Buxton AC’s annual Club Championships includes a track event of 5,000 metres in distance and Club Members made good use of the Community School’s Temple Fields 200 metre grass track to run the 12 and a half laps that made up the 5K last Wednesday evening.

The on-form Samantha Willis led the ladies’ race from the outset, and ran strongly to finish in first place in a creditable time of 22 minutes and 22 seconds. Fran Ross, gaining in speed as the season progresses, finished not far behind in 23.15, 2^nd placed. Also showing great improvement this year is Adele Thornton, 3^rd finisher in 23.43. First veteran female was Sarah Guise in 26.42, while Kate Ledin was first supervet in 23.46.

The men’s race was initially a tussle between Sol Clark and Rob White, both producing excellent results this season, but Clark soon took the lead and held on to it to the finish line, coming home in 17.51. White’s time was 18.27 while third finisher was David Fryer-Winder, an athlete who is going from strength to strength, in 19.07. Jon Sewell was 1^st veteran male in 19.20, and Pete Bailey first supervet in 22.10.

The 8^th and final race in the Staffordshire Moorlands AC Summer Series was held around the beautiful Rudyard Lake. The 8 races comprise a 39 mile scenic tour of Staffordshire Moorlands and the ascent amounts to 4,300 feet of climbing. Buxton AC have been well represented for the entire series, and Rudyard was no exception with 16 Seniors taking part in the 4.7 mile race. True to form throughout the series as first home for the Club was Chris Rusworth in 18^th place from a field of 236 in a speedy time of 30.37, followed by Paul Wardman (51^st 33.25). Packing well were Kev Mottram, Neil Evans and, once again first home for the Buxton ladies, Katie Rolfe – 66^th, 67^th and 68^th placings (34.34, 34.35 and 34.54). Second home for the ladies in a rapid time of 37.09, 110^th placing, was Fran Ross, while Sheila Bradley finished in 38.19, 126^th taking her to 1^st Female Veteran Over 60 for the entire series. Charlie Narejko ran a personal best time for all of the eight races, demonstrating how much she has improved over the past year.

Another Club Championship race, this time in the Fell Series, was the Sheldon Fell Race, over a short but technically challenging route from the village and skirting Shacklow Woods before a nasty ascent back to the welcome sight of the village. Some 4 miles in length, the Senior Club Members didn’t get a look in until Nick Jones came home in 43^rd place, in 30.17, while SEVEN Juniors finished ahead of Jones and the rest of the Seniors. Mention must be made of the first three talented Junior finishers – Alex Ediker 1^st in 24.14, Finlay Grant 2^nd in 24.18 and Elliot Meylan 5^th in 25.31. Nigel Jeff was next Senior home in 73^rd place in 32.43, while Jo Bednall was first Senior Club female home in 87^th (33.55), Debbie Hope 95^th in 34.42 and Tania Wilson 101^st in 35.07. There were 174 finishers and 10 Buxton Seniors took part.

Still on the fells was the Bamford Carnival Fell Race, a race of over 1000 feet of climbing covering just 4.5 miles, with a tough little clamber up Win Hill, so one to test the legs. Buxton fielded just three runners, who sacrificed the 5,000 metre track race for the fells, and were rewarded with some fine results. Jo Bednall was 99^th from a field of over 200, and was 2^nd Female Vet 50 for her efforts. Jason Bennett finished in 19^th position in 34.25, while Nigel Jeff was 61^st in 39.05.

The International Snowdon Mountain Race, now in it’s 44^th year, is considered to be one of the greatest in the world of mountain running, and attracts some of the best racers in Europe. Following the well defined path from Llanberis, once reaching the summit – some 3,550 feet – the runners, legs on fire, must then descend as fast as they can back to the village of Llanberis, covering 9.5 miles in total. The challenge of such a tough event didn’t phase six Buxton AC runners, and all finished in excellent times. First back was Jason Bennett (97^th) in 1.27.25, Nick Jones (166^th) in 1.34.34, Richard Bouglas (235^th) in 1.40.20. Sam Willis was 44^th female home, winning her a spot prize of a beautiful painting of the mountain, (249^th overall) in 1.41.06, while Dan Latham (303^rd) finished in 1.45.35 and Richard Goff (308^th) in 1.46.24. 611 runners finished this renowned race.

Mark Sherratt took part in the Solway Coast Marathon which is best described as one of the flattest marathons in the UK. In tough conditions with strong headwinds, Sherratt’s 5^th place overall in a brilliant time of 3 hours 1 minute and 30 seconds is pretty close to the Male 50 Club Record, and he was rewarded with the prize for first Male Vet 50.