The Three Peaks 2013

It was snowing whilst the runners were on Penyghent, but after that it was just cold and breezy.
Joe Symonds tried to run away from the field, but his Salomon teammate Tofol and Carl Bell went with him. He'd certainly dropped them by Ingleborough as he was a clear five minutes ahead. But I don't think it was a lonely run for Joe as the supporting crowds were shouting encouragement to him, recognising him from winning last year and as the son of Hugh Symonds of Kendal Athletic Club, who won in 1984, 1985 and 1987. Joe improved on last year's time by about a minute (when he ran 2:55:58.)

The FRB team were giving out free Jelly Babies on a first come, first served basis and we took the following photographs before the last rise up Ingleborough.

Joe Symonds on Ingleborough

Top 25

1st Joe Symonds Salomon International Team M 02:54:39 

2nd Carl Bell Keswick AC M 02:59:44
3rd Karl Gray Calder Valley Fell Runners MV40 02:59:50 

4th Robert Jebb Bingley Harriers & AC M 03:01:46 

5th Andrew Fallas Carnethy Hill RC M 03:03:15
6th Oli Johnson Dark Peak Fell Runners Club M 03:06:40
7th Adam Osborne Leeds City AC M 03:07:51
8th Pete Vale Mercia Fell RC MV40 03:08:30  

9th Tofol Castanyer Salomon International Team MV40 03:10:35 

10th Tom Brunt Dark Peak Fell Runners Club MV40 03:13:04

11th Ian Holmes Bingley Harriers & AC MV40 03:13:50
12th Kenny Richmond Shettleston Harriers MV40 03:14:13
13th Simon Harding Macclesfield Harriers & AC M 03:16:14
14th Richard Pattinson Pudsey & Bramley AC MV40 03:18:39 

15th Spencer Riley Wharfedale Harriers M 03:18:47
16th Nicholas Charlesworth Wharfedale Harriers MV40 03:19:14
17th John Hunt Dark Peak Fell Runners Club MV40 03:19:33
18th Chris Birchall Leeds City AC M 03:21:18
19th Will Boothman Dark Peak Fell Runners Club M 03:23:57  

20th Richard Mellon Bowland Fell Runners MV40 03:24:13

21st Sam Watson Wharfedale Harriers M 03:24:45
22nd Nicholas Barber Pennine Fell Runners MU25 03:25:41

23rd Alex Whittem Calder Valley Fell Runners M 03:26:38  

24th James Mountain Skipton AC MU25 03:27:04                         

25th Jayson Cavill Pickering RC M 03:27:36

Rob Jebb - had stormed to 2nd place by Ingleborough - finished 4th due to cramp attack

Andy Fallas - was attacked by the KCarls and finished 5th

Carl....

and Karl

Oli

Adam Osborne - winner of the newcomer's prize

Tofol from Spain - whose new favourite sweets are Jelly Babies!

Pete Vale

Ladies Top Ten

1.Jasmin Paris - Carnethy Hill RC F 03:33:04
2. Oihana Kortazar Aranzeta - Salomon International Team F 03:36:29
3. Helen Bonsor - Carnethy Hill RC F 03:39:07
4. Jill Mykura Carnethy Hill RC F 03:46:20
5. Helen Elmore Dark Peak Fell Runners Club FV40 03:51:30
6. Deborah Gowans Accrington Road Runners FV40 03:52:00
7. Claire Gordon Hunters Bog Trotters F 03:52:03
8. Hannah Rhodes-Patterson Unattached FU25 03:53:09
9. Helen Berry Holmfirth Harriers AC F 03:53:41

10. Jean Brown Clayton-le-Moors Harriers FV40 03:55:04

Full results link

Black Combe - 2 March 2013

A great start to the new season

It feels like Spring is just around the corner, a few lambs in the fields, daffodils opening up and parking in the field at Silecroft for the Black Combe fell race.

The good weather attracted some excellent talent in both the men's and the ladies' races, with good running conditions likely, the feeling amongst the runners was that this race was going to be enjoyable, it was great to be back together again with a good season of fell running ahead.

Results

Link to results on Black Combe Runners website

A clear win for West Cumbria's favourite fireman Ricky Lightfoot.

Helen Fines won the ladies race (despite forgetting to use her dibber!), with Lizzie Adams second and Anna Lupton third. Helen's watch said she ran in about 1:23. I'm sure we can take Helen's word for it that she didn't just stroll the 100 metres from check point 2 to check point 6, sit down and read her book in the mist, waiting for Lizzie and Anna to arrive and then race them down the fell!

