Strong headwinds and heavy rain greeted 375 runners at the Tigger Tor Fell race on Sunday. The race demands that participants reach 11 checkpoints over unmarked wild country around Burbage and Hathersage Moor, via landmarks such as Higger Tor, Winyards Nick and the oddly-named Toad’s Mouth.
The wild conditions didn’t deter five sturdy & resolute Buxton AC athletes, and first home for the Club was the experienced Jo Bednall who completed the almost 10 mile route in one hour, 46 minutes and 11 seconds, 163rd overall. Another hardy fell runner, Tania Wilson, was next up in 187th in 1.49.20, with Pete Bailey hot on her heels 191st in 1.49.43. Debbie Hope finished in 1.53.24 in 217th place, and Sue Jeff, on her second day of racing, came home in 2.34.28, 360th.
Still on the fells at the Lambs Longer Leg race recently, the name a bit of a misnomer in that it’s a short, sharp 3.1 miler, but with almost a thousand feet of climb over that fleeting distance. Martin Ward claimed 31st finishing position from a field of 75, and in a very respectable 36.14, and Matthew Nadin was 45th in 40.14.
Closer to home, and around our beautiful Errwood Reservoir in the Goyt Valley, the Burbage Edge 10K Trail race attracted almost 60 runners. Two Buxtonians made the short trip over to the Valley, and Jon Sewell performed excellently to come home in 8th place overall in a time of 58 minutes. Step-daughter Amy Clark was 5th female finisher, 24th overall, in a time of 68.09.
Junior Buxton AC runner Sam Soles showed over 200 other runners a clean pair of heels at the hilly Lyme Park parkrun last Saturday, taking top spot in 19 minutes and a second, a superb result. Jack Cook was next home in 17th, 23.28, with Richard Bouglas 22nd in 24.01.
At the Bakewell parkrun, Target 5K graduate Martin Hughes improves from week to week, consistently taking his times down. His 29.48 finishing time is yet another personal best result, and there’s clearly more to come. He was 158th from a field of 270. Pete Bailey was 36th in 22.08, Justin Holmes 91st in 26.04, Gill Thompson 123rd in 28.12 and Mary Rooney 189th in 31.52.