59th Chevy Chase , 4 th July 2015 - Double for Twaddle

Rain man , Iain Twaddle sets out as the torrent  rattles off the road at the start of his Chevy epic with Philip Sanderson sheltering in 2 nd place  . Frosty,  in red, edges his way towards the front of the pack .

The toughest race on the north east calendar was run on American Independence Day in a day of contrasting fortunes.
The Chevy has been  a graveyard race for some of our legendary fellers. John Baty sustained  self inflicted psychological damage from the 2012 race after his crass assumption that as the Chevy's home was Northumberland National Park meant it must be a parkrun  . At 5k he had still not reached control 1 at Commonburn House - but he'd set a nightmarish pace with the serious hills to come. A year later , Chris Rowe's high hopes crashed with a pulled hamstring somewhere between Cheviot and Hedgehope - but he just about managed to stagger to the finish (some feat that with about 12 miles left to go). Earlier than  that , legend has it that  the Poly Club Captain (while  in the top 5) failed to turn left at  Brands Corner (CP 5)  and funnelled over into the wrong valley. Rumours swirled that the Club Capt had been gallantly chasing down an errant female   , lost  like a  lamb,   to  redirect her back on the correct course.  Modesty prevented the Capt mentioning that  detail in later years - though some cynics suggested that was because it would put him in a bad light  that a lady was ahead of him at the time. The race has dogged others with mis navigations, and slumps resulting in DNF.
 One runner who  has consistently managed to keep mind, body and sense of direction together is Iain Twaddle - the winner from 2008 and regular top 3 finisher whenever he'd raced it . One of the north's (so the country's) top fellrunners. He headlines for the Club in many other kinds of races that we don't trouble this BLOG with !

Then came the sun beating relentlessly as I cross through Causey Burn.

The 2015 race commenced in a flash flood with torrential rains sweeping the eastern Cheviots and a warning from the organisers of expected electric storms .It meant that this wasn't a day for umbrellas. With their usual diligence the organisers had  made their plans to clear the hillsides should lightning strike. Not a good prospect for any new runners considering the list of other hazards of saturated bogs, awful visibility , wet , heat stroke when the clouds finally  broke  and the continuous changes of terrain - as well as other competitors in various states of exhaustion and anxiety.

A short breather for Rachel Carr as she files towards the very last ascent of the day. A fine debut in harsh conditions - and a rather natty cap.

We did have a few Chevy virgins in our tally including Rachel Carr (one of 2 Raquels in our team ! ) , Chris Oliphant and John Brettell . The contingent included a scattering of the Windy Gyle brigade with Lt. Col. Michael Caine and Rachel Inman ( the 2nd Raquel) also Mark Smith ( not much to report as yet - but he may be from somewhere south ). Frosty (now a Wooler local ) had also staged his umpteenth comeback from his sledging accident of years ago to feature again.

A supporting role (not the lead)  is played today by Michael Caine - our 3rd placed runner home . But at least he beat his sister.

The race got underway in the torrent as Iain and Phil Sanderson immediately broke away from the field at the gun as the rest slogged  uphill towards Wooler Common behind them. This is not a good place to burn up energy unless you're sure you know what's in store. So it was a chance to catch up with a bit of banter with Rez Prathalignan and Paul Carroll (formerly of Claremont) . A few pleasantries were exchanged with the Rachels  attractively attired in their bright waterproofs - before the race started in earnest off road and on the Common.
 Rain was bearing down for the first 90 minutes and  soon  waterproofs were doing you no favours with condensation  - and soon they have to come off. Reportedly , Michael Kane had opted for a bright yellow rain jacket - but there was insufficient evidence on this occasion to convict him for being the worst dressed Poly runner.
The race had already become a 2 man race with Iain and Phil ahead as the field stretched out towards Broadstruther  , and then wove in and out the bogs at Cheviot Knee. I chipped in and out of conversations with a Phil Green contingent and a Kevin Ayre squad of SS Harriers ( Kevin accurately predicting a strong showing from the SSHAC females). The race then fragments a little as you mark the climb into cloud onto Cheviot.
The race at the front was a fierce affair. Phil was just about hanging onto Iain up towards Cheviot - but Iain was stretched things on the run down to the Langlee Burn . Then it was back into cloud for Hedghope. Perfect cover for an attack. As Iain summited , the marshals informed him the lead runner had passed through about 2 minutes earlier. Not a good omen for the rocky descent off Hedgehope where the lines remained obscured in the mist and with no moving target at all to aim at. The run towards the Langlee and Long Crags proved ever more evasive for Iain as the quarry had cleared the control point and eluded visual detection. It took real mental resilience to regather strength in these conditions. Navigation by sight became impossible - direction was by compass , contour or failing that instinct (not a good option). At one point Iain reckoned he was heading off course on the due east cut towards Brands Corner. The pressure was building . There was no scope for any errors as Phil has a string of successes in north east fell races and was a tough competitor. Then as Iain descended through the cloud towards Brands he saw his prey for the first time in getting on for an hour - Phil Sanderson was climbing off towards the Harthope Valley . Iain descended like a hawk  - he wasn't going to lose sight now.

