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| The only control to reach - and some failed - on the high point at Humbleton Fell and guarded by the organiser's mother.There are even signs showing the route home.Some probably ended up in the barn after following the arrow too literally ...... |
Public transport for the section is usually provided door to door by Trevor Wakenshaw's taxi service - but here we were thrown onto the full mercy of a train celebrating its 150 th birthday . Heavy,clammy beads of perspiration formed on Dave Johnson's pale brow as he realised the train for HB left only 90 minutes before the scheduled race start ! It doesn't move any faster either even when you buy your ticket 2 hours before it departs.DJ worriedly checked his watch at each halt to see whether or not we could really only make it with 25 minutes to spare.
As the train crawled to its destination and Dave fumbled nervously with his rosary - providence was at hand ! One Poyfeller introduced himself to a car owning member of the public - who in a spirited way offered a lift to the start. The driver was none other than Steve Birkinshaw - a classy fellrunner (last year's winner) from a fell club ( Borrowdale ) adulated by Dave Johnson in the same terms. as HMS The Price of Wales or the England cricket XI under Sir Mike Brearley. It is a seriously elite Club - and one of several (including the Garrick, RAC and Bullingdon ) from which DJ has been justifiably blackballed.
Steve was in no great hurry (at least not before the race started) to arrive on time.
As Steve set off we played a quick game of Top Trumps Fell Clubs - as my proud reference to the Poly fell section swiftly cancelled out Steve's Borrowdale. It then fell to DJ to enter his card. He mumbled something that sounded like 'Rum Baba' - he was asked to repeat when we got something like 'Poly but blether'. Steve and I were aghast and speechless !! DJ was wearing a red Poly race jacket - what on earth was going on - what was this Club he was representing !
Nevertheless, DJ sat in the back seat of the car with a self contented ,smug look on his impertinent face. But that was only because for the first and only time in his life he was in front of a Borrowdale vest - as Steve's kit rested in the boot of the car.
The race was run in beautiful weather with fine views across the Tyne Valley from the ridges. It is a new race - first running was last year and was set up by Dexter Armstrong of NFR. Dexter's done great job - it has a mixture of farm track , woodland pathways and open moorland. In fact part of it cuts right across a Northern Navigators' orienteering area ( and we have some of the best areas in the county).
The course is very well taped - or so Dexter thought until NFR's Wil Horsley leading from the start soon got lost when he broke cover from the woods and contrived to cheerfully finish 10 mins ahead of anyone else - having missed the one and only control right on the highest point of the course. There were a few other random runners - some of whom ended up also as DSQ. Dave Johnson should have been DSQ as well for a nav error - but as to be expected there was no advantage gained - and in fact better still, he almost got a sharp jab up the backside from some disgruntled stock.
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| Steve Birkinshaw nears the turnaround point at thetop of the course. (Sorry there are few photos - and none with us - but we aren't far out of shot!) |
A first fell run (or any run ) in some time produced a result of 30th in 46m 39 s . Dave Johnson rolled in a few minutes later at 49m 10 s - to be greeted by a posse of worried females - concerned at the stress he had been put under both by a late arrival at the start and some taped sections that DJ felt had been carefully rearranged by a preceding runner - to ensure DJ found himself alone in a field with a group of frisky , young
The race was narrowly won by David Beech of TBH by a smattering of seconds from Steve Birkinshaw. It remains to be seen whether TBH have done enough to convince Dave Johnson about their fell credentials. What he can't doubt however is TBH hospitality as Alan Wallace took pity on him and chauffeured him back down the valley - leaving the other Polyfeller to be ferried home by Daryll Davidson of TBH - where we played a game of TBH v Poly vets Top Trumps. I had the rather difficult task of deciding whether (on account of his display that day) I could play Dave Johnson against Kenny Macpherson - as a top trump.
Great evening , record turnout, generous prizes and fine weather. Now all Dexter has to do is build a yellow brick road round the course in time for next year to avoid any more strays on his ' newbie' course. But that would make it a road run - requiring no initiative other than figuring out excuses for a below par race time.
Meantime the Poly fell champs have taken on a new dimension with positions after race 2:
1. Barry Young 97 pts; 2. Garry Robson 50 pts; 3. Martin Frost 49 pts; 4. Dave Johnson* 49 pts; 5. Chris Rowe 48 pts; 6. Mal Slater 6 pts; 7. John Baty 0 pts.
Full results.http://www.northumberlandfellrunners.co.uk/html/raceresults/2013/Humbleton_Fell_Race_Results_2013.pdf
Photos thanks to the NFR web .
(* denotes fifth columnist and subject to DSQ).
