Years of Running – it’s the end-of-year report!

This final report of the year is a compilation of Harriers’ “Year of Running” reports. Thank you to everyone who has contributed and here’s to another successful year!

Guy Riddell

2021 started with running every day in January, and despite a shortage of real races managing to complete all of the virtual club championship races + several of the captains challenge events. I once more topped 2,000 miles by mid-November and squeezed in PBs at 10k, half marathon and marathon plus 2 x 50 mile efforts and a couple of just for fun fell races. 2 road marathons, my first Great North Run, Manor Park Marathon, the Foodbank 50 loops, Heights Ultra Trail 50 miles, all great fun.
Perhaps the highlight has been getting out running with so many other Harriers every single week – virtual club champs ‘racing’, social runs and of course the Covid-invented ‘runch’.  It has certainly alleviated the monotony of working from home and living alone and been a constant reminder of what a great club we’ve got.

Susan Moore and Dave Munday

Dave and I have ventured out well,
To Sheffield, Stockport, Tour of Tameside Hell on the Fell.
We’ve run and we’ve walked and we’ve laughed and we’ve grumbled,
I even managed this year not to stumble.
Sheffield was fun not so sure about the steps
Maybe we should have come to more Coach J’s Hill Reps?
Stockport was hilly and nice weather on the day,
But the first aider kept asking if I was ok!
My favourite event was the Tour of Tameside and I didn’t cry!
Just showed me what you can achieve if you try

Paul Skuse

Here are my utterly random thoughts/memories about running and racing throughout 2021:

1. The most impressive run of the year must be from Tim Budd on the New Glossop route. In years to come, old men in dark corners will tell of where they were the day Tim smashed it. Loads of us did the route (some more than once), and a fair few did really well but Tim produced a stand-out performance that deserves special recognition.
2. Beryl Buckley has had the greatest comeback since Kathy Bates in “Misery”. (Never assume the bad guy is dead. Keep hitting them with a shovel till the police arrive). She has been such an inspiration. Kudos.
3. It’s been great making new running mates (and rivals). This should be No. 1 really. Told you it was random. It will be nice to see a few more faces out at the races. I will be nagging you, you’ve been warned.
4. At the time of writing, Winkle trout is my favourite route of the year. One to put on the to do list for 2022.
5. Ian and Immy have done an outstanding job as captains throughout the year. The mash-ups, the recces, the whole shebang has been top class. Thank you both.
6. It feels odd if you go to a race and Nick Ham isn’t there.
7. The DCRO Dash has the hardest start of any race I’ve done. 
8. It’s crap when you or your mates are injured. Fist bumps and/or cuddles to all those who’ve had to nurse injuries and niggles in2021.
9. VJ Irocks are the future. I still prefer my old inov8’s for comfort but they keep mucking about with the designs.  Irocks are the way to go when you really need grip.
10. I’m getting slower but my age graded rating is improving, so hurray for getting older. (Burners taught me all about this on the Power of 10)
11. Cross country is hard. (Got myself an XC nemesis so it’s proper full beans racing). Thanks to the XC gang for sorting, supporting, lifts and all the rest.
12. Stefan has the best running related injury pics I’ve seen in a long time. They may not have the “Ouch!” factor of Jo with her x-ray of a pinned jaw but they are special. Go on, ask him to show you.
13. On a long run, you still can’t beat cheese and marmite butties and cherry tomatoes for snacks.
14. The Holme Moss fell race continues to beat me down. It is a true classic but I’ve yet to do it justice. I’ll be back on it again in 2022 and this time I’m hoping to be cramp free all the way.
15. Runs are better with a pub at the end.
16. Pubs are better when it’s Guy’s round.
17. And finally, thanks to all who have in any way been part of the 2021 racing year. Huzzar!

