Preston
Harriers Fell Section
:- fellblog
Coniston
Show Fell Race 24th July 2005
24.7.05 Coniston Show Fell Race. AM. 6mile / 2400’
Race 7
of 12 in our championship saw six harriers mingle with the local terrier pack on
the shores of beautiful Coniston Lake. Just before the start, we gathered on the
show field for this straightforward up the Old Man and back fell race, back in
the calendar after ten years absence.
At 2pm
a large crowd cheered us out of the show grounds in perfect running conditions,
as we passed Coniston Hall and headed up the access road towards Haws Bank,
crossed the road and continued on the tarmac / concrete tract towards the Old
Man. It was a long slow gradient up this tract so you had to keep running and no
time to linger as we finally reached the very boggy ground on Banishhead, some
runners sinking knee deep as they cross this only bit of level ground in the
race. Once over the marsh you reach the Walna Scar Road, which you follow for
100m, before turning off it and heading straight up.
The
early fast start now began to kick in and it was hard going on the long haul to
the top. About ¾ the way up the leaders came hurtling back down. First harrier
was Alan closely followed by Steve B. and Steve F. I was tracking a Bowland
runner all the way up and he turned at the summit just in front of me and so
began a mad dash back down. I passed Brian as he came up, just in front of Joe
as they made there way through the boulders.
I
don’t know how I managed it but I came down a completely different way to that
I went up and consequently the Bowland runner reached the Walna Scar Road well
ahead of me.
Once
back across the bog and on to the concrete tract it’s a fast dash to the
finish. As the field was well spread out I caught no one and no one passed me as
we returned to the show ground to a fantastic welcome from the large crowd. It
was a hard race but I had a good run and enjoyed it, especially the fast decent.
After washing in the Lake we retired to the beer tent to replenish lost fluid.
The
super hero of the day was Brian who was 1st Vet 60 but due to a
mistake by the organizer he was robbed of his moment of glory, well done, he’s
the man to catch.
1st
A. Smith. Deeside.
55.32 (all the way from
Aberdeen.)
19th
Alan Metcalfe.
66.59
22nd
Steve Bamber.
67.27
34th
Steve Forster
71.09
37th
Michael Mcloughlin.
71.41
89th
Brian Dearnaley.
94.39 1st
Vet 60
92nd
Joe Howard.
96.51
101
runners.
Mick.
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