Nic goes down a treat

A new downhill record for race to the finish from the last checkpoint on Black Combe (about 600 metres over more or less 2 km) was set by a speedy young Pennine Fell Runner and 11th man on the day Nic Barber. He descended in about 8 minutes (Nic will confirm with us shortly). Nic's not only good at downhill running, he's pretty good at downing a pint too and can do it in 4.1 seconds. Why not challenge him next time you see him in a pub.

Post Race Ramblings

"Ricky's on fire at the moment, a win at High Cup Nick last Saturday, a win at a Maryport 10 mile road race in 52 minutes on Sunday and 31 miles on the fell on Monday" - Saul Sornforth

"He was just too flaming fast for us" - Bob Rebb

"He was blazing the trail and all we could do was follow" - Dim Javies

It's great to be back reporting on races again, here's to a good season to us all. Happy Running 2013.

A burger van at Black Combe yesterday (100% beef)

Weasdale Horseshoe 2012 - English Championships

It was a great fell race preceded by and finished with a very tough cross county race.

The Start

Dark Peak's Rob takes the race out of the field

Fellrunners having to RUN to keep up

The Middle

But when the cross country race finished and the fell race started, Mercia's Simon Bailey broke away and started to build a big gap. "Simon Bailey ran away and left us 'cos we we weren't good enough to keep up!" said one of the top five finishers.

The End

The mud bath is ready

Our team sports photographer is in position

Now she's ready

And here come the runners, well just one runner, as we thought, first is Simon Bailey, alone without any pressure.

Winner Simon Bailey  - photo by Lisa Holmes

Morgan Donnelley, Tom Addison and Darren Kay getting ready to fight for second place -  photo by Lisa Holmes.

Results

1 - Simon Bailey Open Mercia 00:55:09
2 - Tom Addison U23 Helm Hill 00:56:03
3 - Morgan Donnelly Open Borrowdale 00:56:08
4 - Darren Kay V40 Pudsey & Bramley 00:56:18
5 - Rob Hope Open Pudsey & Bramley 00:57:01
6 - Lloyd Taggart V40 Dark Peak Fell Runners 00:57:25
7 - Mark Addison Open Helm Hill 00:57:33
8 - Robert Little Open Dark Peak Fell Runners 00:58:26
9 - Rob Baker Open Dark Peak Fell Runners 00:58:45
10 - Rhys Findlay-Robinson Open Dark Peak Fell Runners 00:59:12
11- Chris Birchall Open Leeds City AC 00:59:22
12 - Jason Williams Open Calder Valley 00:59:36
13 - Martin Mikkelsen-Barron Open Borrowdale 00:59:48
14 - Ben Bardsley V40 Borrowdale 00:59:55
15 - Mark Roberts V50 Borrowdale 01:00:16
16 - Shaun Godsman Open Calder Valley 01:00:23
17 - Tim Ellis Open Calder Valley 01:00:27
18 - Karl Gray V40 Calder Valley 01:00:36
19 - Tim Werrett V40 Mercia 01:00:43
20 - Ted Mason Open Wharfedale Harriers 01:00:47

Full Results

Men

Ladies

Video of Men's race by Will Neill 

Photos of the ladies race by Holmfirth Harriers

Borrowdale - Ricky strikes Gold but Birthday Boy takes Silver

Ricky Lightfoot (facing photographer) and Lloyd Taggart (back to photographer) with race record holder Billy Bland  (in cycling kit) and race sponsor Miles Jessop (in check shirt)
 photo by Paul Dobson

1 261 Ricky Lightfoot Ellenborough Athletic Club M 2.49.20
2 397 Lloyd Taggart Dark Peak Fell Runners M40 2.51.11
3 116 Simon Bailey Mercia Fell Runners M 2.52.57
4 46 Ben Abdelnoor Ambleside Athletic Club M 2.54.55
5 111 Carl Bell Howgill Harriers M 2.55.08
6 41 Morgan Donnelly Borrowdale Fell Runners M 2.58.40
7 205 Rob Jebb Bingley Harriers M 2.59.00
8 475 Oliver  Johnson Dark Peak Fell Runners M 3.00.27
9 102 Rhys  Findlay-Robinson Dark Peak Fell Runners M 3.03.15
10 124 Rob Baker Dark Peak Fell Runners M 3.09.48
11 75 Paul Cornforth Borrowdale Fell Runners M45 3.10.23
12 167 Martin Mikkelsen-Barron Borrowdale Fell Runners M 3.10.32
13 99 Kim Collison Eden Runners M 3.11.17
14 276 Karl Gray Calder Valley Fell Runners M40 3.12.54
15 114 Tom Brunt Holmfirth Harriers M 3.13.32
16 26 Tim Ellis Calder Valley Fell Runners M 3.14.35
17 278 Neil Northrop Dark Peak Fell Runners M 3.15.26
18 18 Andrew Fallas Carnethy Hill Running Club M 3.16.34
19 233 Matthew John  Otley Athletic Club M 3.16.41
20 224 Dave Milliken Horwich RMI Harriers M45 3.17.54

link to results

Report on the race by winner Ricky Lightfoot on Mud Sweat and Tears.