A fine piece of landscape photography in Causey Canyon is enhanced by our glorious team colours borne by Chris Oliphant 

Back in the Cheviot fog , the peloton was managing as best possible with various runners tumbling down off Cheviot , voices sounding in the ether and occasional flashes of rain jacket colour. Michael Caine remained sheltered from attack and he wasn't giving his position away with any Cockney voiced anecdotes. The climb up Hedghope was salutary as time was lost ; using instinct rather than bearing . At one point a compass check revealed we were heading the wrong way back round Combe Fell ! That was only re corrected as the fence line was struck - some 400 metres off track. Summiting the marshals crouched down in the weather tent were relieved to announce over 2 way radios that , 'They were coming through again'. The run towards the crags was in squelch but for the first time the mist was lifting making sight along the valley definite. Descending like a pigeon towards Brands Corner , Frosty was spotted taking on water before the 90 degree turn to the north. No hind nor hare though of Michael Kane in his luminous clothing.
With quarry in sight , Iain was now able to track Phil along the ankle wrenching rocks along Causey Burn. Rounding on to Hell's Path , he was then on Phil's shoulder before breaking clear on the ascent. It was now down to the fastest runner over the last 3 miles or so. The ground smoothed to grass and then tarmac for the downhill dash to the finish. Iain now had the edge and broke open a gap of about 3 minutes in the final few miles as he closed in on Wooler Youth Hostel - ensuring he did not miss the final navigation track home . A very worthy and popular winner (  having been a member at Wooler Running Club , the hosts) . For Phil it was a huge  disappointment having finished second now on 3 occasions.

New Polyfeller , Mark Smith with eyes down as he gains some early credibility for his new Club as our 2nd man home.

Back in the scrum, Frosty had teamed up with Alan Wallace of NFR as he climbed out of Brands . I narrowed the gap to about 30 metres on the ridde . There then followed the wriggly , marshy  descent  and  Frosty's titanium ankles he eased open the gap down to the Harthope  Burn where Mrs Frosty was on hand to offer refreshments for any Poly runners - even those chasing her husband . Hitting Causey Burn , Frosty was  in view for only about a mile as he lurched over the boulders  and then was lost as he right turned for the climb up Hell's Path . A final finish saw him about 3 minutes clear - despite a late rally and a sharp short cut through the youth hostel grounds as I managed to run across Michael Caine's egg and parsley sandwiches  . The Eagle had Landed several minutes ahead of Frosty.
Any runners arriving after 4 hours -  were in for a furnace run. The clouds parted and the sun beat bright and hard sapping any energy that was left.

Battle weary . Even Frosty is suffering as he takes on fluids pacing his way to the finish.

Mark Smith was our second runner back  . Michael Kane third and Frosty fourth. Behind me , came Chris Oliphant (fresh as he'd started) ; tracked back the first of the 2 Rachels - Carr followed by Inman (apparently splitting after a duo run to the Harthope Valley bridge). Then Ian Holland - who surprised us all as he'd threatened to do the walk ( on which we had Jane Gerono and Christine). Chris was readying the Poly search parties when John Brettell surfaced - and we were all home. Sadly , we were 1 short of a full female team. Our top 3 men : Iain , Mark and Mike were outgunned by NFR - but overall we had the 2 nd team (though no prize for that). Paul Doxford of South Shields picked up the Spirit of the Chevy prize for having completed this year's event having been airlifted off Hedghope 2 years ago after a broken ankle.

Cool running as Iain now needs slicks on the same road home as in photo 1  as he hurtles downhill towards the finish. He had covered the 32 km plus in a shade over 3 hours...

Picnics and cakes , parents , trophies collected by happy athletes all  gathered on the green in front of the hostel. It was a truly glorious afternoon . A perfect setting  for one of the Poly's top  athletes to again clutch the  trophy from the north east's hardest race.
Here is the roll of honour for  our competitors. They can all take huge credit for the physical and mental endurance needed to survive the ordeal   :
1 . Iain Twaddle 3 02 26
20. Mark Smith 3 56 05
35. Michael Kane 4 11 57
40. Martin Frost 4 16 51
47. Barry Young 4 19 29
92. Chris Oliphant 4 42 09
120. Rachel Carr 5 06 02
135. Rachel Inman 5 20 43
144. Ian Holland 5 36 10
167 . John Brettell 6 51 55

Photos thanks to Northumberland Gazette for a couple and Paul Buxton for the others ( a fine web site for local photographs).

This is the report from the Chevy web site. http://woolerrunningclub.co.uk/Chevy%20Chase%20report%202015.html
Results here : http://results.sportident.co.uk/home/event.html?eventid=4bb011ae-e058-4cc5-8838-c75275b56baf
This from the pen of Phil Green :http://thehottrod.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/chevy-chase-weekender.html

Windy Gyle Fell Race 22 June 2015 - A Bridge Too Far

Deja vu (at least if you're a French speaking Belgian ) as for the second year running , William Robson picks up the U 23 prize for this race. ( Photo taken  by Andy Russell in 2014 .....no cameramen this year).

