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 Junior Fell Section :- fellblog        

Adventure Week

End of May 2006

Cross Training for Fell Runners – our mad half term.

We think we had a pretty action packed time. Nine days away in our van and 4 fell races.

We started with Hutton Roof on the Saturday, once dad got past the obstinate guy in the horse box who was blocking the road. It was a good race and we liked it because the prize was chocolate. There were also fun races in the field when the adults fell race was on. We got money for winning the wheel barrow and sack race and spent it on sweets before mum got back. Lots of our fell running friends were there too. Chris was 3^rd and I was 5^th.

Sunday was going to be easy with just a rock climb, but it rained so we did a mountain bike ride in Grizedale. Then we found the new single track route and did that as well!  Chris fell off so he couldn’t run the next day.

Monday was Austwick Cuckoo fair. Last year it was hot and sunny but this time it rained a bit. There was a juggler, burgers and some funny stalls.  I came 3^rd and got a T shirt. We even remembered to go and cheer mum in.

The next day we were promised an easy bike ride. It was. We whizzed down the road from Ribbleshead viaduct and then turned onto the moor. We even found an ice cream van in the middle of nowhere. The limestone pavement was weird and some of the holes were huge – you wouldn’t want to cycle across it in the fog. That evening we went to the Skipton Olympics (Rombolds). It is really funny because the bloke shuts the road, puts out huge speakers and does all sorts of mad races.  He even raffled a mountain bike with our race numbers. Chris was 4^th and got a rosette, I was 6^th.

We went back to the lakes hoping it would be warm and dry enough to rock climb. It wasn’t so we walked over Dow Crag, The Old Man, Wetherlam and back. It was really windy at first but then it got warmer. That night we made a camp fire.

Yes at last ! Warm enough to rock climb. It was an experiment to see if the four of us could all climb together. We did. And then we had another camp fire.

Friday was hot enough and the wind had calmed down so we used our canoes on Coniston. We paddled hard in the morning but then messed around jumping in and being silly in the afternoon.

On Saturday mum wanted to run Duddon valley. There were not any junior races so we walked up and around Caw. The pub was brilliant, especially the evening meal where I stocked up on pasta ready for my race on Sunday.

Sunday was one of the English Junior champs at Orrest Head. We had to wait around quite a bit for the trail races to finish, but we walked the course and chatted to friends. The course didn’t really suit me as it was around school playing fields part of the time but I did like the down-hill bit and caught up some places there. It was very hot. Chris came 10th and I was 12^th. Next year we both stay in the same age category and the older ones move up, so hopefully we will do better.

Then it was home and back to school for a rest. Only joking – we did enjoy our week away really. I’d even recovered enough to ask to go to Paddys Pole with mum on Tuesday.

Matt Nash

Blogger's note.  Great article Matt, a contender for the junior writer competition! You can see the fell races mentioned in junior fell blog. Matthew actually went on to win the junior writer award. Seen below receiving the award from Mick McLaughlin on Longridge Fell. What a lad! He was also seen receiving the award from Adam Sutton. See all the best runners are queuing up to award Matt!

  juniorfellblog

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.