Round 4 English Championships - Borrowdale

The boulder strewn route to Scafell Pike pic from  http://www.thelakedistrictmountains.org/

"It's fierce in my dreams, It sees in my guts, 

It fills me with dread,
So consumed, it swims in my eyes by the bed
I pour myself over it, room spinning
And I wake up and I still have to run on Saturday....."

Amy Winehouse must have been thinking about the Borrowdale when she wrote that......But maybe there are a few other runners out there who feel like our little fellrunning journalist tasked with doing the race, just to bring you the news this Saturday?

But those at the top of the tables (and entered in the race) will no doubt be like the Team GB Beach Volleyball pair - Raring to Go!

High Fives down at Horse Guards Parade - pic by Metro

The Race

At 16miles and 6500ft, the record was set in 1982 by local man (and greatest fell runner ever) Billy Bland in 2:34:38. 

It starts off with a feisty run along a farm track with runners jostling for position, as if it matters. 

The first climb arrives (it's just after where Billy will be giving you a "Go on lad!") at Bessy Boot, followed by a flat and runnable stretch across to Esk Hause. 

Next is a boulder strewn steady climb to Scafell Pike, down a scree chute and keeping the momentum going, down the corridor route to Sty Head. 

Then a charge up Great Gable, which clever men will know exactly the best route off, then some fast running over to Honister. 

Feeling the length of the race a bit now, it's just one more climb up Dale Head, to find the best way down to the quarries, on legs that are getting too tired to run down hill strongly now, and last task, find the finish field.

Ben Abdelnoor winner of Borrowdale last year - pic by Andy Holden Borrowdale 2011

This year Borrowdale is a Long Counter in the English Championships which means the caliber of the front runners and therefore the racing, will be better than usual (and Borrowdale always attracts a high standard anyway). Let's have a look at the situation in the English Championships before the race.

English Championships - How they stand after Round 3

1 Ben Abdelnoor Ambleside - 144
2 Lloyd Taggart Dark Peak Fell Runners - 141
3 Graham Pearce Pudsey & Bramley AC - 118
4 Kim Collison Eden Runners - 117
5 Karl Gray Calder Valley Fell Runners - 114
6 Carl Bell Howgill Harriers - 108
7 Tom Addison Helm Hill Runners - 106
8 Morgan Donnelly Borrowdale Fell Runners (no long counter yet) 98
9 Simon Bailey Mercia Fell Runners (no medium counter yet) - 96
10 Ben Bardsley Borrowdale Fell Runners  (no short counter yet)- 91
11 Rob Baker Dark Peak Fell Runners  (no long counter yet) - 90
12= Rob Jebb Bingley Harriers & AC - (no short counter yet) - 89
12= Martin Mikkelsen-Barron Borrowdale Fell Runners - 89
14 Rhys Findlay-Robinson Dark Peak Fell Runners - (no short counter yet) - 81
15 Mark Addison Helm Hill Runners  (no long counter yet)  80
16 Mark Roberts Borrowdale Fell Runners - 76
17 Rob Hope Pudsey & Bramley AC  (no long counter yet)  74
18= Darren Kay Pudsey & Bramley AC . (no long counter yet)  73
18= Tom Brunt Holmfirth Harriers AC - 73
20 Gavin Bland Borrowdale Fell Runners - 72

Ladies standings are here and you can find out all the standings here.

Who's running on Saturday?

Here's the entry list (thanks Livi) and it's great to see Ben Abdelnoor right at the top (being an A). He'll be wanting to defend his win no doubt, remember he won the Great Lakes Race too.

So if you are running, we hope you are feeling fit, fresh and ready to inspire others. If you're like our journalist and feeling a little uncertain about it all, how about a bit of motivational high five-ing or mini hugs at every check point between runners, just like our Team GB Volleyball players.

A mini hug - photo from google images

Or if the possibility of 'high fives' won't get you round, perhaps this picture will.............