Ian Crutchley

I think I’ll remember 2021 for becoming Men’s Captain of this great club. Along with co-conspirator Immy, the monthly mash-ups were great fun to organise and were very successful. Similarly the fell relays, for all their usual last minute drama with the teams, it was great to be involved, and to run the glory leg at the FRA’s.  The 2021 Club Champs was really special. Some of the routes we used were old GDH races from the 80s and 90s, which I’d spent quite some time digging up in 2020, so to see them embraced once again by the club was incredible.

As far as the running itself is concerned, I have to mention my whole Bob Graham experience. Although the attempt ultimately didn’t succeed (I’m threatening to go back for more in 2022), it was a great day, as were all the days spent planning, training and recce’ing with friends. It was also an honour to be involved in Immys successful Paddy Buckley Round, and in Luke’s successful 100. A few other highlights include, a winter sub 8 hour Kinder Dozen with Lance, completing the very challenging Heart of Darkness with Mark and Dan, having great fun with Sikobe completing the Wildbank Half Dozen, and a PB and team prize at The Bullock Smithy.

Zoe Barton

2021 began with a lot of uncertainty due to Covid, and a lot of cold, snowy outings in the hills. My goal from 2020 – to get out in the Big Fells and support people attempting Big Rounds – remained.

Thankfully I was able to realise this thanks to Immy, Ian and other aspirant completers. Some great days out recce-ing and supporting the Bob Graham in the Lakes and the Paddy Buckley in Wales. My main notable adventures were in Springtime. An ice-cream, joke and rough route-fuelled Kinder Dozen on Easter weekend with Neal B was a brilliant tonic to the lockdown blues. This was followed soon after by a fun evening out supporting Mr Holme on his 100 miles for GMRT and teaching him to eat Hula Hoops.

Summer saw the mentioned Round attempts and I was proud to see my clubmates digging deep into their reserves. Whatever the outcomes, the opportunity to be out in the high fells was something I enjoyed and appreciated hugely. I was nervous to race but later in the year I did, and found it was like putting on an old pair of armwarmers… brilliant! More of the same in 2022 please 🙂

Pete Tomlin

Much of the first half of the year was taken up with planing, training for and eventually running Hadrian’s Wall. This was a great experience, firstly the training, where I finally achieved some sort of consistency and felt well prepared for once. The run itself was fantastic, a real sense of ‘going somewhere’ and being able to be on my own running across some amazing countryside and enjoying the pubs along the way! The mileage was also a massive achievement for me. This is definitely an experience I want to replicate, so some more running holidays are on the horizon. 

After that I had a few races hungover from covid cancellations, the Sandstone Trail in September a particular highlight, and I completed my first ultra distance on the skyline champs route. The champs as a whole has been a proper highlight of the year. 

Lately, my running has fallen off the horse a bit, so as well as some more running holidays, a new year’s resolution is to get back to some sort of consistency, in time for the Grindleford Gallop in March would be preferable!!

John Gaffney

I did more races this year than I’ve done in the last decade I reckon! I’ve loved trying to get better at it and also loved the healthy competition of the club. Some highlights as follows:

Cake Race, May – Really great race and nice to have a post race drink and chat with club mates after lengthy covid lockdowns! This race helped me up the distance a bit and gave me hope for some marathon fitness later in the year after some niggles. 

Round the resers, June – amazing GDH turnout and atmosphere. Great race too, loved seeing all the mini-battles going on throughout the field and thoroughly great evening.

Round Sheffield Run, June – paired with Rob Sheldon, we came 15th pair – ace course, ace atmosphere, ace partnership – cheers Rob. Flashback of excitable puppy who loved the woodland downhill section even more than we did and followed us for about a mile – hope scrappy doo got back to owner! 

Manchester marathon, Oct – main aim for the year was to get a PB at this distance. I managed that by 5+ mins, getting over the line in just under 3hr 20mins. I also got a half marathon PB in the same race which makes me think I haven’t been trying hard enough at that distance! 

