‘Tis the season to be jolly

There’s definitely a lot of Christmas spirit in the air. It’s been a week of challenge and festive fancy dress. Quite a few club members are taking part in run every day in December challenges; Alan Dorrington is running everyday for the M3 Project while others are taking part in the Marcothon or Run Every Day December challenges as a fitness boost over the winter.

SATURDAY 17 DECEMBER

HURST GREEN TURKEY TROT

For those that don’t know, the Hurst Green Turkey Trot is a 5 mile trail race with a bit of everything. Fancy dress costumes are actively encouraged and the sight of a burly, tattooed male runner dressed as a fairy princess is nothing out of the ordinary!

42 Clayton-le-Moors Harriers threw themselves into the festive madness of this year’s Hurst Green Turkey Trot. Fast becoming an annual tradition with lots of our members, this race certainly brings out the sillier side in runners.

Team Clayton at the Hurst GreenTurkey Trot. Photo by David Belshaw

Our first Clayton finisher was Louisa Powell-Smith who was 6^th overall in the race and 2^nd lady runner in the race as well as 1^st F35.

Louisa Powell-Smith at the Hurst Green Turkey Trot. Photo by David Belshaw

Breton was the first Clayton man in 8^th place overall and 2^nd M40 dressed as the Tango Man. Geoffrey Gough was 1^st M55, Ivan Whigham was 1^st M50, Joanne Bennett was 1^st F45, and Anita Jones was 1^st F60.

A junior race took place as well but sadly there are no results for this event.

Report from Jonathan Cleaver

It was my first time doing the Turkey Trot and I was not disappointed.  So many people made a huge effort in fancy dress and there was a relaxed atmosphere. The run itself is a 2.5 mile ascent part Road and part mud through the infamous elephant trap which got you soaked to the waist! The 2.5 mile descent was brilliant fun through the forest and flying down the track through the mud to the finish.

Jonathan Cleaver flying down through the woods at the Hurst Green Turkey Trot. Photo by David Belshaw

A fun prize giving by Chris Barnes followed which was a good laugh as well. Great turn out from Team Clayton and top performance particularly from Louisa who showed the boys up on the day!

Full Results

TOUR DE HELVELLYN

Three club members took part this in this year’s Tour de Helvellyn, a 38 mile trail ultra in the Lake District; Martin Terry, Nicholas Olszewski and Andy Armstrong. Martin Terry finished in 20th place with a time of 7:00:50, Nicholas Olszewski was 66th in 8:04:46 and Andrew Armstrong was 69th in 8:06:05. There were 201 finishers this year.

Report from Andy Armstrong

This year’s weather was a huge improvement on previous years (the event’s brief history has seen snow, torrential rain, gale force winds and flood damaged trails) and a clear dry day promised some excellent times. Three Harriers made the trip up north and the best performance was by Martin Terry who achieved a personal best (but slightly frustrating!) result of 7 hours and forty seconds.

Andy Armstrong with Nick Olszewski at the Tour de Helvellyn. Photo by Stephen White of Granddayout Photography

Full Results

THE STOOP

306 runners took part in this year’s festive Stoop Fell Race. 11 Clayton Harriers donned their Santa Hats and huddled together with the other runners in the quarry to stave off the icy cross wind that was blowing on an otherwise fine and dry day. Danny Collinge was our first finisher in 9^th place overall.

Danny Collinge at the Stoop Fell Race. Photo by Woodentops

Cassandra Smedley was our first lady finisher in 210^th place and dressed as a Christmas tree for the second time this weekend having run in the Turkey Trot the day before. Teresa de Curtis was making her fell racing debut and followed shortly afterwards in 215^th place despite turning her ankle on the course.

Report from James Boult

A strong summer turned to an injury-ridden winter and problems with motivation and fitness were starting to take their toll. Managing to struggle through a couple of Parkruns and a return to training only to be struck with shin pain, another layoff seemed on the cards. After a week off followed by JR’s winter wonderland on Tuesday, which finished pain free, I decided to tackle one last challenge of the year before Christmas – Woodentops’ The Stoop fell race over the border.

The 8km, 250m’ BS race from Penistone Country Park starts in the Quarry next to what Dave Woodhead told us at the start was “the highest cricket pitch in England” and heads onto the Harbour Lodge track. With more bog and mud than you could handle, the route heads on a steady, scenic climb up onto the tops to Stoop Standing Stone. A fast, long descent loops the course back before a final climb back to the cricket pitch.

L-R James Boult, Beth Quinn and Orlaith O’Mahony at the Stoop Fell Race.

