Darwen Dashers

 Summer Fell Races

Diary Archive July - December 2006

Auld Lang Syne - Sunday 31st December 2006

This is a tough race if only because of the speed needed to get out of the quarry in a decent position at the start and the blustery conditions just made things seem harder. There were very decent runs by Danny and Nige but it was nice to see Dave Naughton coming back to form too. Shaun Hayes came in to the finish looking like he had been shot in the head and I hear that he has broken his wrist too. I hope that it won't keep you out of action too long Shaun, and well done on completing the race in very difficult circumstances.

The Stoop - Sunday 17th December 2006

Tour of Pendle - Saturday 18th November 2006

Hail, hills, horror.

Dunnerdale Fell Race - Saturday 11th November 2006

Report by George Thompson

The Dunnerdale valley looked beautiful when we arrived with the varied greens of the fields and woods, contrasting with the autumn gold bracken, and the grey rocky fell top outcrops. Parking was another matter with some runners parked further away than the race distance.

A small group of five Dashers ran in the race which had a record entry of 240 runners. The going was ok with clear tops and muddy but runnable ground most of the way round. Very strong winds made staying on your feet a bit tricky, the heavy rain held off till just after we finished. Dan was first Dasher home narrowly beating ladies “Skyrunning” world champion Angela Mudge. With Nigel, then Jonathon, then me, followed a bit too closely by Dave. Thanks Dave you kept me going!

Vicky proved that ladies can multitask, by looking after Keira, and donning a yellow marshals vest to guide us safely to the finish.

Fellrunner Magazine - October 2006

Fame at last - if you had asked me how I would like to appear on the front cover of a running magazine I would have had in mind a shot of me emerging from the mist on a big mountain, or leaping over a stile perhaps. Chasing after a young girl towards the end of a fell race would actually have been quite a long way down the list...

She is bloody good though, she did break the record, and I did manage to beat her in the end, look.

Withins Skyline - Sunday 22nd October 2006

Report by Jonathon Stubbs- All this for a Curly Wurly!

I don't like to tell non-runners that I like to do a bit of fell running. Oh, how my sides ache when I hear: "I fell running once, so I don't do it any more."

I feel like an old hand at this fell running lark now I've done 5 races. Withins was billed as a lovely race with a good variety of terrain, but it was the chance of completing the fell running championship without having to do the Tour of Pendle that attracted me.

The start was delayed a bit, but finally set off downhill at a cracking pace. I tagged along, not realising that everyone was trying to get up the first, narrow climb without getting stuck behind runners like me. The climb didn't look very long, but I was a wreck at the top and hoped for a chance to recover with a nice run along the 'skyline'. I should have known better. I think there was a good view for miles, but I saw mostly mud. At times when the mud wasn't too deep I could make out the lower halves of my legs and I even saw my shoes once or twice. After a while, the featureless mud gave way to the stone slabs of the Pennine Way. Fast, but very slippery. At first I was saying 'thank you' or 'sorry' to all the walkers who stood to one side for me. They all looked fed up and I wasn't really able to speak anyway, so I just kept looking at my feet and ran past them.

After climbing the path at the side of the Bronte Waterfall, the run was along a good fast path that took us to the finish where we were all rewarded with a Curly Wurly, broken biscuits and an urn of coffee.

The drive home with a car load of equally dirty Dashers established, amongst other things, that Jane Ayre had been on TV recently and it was a bit like Heartbeat, but without the old motorbikes or cars.

Darwen Rangers Lads U10     5 - 4     Lamack U10

A tense thriller, with Lamack coming back from 5 - 2 in the second half after the Darwen Rangers goalkeeper was substituted because of an injured hand. Resolute defending eventually won the day, to the relief of the stand in management.

The Screes, Wasdale - Saturday 21st October 2006

A clash with a junior football fixture, involving Luke at left back and me as coach, (in the absence of the usual manager and coach who were away on holiday), meant that I was unable to compete in the Withins Skyline Race, so forfeiting any Championship points I may have gathered this weekend. The consolation was that I took part in a new race for me, The Screes Fell Race from Nether Wasdale - which turned out to be a really top class event. I had underestimated the time it would take to drive over the moors from Broughton with a car sick child in the back seat (it served him right for making me miss Withins), so I ended up getting changed on the start line whilst the race organiser was giving his final briefing and doing random kit checks - number 98? what no shorts? The race started with a fast run out along the road then a track across the valley bottom before a 1600' all at once climb to the top of Whin Rigg. The route then descended over a beautifully runnable section down on to Irton Fell before turning down a terrifically steep and rough path back towards the village. I was disappointed to be beaten in a sprint finish by an Ambleside runner I had battled with over the last mile but really very happy to have finished 24th, despite having to stop in the bracken for a minute as I hadn't had time to do the necessary before the start! Dave Shorrock was the other Dasher at the race, a regular at many of the Lakeland Races when the rest of us are flogging ourselves over the moors closer to home. We rounded off the afternoon with a wonderful post race meal in the Screes Hotel, which would have been worth the £5 entry fee all by itself.