Looking forward to seeing what 2022 brings. Cheers folks.

Rick Steckles

2021 was my first year with Glossopdale Harriers (or any running club!). I’ve been running on and off since I was at school, and got a bit more serious about 10 years ago when I moved to Glossop and had the Peak District on my doorstep. I’d been reluctant to join a club as I tend to fit running in around work, etc. and thought I’d struggle to commit to regular sessions, but when I moved house a couple of years ago, Lance from the club moved in next door; he found out I did a bit of running and after a couple of social outings over Higher Shelf, he sold me on the idea of signing up.

I soon found there was no need to worry about making scheduled sessions – everyone is busy to varying degrees and life sometimes gets in the way, but having the option of training or social runs when they fit in works perfectly.

I joined just in time to take part in the first Virtual Club Champs event and I’m happy I managed to complete all the events this year. It’s a new format, but it’s been so convenient for me to run when it suits rather than having to turn up to races on specific dates. The “Monthly Mash-Up” events have also been great fun, even if I’ve not been able to make nearly as many as I’d have liked.

I entered my first ever fell race – Up The Nab, on one of the hottest days of year! I volunteered to marshal on the day and ended up standing by a car park entrance for 3 hours, while I “topped up my tan” and managed to drink all the water I brought with me (big thanks to John Gaffney, who offered me some of his water prior to the race, despite having only just met me!). Since Up The Nab, I’ve run in a handful of other races like the Round Sheffield Run, Eccles Pike fell race and the Gravy Pud. I’ve loved all of these and one of my goals for next year is to ramp up my race count.

Some of my highlights of 2021 have been a few amazing days spent in the Lakes, recceing legs of the Bob Graham with people I’ve only been out with a handful of times but now consider good friends. I also got the chance to run for GDH in the Hodgson Brothers Mountain Relays in Patterdale, a brilliantly organised event with some top class athletes (plus me) in attendance, which has some significant fell running history behind it.

To sum it up, joining the club has massively expanded my running horizons, in terms of knowledge of the local fells (and fells further afield!), different types of running (I’d never owned a pair of road shoes before – in fact, 2021 has been expensive for shoes in general!) and how to train effectively. Best of all though, I’ve met some brilliant people who I’ve shared adventures with that I won’t forget for a long time, and who inspire me every day. Looking forward to more of everything in 2022!

Dan Stinton

“Just another 35 miles” I tell myself. I was hurting everywhere and walking like a seized up robot. Over the previous two days, I had ran 100 miles of the Anglesey coast (35 miles, then 65 miles) which covered just about every type terrain you could think of. Whilst I wasn’t feeling hugely confident before starting the race, having now got this far with only one more day remaining I was pretty determined that nothing would stop me now – even with Holyhead mountain plonked right at the end to finish you off. I managed to finish the “Ring o’Fire” in 11th place, a total of 135 miles in 29:01:47 overall. Certainly an achievement I’ll never forget!

As well as that it’s been a really good year with a PB at the Lakeland 50 (10:41),  completing the Heart of Darkness with Ian and Mark, the brilliant Marple Beer Run and of course the great club champs challenges – the highlight for me being the New Glossop Fell Race with Will Mather, scrambling up Blackden Clough with our heads spinning like paranoid owls in case any of the groups behind us were catching up.

Finally it was an honour to witness such grit and determination from both Immy Trinder on her Paddy Buckley round and Luke Holme on his 100-miler. Immy, I am very sorry I (and Mark D, let’s share the blame) forgot your shoes for the last leg!

Wioleta Wydrych

For me 2020 was full of new challenges.

I was curious about running an ultra so did my first 50km on my own, from the doorstep into the hills in January (actually 52km and 1069m). I enjoyed it a lot, so I added a few more hills and raced Lakeland 5 passes ultra with Kate and Bec (51km and 3000m) and finished as a 3rd lady. For the very first time I even won something (a pair of great shoes) and we spent a lovely weekend out in the lakes. This race got me to realise that I’m made for long stuff as I’m not the fastest but can go on for ages and my nutrition is spot on. So then I did Bullock Smithy (93km and 2754m) had a lot of fun and finished as 4th Lady. 

