[Photo of the Yorkshire team featuring Ed, centre, and Sam, right, courtesy of Dave Woodhead]
From Dan McKeown…
Sunday saw this year’s Inter-Counties Mountain Race in Sedbergh: a nine-mile three-lap course which included three visits to the summit of Winder and two visits to the summit of Arant Haw. As well as the inter-county competition, the event served as the British team selection race for the European Off-Road Running Championships.
We had a couple of Ilkley runners in the Yorkshire team: Ed Hobbs (who had managed a brilliant fourth place in Friday’s uphill-only race) and Sam Bentham, plus one freelancer – me.
To explain my unlikely presence on this illustrious start line: I signed up for the race a few weeks back, then contacted my birth county, Warwickshire, to see if they needed a runner to supplement their team. To my horror, they already had a full squad and said no thank you.
Fair play to Shakespeare’s County for raising a team, although I did find it a bit galling that Dark flipping Peak had eight runners at the race representing seven different counties, and I couldn’t even blag one measly county vest. There was even a guy on the start line in an Avon and Somerset vest who lived in Sedbergh and hadn’t even had to get in the car that morning!
(Still, if Warwickshire did need to get a ringer in on a Cascarino, they should probably swing for the fences and get someone decent, instead of some old bald spoon with bad knees.)
As I’d stumped up the entry fee at this point, I felt like I might as well make the trip and see how I did. My day didn’t get off to the best start: I stepped out of the back door to find that my best fell shoes had been sat outside all night in the rain. Plan B: I threw my well travelled Mudclaws in the back of the car and set off for the Howgills.
The course was one short lap to the top of Winder, and two long laps to the top of Arant Haw, visiting Winder on the way back. All three laps were a patient slog on the way out, with a breathless, bone-shuddering downhill return.
The men’s race set off five minutes before the ladies, so I got to see the first of the ladies passing me early in the second lap. There were also some points where I could see the lead male runners flying along in the opposite direction, with Sam and Ed very much to the fore. Sam picked up the MU23 silver medal (16th overall), and with Ed finishing 23rd after Friday’s heroics, Yorkshire secured county bronze, behind Cumbria and Scotland (North).
For my part, I trundled in a very footsore 72nd of 105 finishers, having bested not only the Warwickshire team, but also Humber and Nottinghamshire. However, I give all credit to those who travelled from far and wide to take part from those parts of the country less blessed with fell running opportunities.
I won’t hold my breath for a call from the British selectors. The European Champs are the first weekend in June anyway and I’ve got something planned in Otley, plus it’s Sarah’s birthday so I can’t really make it. Next time, maybe.
Results
16 Sam Bentham (Yorkshire) 1:10:59
23 Ed Hobbs (Yorkshire) 1:13:13
72 Dan McKeown 1:28:41
105 finished