From Charles Wain…

On Saturday I headed to Dufton in the North Pennines for the INOV8 High Cup Nick Fell Race — a classic 15 km (9.3-mile) outing that packs a lot into a relatively short distance.

The race heads quickly out of the village before climbing north towards the Nick. After that early sting in the legs, the route rolls across classic Pennine terrain: boggy, grassy, and often awkwardly sloping underfoot. A brief drop leads to a stream crossing, and then comes the long grind up the valley bottom — seemingly endless and shoe-sucking in places. 

With no respite we then negotiate a boulder-field scramble and steep, hands-on-rock climb to gain the top of the Nick. From there, though, it’s pure reward: a brilliantly runnable 6 km descent on the Pennine Way, fast and flowing all the way back to the village green.

With kind weather it made for a cracking day out. Definitely one to put in the diary — particularly if you’re volunteering at the Ilkley Moor Fell Race on the Sunday and still fancy getting a race in that weekend.

Top 3 Results

Men

Ricky Lightfoot (Ellenborough AC) – 1:02:24

Mark Lamb (Keswick AC) – 1:02:27

Sam Holding (Keswick AC) – 1:02:51

Women

Kate Maltby (Black Combe Runners) – 1:16:13

Tanya Raab (Keswick AC) – 1:21:20

Joanne Mosley (Pennine Fell Runners) – 1:21:37

I finished 89th in 1:25:15 and was grateful for the soup and cake in the village hall at the end.