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Report & Pictures from Steve Jackson

An Injured Bystander's View of the Pennine Bridleway Relays – Sun 3rd February 2008

We managed to field three teams, an A, Mixed & Veterans in the Pennine Bridleway Relays on the 3rd February. Such an effort is down to the team captains and asking for runners and then pushing the event for what is an absolutely superb day out – even when one is injured! For those who are unsure and considering a go next year, there is nothing to fear. Most of the way is way-marked, is on good paths and tracks although it does help to recce` the leg beforehand and help can be provided!

The relays are run in pairs over 5 legs through the wonderful South Pennines, starting & finishing at Fearns School in Waterfoot. The area has a breadth of wide open spaces, wild moors and good views to enjoy. The combined distance of the whole event is 47 miles with about 6,300 feet of total climb.

The Pennine Bridleway when fully opened will run from Middleton Top in Derbyshire to Bryness in Northumberland – seems a good idea for a relay run? The section that is run in these particular relays, organised by Rossendale Harriers, is known as the Mary Townley Loop. It is named in memory of Mary, who was a keen horsewoman who lived in Cliviger, near Burnley and had campaigned for many years for the bridleway network to be improved.  

To the day itself; Well, I couldn`t run and made the decision three weeks before to tell Mick McLoughlin that I was not able to partner Sarah Gohil on Leg 1 for the mixed team. At least I could get up a bit later, enjoy a leisurely breakfast and set off this year in daylight to watch the event! The day stayed dry although grey, but there was a bitterly cold westerly wind, especially on the open moor and it was certainly very cold as I left the warm car at the start of Leg 2, at the Long Causeway.

Bob Shepherd's white van was parked the nearest to the check-point for the handover and it provided very useful cover for runners to shelter as they waited for their team mates to come in. Bob and partner Joe Howard, even had a almost full size cuddly collie-dog as a mascot in their car but they weren`t too impressed with suggestions they should run with it…

Blogger & Joe trying to keep warm before last leg.

Dog keeps warm inside van!

Leading off for the A team with at 8.30 am from Waterfoot, to the Long Causeway, over a distance of 8.5 miles and 1,361 feet of climb were Rob Hobbs and Dave Watson who finished in 68.59; they then handed over to Jason Parker & Peter Medupe who managed to gain eight places with the 12th fastest leg time as they ran the 12.5 miles to Callis Bridge. Peter, who will have returned home to South Africa before this edition was published, has turned his running skills and good humour to all of the clubs activities and he has been a joy to know. He`s also a fine runner!

Whilst watching the runners come through at the end of Leg 1, I was amazed at how many would come up to the top of the hill from Holme Chapel alone, but a short distance away from change-over and then wait for their poor running mate to catch up! In one case, it was almost a full five minutes for a team who shall be nameless but their football team fans are often referred to as “donkey lashers.” It didn`t seem sensible and was probably utterly demoralising to the other runner. Running as a team means just that, keep together and help each other.

The mixed team saw Alan Appleby & Sarah Gohil run Leg 1 in 72.50 (slightly quicker than last year for Sarah and I, so that`s me out then for next year!) and I shouted to Sarah, I had her car keys and I`d come over in a few minutes. Hurrying over to the hectic scene at the change-over, I saw Mick McLoughlin…but shouldn`t he and Karen Nash have already left? Well, yes, they should have done but Mick had decided to leave a jacket at the car, had not realised the time and while he was not at the leg handover area, Sarah and Alan had come charging in, to hand-over to just Karen Nash who was, well, very mad and who could blame her!

Mick & Karen completed their run in 1:50.28 and Karen was, in her own words, possessed! The delayed setting off had impacted on their own time so they were losing time before they had set off and so Karen was determined to pull back what she could and Mick just had to follow. To his credit, he did and both ran very well.

The veterans team Leg 1 pairing of Barry Nuttall & Dave Roberts (1:36.53) handed over to Bob Shepherd & Joe Howard (minus dog) and off they went to enjoy the run around the Worsthone & Heptonstall moors.

At Callis Bridge, on the Todmorden to Hebden Bridge Road, for the end of Leg 2, there is a dodgy crossing at a pelican just before the handover but most teams managed to cope with it and many car drivers just looked totally bemused as these muddy individuals would fly across the road with team mates urging them in.

Leg 3 has the most amount of climb, as it heads via Mankinholes to the village of Summit. Kevin Hesketh & Phil Walsh ran brilliantly to maintain the A teams then position of 16th. Phil almost had to run in two left footed shoes as he had brought one of his own and one of his sons, but Kevin saved the day with a spare pair. John Rainford & Philippa Walsh had a super run too, and gained seven places for the mixed team. Also keeping up the momentum, Marian Hesketh & Roy Parkinson gained two spots for the vets team.

The fourth leg is the shortest at 5.5 miles and just 753 feet of ascent, but in its latter stages it was all into the wind as the leg finished on wide open country above the Whitworth valley and near a golf course. Here, the wind positively howled and I just put on layer after layer to keep out the icy blasts. Steve Mort & Eddy Little waiting to run the final leg, came over for a chat and soon had to get in my car as they were chilled to the bone.

The hand-over area affords a good view of the incoming runners as they emerge from tracks above Watergrove Reservoir. This year, most people were keeping warm in their cars and every so often they would come out, peer into the distance then go back. Nobody was doing a warm up!

John Griffiths & Roger Taylor completed Leg 4 for the A team in 43.35.

Robyn Taylor & Emma Deakin finished in a very good 49.26 for the mixed and they were really pleased, rightly, with their efforts.

Judith Deakin and Brian Dearnley for the vets team gained a place with their 57.54.

The 5th & final leg has a long climb along the Rooley Moor Road to the Top of Leach and covers 11 miles to the finish, back at Waterfoot. With the marshals & runners brave enough to be out of their cars, now getting very cold, the mass start for the final leg, was brought forward a little.

However, setting off before that and taking the A team home to 14th place overall were Steve Bamber & Will Garner, with 70.00 – the 12th fastest leg.

Steve Mort & Eddy Little anchored the mixed team home to 30th, but an excellent 3rd mixed team and prizes for all the runners. Mick McLoughlin was rueful though and, as he bravely admitted, if he hadn`t gone back to the car, then 2nd team place would have been achieved. It didn`t matter, the team were pleased to have won something and there is always next year.

For the Vets team, Ash Nixon, back running competitively again, and partner Gordon Thompson ran the 24th fastest leg with the Vets team finishing 67th overall. 76 teams ran, with Borrowdale just taking the honours ahead of last years winners, Horwich, although it was very close.

Final thanks must as ever, go to Rossendale Harriers for putting the event on and to all those marshals who had to contend with the cold.

Steve Jackson

Thanks Steve for this great report and for all the fabulous pictures.

Lots of fell runners break away from their original running clubs, mainly because they have no interest in track & field, fell running being their main interest. The fell running section of our club decided to have their own website, probably for the same reason. Now a V70, George Arnold is our oldest active fell runner. There are a few more of us close behind! One of our top female road runners, whilst marshalling recently at Chipping Show Fell Race commented on just how friendly fell runners are.