With the support of sponsor McCain this UKA initiative is "an open four race challenge, with three races required to count in the overall standing (for which prize money is available)...The Mountain Challenge total fund is £6,100 with £3,050 for both Senior Men & Women.". it is anticipated that such prize money could lead to an improvement in standards, and greater opportunity for athletes from the UK domestic scene to gain experience of the kind of competition they could expect to find at on European and World Mountain Running Championship courses. The stacked field today saw the top 35 men all go under the (2009) record for the challenging 9m/2900' course in very warm weather.
Three Keswick AC members raced in Cumbria colours today -Pippa Maddams, Matthew Fraser and following the late withdrawal of Borrowdale man Morgan Donelly, Steve Hebblethwaite recieved a county call up. The competition for the honours in the ladies race was tough -Philippa who dictated the pace for much of the race took second behind GB intenational Vic Wilkinson (1:25:53) in a time of 1:26:53, with Olivia Walwyn settling for 3rd in 1:26:58 -a great performance reflecting the kind of form she is currently in.
picture: Alastair Tye -www.fellrunningpictures.co.ukAfter the Cumbria mens team had been tipped to be in the shake up for 1st team this year, the withdrawal of Ricky Lightfoot (Ellenborough/Blackburn Harriers AC) and Morgan Donelly (Borrowdale FR) put the focus on potentially strong Yorkshire and Greater Manchester teams, but some great early season form from a number of athletes in the county meant that Cumbria were still able to enter a compettitive team, including a first county vest for Keswick AC's Matthew Fraser.
picture: Alastair Tye -www.fellrunningpictures.co.ukPacking their first three counters in the top 20 saw Cumbria take bronze medals ahead of strong teams from Lancashire, and North Wales, a result that was just reward for the their hard effort, over souch a demanding course on a hot day. Well done lads.
RESULTS
1. Martin Cox -Leicestershire -1:11:34
2. Simon Bailey -Mercia -1:12:53
3. Orlando Edwards -Shaftsbury Barnet Harriers -1:13:25
16. Mike Fanning -Cumbria -1:19:16
17. Matthew Fraser -Cumbria -1:19:38
18. Chris Steele -Cumbria -1:20:05
27. Steve Hebblethwaite -Cumbria -1:22:47
1. Victoria Wilkinson -Yorkshire -1:25:53
2. Philippa Maddams -Cumbria -1:26:53
3. Olivia Walwyn -Cheshire -1:26:58
Full results HERE
picture: Alastair Tye -www.fellrunningpictures.co.uk
3 comments:
Well done all 3 of you!. I can't remember when Keswick AC last had 3 runners in such an event.
Hopefully this result will show the england selectors the error of their ways... whichever way you look at it Pippa should be picked for her country.
Steve Hebb showed that you can do 3 races in a week. How does Matt makes racing look so easy??!!.
All in all a great week for the club.
I showed you can run three races in a week, but I wouldn't advocate it to anyone else if you want to produce your best.
Pleased to represent if it was possible to increase the chance of a county medal haul tho, and you can learn a lot by running hard at races like that.
And yes, well done to Pippa -great to see her in good form and enjoying her running. More to come from Matthew yet too methinks.
more to come from all 3 of you methinks.
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