7 Jethro Whitfield 1:01:50 (3rd V40)
32 Stan Dreling 1:14:02
57 Peter Jackson 1:20:58

Full Results

This race seems to attract its share of inclement weather and this year was no exception.  Before, during and after the race, it was a complete downpour.  This race is unusual in that the really steep ascent is at the beginning of the race before you have had any time to get warmed up.  How to tackle this early on steep ascent is one of the tactical aspects of this race.  Do you attack this ascent and then leave yourself struggling for the remaining ascent up to the memorial or do you take it steady, leaving something in the tank for later? 

Jack Cummings made his approach absolutely clear.  He attacked this ascent, challenging the others to respond.  Marcus Preedy, Tom Corrigan and Paul Crabtree tried to stay with him, but by the time Jack had disappeared from view, he had already built up a strong lead.  With any lesser athlete, you might wonder if he had gone off to fast, but with Jack, you knew that the chasing pack would struggle to catch him. 

When Jack reappeared, he was on his own with no challenger near to him.  That meant that there was no pressure on him when making the steep descent which was now very slippy due to the incessant rain and he ran out a comfortable winner.  Behind him, Tom Corregan had shacken off Marcus Preedy and like Jack, he was able to descend quickly, but without the pressure to take unnecessary risks.  Tom came home in a comfortable second place. 

In the ladies race, Annie Hassell had a comfortable win with W50 Kirsty Hall in second place and 11th overall.  The years might be advancing, but this girl can still put in a tremendous performance.

Some runners seems to be drawn back to this race every year.  Colin Moses first ran this race when he was 16 and forty years later, he not only returned, but managed a top ten finish.  Clayton always used to attend this race in numbers when they hired a "boozer's bus" and after the race, they made their way home calling off at all the pubs on the way.  Sadly, the lad that organised that event was kicked out of the club and it ceased to take place, but Mark Nutter returned for the sake of auld lang syne.  Of the old regulars, it was good to see John Thompson and Tony Shepherd and the ever green Norman Bush.  He is now in the M75 category, but he can still put in a performance that can shame much younger men.

There were fewer entries this year than normal, but there was so much going on on the same day, including another race just down the road at Kettlewell.

2 Tom Corrigan 39:58 (1st M40)