Preston Harriers Fell Section :- juniorfellblog        

 

 

snowdon International Junior Fell Race 2004

 

Jamie & Amie. Like Sister & Brother ( nice old song). They are sister & brother!

Amie was Top Javelin Thrower in 2004, and is coached by the exceptional Bob Welfare, but only runs with her dad! Peter (dad) had better get on these fells,  bad knee or not,  and fetch Amie with him, she's too good for us to let go of... Javelin throwing's good, Javelin throwing on the fells is even better. Peter see Colin's letter below, your knee could be better in two shakes of a lamb's tail. See also lamb's tail.

If only that red vest had white & blue in it! James is a top fell runner for Horwich (coached by Norman Matthews) & ran in the same England team as Richard Newton.....If only............ just think James of all the web blog you'd have written about you, I bet there's nowt' like this in Horwich!  Maybe I'll move there, do you think Norman would coach me? The Harriers Fell gang would probably be pleased to see the back of me (something they never see in races or training!)

 Amie at Snowdon. Gold medal, great achievement. The following is what Amie wrote at the time. 

Snowdon International Junior Fell Race

On the 23rd of July my Dad, my brother James and me travelled down to Llanberis to take part in the Fell race the following day. On the same day as the Fell race there was a fair on as well with a live band. When I was on the start line I was interviewed live on BBC Welsh Radio Station, I was quite nervous though because I couldn’t understand what he was saying because he was speaking Welsh then he spoke English. The U/18, U/16 and the U/14 all started together the U/18 ran half way up the mountain and the U/16 and U/14 ran ¼ of the way. We started off in a field and then ran on the road for about 400 metres then we started to go up the mountain which was very steep and it was very hard. Every one would cheer you on as you were running up. When you get further up the hill it gets rockier, when I got to the point were I had to turn round I was quite relived because I was tired and it’s not as tiring running down as it is up. On the way down my feet were burning like mad from the pounding, I had to go really fast down the mountain because of how steep it was. On the last bit were you are running on the roads there are police stopping the traffic but when I was running across there were still cars coming across and the people wouldn’t move out of my way so I nearly got hit by a car. On the last 50 metres it is a long stretch and there are loads of people there cheering you on. When you finish you get a medal and a bag with a teddy in and a lolly-pop and a stopwatch and some booklets. I won the U16 Girls race and my brother James was just coming in 2nd place for the U/18s just 3 or 4 seconds behind the winner.

There was a presentation later on live on the BBC Wales when I was given a New Balance Bag and a Rip Curl hat. The only part of the presentation I could understand was when they said my name and my club because it was in Welsh. It felt great to win the race because the junior races hadn’t been run for years. 

BY AMIE KEVAN

Very well done Amie, & well written.

 

Running in to take the gold!

Andrew same place as Amie!

 

Here is Andrew's article which first appeared in The Harrier, 

then was printed in The Fellrunner, wow, and at last has made it 

to Fellblog. (Where it rightly belongs).

The International Snowdon Race 2004-Andrew Harrison Preston Harriers.

Fell running is part of athletics that I have only started since January. I think Alan Appleby of Preston Harriers is to blame as he asked me to take part in The Helm Hill Junior Team Fell Relay at the end of last year when I ran with Richard Shuttleworth who had been in the top 5 in the English Fell running Championship. The trip to Snowdon was a test for my new method to avoid travel sickness chewing gum seemed to do the trick & my ears only popped once. From cross-country I have found the importance of walking the course while my dad is company he needs a rest at least once on the way round! I had the pleasure of meeting the Welsh coach who was putting out the markers for the course and we had a good chat about positive thinking and the right mental attitude it was good that he wished me well in the race against one of his own athletes. It was even better before the race as I met several members of the England team looking very smart in their vests. Also there were the Italians and the Irish Team.

I warmed up properly as always and had a fruit bar for energy-Pete Benson the Chairman of Preston Harriers told me about that so I am certain it makes all the difference. I was really looking forward to this race somehow.  As it was an International race there was a big crowd lining the start still there after the main event involving about 500 runners had only started 10mins earlier. The course involved starting on the main field then into hilly woods with slate boulders before going around the local castle. The last part was downhill on the road then back to the field for the finish.

  After settling into a top 4 place through the woods I picked off two runners on the uphill part. Then on the final downhill it was close with one of the local guys until the last few hundred yards when I really surprised myself with a burst of energy. Coming in first was a super feeling for my first race on foreign soil and now I know that fell running is for me. I even have a pair of ‘Walshies’. The medal has taken pride of place and the stopwatch and a goodie bag were fabulous prizes. The event was like many of the fell races I have been to in my short career with a fun fair. My pocket money was soon spent on the coconut shy and I enjoyed firing a bow and arrow although trying to smash a plate on a stand was my favourite. The junior fell runners were friendly as always and I applauded in many of the finishers in the older age group races. 

For the future I will continue to compete in the under 12’s junior English Championships as there are two races left. I would hope to improve on my best of 5th but I have only competed, as training in Preston for the fells is a little difficult due to the flat nature of the city. So the offer of training with my friend Tom Doyle at Helm Hill will be taken up once all my track commitments have finished.

It would be absolutely fabulous to be wearing an England vest in a few years time but I know I will have to get stronger and practice with the best. I am quite looking forward to the thought of it though.

  So if anyone at your club asks you to try fell running sometime why not give it a go you might just enjoy yourself.

Very well done Andrew, & well written. ( I know, that's what I said to Amie. Boring.....)

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