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| Assault on Humbleton as Chris Rowe matches Joe Blackett on the first climb. |
With the winter solstice approaching and the hope that the sun might re appear after the 21 st , it was time for the mid week dash up to Haydon Bridge for Tynedale's fell race.
The race has been going for 4 years and seen numbers progressively increase . This year it featured as part of the north east fell running championship and drew in 60 runners . The Chris Rowe 'big red bus' was there and I joined up. We've both done this race a few times but so far it hasn't grabbed the Polyfeller attention as well as it should. The threat of a Robson raid didn't materialise.
The start is always very relaxed (usual fellrunning affair in a farmer's field) . A chance to catch up on a few friends such as Joe Blackett of Dark Peak. Joe was mischievously checking out form on any V50 he could find (Joe's a former winner of the Chevy and regular prize winner....and very flattered to be quizzed on current pace ) . Harry Coates from Wallsend had also quietly rolled into town -sadly Wallsend's green and gold is quite rare on the fells . Harry made a few general enquiries about the route - but as we were mapless we couldn't help much. The usual advice is to follow the man in front if in doubt but that probably wasn't what Harry wanted to hear. It didn't work either for a rocket propelled Will Horsley who in the second year of the event, found himself clear and then completed the course (5 miles) in an astonishingly unbelievable time of about 19 minutes.... . My memory of the course was none too specific except to say when you get to the top of the hill you get really fine views to the north up towards the Wall and by that point you are more than half way.Not sure Harry had a sight seeing trip in mind.He got some more substantial input from Andrew Higgins of NFR.
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| The scorer's pen looks a long way down that list as the kick for home and in sight of the line finally opens up a gap. A very fine surface to finish on. |
Dexter Armstrong (so no V50 competition there , Joe ) as organiser assumed command with a few health and safety announcements about barbed wire (helpfully demonstrated by a marshall's head wound for a touch of realism .... ) ; sticking to the route which had been carefully way marked by Dexter (so no short cuts ! ) and a 'go'.
From the off the ascent to the wood is a bit harsh as you aim for the barbed wire armed fence crossing. One NFR (David Beach ?) runner set for big things broke well away in the first 400 metres from the pack who were left scraping or scrapping for position before the woods. That was the last I saw of the leaders.
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| Grass act as Chris cuts a line through the rough pasture on the descent off the summit |
Conditions were good underfoot - as this can be a squelch. Chris Rowe seemed to get into stride quite fast and after breaking cover from the first woods I saw him for the last time that night. He seemed to have got his footwear right this time for his quick steps and I wasn't going to get past him this year on the ascent.
Usually it's been possible to witness the lead runners filing back down the parallel field from the course summit. No such joy this time - and there was good reason and not totally related to me. It was good to keep company with Neil Cassidy from Tynedale for a while leaving Neil to break a path over the sedge and myrtle. I managed to stagger past him close to the summit. The descent was flighty with a slew past among others a few loose females (in the sense they were strung out by this stage...) and then seemed to brake on the wood re entry as some regrouping took place before the final short road descent for home . Neil had then pulled level and then clear and the fearsome figure of Alan 'The' Wallace for NFR also came into view . Ruth Bentley from Allen Valley added to the mix. A 4 way race developed for the places in the 20s - and much to my surprise and relief I held a line for the reds against the blacks and purples (Ruth's AVS a quartered shirt of each colour). Words of sprint coach Alan Watt of ' Relax .....but not that much !!' ringing in the ears.
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| Wallsend's Harry Coates was a worthy winner on his mainly solitary run - but is tagged in the early climb by Andy Blackett from DFR. |
Ben, a good orienteer as well as fellrunner, had just recently finished second (to Andrew Higgins - no 5 at Humbleton) at our NN Long O event at Breamish valley; a 20 k plus thrash across the Cheviots . He didn't mention it at all but this is really a plug anyway for our recent race :http://www.northern-navigators.org.uk/fixtures/140615.html
On the home front Chris was a worthy 10 th (he's getting much closer to the top these days and a regular top 10 finisher) - and I filed in 26 th. Locals Tynedale battered the prizes including first team for male and females . Neil picked up the V60 win prize before his Saunders MM.
Worth a summer's outing next year and an all round good introduction to fell running - pot pourri of everything ! Also a rather large percentage of females for a fell race up to almost a third - so definitely one for our ladies to try next year .Great support from local landowners to - it is all private land and no public footpaths . Some of the best cakes west of Katie Jones's kitchen for the finishers .Thank you to Marcus Byron and Joe Taylor for the photos and NFR ( Dexter Armstrong) for this fine race .Oh and the sun also came out just as were about to burn the wicker man.
Results here http://www.northumberlandfellrunners.co.uk/html/raceresults/2015/Humbleton_Fell_Race_Results_2015.pdf
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| A sunshine finish from Chris Rowe in 10th spot. |