 Home of the post race reward - picture from http://www.lakedistrictwalkingexperience.co.uk

The Lake District Walking Experience perhaps puts it into perspective for us -

"The Borrowdale Fell race finishes at the Riverside Bar in the Scafell Hotel, in the bar there is a roll of honour board on the wall alongside a map of the route which leaves you tired just having looked at it!"

See you on Saturday, and for those of you we don't see, we'll let you know the results as soon as we can. Race starts at 11am Saturday morning.

Arrochar Alps results

Arrochar Alps Results (Prov) -

1. Ben Bardsley 3:07:19
2. Joe Symonds 3:08:00
3. Rob Jebb 3:10:33
4. Martin M Barron 3:16:55
5. Lloyd Taggart 3:17:00
6. Findlay Wild  3:19:37
7. Oli Johnson 3:20:17
8. Earl Karl Gray 3:21:27
9. Morgz Donnelley 3:21:29
10. Richie Roberts 3:21:46
11. Pete Vale 3:21:51
12. Rhys F Robinson 3:22:09
13. Dan Gay 3:25:16
14. Mark Roberts 1V50! 3:25:22
15. Gav Mulholland 3:25:33
16. Paul Faulkner 3:26:06
17. Steve Cale 3:26:59
18. Stewart Whitlie 3:27:32
19. Andrew Fallas 3:28:07
20. John Hunt 3:28:46
21. King Kong Corny the forth 3:29:04
22. Sam Watson Watdog 3:31:44

From this it would appear Joe Symonds cannot be beaten to the British title (he has enjoyed two wins and a second) and the cudos of breaking a Billy Bland record (3:07:39) for Ben Bardsley makes for a great day's fell racing.

Ladies
1. Jasmin Paris
2. Helen Fines
3. Lauren Jeska

Thanks to @sngwinter for fighting through the midges and taking a picture of the results, from where these are taken.

Home and Away

Brax from Home and Away looking for Beinn Narnain

No, we're not going to bring you a synopsis of next week's episodes from Summer Bay, (where Brax is due to get knocked out and dumped in the bush), instead we are going to take a quick glance forward to a weekend of Fell Running Championship action for 'Home' and Mountain Running news from 'Away'.


Home - Arrochar Alps
Round 3 of the Fell Running British Championship takes the runners to Scotland, for the 'long' counter, the potently titled 'Arrochar Alps'. The race is 15.5miles and a very tough 8000ft.

A picture taken on a recce by Sarah Ridgway in January

This rather ominous description by Scottish Hill Racing well, says it all.

"The race was created in 1987 by Andy Dytch and Bobby Shields. In 1988 it was used as a Scottish Championship race - where Alan Farningham (who had already won the championship) climbed The Cobbler at the end by mistake, instead of Beinn Narnain.
In 1989 it was used as a British Championship race in very bad weather. The terrain is steep, wild and rough with complex navigation in places.
The race was run in 1990, 1991 and finally 1992 - won by Colin Valentine on a shortened course due to bad weather - before being abandoned for 15 years. The race was resurrected in 2007 by Westerlands Cross Country Club."

Map by Scottish Hill Racing

The record is a Billy Bland 3:07 set in the first year it was run (1987). Joe Symonds leads the championship having won the first race at Coledale (English Lake District) and the second at Slieve Bearnagh (Mourne Mountains Northern Ireland) and according to twitter he's been round the route and learnt some handy shortcuts.
But will he be able to find these short cuts on the day if the mist is down and his guide isn't with him? The English runners perfected their navigation and teamworking skills at the Great Lakes Race a few weeks ago, which could pay off on Saturday. 
Whichever way it goes, it will be interesting to see how close the winner gets to Mr Bland's record.

Here's the entry list. The race starts at 11am on Saturday 7 July.
To those of you who are going - we wish you all good luck. For those of us staying at home - we hope they'll be some newshounds on the course bringing us words and pictures from the race which we'll relay to you as soon as we can.

Away - Turkey
It's the European Mountain Running Championships in the challenging dry and dusty mountain terrain of Denizli - Pamukkale, Turkey. Apparently the course passes through the remains of the ancient Greco-Roman and Byzantine city of Hierapolis.

The ancient city of Hierapolis - Will they have to run the steps? Emma's good in stadiums

But sightseeing probably won't be on the Team GB minds, which features a few trusty fellrunners.

Ladies

Mary Wilkinson, Emma Clayton, Sarah O’Neil, Katie Walshaw

Men 

Steve Vernon, Robbie Simpson, Orlando Edwards, Chris Smith

The race is also on Saturday 7 July, at an early 8am for the ladies and 9:15 for the men. You can find out more here. Good luck teams!