This year I did relays for the very first time, sliding on my bum down the steep grassy hill (or a waterfall) on the Hodgson relays in pairs with Lance and navigating on the FRA relays while trying to catch Zoe. And most of all I’ve met even more amazing runners, had some great adventures, fun runs, hill reps, great sessions, socials and a lot of joy being in the mountains. I even enjoyed a bit of drinking with all you amazing runners! I loved the virtual champs, the opportunity to discover more local routes and to decide that road races aren’t for me! So next year I will do more of what I really enjoy – the hills. I also managed to conquer kinder killer (45km and 2784m) and was defeated by not yet dead bracken on kinder dozen.

And if that wasn’t enough, I received a beautiful reward for the enthusiasm and sense of adventure in running in the hills that John Hewitt personified  

And I love you all!

Immy Trinder

What a year! For me, there have been two major highlights:

My year has, unsurprisingly, revolved around my Paddy Buckley Round. The training, planning, doing, celebrating and recovery have influenced every part of my year – there probably hasn’t been a day when I haven’t thought about it in some capacity. I was so lucky to have amazing support crew, made up of predominantly GDHers. Massive thanks to Ian, Dan, Marco, Chris J, Zoe, and everyone who trained and recced with me along the way!

The other highlight has, of course, been captaining the club, not least because it’s been an absolute pleasure working with Ian. The Monthly Mashups have been great fun to organise, and it’s been great to see so many Harriers getting involved and trying something different (including, for some, running in wetsuits and swim hats!). The Hodgson Brothers Mountain Relay was its usual grand day out, despite the atrocious conditions! Thanks to the team – Lance, Wioleta, Skusey, Rick, Mark H, Chris W and Tim – and in particular to John Pollard for giving up his day to ferry us around in the rain.

Lucy Waskinski

2021 wasn’t quite the running year I had planned…we’d found out at NY that we would have another person that we could eventually buy run kit for joining the household in Sept. So original race plans reevaluated – goodbye England masters marathon place in oct :(. New goal: run until baby arrives, naively thought that would be easy!  Without the prospect of doing proper races where I could go full beans, I loved the introduction of the 2021 club champs and aimed to run enough to qualify for the overall Champs. I kept up some decent mileage initially, mostly thanks to regular pre work runs with Pointy Pete. 3 Trigs in April was a blooming slog…the hills probs heard too much cursing that day… and it was then a downward spiral on the running front- just managing to plod round Round the Resers with one day to spare in June! July saw me fall flat on my face when running alone with the dog in a forest in Wales (oops). After a hurried journey to Tameside hosp, we agreed it was time to stick with safer sports, so Glossop pool became my new addiction & the Hadfield Dash in August didn’t get a look in. This left me 2 more champs events in order to qualify which felt a bit like I was living in cloud cuckoo land! Anyhow, thanks to Greg who is massively accommodating & supportive of my need to run, & thanks to the encouragement and company of Pointy Pete W, Neon Bullet Rob, Gaffers and Pete T I miraculously managed to tick off the final 2 champs races of 2021, plus 1 anytime challenge. Better still actually managed the Gravy Pud as a real race! All in all, a year entirely out the ordinary. Did I run and race as much as I hoped and thought I would? No way. Am I happy with what i’ve done anyway? Hell yeah. The club champs gave me a target to work towards, and despite being way off any normal race time, I actually feel like i’ve achieved something with running this year  – which when your body has become totally alien to you, feels pretty good. Thanks GDH folk – couldn’t have done it without you!

