The racing season is in full swing, both on the fells and on the road and Buxton Athletic Club runners are often undecided which to take part in, especially as over the past week there have been around 10 local races to chose from.  And naturally, one or two athletes have pushed themselves to their physical limits by taking part in several!  Here’s a selection of results from just a few ….

At the Tideswell Inter Inns 5K road race, Buxton athletes smashed both the male and female course records last Monday evening, with Jake Fearn taking the overall race lead in an excellent time of 17 minutes and 18 seconds.  Helen Thornhill, a fantastic second overall finisher, was not only first female home but broke the ladies’ record in 18.57.  Three other ‘firsts’ by Buxton athletes were claimed too – Terry Fowler was 1st Male Vet 50 in 20.27, Lucy Bednall was 1st Junior Female in 20.45 while mum Jo was 1st Female Vet 50 in 22.12.

Fearn’s form was evident last Thursday evening at the Staffordshire Moorlands Summer Series “Buxton Hilly” 4.75 mile race with a 4th overall finishing place in 32.52 minutes.  The course includes the climb up to Solomon’s Temple before a fast descent through Grin Low Woods, an undulating dash through the bottom of the woods before the painful ascent up the short & snappy “Heart Attack Hill”, so dubbed by local runners for self-evident reasons!  Buxton athletes were out in force that night with 16 runners from over 180 taking part.  Fran Bromley, meanwhile, ran a cracking race in searing heat to finish 22nd overall, 2nd female and first in her age category with a time of 36.41.  Jo Bednall was second Female Vet 50, Sheila Bradley 2nd Female Vet 60.

The Alderley 10K road race takes good advantage of the temporary closure of the A34 bypass making it totally closed to traffic for the out and back predominantly flat course with only gentle undulations, promising fast times – unless of course, temperatures soar into the mid 80’s as they did on race morning!    Accordingly, the times of the seven Buxton runners who braved the elements, whilst perfectly respectable, broke no records.  First Buxtonian home was Rick Aldred in 38.41, placed 44th from the 1,719 field.  Jon Sewell was next up in 57th in 39.33, Amy Clark, returning to form after breaking several ribs, was 109th in 42.03.  Fran Ross’s time was 51.47, Adele Thornton’s 53.10, Tim Rolfe 56.20 and Louise Hallows 57.24.

Tania Wilson was another prolific racer this past weekend, taking in “Up The Nab” fell race on Saturday and the Greak Hucklow 6 mile fell race on Sunday, claiming first Female Vet 50 and 67th place from 113 runners.  Jake Fearn’s consistent form was evident yet again at the Great Hucklow race with another fourth placing overall.  Tim Aldridge, Richard Bouglas, Dan Latham and Pete Bailey also took part.  Bailey had raced at Tideswell only two days before, a race of two parts – uphill and downhill – along with fellow Club Member Richard Goff.

Last but by no means least is the remarkable feat of a trio of races undertaken by Ben Light whilst on holiday, culminating in running up and down Skiddaw in the Lake District last Sunday, earning him an amazing 7th place from 99 runners in an outstanding time of under 2 hours for the 3,000 feet of ascent and descent.  His 9th placing at the Tebay fell race a few days before was equally remarkable for another 3,000 feet and 8 miler.  Not known to rest on his laurels, Light claimed first place in the Whinlatter Forest Parkrun the day before scaling Skiddaw.  Superman or what?!