Darwen Dashers

 Summer Fell Races

Diary Archive January - June 2005

Thursday 23rd June 2005 - Aggies Staircase

Entries were back up to nearly 100, despite the clash with the Two Lads race in Horwich and the whole event seemed to run extremely smoothly, thanks mainly to the marshals and officials who helped on the night. Eileen Walsh and Dawn Norse tackled the jobs of results and timekeeping officials with unerring efficiency, helped by old stagers Linda and Mick. There are some marshals who have been present nearly at all the races I have ever organised - Maureen Roberts, John Walsh, Russell and Sue Corsini come to mind - and your contribution is also appreciated, although it may seem to be taken for granted at the time. The White Lion proved to be an ideal venue an I look forward to returning for future events.

2005 Race Report

99 Entries this year, with 97 completing the course in the heat, the results are here. Congratulations to Paul Thompson on his first victory in this race after many attempts, including last year's second place. Congratulations also to Vanessa Peacock, adding to her many previous successes. 

Darwen Dashers' Mark France (834) tracks Dave Nuttall of Clayton le Moors (797) 

early in the race.  Photo by Keith Dunster.

Thanks to our hosts at the White Lion for providing and excellent venue and thanks again to our T-Shirt sponsors, who were Sound Reduction Systems  

Wednesday 15th June 2005 - Two Towers Fell Race

Great weather, great route, great race. What more is there to say? I was rubbish because I had eaten badly during the day (pub lunch) - getting my excuse in before the results,

Sunday 29th May 2005 - Great Hameldon Hill Race

The Dashers Fell Championship moved on to Accrington for race six, with a couple of the top performers missing. Going underfoot was good, the weather was warm and dry, in fact there was nothing in the conditions to complain about at all, which is dull. Again though, the races between Dashers were far from it. Mark France seized the opportunity to record a third maximum of the season, but not without a challenge from a resurgent Dave Naughton, who turned in a very creditable performance on his home territory. Mark led Dave to the summit but needed to dig deep into his reserves on the undulating section, after being caught on the early part of the descent, over rough ground from the trig point at the top of Hameldon. Mark Walsh was third Dasher to the top with a clear lead on me in next place. We exchanged position several times on the way down but I made my break by diving headlong down the the tumultuous slope from the top of Peel Park with about half a mile to go. As I entered the finish field I could see Mark still making a determined effort, with Derek Ashcroft who had appeared from nowhere, in hot pursuit. At the end I was clear of Mark by only one second, and of Derek by three. Gary Mitchell and Harold Ryan, making his first Championship appearance of the season were next in, closely followed by Linda Clarkson. Dawn again got away from Jacqui Shaw, and again, both managed to shake off an enthusiastic Jim Taylor.

Tuesday 24th May - Stanhill Fell Race

Truly horrible going on this local event meant that I don't think a single one of the sixteen Dashers taking part will admit to actually enjoying the run. The race, on the other hand, was quite exhilarating. Up at the front, Mark France was tracked the whole way by Nigel Barnes who took victory with a devastating last 400 metres down the tarmac from the farm to the finish. The next four Dashers were sorted out shortly after the summit, with Dave Naughton un-catchable on the descent, Gary Taylor next, and me taking the fifth Dasher spot from Mark Walsh shortly after the turn. Battles between the Dashers were enacted all the way down the field with Dougie Aspden winning out over Edwin Green and Gary Mitchell, Dawn keeping Jacquie Shaw out of the ladies team, and both staying in front of Jim Taylor. In probably the most bitter struggle of all, Elaine Atkinson beat Cath Fox by twelve seconds, finishing 81st and 82nd respectively.

There were six Dashers in the top twenty, with the first three bagging a rare victory in the team competition for the club. The ladies team of two, Linda and Dawn were narrowly beaten to the ladies team prize by Accrington.

Sunday 22nd May 2005 - Darwen Triathlon

A brilliant event once again, thanks to Darwen Masters Swimming Club. It's always a pleasure to do this event, thanks in no small measure to the encouragement of the marshals and officials on the route, mostly familiar faces from the swimming club or from the Dashers. Top performance from a Dasher this year was, without doubt, from Mark Walsh who managed very respectable times in all three disciplines. In the relay teams we saw excellent performances by Simon Fox, 20th fastest bike, Mark France, 15th fastest run, and Katie Donnelly, who beat both her dad and her uncle on the swim by over a minute. I held off my brother Andy by twelve seconds over all, coming back on the run after he had done faster swim and bike times than me. Katie's team was completed by Mick Heath on the Bike and Harold Ryan, Susan Corsini retained the Ladies vet 40 title in a time just under 2 hours 12 minutes and George Thompson was fourth Dasher to do the lot.

Saturday 7th May 2005 - Belmont Winter Hill

After the heavy rain of the past couple of days the route from  Winter Hill summit to the top of Noone Hill was absolutely sodden. I doubt that a single runner avoided sinking past the knees in one of the deep boggy sections and in fact the whole course was wet and slippy. The race for first Dasher was hotly contested between Nigel and Mark, with Nigel taking it on the final run in. I was passed by three club mates in the hectic scramble for third Dasher but managed to force my way clear of Gary, Mark and Nick on the last descent of Winter Hill. Dave Naughton passed all three by racing downhill with characteristic abandon, putting pressure on me at a distance of 15 yards for the whole of the last half mile. Here are the results -

A little earlier in the afternoon about 25 juniors braved the conditions on the hill, including 1 Dasher, Katie Donnelly who came away with the trophy for first girl under 12.

