WCOC

WCOC are putting on a new classic long orienteering race - similar friendly, informal format as the Copeland Chase which is popular with many fell runners - Sunday 29th June - fells around Whinlatter - 16km, 12km and 8km courses with plenty of climb - for details follow this link: http://www.wcoc.co.uk/pages/Allerdale_Chase_v3.pdf

The Fellsman - 61 miles, 10,500ft

The last few weeks have been spent preparing for this monster race which starts at Ingleton before zig-zagging its way across the high Yorkshire summits to Threshfield across some beautiful but very remote country.

A field of 500 or so entrants lined up on a very wet and windy morning last Saturday equipped with a very strict list of mandatory kit and started the first climb to Ingleborough getting soaked. Visibility was poor and conditions were slippery down the steep descent and slabs towards the Hill Inn and the first feed station. The climb up Whernside and back down to Kingsdale were equally grim but as we approached the second feed station the sun came out and the layers came off. A surprise kit check meant unpacking carefully crammed in stuff and in the rush to get going again I obviously didn't secure my water bottle properly.

I've been experimenting with folding Z-poles ahead of the TDS and started to use them on the steep pull up to Gragareth. For the minor weight penalty they're certainly great for taking to strain off your legs. A long run along the ridge to Great Coum became a thirsty one when I went for a drink and it wasn't there. The steep boggy descent towards Dent was hard work and I was starting to feel horrible as I ran into the village. A quick stop to equip myself with a sausage roll, a cup of coffee and a 7-up bottle out of a bin before a long climb towards Blea Moor.

Taking a direct line across the scary, bouncy bogs took me up to the checkpoint above the railway vents and I started to catch those in front. The descent back into Dentdale felt a bit demoralising but a bowl of pasta at Stonehouses fired me up and I climbed strongly to Great Knoutberry Hill. From the summit you get a long descent to see who is following you and I'd built up a reasonable gap in 27th place.

Another feed stop at Redshaw came and went before a bog trot round Snaizeholme and Dodd Fell where you turn for home with 20 miles to go. I took a bad line off the summit and climbed up and down peat hags and bags before emerging at Fleet Moss and another feed station for rice pudding, fruit. By this time I was feeling really sick and suffering stomach cramps but had to keep going to avoid "grouping" for as long as possible.

The organisers have a cut-off time of 7:30pm at the roadside checkpoints after which competitors are grouped into 4s until the last roadside checkpoint or dawn. The longer you can put that off the longer you can go at your own pace.

After skirting the notorious Fleet Moss and overtaking a few more runners I arrived at the Middle Tongue checkpoint to find no marshals and no checkpoint. Some frantic running around the bogs ensued with a few others who'd arrived until the marshals were spotted about a mile away still making their way there. This was the only slight glitch in an otherwise magnificent organisation.

From Fleet Moss I descended to Cray where another competitor was looking for an empty pop bottle so its not just me!

The next section across Buckden Pike was completely new to me so needed a bit of navigation as there was nobody in front or behind me but I kept myself right until I arrived at Park Rash checkpoint  at 20:25hrs where three lads were chomping at the bit having been waiting for the first group to form up. A quick coffee and lump of cake forced down before the stiff climb up Great Whernside just as the sun was setting and the clag descending.

My new friends were Stuart Mills, Duncan Steen and Jon Hedger, all quality ultra runners so I felt under pressure to keep up but at least I didn't need to navigate. As it grew dark I stopped to put on my head torch with about an hour to go and obviously dropped a pole (and they're not cheap!). I had a quick look around but couldn't see it so reluctantly set off so as not to slow the group down. I mentioned it to the marshals at the nearby checkpoint who found it the following morning - phew!

The last couple of miles to the road were marked with flashing beacons which was quite cheery to start with but every time you thought it was the last one it wasn't. At the tarmac the group was officially disbanded and we set off down the road to Grassington at our various speeds passing the 60 mile mark with the locals out clapping us home.

