Preston Harriers Fell Section :- fellblog

The fell running section of Preston Harriers. Some of our fell runners also do cross country and road running, but fell running is our main activity. Our junior fell runners are in a keen fell running section, you can read about them in juniorfellblog below. Preston Harriers running club was established in 1881. Mick McLoughlin our chairman of fellblog recently did the Bob Graham Round. Fell Runners are not as much bothered about PB's as they are about 3B's ( a local brewery).

Preston Harriers Fell Section :- Fellblog        

Bottoms Up  

22nd October 2005

23 miles, roughly around Hoghton Tower. Including Samlesbury & Hoghton Bottoms.

This popular run/walk is organised by the LDWA (Long Distance Walkers Association). As Steve Smith our current English Vet said after entering one of these events, "It's the only race I've ever taken part in where I've ended up heavier at the finish than I was at the start!" And so it was that Brian & Eileen with the Blogger attempting to keep up with them, set off at 9.30am from Hoghton village hall with trepidation, knowing the mountains of butties, hot-dogs, cakes & biscuits we would face on route. Eileen had just come off 8 days continuous working and didn't know how she would cope.

Our walk down to the start was interrupted by what I thought, without a pair of specs between us, was a local tramp rooting out any morsel he could find in the hedgerow. In fact it was our Lord of the Manor, Sir Bernard de Hoghton setting us all a truly royal example by clearing litter from the roadside. He implored us to join him in his campaign for a cleaner Britain, or even Hoghton. I told him I'd see how we felt after 23 miles.

Although there were nearly 200 entries for the event, only 9 or so runners took part. Apart from the blogger they all looked young & slim. With brilliant navigation by Brian, the 3 of us arrived at Samlesbury Bottoms, still in touch with 2 of the other runners, Neil "Diamond Geezer" & Sweet Caroline, neatly turned out in little red numbers, against their sun tanned, beautiful bodies.

Running along the Darwen River in Samlesbury Bottoms, the blogger took on this sporting photographer challenge, just two reds & two colours could be game over. 

We ran passed this unusual pen in a field, any idea what it might be?

It was around here that, after running through a particularly muddy farmyard, Brian said to Eileen " Your legs are full of cow muck", to which Eileen replied "Well don't rub it in Brian!" I almost gave Eileen the Allan Appleby red card for bad jokes, but I thought it through and decided it would be more conducive for a pleasant atmosphere, to say nothing. (After all Eileen had a few hours left to put up with me). Shut Up & Put up at the Bottoms Up, that was my sound decision. ** see footnote also.

As we dropped into Hoghton Bottoms we came to a stile, at the foot of which was a distinctly recognisable toadstool, the Fly Agaric. I ate a bit & read later that this toadstool contains a powerful hallucinogen which is poisonous!

After running over Butlers Delf we arrived at the First Checkpoint, Billinge Hill viewpoint. (6 miles). Brian's bottom is certainly up as Eileen clips his tally. (She is still displaying cow muck on her legs). Oops, don't rub it in Blogger! This part of the event was good running & we've already decided that it's the sort of terrain we like & will probably include it in future runs from Riley Green. Heading for the next watering hole brought us through Witton Park and eventually onto & along  the Leeds-Liverpool canal. We left the canal at Feniscowles and soon were tucking in to a near 3 course meal. It was just before Checkpoint Charlie that the blogger once again became emotionally involved, falling in love at first sight with a 23 mile walking solitary lady in blue. Sadly walkers & runners can't mix! Blogger considered becoming a walker... peeved, no boots!

Checkpoint Charlie. The 2 lovebirds above are seen with the great Charlie Thompson, provider of virtual 3 course meal. 23 mile walking solitary lady in blue didn't stop & it took the blogger ages to catch her up, as Brian said, this was mainly due to the blogger's photographic duties. Thanks for your consideration & observation Brian.

The blogger insisted on a photograph just here, he was rooting out any morsel he could find in the hedgerow of local knowledge. The beautiful conifer behind Brian, of remarkable similarity to the genus Giant Redwood, is in fact another of those transmitters that keep all the mobile phones ringing!  Eileen, bored with this, went ahead at this point, I was hoping she was soothing out my course of love with the 23 mile walking solitary lady in blue, I don't know, maybe things were said. Maybe Eileen is holding back with the truth.. I can take it Eileen, my life is full of traumas of this nature. Anyway only another 100yds down the road, the blogger got Brian behind the lens, for steeped in that local knowledge, he wanted a picture taken inside our local brewery, the 3B's. 