Katie on her way to victory

Wednesday 4th May 2005 - Caw Fell Race

Caw is one of the smaller Lakeland summits, out to the West of Coniston Old Man but it has the rough and rocky feel of a real mountain. The race from the Farmer's Arms at Broughton Mills has three checkpoints, but no fixed route, so from a point on the Knott above the village you have to find your own way to the summit and back. This offers a great opportunity to get past runners you would never normally see by making crafty route choices. I managed to turn this to my advantage on the night as I took a good line, finishing 8th overall; 2nd veteran  - winning a prize for the first time in my fell running career. 

Monday 2nd May 2005 - Wray Caton Moor

Race 3 in the Dashers Fell Championship and another victory for Mark France, nearly two minutes clear of second Dasher Nigel Barnes. This is a fast course for a fell race and favours 'runners' over 'scramblers' which makes Mark's result all the more impressive. Dave Naughton tore down the route from the top to the village, gaining on Nigel all the way and opening up a huge gap between himself and the fourth Dasher, me, back in 58th place.

Junior Results - Under 8 boys

3rd - Luke Donnelly (23 finishers)

Under 12 girls

8th - Katie Donnelly (12 finishers)

Saturday 9th April 2005 - Flower Scar

A Saturday morning jaunt over to Todmorden is a nice way to stay in the swing of fell racing before driving back to the Reebok to see the Wanderers win again. Great day, no other Dashers at the race sadly, and equally sad, not many Dashers watching Bolton either. I came 27th out of a field of 88 - not too bad, and a nice route which I recommend to those who have never done it and want a local, informal fell race to try out.

Saturday 2nd April 2005 - Pendle Fell Race

Race two in the Dashers Fell Championship saw a return to the fray for Mark France at the short Pendle Fell Race. Mark gained a very creditable 21st place out of 168 runners in total and took maximum points in the championship. Mark Walsh came in as second Dasher for the second time which takes him to the top of the Championship table.

Saturday 2nd April 2005 - Snaefell Fell Race

Meanwhile, on the Isle of Man, a group of cycling Dashers were occupied in touring the island by bicycle, sampling the local beers, and a few of us managed to complete the Snaefell Fell Race, having cycled up to the start from our hotel at Sulby Glen. We took the bike ride very gently but it still involved a big climb and it must have held us back a little on the climbs. I think that Harold Ryan and I were the only official Dashers in the race but my brother Andy and young Daniel Ryan both ran in their first ever fell races, Daniel being the only junior in the race. The route to the first control was obvious but as we dropped into a deep valley to a checkpoint near some disused mines the field split, with runners spreading out across the hillside trying to find the best line. We then took in a long and rather difficult climb before dropping again to a road crossing and making the final ascent to the highest point in the island.

Saturday 19th March 2005 - Fiensdale Fell Race

Two Dashers took on a huge field in the English Championship race at Fiensdale. This is a rough and tough course but with so many in the race, overtaking must have been well nigh impossible in places.

Sunday 6th March 2005 - Black Combe

The Black Combe Race was run in wonderful and virtually windless sunny conditions, although the temperature was still hovering just above freezing even at sea level. The view of the Irish Sea was a little hazy on the first climb to the summit but looking North from the top we were rewarded with the magnificent sight of the snow capped Scafell Range. The second climb to the top of Black Combe is difficult even on fresh legs but it was torture on legs tired from the day before. The descent towards Silecroft is a fitting reward for your efforts though - it takes a little over ten minutes to get down the 2.5km section, less if you are one of the elite, and I can't think of anything I would rather do on a Sunday morning. Not that lasts ten minutes anyway.

Saturday 5th March 2005 - Half Tour of Pendle

The first race in the Dashers Fell Championship was completed by seven Dashers. Mark Walsh was first Dasher to the summit where the icy gusting wind hindered progress. I managed to close the gap as we crossed the snow covered moorland on the way down to The Nick of Pendle but we were still close together on the second steep climb up on to Spence Moor. I managed to open a small lead on the next rough descent and hang on for maximum points. By the time Vince and I got to the Pendle Inn after the race, The winner Ian Holmes and second placed Rob Jebb were already well tucked in to their beer. That's one of the nice things about Fell Racing - the apparently superhuman athletes who run round the course at incredible speed will turn up in the pub for a pint, just like us normal humans. I once finished a fell race in front of Rob Jebb, ten years ago, when he was still a teenager, in the mist. I think he ran about eight miles further than me. 

The Dashers Championship table is now on the Championship page.

Sunday 23rd January 2005 - Stanbury Splash

It was a bright but bitter cold morning, with a biting wind across Oxenhope Stoop that greeted the 249 senior runners in the 2005 Stanbury Splash. The freezing conditions resulted in firmer than usual going underfoot and the bracing wind meant that a full on fast start was the only way to warm up after the wait at the start line. The most improved Dasher of the day was Jim Taylor who knocked a whopping four minutes off his 2004 time. I also managed to improve by nearly two minutes, whilst Jacqui Shaw was only a little behind top ladies roadrunner Linda Clarkson, just 9 weeks after the birth of the youngest Dasher, Naomi Shaw. Linda can do a 10k in 38 minutes and although this race was less than a mile further, it took her a full half hour longer. The full results for the Dashers were -

Junior Quarry Races

Report by Katie Donnelly (32) and Charlotte Atkinson (12) pictured just after the first climb

It was absolutely freezing!!!!!!!!!! Everybody was ready to set off on the one mile junior race when we realised that the under 8s race was first, so everybody had to stay cold for a bit longer. Luckily the under 8s race was very short, it was only around the quarry. When we set off we soon got warm and the terrain was very slippy and we had to run past an icy pond (very dangerous). Then we had to climb up an almost vertical hill and then back down again. When it finally finished we all got a goody bag filled with sweets, but the best part was when we got a Christmas selection box.

Luke Donnelly (33) presses on for third place and Hannah Shaw (53) relaxes after the race, not feeling so cold after running.

Junior results  -