Two Hundred  years   after the British had again rescued Europe from disaster  at Waterloo  , 1000 Belgian paratroopers  in commemoration of liberation   had drifted from the Northumberland skies and  into Otterburn Camp a week before the WG Fell Race  . It was one of the biggest parachute drops on UK soil in recent memory. They landed unopposed .
The Belgians  had  a week to decamp and trudge east across the badlands to reach the Border ridge and into our fellrunner territory for mid summer.
By Sunday morning  , the Belgians had streamed into 8 man sections  scattered across the hill flanks and up onto the ridges . They were weighed down with fridge sized radios , 50 kg Bergens and armed to the teeth with rifles and heavy machine guns . They were ready for a fight and had established an OP on the high point at Windy Gyle a site renowned for mayhem and murder  with our reivers .
By contrast ,our fellrunners were the Light Brigade as they set off for the RV at Windy Gyle lightly clothed  and only armed with a keen sense of direction , guile and  a steely determination.
A fell race is  guerilla style warfare with hit and run in open country while  a road run is the formation fighting of Waterloo . It's hard, scruffy ,  with no quarter given and none asked and no  surrender . For a fell runner , the race is a mental battle with the terrain and weather constantly  eking out each and  every advantage through lines , gulleys and trods   ;  for  a roadrunner  race advantage  is about calculating time and distance usually between  bus shelters to make sure you keep dry  .
The first the Belgians saw of our assault was Phil Sanderson and Lee Bennett from the reds at Elswick Harriers breaking through the rain squalls and cloud like Spitfires and  out and onto the OP at Windy Gyle . They were then followed  by  wave after wave  of attackers from myriad clubs ( some admittedly in unpatriotic colours of purple and green ). Our own reds were well represented - a strong contingent of  9 (second to  NFR)  .
Led out by junior officer William Robson we took the fight to all comers in the way - Belgian or Brit. Chris Rowe ,  with his submarine commander beard again took on the assassin role and dangerously tracked Will out and across the high country.

Running home down the Street - a very empty place .

Off Windy Gyle we were beating west  into the wind and rain (it was barely above freezing)  pressing on towards the Street. As the fellrunners moved onwards columns of Belgians were retreating east towards Windy Gyle and away from the volleys of SS 20 artillery pieces  booming just over the hill tops at Otterburn . Belgians had  out foxed or out run  the guns of the Royal Artillery  and were well out of range by now.
Fearlessly ,  the fellrunners  rode on  towards the direction of the gun  fire - this was madness (sacre bleu) for the Belgians.
Just up ahead  , Lt Col Michael Kane was busy weaving in and out the bog filled re entrants on the ridge like a weasel. Covering our rears, were  some more new faces with Sgt Lisa Henderson - well kitted out for a day in the mountains and Pte John Brettell in appropriate dress with a  Tory blue rain jacket .
 Some of the females proved  a bit slow on Border Ridge . They proved rather impressionable at the sight of uniforms and their brown smeared hands and faces at the finish  testified to their succumbing to the offer of chocolate from the Belgians. (The Americans would have plied them with nylons which could have been worse ; they'd get no more than some stiff upper lip from our boys ).
The race descended hard and fast with the gallop back down to the Coquet valley - which saw the assassin (7th) cut past Will (8th) on the flat run in. I faltered over the line in 34 th but it proved a Bridge Too Far for Michael Kane in 36 th   (and not a lot of people know that ) . We could count back our  Polyrunners as they advanced over the line in pairs - with Lisa and Katherine Davis (46.47) , then the  war horses of Majors  Chris Oliphant (50) and Ian Richardson (54) (ret'd) , Rachel Inman at 56 ( a new face but the assured and angelic looks belie an experienced hillperson) , and then George Adamson (one of our finest and most experienced hill runners of all ) and finally John  Brettell (61).
Phil Sanderson was the eventual overall victor over Lee.
This was Keith Cooper's last organisation of this fine race. Next year  Phil Green will take the cudgels. At least that is the plan , if Phil is still around to do it. As the race prize giving  broke up , Phil Green was being frog marched off at the head of 2 columns of Belgian soldiers - with some opportunists calling on the Belgians to shoot him . Will he escape in time like Tintin ? Tune in for the next instalment. For the Belgians , they arrived too late in the valley  to make the finishing  list as various sections crossed  some 30 mins after our last runner. They need to get some lightweight kit next time they take on the fellrunners but  they leave  with some tall stories to tell in every bar   from Bruges to Brussels of their unexpected confrontation  with the fellrunners in one of Northumberland's emptiest quarters.
Phil's blog here with results :http://thehottrod.blogspot.co.uk/2015/06/windy-gyle-fell-race.html

Michael Kane as Lt -Col Vandeleur (a Belgian sounding name ) of the Irish Guards Armoured Division in a 'Bridge too Far ' is well kitted out in his buff as he gets some advice from the posh Edward Fox .