I crossed the line at 13hrs and 55 mins and although I haven't seen the results I'm fairly sure I was 22nd overall. I was exhausted and quite sick for a while but today I'm pretty pleased with how that went.

This is a great event in a beautiful part of the world with mind-boggling organisation so I'd encourage anybody to do it - at least once anyway.

Hoka Rapa Nui shoes for sale

I have a (basically) new pair of Hoka Rapa Nui 2 shoes for sale.

Click here for technical information

I have worn them twice (10 miles and 22 miles) and they are therefore basically in new condition. These are my 4th pair of Hoka's but for some reason they do not quite sit right on my tendon where I had my operation a few years ago and I do not want to take any risks, so I am selling them so I can fund a different pair.

They are a UK 10.5, which generally translates to a normal UK 10.

Only been available in this country for a month. RRP is £120 (I think), if you can find your size, you can get them for around £105 - £110, I'll take £80 !

Spring marathon roundup

Quite a few Keswick AC runners have been in action in recent weeks at a number of spring marathons. Well done to all the following on some great debut, pb, and good for age qualifying times, etc.

Blackpool Marathon, Sunday 6th April 2014

Rob Wynne - 3:14:56
Dave Burton - 3:17:50

Greater Manchester Marathon, Sunday 6th April 2014

Simon Thompson - 3:06:53 (pb)
Adam Campion - 3:13:25 (debut)
Simon Jackson - 3:26:01 (debut)
Rachel Mellor - 3:29:09

London Marathon, Sunday 13th April 2014

Steve Hebblethwaite - 2:49:23 (debut)
Juliet Grieves - 4:05:26 (debut)
Jill Blayney - 5:09:30 (debut)

Hardmoors 55 race report

Finally got round to writing my race report from the Hardmoors 55 ultra a couple of weeks ago.

http://fromrecoverytobeyond.blogspot.co.uk/2014/04/hardmoors-55-race-report.html

Northern 12 & 6 Stage Road Relay Championships 2014 report

While always a force in the regional and national fell relays, and often providing runners for the county cross country teams, Keswick AC have been absent from the men’s 12 & women’s 6 stage road relays for many years. This changed on Saturday however, as the club travelled to Heaton Park in Manchester having assembled no less than two women’s 6 stage teams and a strong men’s 12 stage road team.

The park, which is comprised of the grounds of the grade I listed 18^th-century country house Heaton Hall, is the biggest park in Greater Manchester and one of the largest municipal parks in Europe, and it’s network of well surfaced, undulating paths provided a great venue for the relays.

The Northern 12 & 6 Stage Road Relays take place annually alongside parallel events in the midlands and southern regions, and see the best running and athletic clubs from across the country take to the road to contest a 12-leg relay for the men, alternating between a long leg –this year around 5.5 miles- and short leg -this year 3 miles, and for the women, six consecutive short legs of 3 miles.

Sam Ayers led the way for the women’s ‘A’ team on the first leg, while Helen Winskill headed the ‘B’ team, clocking 19:51 and 20:57 respectively and returning in 29^th and 39^th positions (out of 56 clubs) after the undulating 3 mile loop. Both teams then progressed, gaining places on almost every leg, the ‘B’ team improving through Hayley Hodgson (22:19), Siobhan Brewer (22:54), Rachel Mellor (21:31), Caz Lyall (21:11) and Deb Edginton (21:22) to finish in 26^th place. Following Sam in the ‘A’ team were Jenn Mattinson  (19:56), Jo Gillyon (21:06), Cat Evans (20:09), and Katy Moore (20:03) but making her debut for the club in team competition, it was Hannah Horsburgh who ran the fastest leg of the day for Keswick AC, clocking a swift 18:15 to bring the team back in a superb 12^th place overall. This time saw Hannah ranked 29^th fastest leg of the day (out of 314) in a list that included Olympic 1500m finalist Laura Weightman, and world indoor 3000m finalist Lauren Howarth amongst others, to cap off a great day for the Keswick AC women.

