Fell races, virtual and otherwise

The Club Championship continued over four days last week, a Virtual 10 Mile race. Virtual races were introduced during the covid times and proved popular because members could run whenever they liked without having to be in a particular place at a particular time – they could run the course any time over 4 days, timing themselves.  The advantage of a race is that everyone has exactly the same conditions to run in, but that was not necessarily the case last week. One consistent was the wind, which was strong on all of the days, and heavy rain was also a possibility, sometimes both, on top of Sutton Bank. The figure of 8 course began at a car park half way along, going up a path to the Cleveland Way, back towards Sutton Bank, then up the parallel road to the start, up the path again, this time turning right at the top to High Paradise, to Snek Yat, along the road to the start again, and up the path and back once more to finish. A testing course at any time with all its ups and downs, had an additional problem with pools of water accumulating after the rain. 33 members completed it, and more might have been expected but numbers were down due to the glut of other races happening at the moment.  Fastest was the intrepid and consistent Paul Peacock, taking 1.08.58 for the 10 mile course. Gary Wilkinson, ever in the mix, took 1.12.06 and Richard Grant 1.16.40. Others taking part were Ken Wood, Mike Cropper, Rob Burn, Adrian Elsworth, Lorraine Hiles, Joe Joyce, Paul Bradford, Clare Tempest, Lindsey Collins, Martyn Coy, Kirsty Naylor, Duncan Fothergill, Marc Davies, Craig Atherton, Allison Whiteley, Rosie Gatenby, Geoff Bullock, Ruth Pollard, Lucy Sillars, Andrea Colls, Sarah Harrison, Sara Armitage, Stuart Hill, Steve Billings, Louise Mayfield, Christine Burn, Carol Thompson, Ken Evitt, Denise Gandy and Siobhan Woodland.  Thanks to Lorraine Hiles for compiling the results, and to Rob Burn for sorting out the original course.

Just a day or two earlier, several of the above had been involved in the Cock Howe and Beyond Fell Race, Race 7 in the Dave Parry Summer Series, another toughie beginning with a tour of the car park before a hard uphill (aren't they all?)  Narrow tracks through heather made for ankle turning conditions but Freddy Wharton made light of them coming 12th out of 90, and 1st MU23, in 47.03, with Richard Grant 21st in 49.16 and Josh Cooper 28th in 52.00. 1st Open Lady was Esther Harrison, 2nd overall, in 33rd place taking 53.52 and just ahead of Cameron Balmain, 37th, and 2nd MU23, in 53.56. Gary Wilkinson took 54.36, Alan Simpson 57.48, Trudy Morrice, 1st F50, 47th in 57.57, Marc Davies 61.39, Helen Ashworth 58th, and 1st F55 in 64.25, Hilary Coventry 69.26, Rosie Gatenby 69.37, Lucy Sillars 70.37, David Tervit 71.14, Ruth Pollard 74.16, Sara Armitage 78.53, Janet Balmain 79.58, game Beth Haggath 1st FU23 in 80.17, Lynne Jackson 81.22 and Faith Coy 82.28. 

With such strong numbers, the ladies took 1st, 4th, 5th and 6th in the team positions, with the men coming 3rd and 6th.

Bronwyn Mayo and Lindsey tested themselves on the Dales Runner 30, kilometres not miles, tough enough even in kms, beginning at Muker then to Ravenseat, across the moors to Tan Hill before descending to Muker via Swinner Gill. Bronwyn finished 21st out of 75 in 3.39.47 taking the prize for 3rd lady, and Lindsey came 47th in 4.10.04.

Club stalwart, Ken Evitt, always among the first to offer himself when the club needs help, completed his 50th park run at Northallerton on Saturday. Very well done, Ken.  He was among the field of 154 there, and other members were at Fountains Abbey, Millfield, Bushy, the original home of parkrun – Jason McLaughlin was there, Bradford, Concord Park, Sheffield – Liz and Chris Wordsworth there, South Shields and Coyngham Hall.