The racing season is starting to get under way and Barlick Fell Runner shirts are starting to be seen up and down. These were the three Barlickers in this race.
Everyone started well. Sam was leading the club out of Old Town towards the fells, a few seconds in front of Scott. Pete was following on behind, a little further down the field. After check point 2, Sam followed a group that did not take the best line, which allowed Scott and the main body of runners to pass them. However, at this point, both were running well, in the top thirty.
When they had passed check point 4, Sam started to feel a lack of energy, but he kept going and he maintained his position. However, as the race progressed, this lack of energy began to take its toll and he gradually dropped down the field, going slower and slower until at Check point 10, he decided to pull out.
However, Scott Baistow was continuing to run a cracking race and at one point he was in 17th position. On the return, he was 24th as he went through check point 11 and looked to be on for a good finish. But once he was out onto the open moor, because of the terrain, he decided to walk for a spell and he could not get running again. He was suffering the same as Sam - he had just run out of energy. He did keep going until the finish, but on that last spell, he lost nearly 70 places.
In the meantime, Pete Jackson kept going at his steady pace to finish in 82nd place and lead the Barlickers home. He has written an interesting account of the day and it describes this race from a runner's perspective.
The final positions were:
82 Pete Jackson
92 Scott Baistow
DNF Sam Wadsworth