The blogger outside our local brewery, the 3B's. Anxiety has crept in, he was looking forward to a quick pint, but the place was shut!

The blogger's beer belly in close up. Only 10 miles before, it was so slim, now so full of hot-dogs & chocolate biscuits! Anyway only 3 more feeding stations to go.

Checkpoint 3 was at Tockholes Village Hall. 12 miles. This was a tough one, the selection of food was extensive & delicious & voted No 1 by us three. Here it was "no holds barred" with hot-dogs, butties, cakes & biscuits + the best cup of tea I've ever had. The blogger found it difficult to pull himself away from here. Neither  would he allow Brian to take any more belly pictures. Once away though we were off like rockets, well fuelled you see, in the Brinscall direction.

The route took us over some fell, no it wasn't called Calvary, but nevertheless I was a little scared, being pretty tired by now, I wondered if Charlie had planned a crucifixion for the three of us! In an episode of Little Britain, Matt Lucas had wanted to play Baby Jesus, I didn't fancy playing Jesus at the painful end of his life. Well we managed the Brinscall checkpoint (no exciting picture). 18 miles. For the Blogger it was definitely Bottoms Down on the Bottoms Up, sitting in comfort while supping another good cup of tea. Extensive food available, oh dear blogger's beer belly is taking some pounding with all this food, & not leaving enough room for the beer later.

The last section of the run is upon us, blogger felt that he'd held up the lovebirds all the way round, eating too much, drinking too much, talking too much & photographing too much. So here he turned over another new leaf, beer belly in mind....no more photographs! As we had arrived at this last checkpoint we saw the other runners leaving, and thought that would be the last we saw of them, so young, so beautiful, so sun tanned, so accomplished.  It was a great surprise when we arrived at, what was described in the route instructions as "Through new plantation and across next field", the runners and some power walkers, had done everything but, go through the plantation. In fact I would say it looked like they were planning on camping the night, so lost had they got! When us three sloggers, well 2 sloggers & a blogger, went through the plantation we were showing them the way! O how that adrenalin flowed.

Well the party at the end we couldn't resist!  Pie & Peas & Rice Pudding! It was a great day. It's a while since the blogger did 23 miles on 4 legs. (Should say "in 4 legs", but this is poetic license).  

At the start we'd asked our seasoned pro (Brian) just how long the event would take us. He said that he wanted us all to take things very easy & not get drawn into any racing. "It's not the spirit of the thing" he said. "We'll take our time & go round in 5 hrs, don't forget Eileen's been working 8 days non-stop, & you've got your photography duties" he said. Our time was in fact 4hrs.59mins.29secs!  Thanks to Brian & Eileen for the company. It does the blogger good to get out a bit you know! Well done LDWA for another brilliantly planned event.

** Running with Sarah Roberts on Sunday afternoon & helping soothe my aching everything (including heart), we were down by the banks of the River Darwen in all the mud that the hundreds of yet to be shot dead ducks squatter around in, in my favourite running position,( just behind, you know the story) & I called to Sarah, " Hey Sarah, you've got duck muck up your legs", to which she replied, "don't rub it in Blogger!" This is no joke! Chance would be a fine thing I thought! 

No more poncing around with Quibbell the Masseur  & his la de da lavender oil, I fancy a mud & duck muck massage asap.

Back to Fellblog

Preston Harriers Fell Section :-  FELLBLOG  is a proud  member of the famous Preston Harriers Athletic Club. Our athletic club has been around for well over a hundred years. We like to call it famous because it is what Brendan Foster calls us on BBC athletic programmes. We are well represented in Track & Field presently by our pride & joy, Helen Clitheroe.  We also have some accomplished road runners. Our Fell runners, for which this site is set up, are a mixed bunch of beer drinkers. We do run lots of races, as can be seen in the site itself. We have a world record holder Pete Benson, you can read about his feat inside. We are pleased that you have visited our website, which of course is mainly about fell running. If you want to see more about the club, you can visit our main site. Click here

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.