FRA British Fell Relay - Saturday 14th October 2006

Lack of organisation almost cost us our entry into this event in 2006 as we missed the entry deadline but thanks to the withdrawal of one of the Ambleside teams and a late email message from the organiser we managed to pull a team together just in time. It turned out to be a fine day, well worth the effort, and ended with a very respectable top half finish for the Dashers team. Danny ably lead the team off with a 24th place finish on leg 1, making up time on all of the downhills and looking very strong on the section which could be viewed from the start/finish area. Danny had to get away from the venue soon after his own run as his parents had arrived at Manchester Airport only that morning so we appreciate the considerable effort involved in Danny making himself available for the event at such short notice. 

Simon Fox and Mark France took up the baton for leg 2 and quite a few places were lost because Simon was running injured, with some hamstring trouble following the recent Three Peaks Cyclocross Race. It would have been far better to have allowed Simon to do a shorter leg but nobody else could be found to run with Mark, so Simon too made a big effort for the team.

The winner of that cyclocross race Rob Jebb partnered Ian Holmes for Bingley on leg 3, running the fastest time for the leg. Vince Brookes and I were about 15 minutes slower but still managed to get round 28th fastest, making up 23 places and putting Dashers back up into the top half of the field. The organisers had decided to allow maximum route choice to the navigators by specifying that the 7 checkpoints could be visited in any order. This gave an advantage to those who gave some thought to the route rather than setting off at full tilt as soon as they were given the map. I wanted to avoid any unnecessary climb so we didn't follow the majority of runners into checkpoint 5 straight from the start. Instead we left it to near the end, picking it off after 6 on the downhill route from 4.

Jamie Dowdall, despite his earlier reservations about his fitness, only lost a couple of places on leg 4 leaving Dashers 44th out of the110 teams competing in the event. A great improvement over last year and a really very respectable result for a small club like Dashers.

Three Shires Fell Race - Saturday 16th September 2006

Report by Danny Headifen

Another long lakeland fell race gets you another long account from me. A much bigger turnout of Dashers on the starting line meant it looked to be more hotly contested than Borrowdale. And it was a very hot day too with no sign of any troublesome mist (which throws even the finest of navigators I'll have you know). The heat had plenty of runners going sans shirts although in Mark France's case I think it was an attempt to race incognito when he traded his white t-shirt in for an even whiter bare chest. 

Maybe it worked as he took an early lead on the path to the Wetherlam ascent with me close behind. Most then headed up on a steep diagonal route through the bracken but I followed Mark further along to a steeper more open route. I thought it might have been a slower way but figured I'm normally wrong on choosing lines so went along more out of fear than nouse. I think Dawn and Jackie also went this way knowing that they wouldn't get held up in a single line of runners through the bracken. Mark later claimed this was his reason too but he would say that wouldn't he. Anyway his lead on me grew on the climb till the two paths of runners reunited and he went off on his own while I went back to the main group. Whence his lead got even more and he reached Wetherlam's summit first. Maybe he did know what he was doing. 

Nige passed Julian on this climb so was 3rd up with Mark Walsh after them. I'm not sure of the order of the others but know Jamie flagged it on the climb not long after Dawn and Jackie shot past him. And he does so look the man of action in the photo charging across the river at the start. He wasn't alone in pulling out as Nige did the same soon after when his legs seized up on the run down to Prison Band. So two weeks training in the Pyrenees wasn't enough then... It was at this point that I passed Mark F and a couple more at the start of the climb up Swirl Howe. I thought I'd left him for dust as he was no where to be seen on the rest of this climb but then he suddenly was right back beside me at the top. I think George T might have called it a day somewhere round here. 

Mark and I were never far apart past 3 Shire Stone then up to the summit of Pike of Blisco running 8th & 9th. Julian said he thought he was going good along here while Mark Walsh reckoned he'd lost any enthusiasm for the race on the big climb up Wetherlam. I think plenty of others did too. Again I thought I'd got a decent lead going down to Blea Tarn as I never saw another soul but soon after I started the final ascent up Lingmoor Mark was close in pursuit but had been passed by a couple more bare chested runners. These much finer physical specimens caught me by the top and we changed places a few times on the last descent before one of them kicked ahead of me on the last sprint home. Mark F came in soon after (about 40 places up on last year and about 40 years older than anyone ahead of him) with Julian next (can't not mention his little indiscreet remark afterwards, his defence of it just been pub banter is one lots of Bolton supporters have been using lately) then Mark Walsh, expressing a little less love for long fell runs than before the race. Dave Shorrock was smiling as he crossed the finish so obviously was better at hiding the pain. Jonathon was spurned on to run to the finish when Dawn and Jackie spied him walking near the end. They both came in smiling too (and I‘m sure closer than the official times say - as the photo shows). 

So that's a wrap. Apologies if I've missed anyone. Think it’s shorter than my Borrowdale report but then I didn't have to fit in so many excuses did I. Personally I thought it was a great run by Mark F to have improved so many places from last year and also from Dawn for first time out on such a long hard race that claimed quite a few experienced campaigners.

