There is a small but growing band of runners within the club who are getting the taste of serious fell running in the Lake District. This is one such race. It is 13 miles in length with 4,757 ft of ascent and is a tough challenge. Luckily, the weather was kind and a record number of starters set off (just short of 400). In view of the recent weather, the going underfoot was very slippery on the rocks and very boggy everywhere else. As a result, many runners spent quite a bit of time on their arses. Stuart Heaviside had a good run and posted a good time as well as leading the Barlickers home. Ben Hoye did not look too great before the start, but he came to as the race progressed and he also had a good run. John Boothman set off wearing an old worn pair of trainers, which were not ideal for the conditions underfoot and they did not help his race. In addition, John also suffered from "sheep syndrome" and after the bad step on Crinkle Crags, he followed a group of runners who led him on a longer excursion than he need have taken. This probably cost him about thirty places, but he still managed a quicker time than last year.
Special mention should be made of Helen Harrison. She made up her own mind to take on this race and whilst she has done long runs, they were probably not anything like the terrain of this race. However, she not only completed the course, but finished in good shape and looking cheerful.
69 Stuart Heaviside 2:42:18
93 Ben Hoyle 2:50:10
194 John Boothman 3:16:35
374 Helen Harrison 4:32:55
396 starters - 377 finishers.