From Ben Sheppard…
If you’re like me, you select which fell race to enter based on its Fun Quotient. This may be calculated (perhaps on a spreadsheet) by dividing the pros (distance, climb, scenery, friendliness, proximity of finish to a good pub, preponderance of tussocks and bogs, navigational challenge) by the cons (entry fee, distance travel to the race, preponderance of tussocks and bogs, navigational challenge). On this basis I selected Castle Carr Fell Race, a 15 mile (4000ft) romp taking in the picturesque scenery of the private estate of Castle Carr and the endless tussocks and bogs of Midgely Moor, Warley Moor and Wadsworth Moor. Nice to see new IH member Martin Hartley also at the race. My plan for tackling the navigational challenge was first to follow anyone in a the red and white hoops of Calder Valley FR, which worked well, and then by pairing up with another runner once we had shot ourselves in the foot by overtaking the Calder Valley runners. This worked fairly well and we managed to go wrong only once. A tough race, the winning time was 2:23 (the record is an astonishing 1:56), it took me almost 3 hours. In further proof of the infallibility of the Fun Quotient method, a pint in a lovely country pub at the finish rounded things off nicely.