Thanks to all that turned out for the first off the midweek championship fell races. Seventeen Harriers braved the wet and the wind. It was a club race followed a well used route, going up Moorside, Cock Hill to Glossop Low, right over the moor towards Dog Rock (leaving the Torrside castle path at the bridge) and over the fence at the main stile then right back down Lightside to the finish. Nice loop around Small Clough that Nev used to use as the club winter race (although the other way around). Map below Might be a bit quicker when frozen!

As for results Matt won fairly comfortably underlining his good form at the moment, with Mark O, still going quickly after the weekends three peaks in second. Lins came home first of the ladies, but by the sounds of things Beryl had one of the fastest descents down lightside out of everyone!

Results can be found here and the first entries into the championship tables are here.

It was the three peaks this weeekend - massively oversubsribed this year because it was both a FRA championship race and a WMRA race! Something like 750 runners!!!

Well done to Mark O and Cathy!

Club results can be found on the results pages with links to the events full results.

Another busy weekend with the lakes weekend, anniversary waltz and a few road races thrown in for good measure.

Gareth flew around the Bradford 10k on Sunday in a very very fast 35:48. All down to those 10k handicap races over the winter!!!! Even more points for him now in the club championship tables!

The big fell race of the weekend was the Anniversary Waltz in the Lakes. Run to mark the organizers wedding anniversary - I think it;s now in it's 11th year? Especially good run by Andy "flying" Fox, first harrier home in under 2hours.

Club results can be found on the results pages with links to the events full results.

Sounds like a brillint weekend with the highlight being nothing to do with running ..... cake.......lots of cake

From Phil

John, Becky and I had a slow start from this part of the world after John plied us with pastries at his house, but we weren’t too late to pick up Matt from his and Jenny’s camping emporia and head over to Langdale. Unfortunately the lack of mobile reception and a road race on that day meant it was busy and prevented us from finding Bill and Shutt, so after parking about at 10.40 we headed up the Cumbrian way and up to Stake Pass where, lo and behold, Bill and Shutt were just ahead of us. Happy days!

We then followed the Old County Tops route round to Angle Tarn, up to Scar Fell Pike in the snow, down to the top of the Esk Valley and, skirting the swamp, headed over to Mosedale. We then treked up over the head of the Duddon Valley in a strong headwind and back to Langdale. About 18 miles according to the GPS’s. The rain stayed off the whole day and while it was windy, the views were awesome and it was one of those real bonus days that you don’t expect to be quite as good as it was.  We were also extremely fortunate in that Jenny was in the Lakes on a baking course and literally had boxes of freshly baked cakes for us to load up our bags with. If she does open a bakery then I for one would like to suggest that Glossopdale buys shares or something. There was almost a fight over the last of the chocolate fudge brownies.

The hospitality and food at the Elterwater YHA were top notch and the beer and laughs in the Brittania pub were likewise later on. Although rain was predicted for Sunday it got out fine, so after a suitably huge breakfast we headed back over to Cockly Beck and finished the Old County Tops route up and over to Coniston Old Man and back down to the Three Shires at the head of the Duddon Valley again. The views were spectacular and I hope Bill and Shutt will post their piccies to Nick for the website.

I just want to say a huge thanks to Bill and Neil for showing us the routes and the bits to watch out for on the OCTs – you have a wealth of experience there. I think you’ve probably doubled John and my chances of success!

Looking ahead, what date is going to work best for the Sept away weekend? The main races on the three candidates are:

13/14th: Mountain Trial

20/21st: Lantern Pike, Stanage Struggle

27/28th: Rab MM, Scafell, Thieveley Pike

I would say that the 20/21st is out because everyone wants to do Lantern Pike. Which of the others would people like and could go on? Given we were in the Lakes last year we could go to Wales this time, but I don’t mind really because its all good. Views on all this appreciated too.

Was it cold Matt?

Brilliant Race last night. Well done Andy as the team of helpers, from many the comments in the pub afterwards, people thought this was one of best organized and supported races around. There were a few comments asking if we could reduce that the size of the second climb - but hey, you can't please everyone can you!!!

Thanks as well to Joe Barbers , Rod Holt of New Leaf Designs and Howard Town Brewery for supplying some great prizes. And to Herod Farm for keeping the gates open and Ann from the Drovers for once again accommodating the race.

Great run by Matt - another 4th in his quickest time yet despite I think it being quite slow this year with all the mud. Some other good results in the club and some close battles by the looks of things.

