Darwen Dashers

 Summer Fell Races

David Staff Memorial Fell Race

Next race: Sunday 30th November 2008, 11:30 from The Bandstand, Sunnyhurst Woods

2007 Race Report

Sunday 25th November 2007 - Results

After several days of heavy rain race day was relatively dry, but the ground was still very wet underfoot.. The path from the start to the top of Sunnyhurst Woods had been blocked by 2 large fallen trees. To make matters worse, a pond was being dug on the most suitable alternative path. Rerouting a race is never ideal, but this was unavoidable. The race started after a 10 minute delay due to road works and the runners headed off into the fog over Darwen Moor.

Winner of the men’s event was Thomas Cornthwaite from Blackburn Harriers in a superb time of 32:33, approx 45 seconds off Rob Hope’s 2004 record. If the course hadn’t been rerouted, the record may have fallen. 1^st lady was Darwen Dasher’s Jacquie Shaw in 44:58. Junior winners were Melanie Taylor of Blackburn Harriers and Jack Dugdale from Clayton.

Thanks must go to all the marshals and helpers, but particular thanks should go to the following who freely gave their services: John Schofield for the results; Jeff Seddon of Bolton Mountain Rescue Team; MC Andy O’Sullivan; Brian and the staff at The Kiosk for their hospitality before and after the race.

The profit of £250 was donated to Cardiac Risk in the Young, in memory of David Staff and the prizes were presented by David’s parents.

On behalf of all race organisers, can I ask all runners who don’t complete a race to inform the timekeepers please! We don’t know where you are, and neither do the Mountain Rescue Team!

Next year’s race is scheduled for Sunday 30^th November 2008 at 11:30.

Jonathan Stubbs, Darwen Dashers. 

2006 Race Report

2006 results are here - thanks to John Schofield at www.ukresults.net

Registration at the bandstand in the woods went smoothly with the data entered into the computer in the boot of a car. The race started promptly at 11:30 and was won comfortably by Simon Bailey who quickly opened up a lead on Dasher Daniel Headifen in second place.

The runners and officials enjoyed a picnic of coffee, biscuits, soup and mars bars before adjourning to the Sunnyhurst Pub for the presentation. Granville Staff said a few words to the runners and thanked them for their support of Cardiac Risk in the Young. The charity will receive a cheque for £200 raised from the runners' entry fees, as well as some corporate sponsorship money raised by Granville.

The race is run in memory of David Staff, who joined the Dashers as a 15 year old and competed in many fun runs as a junior. In September 1994, he completed the Great North Run in 1 hour 49 minutes 02 seconds along-side his dad Granville wearing his Blackburn Rovers home and away kit, needless to say the comments along the route in Newcastle cannot be repeated.

David turned 17 years of age on 5th December 1994 which then allowed him to compete as a senior for the Dashers. His first race (and last) as a senior was in the Clitheroe 10k on 27th December 1994. David collapsed and died by the road side at 5 miles from a condition called Hyperthropic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy, which in laymans terms is an abnormal thickening of the heart muscles which interrupted the electrical pulses which keeps the heart working. This condition takes the lives of approximately 8 so-called fit and healthy young people a week, most of them are actively engaged in sport, but it is not the sport that kills; it is the exertion that acts as a trigger.

David was a very likeable person who got on with everybody he came into contact with; young and old and had a very bright future ahead of him, not only as a young man preparing to take his A-levels at Queen Elizabeth’s Grammar School but also as a member of Darwen Dashers.

All proceeds from David’s Memorial Race go to Cardiac Risk in the Young, a charity whose main aims are to raise awareness of Cardiac conditions in young people, to introduce a national screening programme (6 of which have been held in Darwen and have screened over 250 local young people between the ages of 14 – 32), to counsel and support the families affected by tragedies of this nature and to donate medical equipment to doctor’s surgeries.

The route climbs out of Sunnyhurst Woods on the North side, crosses Earnsdale Reservoir dam then climbs on tracks and paths to Darwen Tower. We then continue along the Western side of the moor, drop steeply down Aggie's Staircase then climb again before dropping down on the other side. A third climb follows, up the main track towards the Tower but cuts off right to join the outwards route before reaching the summit. We then retrace our steps back to the Bandstand. A pdf map of the course is here.