From Peter Roll…
I’ve made the final & steepest ascent of Pendle & now running down towards the finish. Descending out of the thick mist & clag to find that I’m on my own, no other runners to see. Must have gone wrong somehow, I resort to the soggy remains of my course map & realize that I’m off route & need to take a dogleg to get back on course. So a sharp detour across tussock moorland it is. Soon there is the welcome sight of 4 runners skipping along the skyline and not long after I find a rather pleasant trod down towards the last checkpoint. All that’s left is the coast down to Barley & the finish, being greeted by the friendly faces of Jann Smith, James Batterley, Paul Carman, with Alison Weston & Katie Poulter not far behind.
Speaking to other Harriers beforehand, they had put the fear of dread in me. Stories from one seasoned runner of driving to Barley seeing the conditions & deciding to drive home rather than compete, were typical. On Saturday morning it was unsurprisingly certainly very wet underfoot. However, it was relatively warm & with the exception of a bit of mizzle, the weather was kind to us, even giving us the occasional view down to Clitheroe. The climbs were tough with a ribbon of competitors snaking up the Pendle in single file. Lots of beck crossings too, initially teetering on stepping stones, after a few you realise that just wading across seems the much better option. As with all fell races there was much camaraderie & conviviality en-route, making the whole experience worthwhile. Will I do it again? I’m not sure yet but, am very keen to have a go at doing that more direct final moorland descent.
James Batterley, 03:03:18
Paul Carman, 03:30:01
Katie Poulter, 03:55:11
Alison Weston, 3:55:48