Club results can be found here and the full results can be found on the Herod Farm pages

Just noticed this on the excellent Dark Peak website

If your heading out in the Peak Distrcit over the next couple of weekends there will be a road closure at Mytham Bridge (map) near Bamford on Sunday 20th April and Sunday 27th.

The DPFR site has a nice map showing an alternative route.

As the evenings are getting lighter and the midweek races are now starting, it's time to start thinking about the clubs midweek championship. As you can see the first race is going to be a club race organized by me on the 30th of April!

This race is more about getting in some short race training and a bit of fun, so there won't be any registration or marshalls. But just so no one gets lost we will have a run around the course the week before on Thursday 24th April on the club run. So if you are unsure of where the route goes and you want to race, it would be a good idea to turn up on the Thursday!

Link to the midweek championship page

Mud, mud glorious mud!!!!!

An absolutely fantastic race this morning up around Kinder edge. Very very wet and muddy up on the tops and almost lethal on the descent back down through the fields.

Lots of Harriers there in the second of the club championship races. And some brilliant runs and results.

Matt was 7th male in a strong field and Sandra was 2nd female! Julien was first V45 and Andy F was 3rd V50. The full prize list can be found on the Hayfield Fell Races Website and full results will probably be out Monday(ish), so I will post the club results and update the championship tables as soon as they appear.

A few results from races from the last weekend in March that slipped past.

Andrew A seemed to be up in the wild north (!) and ran in the Brough Law Race (5m 1250' AS) Great top ten finish in 8th.

John H had a busy weeeknd racing on Sat and Sun. Rivington Pike and the Shining Clif Woods Race. Another good (almost) top 20 run John!

And Julien and Neil also did the classic Rivington Pike Race in amongst the typical high class field that this race always seems to have. A very good 44th Julien.

Club results and links to the main results can be found in the usual place here

If anyone else has any club results I've missed please let me know.

The northernboyslovegravy site seems to hosting a new (and searchable) fell race result index that you can search by race / club or runner (turns up some amuzing spellings of peoples names!) Seems to have a lot of races from the FRA calander in there.

The results index can be found here

Two more road race results from the weekend.

More prizes for Nev who ran the Oldham Half Marathon on Sunday in full winter conditions. It is a tough route going out into the wilds of Saddleworth, possibly even harder than the Buxton Half.  Nev had another excelelnt run and came 60th in 1.46.13 which was enough to secure him the first V60 prize! Club results page

And it's been some time since someone from the club has competed in an overseas marathon. Gareth did the 26 and a bit miles Paris on Saturday and sounds like he had a fantastic run - 2:44:31 - Certainly the quickest club marathon time for a few years. Results here

So if the Edale Skyline was a bit short - this weeknd was the 40+ mile "The 4 Inns" walk / race.

The High Peak Rollarbladers (Julian M, Mark O and John D) produced another brilliant result with 4th overall - which by the sounds of things should have easily been third, but for a "small" navigational hicup at the start.

Club results and link to the main results are here

Map is from the 4 inns walk website

This years Kinder Downfall race (and the second of the club championship races) is now full. The final entry list can be found on the Hayfield Fell Races website. Looks like we've got 20 from the club running!!!!

Some IMPORTANT information though on a route alteration this year!

Organiser's instructions

This years Downfall Race (from Red Brook to Edale Cross) will be routed along the edge path and onto the Yorkstone flags which go to the west (Hayfield side) of Swine's Back thru' to Edale Cross. On race day, there will be a marshal at the point where the flags start close to the large cairn, near to Kinder Low Trig Point. This should ensure (as far as we can!) that runners will not stray into the plateau nor onto the sensitive areas of peat moorland, which are in the process of being replanted & regenerated.

As this is also the fastest/optimum route from Red Brook to Edale Cross runners should choose to keep to it........ (excepting perhaps the most navigationally challenged!)

The race instructions will make this very clear on the day and there will be maps available showing this requirement.

Whilst many of the club were getting blown about in Edale - several others were speeding around the roads of Wilmslow. Some great PBs by the looks of things - has that winter training really paid off??

Results can be found on the club results page

And the results have also been added to this years Main Championship tables!

From Bill

The 2008 AGM is scheduled to take place on Thursday the 10th of April at the Leisure Centre, High St East, Glossop, starting at 8.30pm prompt. All paid-up Members should try to attend and participate.

Please make sure you attend if you can!!!!!!