Ben Robertson

In terms of actual races my year has been lacking but the there have been 4 stand out moments this year for me:

1) BBC Countryfile did a feature on me about my tyre running to promote the benefits of ‘Green time’ on people’s mental well-being, and my #coalstonewcastle challenge.

https://www.getoutgetmuddy.co.uk/post/bbc-countryfile-joins-ben-tyre-running

2) I completed the Rat Race The Wall 70 mile ultra. 

3) Only 2 weeks later I completed my #coalstonewcastle in which I ran from Hadfield Derbyshire to Newcastle upon Tyne towing a 25kg sack of coal. 

https://www.getoutgetmuddy.co.uk/post/the-coals-are-in-newcastle

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-england-derbyshire-57915879

4) Not Running related but I got married  but managed to drag Gemma and our photographer up hen cloud in the roaches on our wedding day.

Marie Williamson

Looking back at my race calendar, I’ve actually completed more marathons/ultras than I thought I had this year. Hopefully, putting me in line with doing my 100th at London in October 2022. But what’s made me really think are the 2x 24 hour events I’ve done.

They were both very different events, in many ways. The first being Endure 24 where I managed 75 miles & that included a good few hours of down time (probably about 6hrs) where I rested/slept in the car. It started at lunchtime & was 5 mile laps, with lots of other people around running & supporting. The 2nd being Escape from Meriden, where I also completed 75 miles but was on the move for practically the whole way. I had the company of other runners around me for the first 20 or so miles but then was solo, self supported & self navigated the whole way. This one began at midnight after only managing a 20 minute midafternoon nap. So totally missed a whole night’s sleep. 

My thoughts are whether I could have managed to keep going at Endure had I not had the midway rests? Could I have actually made that 100? & how much better would I have moved at Meriden had I planned better & slept for a few hours prior to the midnight start? Answers on a postcard please!!

Sikobe Litaba

2021, the year of nearly running – by Sikobe

I deliberated as to whether a year of mainly walking and trotting would make the cut for the GDH yearly running reports, when most other tales would no doubt be of canters and gallops, but this was my solace, so here goes:

I started the year struggling to shake off a running injury, but managed a Sunday morning stroll around the Glossop 5 in the company of John Stephenson. With Spring in the air I joined a group doing the 3 trigs; but switched off my brain for a fast descent from Harry Hut, and awoke the next day back at square one. Rested in time to walk the Glossop 10k solo, and later in the summer to trot gently round the Resers. With the sun shining, I was motivated to join a large chatty group doing the 30-mile skyline on the hottest day of the year, getting round but almost collapsing with dehydration. Soon afterwards a return to parkrun on the tarmac paths led to another relapse. Later in summer I took a stroll round the Hadfield dash and got back into fell running with a trot around Shelf Moor. Self-motivated to keep up the monthly hit rate, I accepted an invitation off Kate Bowden to chase her on her 3rd-round of the NGFR. Into autumn, a 45-minute head start around the Beehive 5k got me back in time for photographer duties, as did a 90-minute head start around the Gravy Pud. Thinking that the icing on the cake would be my canter around the Simmondley mile, I was instead pleasantly surprised for it to end up being a bottle of GDH ale, which I must trot down to Glossop to collect one day.

Rob Anker

My year with GDH has been great fun and pushed me to step out of my comfort zone of mainly solo running and enjoy the social side that GDH offers to everyone. I have met some great people who share the same fun for the great outdoors.

The monthly mashups and the GDH champs were a great way to keep motivated and fun to take part in. The captains and whole support team did an amazing job. I look forward to next year’s challenges.

On a personal level I managed to dip below 20 mins on the Glossop Park run. First time under 20 mins for 5K for 15 years plus. A few weeks later I ran 32ish miles which is the longest I have run (from memory). The swimrun event was probably my favourite activity and my kind of fun.

I enjoyed running the mixed circuit sessions in the Park and getting my mojo back for other aspects of training. Seeing the progress and hard work from everyone made the sessions and kept us all motivated.

