From Jane McCarthy…
Ben Rothery and I were the only Harriers racing at Buttermere Sailbeck Fell Race on Saturday, a 9 mile, 4,300ft horseshoe from the shores of picturesque Buttermere over Knott Rigg and Ard Crags, descending to the valley bottom before the slog of a climb up to Causey Pike. Due to the narrow paths on sections the women had been started 30 minutes before the men, meaning for the mid-pack runners (like me) we had the treat of watching first the ascending speed of the lead male runners and then the descending skills on the ever so steep grassy descent from Whiteless Pike back to Buttermere. This provided some welcome distraction from the realisation that I hadn’t run a Lakeland fell race for 18 months and that they are hard(!). Ben Rothery was spectacular again in this English Fell Champs counter, finishing 2nd in 1:26:14.
(1 Finlay Grant, Dark Peak Fell Runners, 1:25:53)
2 Ben Rothery 1:26:14
221 Jane McCarthy 2:16:49
359 finished