Minibus to Lancaster 3 Bridges 10K -Club Championship Race

Next weekend (Sunday 3rd April) is the Lancaster 3 Bridges 10K -The race is the first 2011 Club Road Championship race. Race starts 11.00am.

A minibus from Keswick will depart outside Booths at 8.30am, and elsewhere enroute by request. Please get in touch with Steve Hebblethwaite to book a seat. Email stevenhebblethwaite@hotmail.com or 01900 821501.

The course is fast and flat, starting at the Salt Ayre Leisure Centre in Lancaster. An entry form can be downloaded form www.ukroadraces.info, where online entry is also available.

The 2011 Club Road Championship (best 4 from 6 to count) then continues with the Keswick Half Marathon (1st May), Lambfoot Loop 10K (24th May), Bodyfit 5K (13th July), Lancaster 5K Series race 4 (27th August), and Brampton-Carlisle 10 (20th November).

Causey Pike Fell Race

Great race today in near pefect conditions. 148 finishers and a course record for Pippa.

The results can be found HERE. These 2 photos are mine, more photos by STEVE AGNUS

Causey Pike fell race -Keswick AC Short Championship, and Lancaster 3 Bridges 10K -Club 10K Championship

The next two weeks will see the opening fixtures in the 2011 Club Fell, and Road Championships. First off is the 4.5m/1780' Causey Pike fell race this Saturday 26th March, sure to provide exciting racing and a fitting start to this years Fell Championship which promises to be one of the most competitive for several years. Registration is at Stair Village Hall, £3.00 entry on the day and the race starts at 2.00pm. Note that parking is very limited -please carshare or go on a bike.

A week later (on Sunday 3rd April) is the fast, flat Lancaster 3 Bridges 10K -race 1 in the 2011 Road Championship. The race starts at 11.00am, a minibus from Keswick will depart outside Booths at 8.30am. Entry form here. Online entry at www.shoestringresults.com.

Both the Road and Fell Championships in 2011 consist of six races. Best four results at any distance to count.

In addition to the titles of overall 2011 Club Road or Fell Champion and category winners, a new initiative this year will see individual Short, Medium, and Long Champions recognised based on the results of a selected race for that distance -Causey Pike is the 2011 Short Championship race, while next week's Lancaster 10K will see the Medium road title decided. Club Championship details here.

Keswick AC Road Championship 2011 - Best 4 from 6 to count
Lancaster 3 Bridges 10K, Lancaster, -Sun 3rd April
Keswick Half Marathon, Keswick -Sun 1st May
Lambfoot Loop 10K, Cockermouth -Tues 24th May*
Bodyfit 5K, Cockermouth -Wed 13th July*
Lancaster 5K Series race 4, Lancaster -Sat 27th August
Brampton-Carlisle 10, Carlisle -Sun 20th November*

Keswick AC Fell Championship 2011 - Best 4 from 6 to count
(S) Loweswater Show, 2.6m/1000' -Sun 4th September
(S) Causey Pike, 4.5m/1780' -Sat 26th March*
(S) Blisco Dash, 5m/2000' -Wed 20th July
(M) Dockray Hartside, 6m/2000' -Wed 4th May
(M) Tebay, 8m/3000' -Wed 15th June*
(L) Three Shires, 13m/4000' -Sat 17th Sept*

*Individual Distance Club Championship Races

5K Road Champs: The Bodyfit 5K
10K Road Champs: Lambfoot Loop 10K
10 mile Road Champs: Brampton-Carlisle 10 mile

Short Fell Champs: Causey Pike
Medium Fell Champs: Tebay
Long Fell Champs: Three Shires

Assoication of Running Clubs

The Association of Running Clubs (ARC) has sent me (as Club Sec) some promotional info, trying to persuade us to affiliate with them rather than England Atheltics (EA). I have scanned the info they sent me and saved it as a PDF file. I can't figure out how to upload it to the blog but would be happy to email it to anyone who wants to read it. (q.merritt@tiscali.co.uk) Does anyone have any views on the pros and cons of the ARC as compared with EA?

Causey Pike Recce

A few of us are having a social outing on Friday to look at the Causey Pike race route! The race is on Sat 26th March 2011.

Anyone is welcome, regardless of speed and whether or not they are planning to race.

Meet 5pm at Uzzicar. Let me know if you intend to join us and if you need a lift please get in touch - jogillyon@yahoo.com

Mearley Clough entries open

Entries open tomorrow for the next counter in the English Fell Running Championship -the 3.5m/1200' Mearley Clough race which takes place on Saturday 14th May.