My low point was (and possibly a contender for bombed-out) my injury in September. 2 months out, but the work I did prior this definitely helped the recovery.

Looking forward to more adventures next year.

Josh Southall

I set myself a few challenges for 2021. I wanted to run every Club Champs Race, I set myself a goal of running the Welsh 3000s and I wanted to have a crack at the Manor Park marathon. I completed each one and more.

My running went from strength to strength in 2021 and I bagged myself a few PBs for the 10k and 5k mostly part to the championships spurring me on and motivating me to get out running! I never thought I’d get the results I did across the races and challenges I participated in and I thank everyone in the club for your words of encouragement and friendship. 

Another highlight of the year was running in that epic snow we had back in January! I’ll attach a picture I took at Kinder Low Trig.

Another great memory from the year was recceing the 3 Trigs route with Luke & Matt, there’s a picture of the awesome sunset we encountered as we descended Doctors Gate.

I ran the Saddleworth 10 Trigs a great local challenge, around 37 miles and one of Chris Webbs routes. I also ran the Dambusters Challenge, a loop around Ladybower and Derwent reservoirs. The Glossop Skyline was great but tough on the scorching hot day we picked to run it on! 

The British Fell and Hill relays were an awesome day out with real club camaraderie and my first proper feel for Lakeland racing and I can’t forget my first ever 1st Place finish at the Gravy Pud.

Christine Peters

2021 was the year that I first tried fellrunning! It began with a solo run around the beginners nav course that John and Paul set up back in March, followed by the Monthly Mash Up nav scoring event organised by Ian and Immy in April, when I teamed up with Wendy! I really appreciate all the great support, friendship and encouragement that I’ve had from so many in the club this year. Over the months, I enjoyed several more sociable runs in the hills, leading to me doing the virtual New Glossop Fell Race in October with Michael, Nan and Rachel. When I realised that I was hooked (!), I bought some decent fell shoes, and have since entered a couple of fell races, Gravy Pud and Wormstones. I know that I have a great deal to learn about running in the hills, and am looking forward to another year of exploring the hills!

Kevin Ingham

Had a fantastic year everything has come together like a jigsaw puzzle lately I’ve had PB after PB and I’ve loved every minute of it.  2019 5K 36:57 2020 5K 26:21( Sale Sizzler 24:23 ) and after doing a brill 5K this summer at sale Sizzler I beat my park run time at park run 2021 5K 24:36 all 3 park runs 5K 2021 slowly beat them all at Hyde park  2020 10K PB 54:49 2021 47:50 Half Marathon 2021 first HM hero’s half 2:09:33  2021 Conwy half marathon  ( 1:49:17 ) STP 10 1:21:57 Reps and the long runs have helped me improve and plus I have an amazing Coach Tony Hillier.  He has made me the runner I am today and I’m so so grateful to him and also we have become very good friends.  I am also now a LIRF at HRC running community which I love as I love helping people to improve as Tony has passed down a lot of advice and tips and knowledge down to me and it’s sunk in and now I can give back to others as well now one of my proudest moments being a LIRF. Gravy pud first ever go 55:51 and Cross County first go ever December 54:48 and Wormstones tomorrow morning !

 And my running distance this year only a few miles short of 2,500 miles

Kate Bowden

Glossopdale Harriers 2021: A Year In a day

It was 8am, light just dawning on a cold, windy post-Christmas morning. The forecast was thick cloud, there was snow on the tops. Obviously I love my family and, after two long days of festivities at home, I was desperate for a getaway adventure.

Preparations:

I took with me (see photo of kit)

How many Harriers remember recommending these items I now use as a matter of course for comfort and safety?

My intended route – a partial recce for the (Old) Glossop Fell Race – I found on the Harriers website and after downloading the GPX file onto OS Maps App, I plotted the route on my map, working out a couple of compass bearings at the same time. I noted the route could easily be split in two manageable sections.  I decided to aim for half, but also noted a few shorter versions – just in case. I sent my route plan with a screenshot of the GPX to two trusty Harrier friends. They would keep tabs on me. 

