde Van Calderdale (RVC) cycling race and needed a sudden, dramatic last-minute change of bike. What’s the RVC anyway? Google tells me it’s “a cobbled climb classic around the Calderdale and Kirklees districts with a great combination of dramatic scenery, fast road sections and the added dimension of many different profiles of cobbled climbs.”
*EDIT: The above only vaguely resembled the truth. Tim rode the “Ronde Van Chinley” with Mattt Hux and Alice Swift. All refuelled with delicious pizza at the Paper Mill in Chinley afterward.
What’s next?
There’s a couple of other things to scribble into your filofaxes…
Our very own Herod Farm race takes place soon, on the 17th April. There’s a few more volunteers needed but if you end up running, don’t forget there’s two climbs, so don’t burn out on the first one and start crying on the second (I wish I could take my own advice). Mark Davenport is leading a race recce as a social run this Thursday 11th.
Tim Budd is planning the “not really a mountain marathon” navigation course from Glossop to Hope on 27th/28th April and I hear rumours of camping and the pub. I do like the sound of these rumours and I’m sure Tim will be along soon with more details and to see how many people would be up for it, there was quite a few if I remember from the original facebook post.
Remember, get your race reports in to gdhweeklyreports@gmail.com to get processed by the GDH hacks.