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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 
DUDDON
VALLEY
Duddon
Valley
Fell Race
AL
20m/6000’ Sat. 3.6.06
Race 5
in our championship and the first long and only 4 Harriers on the start line,
you can’t all be injured. As 4 of us were on the long course, Brian and Joe
opted for the short course, 11m/3000’, as training for their forth coming LAMM.
The stay
at homes missed a cracking race on a glorious day, albeit a little to hot as we
headed out at 11am on stony tracks followed by rough boggy paths to the first
climb up Harter Fell. I was at the back and teamed up with John from CFR who
knew the course and we kept up a slow steady pace to
Hardknot
Pass
and the next c.p on Hardknot Crag. It was good running across the tops before
we descended steeply into Mossdale and then the near vertical head down climb up
the other side to Little Stand.
John’s
local knowledge came into play as we cut a few corners to arrive at Three Shires
at
1.30pm
well before the cut off time. We took a bee-line up Wet Side Edge and over took
more runners as we headed towards the next c.p on Swirl How. The steady pace was
continued on good run able paths as we headed towards the Old Man before
dropping down to contour around to Goat’s Hause and climb to the c.p on Dow
Crag. John stopped to fill his water bottle as I continued on good grassy trods
to cross the Walna Scar road and on to the c.p on White Pike.
A
surprisingly steep descent off White Pike brought us on to wet but grassy ground
as we followed the path formed by the runners in front. Finally on tired legs we
slowly walked up the last hill and final c.p on Caw before descending as fast as
our legs allowed down Caw and into the finish field in Seathwaithe. A tough race
but well worth doing on such a beautiful day with magnificent views across the
whole
Lake District
.
Results,
1st
John Heneghan, P&B 2.59.06
71st
Alan Metcalf
,
4.21.06
83rd
Karen Nash
,
4.29.41
100th
Mick McLoughlin, 4.51.10
110th
Pete Carter,
5.12.49
136 ran,
126 finished.
Short
course results,
1st
Rob James, CFR, V50
1.41.14
13th
Joss Naylor, CFR, V70 2.19.05
Joint 16th
Brian & Joe, V60 2.40.55
21 ran,
20 finished.
Good
to see Joe & Brian finishing so close to Joss Naylor & winning the V60
prize!
Alternative
report for
Duddon
Valley
.
This
was going to be my longest
Lake District
fell race. I had run further, but not with the climb. So I knew it was going to
be tough. It was also a very warm day- so big decision, How much water to carry?
The hard men carry none and pray they will find a stream to fill their plastic
bag up. I opted for about ¾ a litre in a camel pack. I was pleased to see Pete,
Mick and others because I had not recced the route, not that navigation was
going to be the problem today.
Pete & Karen at the
start
I was determined not to set off too fast but there were people I wanted to
beat or get close to. I tried to keep Wendy Dodds and Jo Taylor in my sights but
they climbed strongly and slowly pulled away by 3 Shires Stone.
I had been worried about the heat but a careless stream crossing in
Mosedale left me soaked from the chest down and kept me cool most of the way to
Dow Crag.
I
should have studied the course more. I had convinced myself that by Dow Crag I
had more than cracked it. Sadly by them I had eaten both gel bars and the
thought of eating the remaining jelly babies made me feel sick.
With hind-sight I should have eaten them. Despite the crowds cheering us
on around Dow I was bombed. My legs were jelly and I was struggling to keep it
together. It really was becoming mind over matter. I had not anticipated the
awkward traverse to White Pike or the bad descent and as for Caw..mmm. Luckily
there were some others around me and I tried really hard to stick with them. A
rival was also not far behind and stood out well in red and white. I was
determined not to give in now we could actually see the car park field.
Knowing it was all downhill from Caw helped and seemed to revive me a
bit, although staggering into the finish field it may not have looked that way!
Karen at the Finish
Would
I do it again? Yes, but I would take an extra gel bar and I would check out the
route down from Caw.
Karen
Nash
2005
Fell
Championship
Results (back in time)
fellblog
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