The race has an entry limit of 400 with no EOD and is likely to fill up before the closing date at the beginning of May, so it is advisable to get an entry form and SAE in the post tomorrow.

SAT. MAY 14. MEARLEY CLOUGH (R). AS. Ladies 12 noon. Men 1pm 3.5m/1200'. Venue: Car park field (though village), Worston, nr Clitheroe. GR 767428. £5.00, pre-entry. Entry by post on FRA form, with SAE (for number to be posted out) from 15th March to 1st May. Cheques to "G. W. Newsam". Limit 400. No late entry or EOD. Teams. ER/PM. Over 14. English Championship counter. No safety pins. DO NOT park in pub carpark. Details: Geoff Newsam, 3 Greenfield Avenue, Chatburn, Clitheroe, BB7 4AJ. Tel: 01200 441328. Website: clayton-le-moors-harriers.co.uk

Universal FRA entry form on the the FRA website HERE.

English and British Fell Running Championship fixtures 2011 -Enter NOW!

The next counter in the English Fell Running Championship is the short Clayton-le-Moors Harriers organised race Mearley Clough, in Lancashire on Saturday 14th May.

Entries for this race open NEXT WEEK and will be accepted until 1st May. The race has an entry limit of 400 with no EOD. Cheques for £5 to "G. W. Newsam" with universal FRA entry form -on the the FRA website HERE- should be posted to Geoff Newsam, 3 Greenfield Avenue, Chatburn, Clitheroe, BB7 4AJ.

Entries for English Championship long-counter Duddon, and medium Loughrigg & Silverhowe are allready open, while British Championship races Mourne Peaks and Yr Aran have also now opened entries. If you missed an entry to the Long Mynd race -get your entries off for these races now.

ENGLISH
Short: Mearley Clough (Sat. 14th May) Whittle Pike (Sat. 30th July)
Medium: Long Mynd (Sun. 6th March) Loughrigg & Silverhowe (Sun. 26th June)
Long: Duddon (Sat. 4th June) Sedbergh (Sun.21st Aug.)

BRITISH
Short: Devils Beeftub (Sat. 10th Sept)
Medium: Y Aran (Sat. 9th July)
Long: Mourne Peaks (Sat. 9th April) Sedbergh (Sun.21st Aug.)


Photo: Julie Carter at Long Mynd last weekend © Alastair Tye/www.fellrunningpictures

Long Mynd Valleys Sunday 6th March 2011

The National Fell Running Championship season commenced on Sunday with the first of the English Championship races. This was a tough medium, 11.5 miles long with 4500' of ascent. Initially a fast course with some lovely running along the top of the Mynd, it soon became apparent that anyone going off too quick would suffer on the latter stages of the race where it seemed the bulk of the climb was condensed.

9 Keswick runners made the trip to Carding Mill Valley, some more sensible than others going the day before!

The race was won by Lloyd Taggart of Dark Peak (also 1st MV40) in an impressive time of 1.34.25. Vic Wilkinson of Bingley Harriers had a clear win in the ladies race in 1.50.34. Full results HERE

Keswick results:
Men:
17th Steve Heb 1.39.29
74th Jamie Luxmoore 1.54.44
374th Chris Clark (MV60) 2.39.58
Ladies:
17th Julie Carter (LV45) 2.11.43 - an impressive 2nd LV45 too!
18th Cat Evans 2.14.28
24th Sam Ayres (LV40) 2.18.26
33rd Jo Gillyon 2.21.48
39th Sarah Bailey 2.25.00
76th & 17th LV50 Kim Clarke 2.56.26

Julie, Cat and Sam secured 2nd team. A great start to the season.

Well done to all that ran, without doubt one of the tougher mediums in the calendar.

Next race is the first of the British Championship races in Northern lreland on April 9th.

Haweswater Half Marathon

Phil Winskill had in impressive win ahead of a field of 512 runners in perfect conditions at Haweswater on Sunday.

1. Phil Winskill - 1:14:37
46. Andrew Slattery - 1:26:38
145. Simon Thompson - 1:37:21
152. Mike Beechey - 1:38:46
252. Phillip Sturgess - 1:48:15

Grasmere Gallop

One of my favourite races - the Grasmere Gallop - is being re-launched on Sun 12 June. Full details inc online entry here.