From Rachel Carter…
The Duddon Dash was the first of the FRA Junior Championship races with a senior race that uses the U19 course albeit setting off 5 mins later to give the youngsters a head start. Given my eldest is now in the U19 category, having driven the two hours plus to the scenic Duddon Valley, it seemed silly not to at least have a go. The race starts on an incline in a boggy field (almost pay-back for the dry cross country season), climbs to White Pike before a very steep and long grassy descent. It then traverses back up to Caw Trig with a few false summits thrown in, The descent off Caw was flagged and a little more technical than the first from White Pike but not as bad as I feared from the race briefing. Needless to say I have very sore quads and arms (I think from flailing them about for balance) today. 30 seniors (and 30 juniors) took part and I finished 2nd lady.