Forestburn Fell Race - Simonside Show ; 11 August 2013

Happy days ! Our team for the race - left to right : Jane Bloomfield, Barry Young ,Gary Robson , Mal Slater , William Robson. The countryman off to the right is carrying a box marked 'Handle with Care ' - which  contains Dave Johnson's shattered confidence after witnessing this formidable Poly presence.

This is a fine show race held in the shadows of the Simonside Hills under the control of NFR's Wil Horsley. For 2013 - the weather was jolly nice to.
The race and show had to be cancelled in 2012 owing to the monsoons that swept through last August. A good dose of rain doesn't put off real Northumbrians or the fell race community- but it did make  it  impossible to organise any parking; while the Cumbrian wrestling would have  become mud wrestling bouts . This year the show had been relocated to a new field just off to the south of the Forest Burn. This meant a re routing of the course - which now went clockwise rather than anti clockwise - and cut off a short section thereby reducing the length to about 4.5 km. .The new start also resulted in a sharp tarmac descent to the Gate pub before cutting right and onto the fields for the fell run proper.

Finally , they're off , as Gary tracks clear of any trouble on the inside

The leaders bolted from the gun - but an early miscalculation on route selection meant they were aiming for the waterfall - and  had to divert back to join the others before hitting the first stream crossing . From there - a longish (but runnable ascent on to the high point of the moors before sweeping down and across the moors). The view of the field from the high point was impressive as Gary was in hot pursuit and seeking  to narrow the gap to Bruce Crombie and a Dark Peak runner . The leaders then swung north back towards the show field.

Fine running from our no 2 - William Robson with a top 10 finish. Note how real fellrunners stick to the grass rather than the track

Straggling further back , it was pure luck to meet up with ex Poly runner (now Morpeth) Claire Bruce. She's more into marathon type stuff these days, where you run along counting lamp posts for 3 hours or so. It was that stage of the race where  wrong route choice decisions could be made, Claire (the quiet fox) wasn't going to make any mistakes as she carefully picked a path which turned out to be a good one . Our group were all soon back on track !  We  hurtled for the line after negotiating the rather depleted Forest Burn and a copse of birch and oak trees.
Fine runs from the  Clan Robson saw Gary get home in 3 rd spot - with William a few places back in 10 th. Mal Slater slotted in back in  15th  . Jane picked up   32nd  . Congratulations to Bruce Crombie for his first outright win - Bruce had also had a 2nd placing in the previous day's Glanton fell race outback of Thrunton Woods.

Jane Bloomfield makes it home in her first fell race - and all in one piece - against the background of a very cheerfully coloured tent (not sure which club has those colours  but it's probably a hippy one) . A good way for Jane to start her career - and all the Poly back home  and dry !

We all celebrated Poly success by slurping down the Morwick Farm Ice Creams http://www.royaldouble.com/from the royal blue kiosk they'd set up. Some rather fine flavoured ices with tropical fruits; a few traditionals  and some nutty ones . Fortunately, ice creams have stayed well clear of those daft, pretentious names afflicting other parts of the food service trade. Naval gazer,  Dave Johnson predictably went for the rum and raisin but there wasn't enough rum in it for him.  More sport was to follow as all bar one of my strikes hit the coconuts  but none of them pitched over . My final shot narrowly missed DJ's bobbing head so that remained intact and we left with nothing to fix on traitors' row on the  spikes outside NSP HQ.

It looks like he didn't stay out of trouble for long as Gary is chased to the line by what looks like the Incredible Hulk - either that or an angry Phil Green who has discarded his NFR shirt

The show was a mixture of livestock ; classic tractors (like footie coaches , red Fergies are best)  and traction engines and farm machinery including  a 60s Triumph GT 6 sports  - probably used for carting hay bales round the farm ; hawk displays with scimitar winged grey peregrines ; a border terrier sprint race ; Cumbrian wrestlers . We stayed until late - so late that DJ's Sunday bowl of sprouts were cold by the time he got home as cold as the ice he'd chomped on . So the day ended truly successfully.
Thanks to Wil ( and I think ) his one helper who set up the race ; Ben Robson was the day's nifty cameraman.
Full results here :http://www.northumberlandfellrunners.co.uk/html/raceresults/2013/Forestburn_results_2013.pdf

Now time for Mal Slater to break from cover for the line - with Dave Johnson (in the background)  ashamedly  hiding his head  behind an oak tree . A hijab comes in handy when there are no trees.

Beacon Hill Fell Race - Round 5 NSP Fell Champs - July 11 , 2013

The climb to the first summit and away from Lordenshaws is headed up by Chris Rowe .