Orlaith, Beth and I made the trip over for the race where we joined a handful of other Clayton runners tackling the event. A large field braved the icy crosswinds beforehand, clad in free Santa hats (which were a must for the race – it was the number 1 rule!) and some in fancy dress and we were released from the quarry at just after 11:45. Quickly finding rhythm I managed to move through the pack, only to be slowed by the first of what seemed to be about 7k worth of mud, bog and water. Ending up waist deep at one point and going knee deep countless times, I remembered just how much fun a proper, wintery fell race could be. Descents are not my strong point and this was no different (what’s new?!). Losing just about every place I had gained, and then probably a handful more for good measure, I tackled the course’s descent. Not a tricky one but when your ankles are like champagne flutes you tend to take more care than is probably necessary. Being overtaken by a man quite literally falling through the air, only to be stopped by bog a few metres ahead was a high point of what was a poor and disappointing descent. (But, ankles are still intact so I guess it’s not all bad.)

A steady climb back up to the finish line saw a time of 44:23 and a midfield finish, somewhere abound 120th I think in what was a great, muddy, fun-filled morning across the border and a nice way to conclude racing for 2016 – with two of my favourite team mates for company.

Full Results

THE STOOP JUNIOR RACES

U8 Race

50 children took part in the U8s race with lots of them in fancy dress. This is a rip-roaring and fun race up, down and around the Penistone Hill Quarry. Organised and officiated by larger-than-life Dave Woodhead, this is a fun event for junior runners with a generous goody bag for all of the finishers. Felix Thompson was our first U8 boy with Ellisia Smedley the our first U8 girl and Emily Johnson completing the team.

Emily Johnson running in fancy dress at the Stoop U8 Race. Photo by Geoff Thompson

 U10/U12/U14 Race

84 children took part in the U10/U12/U14 race. Dexta Thompson was 3^rd overall. Helana White had a great run dressed as Father Christmas to finish in 35^th place and 1^st U10 girls. This group also ran around the quarry but on a slightly extended route.

U10/U12/U14 Race. Photo by Geoff Thompson

Full Results

Stan Bradshaw Pendle Round route recce

As Race Organiser for the Stan Bradshaw Pendle Round I am very keen to see this race full to bursting with orange hoops!  The date for the 2017 running is Saturday March 4^th at 11.00am from Barley Village hall.

The crux of this message goes out to those thinking of stepping up in fell race distance. The SBPR is a 16km/10 mile category ‘B’ run (i.e. not as steep as it could be!) around the tracks and trods of Pendle Hill, it is advertised as not being suitable for novices, partly through that distance, but mostly because of the potential weather that occurs at that time of year, early March in recent years has very much been “still winter”.

I would put forward the case that if you have run some of the other, shorter Pendle fell races, the Pendle and Burnley Grand Prix fell races, Woodentops events or have been Badgering from Barley over the winter on a Tuesday night, then you are not a novice and this is the ideal race to step up in Fell race distance terms!

To that end, if you are still not sure – come and try it out.  I am going to host two recce’s of the SBPR race route, one on January 15^th and one on February 12^th.  We will meet in Barley car park at 10.00am and run the route at a steady 1.45-2 hour pace (the winning time last year was 1 hour 12, slowest runner was 2 hours 10), covering the route, its terrain and what to aim for in poor visibility etc to hopefully inspire some new middle distance fell runners in the club.

Please bring your full running kit as per FRA rules (Waterproof whole body cover, hat, gloves, map of the route, compass, whistle, emergency food) as we will be on the hill in winter for a few hours.  If you are not sure if your kit would pass a race inspection, bring it and I will confirm that for you on the day.  (I will bring some spare maps left over from the Navigation course in the summer if you do not have one of those to hand).

I of course will be accepting race entry forms and money on these Sunday mornings (and Tuesday nights!)

Please drop me a message to stanbradshawrace@yahoo.com or through Facebook – the Team Clayton page, if you are interested in joining one or both runs.  I will post reminders on Facebook and the newsletter after Christmas and just before each run.  Clayton members only please!

If I don’t see you Tuesday night or on the Christmas Eve run – Have a good Christmas and Happy New Year!

Colin Woolford

Parkrun roundup

Burnley parkrun – A total of 235 runners took part.

Delamere parkrun – A total of 210 runners took part.

Fell Foot parkrun, Newby Bridge – A total of 164 runners took part.

Marple parkrun – A total of 127 runners took part.

Pendle parkrun – A total of 54 runners took part.

Witton parkrun – A total of 60 runners took part.

Woodhouse Moor parkrun – A total of 250 runners took part.