Up for a challenge

What an epic week it’s been! Whether you have been joining in with marathon challenges, tackling your first fell race or running much further than you ever thought possible, it’s been full on for Clayton-le-Moors Harriers. You have been racing in the hills, over the moors, on the coast and in the parks.

Tuesday 9 February

401 Challenge

On September 1st 2015 Ben Smith embarked on a challenge of a lifetime which will see him run 401 marathons in 401 consecutive days around 309 different locations of the UK. The aim is to raise £250,000 for two fantastic charities, ‘Stonewall’ and ‘Kidscape’. Both these charities work tirelessly to combat bullying in our schools and society.

Day 162 was local to us so plenty of our members got involved and joined Ben on his marathon around the Burnley and Ribble Valley area. They even went over the Nick of Pendle.

Team Clayton supporters of the Ben Smith’s 401 Marathon challenge. Photo by David Belshaw

Ben said it was an epic day and all thanks to Garry (Wilkinson)! He helped round up people from all over, sorted out free meals, visits, planned the route and even gave me therapy, thank you mate! Thanks though to everyone else that was involved in whatever capacity, we had three new PBs today including a first time marathon runner, a great way to end day 162!

Saturday 13 February

Anglezarke Amble

A quartet of club members took part in this local challenge event organised by the Long Distance Walkers Association. There’s a choice of a long 24-mile route or a shorter 16-mile route. All four were tackling the long route that takes in many highlights of the West Pennine Moors.

Starting at Rivington Village Hall, you are straight into the climb up Rivington Pike and then onwards to Winter Hill, the highest point of the route. A lovely descent into Belmont follows before heading up and across the boggy moorland to reach Entwistle. From there you climb gradually along decent moorland tracks and paths to Darwen Tower before another welcome descent to Tockholes. There’s just the last muddy and energy sapping climb up and over Great Hill (a misnomer if ever there was one, it should definitely be Boggy Hill), down to White Coppice. A pleasant last few miles alongside the scenic Anglezarke, Yarrow and Rivington reservoirs and you are done.

Team Olszewksi. L-R Adrienne, Natasha and Nick. Photo by Nicholas Olszewski

Martin Brady was our first Harrier home finishing in 4 hours 57 minutes. Team Olszewski consisting of Nicholas, Adrienne and Natasha did the course together finishing in 6 hours 30. Very impressive considering that Natasha only turned 13 last week and the route was twice as far as she has ever been on her own two feet.

Natasha reports

I did the Anglezarke Amble because I wanted to test myself and see if I could do it and I am pleased to report that I DID IT! I got lots of fuss because of my age and because most people were surprised that I was doing the long route. A message to anyone who is thinking of doing it; let me tell you something, you’re gonna have some sore legs after climbing up Winter Hill!

Heading over the West Pennine Moors. Still going strong 10 miles in on the Anglezarke Amble. Photo by Nicholas Olszewski

Carnethy 5 Hill Race

Well done to Jack Holt who was our sole representative in this challenging Scottish race.

Harsh conditions for the runners at the Carnethy Hill Race. Photo by Matthew Curry

Conditions were decidedly wintry for the 499 runners with a snow covered course, poor visibility and cold winds.  Jack finished in 190^th place with a time of 01:1:03.

Full Results

Mid Lancs Cross Country – Rossall School, Fleetwood

With the cross country season almost at an end, Christopher Holdsworth is the Men’s 2015 Club XC Champ and Helena Leathley is the Ladies Club XC Champ. Helena has also won the Ladies XC Palladium. Carl Helliwell and George Pier are fighting it out for the Palladium; Carl has 139 pts and George has 138 pts with one fixture remaining. Who will take the title?

In the Mid Lancs XC series the juniors are doing well.  Dexta Thompson and Ella Dorrington are handily placed for an award in the u11 boys and girls, so is Jackson McKay in U13 boys, Briony Holt in U15 Girls, Beth Quinn U20 Women, and Jordan McDonald and George Pier in the U20 Men.

Thanks to Cross Country Manager, Jason Pier, for the update on everyone’s performances.

Cross country captain Christopher Holdsworth reports; “Another good performance throughout all age groups from Clayton. Although the Senior men haven’t done enough to win Division 1 outright, we still need as many counters at Preston as possible to secure 2nd place overall. With how close we’ve come to winning the division this year, hopefully it will inspire more of our stronger male runners to help the team out and ease the pressure on the runners who turn up to each Mid-Lancs fixture.”

U11 Girls

Team Position 3^rd (E Dorrington | H White | K Thompson)

Ella Dorrington at the Mid Lancs Cross Country at Rossall School. Photo by Margaret Levy

U11 Boys

Team Position 1^st (D Thompson | F Stubbs | J Bentham)

U13 Girls

Team Position 5^th (L Thompson | S Ashworth | C Bentham)

U13 Boys

Team Position 3^rd (J McKay | J Bowman | L Jackson)

U15 Girls

U17 Men

Team Position 2^nd (C Holt | R Clarke | R Lawrence)

U20 Ladies

U20 Men

Jordan McDonald at the Mid Lancs Cross Country at Rossall School. Photo by Sarah Helliwell

Ladies Race

Team A Position 6^th (L Powell Smith | H Leathley | B Quinn)

Team B Positon 17^th (J Bennett | J Knightley | D Airey)

Over 35 Team 5^th (L Powell Smith | J Bennett | J Knightley)

Over 45 Team 7^th (J Bennett | J Knightley | K Goss)

Over 55 Team 1^st (J Knightley | K Goss | S Allen)

Vet 70 Men

Senior Men

Editor’s note: Christopher Holdsworth is missing from the results. He finished in 2nd place so this will have a knock on effect to the team positions. Will update when amended results become available.