This might sound simple, but in my previous life I didn’t have these skills. All thanks go to club members who have taught me how to do these things 

So the journey began. 

Soon (but not before leaping furiously over the wild Shelf brook) I was climbing steeply towards Shelf Moor, clag building around me and the views starting to disappear. Underfoot, suddenly, very wet snow. I was so happy to reach the Trig at Higher Shelf Stones, exactly where I expected it to be, hiding in the dense mist. But then what? I asked myself out loud ‘is this safe?  I had a good think, and my surprise answer was ‘yes’!

This was the exact point I realised just how much I have learned and how generous my clubmates have been, not just in sharing their knowledge, but in their confidence-building comments and encouragement. I CAN do these things!

I trudged cautiously through the boggy snow, past the crash site (eerie) and eventually found Hern Stones just where I thought it would be. Encouraged I ploughed on through the clag to Bleaklow Head, passing a helpful, if strangely comical, little rock with an arrow peaking out of the sludge. I  then left Bleaklow Head in entirely the wrong direction and relied heavily on the GPX to direct me back to the Pennine Way. At this point I had a proper reality check. This was the plan B opt out moment– to stay on the Pennine Way and head from there over to Glossop Low. Plan A – no path, clag, uncertain direction. Although I had a compass bearing, I would be reliant on GPX if I lost my way and on several past occasions, out with Harriers in freezing conditions, my phone has shut down completely. Navigation was also slow going, and my feet were starting to feel cold. I considered the eventual descent down Lawrence Edge- tricky in the best of conditions. Hmm – continuing with the route seemed like a Bad Idea.

I followed Plan B happily, enjoying the familiarity of the route home. Definitely the right decision and I loved every minute of this 3 hour bimble. Can’t wait to finish the recce either solo or with friends but definitely in better weather!

This wasn’t a long route or unfamiliar, but for me to attempt this in December, solo, in clag and snow – it wouldn’t have been possible without our amazing club. This trip out made me realise what I’ve learned and how I’ve grown in confidence, and how much you’ve all contributed to that.  I thought about naming everyone I could think of, but it’s all of you! It’s incredibly empowering to know I can go off on my own whatever the conditions.  Even if I am a total worry-wart, I’m also a GDH V50F 2021 Fell Champion!

Thank you Glossopdale Harriers 😊

Read Kate’s full story in her new blog here: https://activegreentherapy.wordpress.com/2021/12/30/my-year-in-glossopdale-harriers-2021/

Chris Webb – Ribble Valley 10k (not a yearly report!)

I know you’re after end of year reports so this may not be relevant for the weekly roundup…here’s a short report just in case:

Nick Lord and I joined a stacked field of runners on Monday 27th December for what also counts as the North of England 10k Championships.  The course is on closed country roads around Clitheroe; it’s an undulating route but the depth of quality means that you are often dragged to a fast finish!  A dash down the hill and over the river and already the field was strung out as I attempted to pace my effort knowing that mile 2 was slightly uphill.  I settled into a decent group and as usual all the runners around me appeared far more comfortable…but I’ve seen a runners’ ‘poker faces’ too many times to be taken in by that ruse!  There’s an out-and-back section at around 6km where I saw Nick looking far too cheery – see the pic below, he was clearly enjoying his day.  The 400m to go sign doesn’t take into account there’s a small climb but I managed to pick up the pace and finish in a time I was pretty happy with, Nick coming in not too far behind.  It’s a great race (if you don’t mind being a bit further down the results than you might usually be!) and a good focus for the Christmas break, get it in your diary for 2022.

Results:

140th (11th V40)  35:16   Chris Webb

238th  38:54   Nick Lord

Nick cruising along at 7km: