Kinder Trog   25th June 2000
18 miles    3450ft climb

This local long race is getting faster and faster. Gone are the days when it was a ‘trog’ through the glutinous peat up to Mill Hill and Brown Knoll. Paving stones have now replaced much of the heavy going. Even the sadistic little climb over South Head has been ironed out. That is not to say the race is any easier as the distance and climb remains the same. It is just different. The demands of leg speed over the course now present a different kind of challenge for one and all over the 3450 feet of climb on the course.

Weather conditions on the day was favourable. Damp and cool with little perceivable headwind on the tops. Rain over the preceding few days indicated the studs were that smart choice of footwear for the day.

Club members turned out in ‘vast’ numbers. I counted seventeen, including group of protected and endangered species (thought to be extinct) – a women’s team. Is this an all time record ??? We must have looked like a group of colour co-ordinated lemmings to onlookers as we descended over the rocks at Kinder Downfall.

The winning times were impressive. Local runner Paul Deaville held off fell legend Colin Donnelly to win in 1:50:00. The women’s record tumbled as Matlock’s Christine Howard clocked 2:03:24 to reduce Tricia Sloans old mark by four minutes. Our own ‘new sensation’ Nuala Bardsley took the second place with a fine run on her first outing over this distance. The women were unlucky not to get the team prize finishing just 2 places behind the Pennine team.

The combination of ‘old hands’ and new faces in blue and orange vests, in such numbers confirms that competitive life exists and is growing within the club. Long may it continue.

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