Team A Position 4^th (B Holdsworth | J McDonald | G Pier | C Helliwell | D Motley)

Team B Position 18^th (K Davies | G Berry | A Life | B Horrocks | J Wilcock | A Quinn)

Over 40 Team Position 2^nd (B Holdsworth | C Helliwell | R Stevenson | K Davies)

Over 50 Team Position 2^nd (K Davies | A Life | B Horrocks)

Gareth Berry and Alan Life at the Mid Lancs Cross Country at Rossall School, Fleetwood. Photo by Sarah Helliwell

Valentines 10K

The Valentines 10km starts & finishes on the athletics track next to Salt Ayre. The route is out & back so you might get to see your loved ones on the way back! Flat, fast, traffic free and romantic… is how the race organisers, Lancaster Race Series, describe this duo of 10K races over the Valentines weekend.

93 runners took part in the Saturday 10K road race . Three of our club members were among them.  Laura Hesketh was our first finisher crossing the line in 11^th place overall (3^rd female) with a time of 38:31. Daniel Isherwood was next in 15^th place in 39:34, followed by Stephen Biscomb in 23^rd place (1^st Vet 60) in 43:26.

Full Results

Windy Hill Fell Race

Nine club members took part in this popular local fell race with three of them racing on the fells for the first time.

Report from James Boult at his first ever fell race.

James Boult at the Windy Hill Fell Race. Photo by Woodentops

206 runners from 56 different clubs descended on Hollingworth Lake for the Windy Hill Fell Race on Saturday, for an event described as ‘the fell runners favourite.’ As a first timer to fell running I decided to reserve judgement on that until I’d crossed the finish line. 9 members of the Clayton contingent made the trip over for the event, and several last minute gear changes in an attempt to judge the varying weather did little to alleviate the growing nerves that grew more prevalent as the crowds assembled on the start line. Starting from Littleborough RUFC, I tried to keep the words of advice in my head that had been echoed by several people in the build up to my first proper fell race; “Don’t go off to quick but don’t get stuck at the back.”

Almost immediately the course starts with an undulating, quickening pace which takes the runner along the Bridle Way Path and over the M62 Bridge. With no recce beforehand I was only to go off the website’s description of a ‘memorable climb’ as something to expect and as we reached said climb, the Old Roman Road at Blackstone Hedge, and the mass of people, some running, most walking, I realised my expectations were perhaps very much misguided and that my lack of fell racing was even more evident than before. Going off more beforehand advice (and something Michael Hogan had taught me at track a week before), the climb was duly tackled as the three-strong Clayton contingent of Chris, Orlaith and I spurred each other to the summit. The summit, named as the ‘kissing gate’ (where no such kissing took place) opened out onto a stunning highland-esq rockface, which provided some truly stunning scenery over the surrounding areas. Ice and snow clad, and some gusty winds that made me glad I’d followed Orlaith’s lead with wearing my waterproof, long legs were of little help as I seldom ran, more dancing across rock and stone towards a more defined path onto the Pennine Way. From there we crossed the motorway bridge and a very merry Marshall who told Orlaith and I that we were “having far too much fun,” as we flew past and onto the motorway footbridge.

Chris Paul and Orlaith O’Mahony at the Windy Hill fell race. Photo by Woodentops

Grey skies made way for sunshine and from the footbridge we headed up to the Windy Hill mast, which started a steady, speedy descent back towards the Bridle Way path and the start / finish line, (some of which I took on my side after losing footing!), with the final straight of thick mud one of the courses most testing parts. Predictably tough and indescribably brilliant, I’d completed my first fell race and had loved every second of it. Brimming with self-pride, and knowing full well I couldn’t have finished it without Orlaith pushing me on, I found myself agreeing with what the website. I can see why it is described as “the fell runners favourite.”

Chris Paul was also tackling the fells for the first time and said it was a good first fell race for him. He really enjoyed the atmosphere, everyone was friendly and one guy even helped him out of a deep bog when he lost his balance.

Orlaith O’Mahony was another first timer and she said that she adored it because it’s closest thing to flying you can get!

Full Results

Parkrun roundup

A few new PBs, a parkrun debut and an antipodean run this week. Our dedicated parkrunners were out in force this weekend. Some warming up for weekend racing, some recovering from midweek distances but all having a great time.

Joanne Motley at Burnley parkrun. Photo by David Belshaw

Burnley parkrun – A total of 292 runners took part.

Dewsbury parkrun – A total of 95 runners took part.

Fell Foot parkrun, Newby Bridge – A total of 88 runners took part.

Pendle parkrun – A total of 57 runners took part

Rockingham parkrun – A total of 265 runners took part.

Skipton parkrun – A total of 202 runners took part.

Witton parkrun – A total of 81 runners took part.

Woodbank parkrun – A total of 169 runners took part.

Woodhouse Moor parkrun – A total of 427 runners took part.