Another glorious summer evening - all thanks to those great folks that have bought Chelsea tractors to run round Tesco's car parks and to cause all this global warming . One place that needed a good bit of global warming was the  Simonside Fells- the site for round 5 of our fell champs.
A wonderful drive north in brilliant sunshine ruined only by the irritating presence of Dave Johnson's scruffy puce coloured vest lying on the back seat of the Grey Shark.It was the first day of the Oval Test and by 1750 England were looking to bat  to stumps with Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott. DJ no stranger to the cricket field predicted in the final 40 mins England would score 12 - my bet of 25 looked the smarter as KP swept away 10 in the first over. DJ then proudly announced how in one match he'd held up his end ( a cricketing term with odd connotations)- while at the same time scoring 6 runs in 4 hours ( This may have been down to some spread betting syndicate amongst Malaysian OAPs that DJ had got mixed up in). As the time ticked down and the sun lowered behind the windmills - the England duo managed only 1 more run in 35 mins. It was going to be a difficult evening with DJ on a high from his only correct prediction that month.
Out of pique I refused to study the colour map he'd brought - how could you get lost on a long summer night on these fells? Navigating  in thick fog on an orienteering champs event 3 years earlier where you couldn't see your elbow from any section of the body - hadn't proved a problem.
On arrival we spotted Chris Rowe's big blue campervan - or maybe it's his house - you only ever see him in it (rather like the family of Scoobee Do) . Chris claimed he'd not fully recovered from his Chevy Chase antics a week or so earlier. He then demonstrated a limp across the training area at the prehistoric area of Lordenshaws as we limbered up by kicking at a few stone relics - fortunately members of a rival club . (Fell races provide plenty of space for athletes who like a good warm up - some even warm up by running the route).
It was a strong field for the event with some top fellrunners. The start was organised with loud 'Go' - as we all filed up the hill to the Simonside ridge . From there the route loiped back down to the valley before climbing up again to Simonside summit. I snuck in behind Chris and waited for him to pick the best line through thick heather (that's the main type of plant that thrives on the acidic  fells - and not a dim female). Chris was just about visible behind the huge clouds of flies that blackened the runners' heads for a good part of the way. Plenty of protein there - except for perhaps the sole runner from the Vegan Running Club - who'd have to dig up a root or something.

And a tricky descent home - as Ian Baxter in the distance - seeks to make up ground by attempting flight.

Then the trickiest section - the craggy drop off  the summit. Chris  broke away and then well clear across the flat boggy section before the forest - and had notched up about 100m . This called for desperate actions  to regain position . Rather than following the race line -I took a line straight through some bracken (that's a type of vegetation well suited to boggy areas - rather than a European 5k vet champion) - hoping to carve out a route that would take out a neck of road and close him down again. A few followers from NFR thought this was also a good tactic. That was until the vegetation got over waist height. Another quick sharp route diversion - and it was worse. The second miscalculation of the night.
After what seemed like ages we finally got back to the track - to find a good proportion of the field had filed through.Chris had gone and he wasn't to feel any hot breaths down his collar  for the rest of the run.
 There followed a   soft forest path section crossed by some windblown trees before a severe muddy climb on to a trail ridge - with fine sunlit views along the Upper Coquet  meanders and ox bow lakes and beyond to Holywell. By this time I was tailing Ian Baxter of Blyth - and up just ahead were a couple of Everton minted TBH vests ( Colin Dilks/Alan Wallace - I think).
 Then after a sortie through some fell cleared forest  it was time to get back onto Simonside for my least favourite section of the run - across the huge flagstones dumped on to the path to avoid further soil erosion. Never an easy run as your stride pattern gets messed around with the danger of twisting an ankle. Trail shoes proved a bit better than the mudclaws here. No sign now of Rowe - who was well on his way to full points after his goat like footwork on the crag descent - and probably rustling up a bacon sandwich and a cup of Bovril in the campervan .Bet he wasn't limping now !
The final tumble down to the finish - and failing to make up ground on Wallace and Co - but managing just to hold off Ian Baxter.

Sunglasses parked on his head -as Dave Johnson  the old man of the hills leads the race's youngest runner (James Green ) towards the first summit .

Dave Johnson came in a few of minutes later complaining that he'd had to deal with bumpers ; or bouncers (unlikely to see them here) ; leg breaks and the odd full toss .
The race winner was a GB orienteer - Duncan Archer from Cleveland Orienteering Club and Durham Fellrunners.Duncan had rather sportingly tracked and stopped an errant TBH man - then in the lead - from taking a route that would have left him at the post office at Thropton. There he'd probably have had to dial  999 and hope Kenny would pick up the phone. Despite his unplanned diversion, Dunc still had the strength to then keep up a good lead all the way to the finish. Saltwell Harriers won the team prize. Poly one runner short of  team.
Race Positions : 1. Duncan Archer 51 m 7 s; 20. Chris Rowe 1 h 6m 4 s; 26. Barry Young 1 h 8 m 46 s; 35. Dave Johnson 1h 11 m 49 s. 49 runners set out.
Full results here :http://www.northumberlandfellrunners.co.uk/html/raceresults/2013/BeaconHill_2013.pdf
 Position in the NSP Champs now as follows :
 1. Barry Young 196 pts; 2.Chris Rowe 148 pts; 3. Dave Johnson 96 pts 4= Garry Robson/John Baty  50 pts; 5= Martin Frost /George Adamson 49 pts ; 6. Heather Gould 48 pts; 7. Mal Slater 46 pts

The debate continues to  rage over DJ's inclusion in the results with his 'foot in both camps approach'  - especially as now it seems he has joined yet another club - Keswick AC.It's certainly  not cricket - where you can only play for one team . But knowing his track record   DJ probably volunteered to field and bowl for the opposition after having surrendered his end while batting.
A rather fine evening and thanks go to NFR for the easy going and efficient way that they regularly pull these events off. Thanks also to NFR web site for a few of the photos.