An exceedingly busy week for Buxton Athletic Club runners . . .
The British Fell Championships consist of four challenging fell races held in each of the countries that make up Great Britain, attracting the cream of the fell running fraternity. The second event was recently held at Tal Y Mignedd, Gwynedd in North Wales and, with a distance of 4.2 miles and some 1800 feet of climbing, was never going to be an easy ride. The route lulls the runners into a false sense of security for almost a mile from the start before violently ascending a goliath 1800 feet in just over a mile. After tapping Queen Victoria’s obelisk at the summit, the kamikaze descent leads the runners back to finish. In the men’s race, Buxton’s Alasdair Campbell was 56th in a time of 39.49 from a field of 186 runners, while Bryan McKenna was 92nd in 42.39, Dan Latham 134th in 46.39 and Richard Goff 200th in 54.13. Tania Wilson represented Buxton in the ladies’ race and finished in a very respectable 38th in a time of 52.39.
The 2018 Gritstone Fell Series has 10 races all held around the Peak District, one of which was the Accelerate Edale event, held on 10 June, on the day of the Country Fair. Another short but brutal course, the event brings runners from the surrounding conurbations of Sheffield, Manchester, Derby – and of course Buxton. From a field of 223, Buxton was represented by Matt Hawtin (77th), Jo Bednall (102nd and 1st Female Vet 50), Tania Wilson (131st), Mark Thorogood (149th) and Angela Bent (208th).
A suitable venue for post-race rehydration, the Boar’s Head pub at Poynton is the starting point for the fell race of the same name. Categorised as a “BM” race, so a medium length race with a medium amount of ascent and descent, the Boar’s Head is a smidgeon over 8 miles in length, with just over 1300 feet of climbing over the distance. Buxton’s Dan Latham, Richard Bouglas and Pete Bailey took part, and were placed 28th, 60th and 120th respectively from a field of 187 runners.
Jake Fearn returned to the racing world with a solid performance at the Castleton fell race, finishing in 43rd from 300 runners. The race, another “BM” in the Gritstone series, with a shorter course of 6.7 miles and 1500 feet of climbing, takes runners from the village all the way up to the rocky ridge at Lose Hill, Back Tor, Hollins Cross and climbs up to the trig point at Mam Tor, with an interesting descent back down to the village via the rough track from Hollins Cross. Jason Bennett, also returning to racing, wasn’t far behind Fearn in 47th position. Katie Rolfe, fairly new to fell running and enjoying the technical challenges, was 235th in 71.08.
Second in the Staffordshire Moorlands Summer Series, the Roaches fell race crosses rocky terrain to the trig point, before descending to Roach End, and returning via the back of the Roaches range. At approximately 5.5 miles, the race is a mix of technically challenging terrain and speedy tarmac’d roads, so something for everyone. Some 12 Buxton AC runners took part, and from a field of 222, Ben Light led his team-mates home to finish in a fantastic 4th position overall. Fran Bromley, returning to form, was 4th female to finish.
The Hairy Helmet relays give the impression of being a fun event, but hard-won trophies are reluctantly given up, so the famous Norse helmet brought home by Buxton AC athletes last year was going to be given up only under the most extreme of circumstances. Buxton fielded 8 teams, Senior and Junior, and despite best efforts all round, the Male Open team was third overall, so had to relinquish the trophy – for now! The Male Supervets team was also 3rd, whilst the Mixed Team was 1st, as was the Female Supervet team. Costumes appropriate for the event included an outstanding Fred Flintstone parody, winning Fred, Wilma, Barney and Betty the prize for best outfits (aka Caroline Newton-Phillips, Elizabeth Nocton, Emma Wentworth and Louise Hallows). Buxton AC will return to Derby’s Darley Park to contend the coveted Hairy Helmet trophy in 2019!
At 27 miles and with 3,270 feet of climbing, the Baslow Boot Bash follows some of the most scenic routes around the White Peak, meandering through Chatsworth Park, before heading to Haddon, up to Over Haddon, Sheldon, Monsal Dale, Cressbrook Dale, Foolow, Eyam, Froggatt, Calver and back over Bramley Wood and Bank Wood ridges before returning to Baslow, a stunningly beautiful route. Knocking almost an hour off their 2017 time, Kate Phillip and Sheila Bradley finished in 5.29.59 in 18th and 19th place respectively. Annabelle Mottram and Richard Bouglas, also knocking a sizeable chunk from previous times, finished just a few minutes later in 5.36.00.