The Keswick AC men have taken teams to the annual men’s 6-Stage relay for the last two years, but it was a step up, to field a competitive 12 stage team. As with the women’s relay, the men’s field was equally stacked with the best domestic talent including current and former national cross country champions and World and Olympic finalists, a real chance for the Keswick AC men’s runners to test themselves in a high quality field. Phil Winskill, tasked with the duty of getting a good start for the team, took on the first leg, and clocked the fastest long leg of the day for the club, running 30 minutes and 30 seconds for the 5.5 mile leg to bring the team back in 26th. He was then followed by Sam Stead, who with Josh Hebson (posting exactly the same time!) clocked the fastest short leg of the day of 17:12, then Marc Brown (33:22), Chris Brewer (17:45), Peter George (33:41), Stu Edgington (19:50), Ian Davies (33:15), Rob Wynne (18:17), Chris Edis (34:20), and on the 10^th leg, Lee Newton (18:31). Going into the 11^th leg Keswick trailed local rivals Kendal AC, and Barrow-in-Furness Striders & AC by around a minute, and 30 seconds respectively, but like the Keswick women, the men had saved two of their best runners until last -a sound tactic as Steve Hebblethwaite (30:49) overhauled both runners, before Josh Hebson (17:12) extended the advantage on the final leg, to bring the team back in 28^th (out of 73 top clubs) delighted to have picked up the scalps of these two teams, and finish second only to Border Harriers out of the four Cumbrian clubs that had raced on the day. 

These team days are what it is all about -as a number of the runners remarked, it is a real pleasure to spend a day running alongside club mates striving for a common goal, in a sport so often a solitary pursuit.

Northern Athletics 12 and 6 Stage Road Relays at Heaton Park, Manchester

Keswick AC fielded 12 men for the 12 stage road relays at the weekend.  The routes are made up of 6 long legs at just over 5 miles and 6 at just over 3 miles. Keswick AC also took 2 ladies teams to the event, made up of 6 runners each. The leg started with a flat section followed by a gradual climb for 250 metres before dropping down to the base of the longest climb. The course was very undulating which made it hard to pace correctly especially for the later runners who were running mainly in isolation. All 12 men and women ran really well considering most of the 3 teams were made up by fell runners while the majority of other competing teams were track and road specialists more suited to this type of event. It was great to see Keswick field 24 runners for this event and shows the club has a good core of runners all at a good level. The future looks fruitful at the club and things will hopefully go from strength to strength with some quality runners and so many people improving week on week. Keswick AC runners, position and times are listed below.  The men were 28^th from 73 teams, and the women were 12^th and 26^th overall out of 52.

        Phil Winskill    (26) 30:30

        Sam Stead        (25) 17:12

        Marc Brown       (29) 33:22

        Chris Brewer     (28) 17:45

        Peter George     (33) 33:41

        Stuart Edgerton  (34) 19:50

        Ian Davies       (36) 33:15

        Rob Wynne        (34) 18:17

        Christopher Edis (36) 34:20

        Lee Newton       (34) 18:31

        S Hebblethwaite  (29) 31:04

        Josh Hebson      (28) 17:12

 

        Samantha Ayers   (29) 19:51

        Jenn Mattinson   (22) 19:56

        Joanne Gillyon   (19) 21:06

        Catherine Evans  (19) 20:09

        Katy Moore       (13) 20:03

        Hannah Horsburgh (12) 18:15

        Helen Winskill   (39) 20:57

        Hayley Hodgson   (39) 22:19

        Siobhan Brewer   (37) 22:54

        Rachel Mellor    (34) 21:31

        Caroline Lyall   (30) 21:11

        Deborah Edgerton (26) 21:22

 

In an altogether different race congratulations to Andrew Slattery who finished the 32 mile Haworth Hobble in just over 5 hours. Also well done to Lyn Thompson for finishing a strong 3rd at Middle fell on Saturday.