Pendleton Fell Race - Saturday 26th August

Pilgrim's Cross Fell Race - Wednesday 16th August

Report by Simon Fox

The sun was shining as we lined up for the start but there was a large black cloud looming - literally and also metaphorically for me at least. Needless to say it started chucking it down once we had hit the first climb. Danny flew round, royally kicked Marks arse, and finished third ahead of some of local fell running's 'top lads'. I led Mark Walsh for about 3/4 of it but I was rubbish really. He dropped me on a descent (surprise, surprise) and then put about 20 yards in which, despite me doing an unexpectedly good job down Robin Hoods Well, he pretty much held to the finish. Good runs from Jamie and Jonathon too. Look how many Dashers turned up! Loads of 'em, which caused a few comments.

Borrowdale Fell Race - Saturday 5th August 2006

Report by Danny Headifen

A big number of entries, close to 400, meant that we never saw each other after separating before it started. So it was a bit of a tactical battle and hence written from my viewpoint and what Mark told me after. I didn't see Gary after the race so can't say how things went for him. Mark started further up in the field so got away quickly, I was closer to the middle so had a few minutes walking before the crowds thinned out enough to run and I presume it was the same for Gary who I think started further towards the back. 

Mark must have kept up quite a quick pace because he said he was in the top 40, I think up till the base of Great Gable. His claim of been 'a god' on the scree run down from Scafell Pike and over taking lots there would have helped. However he dropped quite a few places on the long climb up to Great Gable as the fast pace started to take its toll.

I figured Mark might be ahead of me so hoped to keep a steady pace till most of the climbing was done. The mist didn't close in till Esk Hause shelter but I'd recced this the Friday before (at midnight - Mark's idea) so wasn't too worried. I found my pace slipped markedly scrambling on the boulders up to Scafell Pike but made up for this on the scree descent, plus scared the hell out of quite a few runners I overtookthere too. I know from spectators that I started the climb up Great Gable between the 3rd and 4th women runners (I presume I wasn't mistaken for the 4th, it has happened before...long hair, misty cold course, desperate fell runners...) having no idea where I was as the mist was really thick and it was all a bit eerie climbing up the endless stone steps there. Got to the summit feeling in good nick having maintained my position and thinking I'd start to attack Mark who I figured was running like a scared chicken somewhere out in front of me. However here's where I switched to headless chicken mode. On the traverse down I chose to follow the wrong group of runners and upon realising our mistake had quite a bit of backtracking to do. This turned into even more as almost as soon I'd got back on course I followed another group going the wrong way. I was now confident that my navigation skills had been left in the southern hemisphere and that Mark was sure to be out of touch by the time I got to Honister Pass for the final climb up Dale Head.

Mark and Danny on top of Dale Head, equally knackered.

What I didn't know was the Mark had got to the summit of Dale Head in a well wrecked state. The women runners I'd been with at Great Gable had passed him and he was very slow to start his final descent into Rosthawaite. It was shaping up to be a fight to the finish.

However the last big climb took all the fight out of me and I started the descent every bit as slow as Mark, if not more so. It would have been at about this time that Mark, with the aid of his last bit of chocolate, got a second wind and was able to run strongly into the finish. Once I got onto the grass slopes I managed to also get some speed up and take back the places I lost. But it was no where near enough and I had Mark's smiling face to contend with at the finish as well as some damn painful cramps.

Coniston Country Fair - 23rd July 2006

The Old Man prevailed at Coniston as Mark France took maximum points in the Country Fair Fell Race. Danny finished two places ahead of Mark despite a route finding error one mile from the end but he was disqualified by the race organiser for missing the final checkpoint, despite an appeal by Mark on Danny's behalf. Danny had led from the start and significantly increased his lead on the steep downhill. Perhaps that effort caused a loss of concentration as he descended the tarmac section of the Walna Scar Road instead of crossing to the fell gate checkpoint. I lost sight of Mark some time before the summit but managed to claw back a few seconds on the descent, finishing two minutes behind. Dave Shorrock got his best score yet in the 2006 championship with a third Dasher finish and Jacqui Shaw consolidated her position at the top of the ladies table with another maximum.

A win for Danny at Coniston would have taken him to joint top of the table and  favourite to take the title. Instead, as a result of the disqualification, Mark can now retain the trophy simply by completing any 6 of the remaining 7 races. No need to bother with the Full Tour then, though knowing Mark, he will try to take a moral victory by beating Danny fair and square at Borrowdale.

Bull Hill - 13th July 2006

Oxenhope Straw Race - Sunday 2nd July 2006

This event took place on the same day as the Skiddaw Fell Race, removing the club's two fastest downhillers from the championship event. Dave Naughton finished third with Andy Orr, whilst Danny completed the course, at a rather more dignified pace.

Skiddaw - Sunday 2nd July 2006

Mark France would want me to mention the fact that this was very nearly the best ever race result by a Dasher. Sadly, Neil Holding left the club a few years ago so his sixth place doesn't count.