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        

Slieve Bearnagh. AS. 3.9m/2680’ 1.4.06

British Championship 2006.

Only two Harriers travelled to Ireland for this year’s first British Championship race in the beautiful Mourne Mountains. The previous day’s torrential rain give way to a fine sunny day for the race as 205 runners gathered at the start. It was an uphill start which are always tough, especially this one, as the first climb was 1400’ and nearly 1.5 miles long.

Mick & Nick prepare for the race. Mick proudly sits on the tarmac he'd managed to sell to a local farmer.

Nick looks in disbelief at this awesome mountain. "I've come all this way to the land of my Fathers, and now you're asking me to run up that thing! Where's the Guinness you promised me?" "Don't worry son" says Mick, "I promise you plenty of the black stuff after the race".

Nick can be seen in the middle of the bunch.

We sat off at 12 noon and the steep boggy ground soon had everyone spread out in a long line up to the first c.p on Meelbeg. I was struggling and well at the back as I crossed the summit and descended over rocky and slippery ground to the marshy col before beginning the tough 700’ climb up to c.p 2 on the top of Bearnagh. This is halfway and you turn and descend back to the col over loose boulder covered ground, very hard to negotiate and my calves and quads were aching like hell as I reached the bottom. We began the last climb up Meelmor using the Mourne Wall as a hand rail to the top and picked up the pace on the final fast descent to the finish. 

At last a Colleen.............. surely Mick wont be far behind?

& Sure enough, here he comes..............

Followed by the flying Nick.

As my legs were shot I continued to struggle and went head over heels on the grassy slope which knocked the wind out of me, so I jogged to the finish. Nicholas also struggled on this very tough race, but it was a British Championship.

A well earned Guinness gradually brought life back to aching bodies and have already pencilled in next year, anyone fancy it, you won’t be disappointed.

Nice to see old boy Colin Shuttleworth back running, let’s hope it continues.

Result,

1^st Rob Hope, P& B, 41.16. New Record.

167^th Mick McLoughlin. 67.01.

184^th Nicholas Conlon. 73.03.

205 finished.

Special thanks to Noel (Mick's brother for the fab photos.

backtofellblog

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 at Chipping Show Fell Race 2007 commented on just how friendly fell runners are.