Just three Barlickers turned out for this race, but they ran as a team, helping each other around the course and very fittingly, won the team prize.  It was the second running of this challenging race, which starts from the Hapton Inn.  Straight from the off, runners begin the long climb out of Hapton towards the quarry, but before ascending to the quarry, the runners are directed right on what seems like an endless path until they finally make that final ascent to the quarry, where they follow a large loop before ascending up Hameldon and then returning to that first ascent. 

At the top of this first ascent, Carl Nevison was leading the Barlickers out, closely followed  by Robert Cranham.  Mark Horrocks followed on a few places behind.  The final order of the race was largely sorted out on this first climb with many runners maintaining their race positions achieved during this first climb.  This is largely what happened with the Barlickers.  They all kept up with the brisk pace set by Carl Nevison with the result that all of them finished in the top ten and first category positions for each runner and in doing so, they easily took the team prize. 

Further down the field, Raymond Banks, who is really a very quick road runner, put in another good performance on the hills to finish 2nd in his category.  All in all, a good night for the Barlickers.

7 Carl Nevison 33:41 (1st M55)
8 Robert Cranham 34:41 (1st M45)
10 Mark Horrocks 36:02 (1st M60)
51 Raymond Banks 49:58 (2nd M70)

Ben Whitehead went over to the Brownlee Centre for their monthly 5K and found himself pitted against some very quick runners.  However, he appears to have been lifted by those around him and he recorded a PB by 30 seconds.  Quite a performance.

Ben recommends this event for anyone wanting to work on their speed.

9 Ben Whitehead 16:50 (2nd M40)

9 Lucas Payne 20:31