The racing season is in full swing, unlike our summer, and Buxton AC runners have had to contend with every extreme of weather conditions this past week, from torrential downpours to blazing sunshine.
Last Thursday’s second race in the Staffordshire Moorlands AC Summer Series was held at Grin Low, and very aptly named “Buxton Hilly”. Just a few moments before the start of the race, the heavens opened and it seemed everyone was in for a thorough soaking. Happily, the sun broke through just in time. Twenty Buxton runners ran the two lap course which takes in our iconic Solomon’s Temple, before contouring through the Grin Low Woods back to “Heart Attack Hill” back over to open ground. Jake Fearn stormed round the almost five mile course to finish in 7th place, in 32.14, while Chris Rushworth was 12th in 33.59. First female home was Katie Rolfe, 92nd in 43.28, Sheila Bradley 109th in 44.58 (1st FV60). Sarah Guise was 2nd FV50 and Alison Hitchin was 3rd FV50. 223 ran.
The Passing Cloud Fell Race covers almost 10 miles of stunning Staffordshire countryside, starting from Tittesworth Visitor Centre. This flat start lulls the runners into a false sense of security, but this soon fades with a climb up to the scenic Ramshaw Rocks, wiggles along the back of the Roaches range to Roach End, followed by a stiff climb back over the Roaches. The ‘sting in the tail’ of a tough climb up Hen Cloud gives the runners a final test of stamina before returning back down to Tittesworth. Jason Brunnock celebrated two ‘firsts’, first time of winning a race outright and first place overall from a field of 179 runners, a fine result. His time of 1.13.28 gave him a clear win over the second finisher. Jason Bennett was next Buxton runner home in 1.19.32, while Nick Jones, in 1.23.44, completed the trio for First Male Team. Jo Bednall was 59th home overall, 1st Female Vet 50 in 1.33.15 and first Buxton female home. Debbie Hope was 2nd FV 45 in 1.38.16 and 86th overall. Fourteen Buxton runners took part.
Saturday’s rain simply bucketed it down for most of the day, and the only thing that can be said in favour of the conditions was that it kept the 71 Pavilion Gardens 5K runners cool! The Juniors once again simply shone, and from the entire field, 27 of them were Junior runners. Nathan Porter from Goyt Valley Striders led the field from the outset, finishing in 18.49, with Junior Jake O’Donnell of Buxton AC getting ever closer as each lap passed, and only two seconds separated the two runners. Another outstanding performance from Buxton’s Lucy Bednall, pipping Oliver Lloyd of Matlock AC to the post by just one second, giving Bednall a 3rd place overall, first female & Junior, in 19:56. David Reeves was 6th home, first V45, in 20.29, while returning to form Amy Mellor was 8th home in 21.09. Buxton’s Charlie Narejko, one of the Club’s Target 5K graduates, smashed her personal best for the event by over two minutes, finishing in 26.53. 19 of the runners were from Matlock AC, the race being part of their Junior Championships.
Andy Lidstone travelled further afield recently, all the way down to Dartmoor, to take part in the Dartmoor Discovery Ultra event, covering 32 miles and is the UK’s longest single lap road marathon. Andy’s very creditable time of 5.32.21 gave him a 59th finishing slot from a field of 177 runners.
Three Buxton AC athletes raced at the Derby Half Ramathon, from Pride Park, and ‘pride of place’ went to Rick Aldred who finished in a fine 77th place from a massive field of 2,282 runners in 1.27.28. Chris and Louise Morton also took part, finishing close together in 1.59.02 and 1.59.46 respectively.
Tania Wilson was sole Buxton representative at two local fell races last week – the Castleton 10.8K race, which has 458 metres of climb, and was rewarded with 1st Female Vet 50 place in 1.05.29, and the 8K Calver Peak Fell race, with 228 runners, and finished in 120the place in 43.51. Pete Bailey, despite the odd broken bone and smashed rib, ran at the Boar’s Head race, finishing in 121st place out of 208 runners, in a time of 66.51.