Holme Moss Fell Race 2023

 It's been a while since I did a fell race. (The OCT doesnt really count as it's a pairs race)- and it's been a real while since I did Holme Moss... it was 2015- a hot day, and I was at the peak of my best year. Today was slightly different. 

It's been raining (not just a bit of rain, but REALLY raining) for about 4 days now. The rivers a swollen, there is consistent rain falling through the day, and, as mentioned, I haven't raced in anger since last June when I did Kinder trog. In fact there has been so much rain recently that on Friday an email came out with a diversion on due to the fact Crowden Great Brook has so much water flowing down it that it would be dangerous to cross it once you've gone up and down Bareholme moss- even with a rope. It's a bit of a shame as the alternative route just goes straight to Laddow rocks up the Pennine Way missing out some of the best offroady gnarly bits of the race. Still- having seen the state of the river in spate, it was a good call. 

It basically looked like this....

Interestingly I've been up this way in similar conditions, and it was the river crossings on the Pennine Way just below Red Ratcher that were really quite dodgy- thigh deep and fast slowing- so it would be interesting to see what it would be like today. Especially considering that they simply weren't mentioned on any of the pre-race briefings. 

We lined up in the rain, having had a kit check and a count through. There was a not insignificant breeze coming in from the West, whih promised to be a fairly challenging headwind on the way out. Some runners were opting for vests, the majority had waterproof tops on. I included my waterproof mitts to that as well. Although it wasn't actually all that cold, wet hands, at least on my part, means that I find it hard to be dexterous later in the race. 

Off we went at 11, down the very straight start bit, and it was quite a pace to begin with. I settled in with about 4 or 5 other people at what seemed like a decent pace, we hit the road and kept the same pace, but as soon as we hit that right turn onto the moorland path the pace suddenly dropped like a stone. What on earth? Yes, the floor was a bit uneven, and yes, there was water running down the path, but it's not like there was anything to slow us down. So I overtook them and continued up the track. Just before we hit the rather exciting, muddy and slippy descent, someone came past in Hoka's. Interesting footwear choice for the day. Let's just say that by the time we reached the bottom of the hill he wasn't in front of me any more- though we would be in close touch for the rest of the race for a while. 

Down and across the river, and then back up and onto the traverse-y upward kind of bit that takes you bit by bit across to Holme moss transmitter. There was a headwind the whole way, and underfoot was a combination of wet ground, very wet ground, bog, mud and full on waterlogged ground. The running was fairly challenging, and I was mostly on my own, trailing behind a series of 4 or 5 runners across here. There was a moment of "what on earth am I doing?" creeping into my mind- but being out on ths hill in a ridiculous amount of rain, with very wet ground... of course. I'm having fun! And from that point on, it was just a good time.

Just before heading up to the mast I thought "I must have something to eat"- but I think I forgot at that point, but made sure I had a drink from the fabulous marshals at Holme moss summit. 

Crash down the side of the hill and into the clough, catching up with the Hoka man again at the bottom (yes, it appears he was faster than me along the traverse-y bit... this race is more runnable that I care for), and the first real swollen stream to be jumped. Finally, as I scramble up the steep side of the clough I remember to have some food, take off a glove and immediately put my hand on a bunch of thistles. Nice. The first thing I can put my hands on in my vest is a gel, so that'll have to do, and it gets sucked down pretty easily... however, as we make our way to the top of the rise it seems that I'm still hungry- so another delve finds the clif bar I opened at the beginning- so a chunk of that gets eaten. 

Up and over a stile, and then a sloppy run through vast amounts of bog and footpath that approaches bog-state brings us over and eventually across to checkpoint 2, where I thank the marshals profusely for being out on a day like this, then a delightful downhill... but not downhill enough. My brain was expecting it to just go off and down to Crowden, but there is an extra bit of hill in the way that my brain just didn't remember. Oh well... carry on running, around and over and across, catching up the Hoka guy and someone else as we dropped, and then finally caught them at a slight junction. I hammered on ahead knowing that this would eventually drop us down to the path on Little Crowden brook- but wasn't entirely sure if it was better to stay high, or just take this path... However, standing around and wondering would mean it would take much longer, so I just ran. The downhill was really rather spicey, with lots of ruts, water filled holes, slippy sections and generally runnable/not runnable bits depending on your nerve, so off I went and eventually got down and across to the final descent to Crowden. 

Looking around I couldn't see ANYONE... shit, have I missed a checkpoint? Have I inadvertently cheated? Hang on... I took off my bag to get the map out to check- and just as I was confirming that I was ok, another runner appeared behind me. All good, bag back on and drop to Crowden and onto the changed course. 

Dropping into Crowden- thanks to Clare Higgins for the photo

Grabbing a sip of water at the marshal station, it felt a bit odd crossing the bridge to the old YHA instead of hanging a right to head to Bareholme moss, but there was a bit of a climb now, and no time to really think about anything except keep going at a decent, but not too fast pace, and make sure I got around. Up the windy and wet paths to the Pennine Way, and then a blast along the very sodden footpath along, up and along and up towards Laddow. I haven't run up this path since the Spine in 2016, and I don't think I was running it then. Another gel went in on the way up to the top, and there were a couple of stream crossings that were true jumps. I couldn't see anyone else ahead of me- and the rule is, you don't look behind... it's a waste of energy that you could be using to go faster, and from this point on the only other competitor I saw was someone who had injured themself and was walking off the hill. 

Up to Laddow along what technically is the Pennine Way, but could more accurately be described as a river, at the top I said hi to the Checkpoint crew- the rain was still dropping, and the wind was swirling around, almost coming in from the North West and then it was a drop down the Pennine Way on some - as ever, rain drenched "paths" (streams). The next section below Red Ratcher sees the footpath cross a series of meanders in fast succession. You can techincally go around it by going up and over on the true right bank, or, if you get across the first one and don't fancy the others, there is a very bog bashy way up the true left. I looked for the section where you go across and just waded in. It was, as expected, about mid-thigh depth and pretty fast flowing. It was about 5 strides wide, and on the 5th stride, I lost my footing and pretty much ducked myself as I lunged to the other side. I did not get any wetter than I had been previously, but I did have a little swim. 

Out of the first one, a bit of a jog, and then the second presented itself- a little less of a worry as it is a tributary meander- so I just waded that one as well, again thigh deep. 4 steps, and then the final big one that was going at quite a pace. I got a couple of steps upstream of where I wanted to end up, braced, stepped in and made my way across and downstream to the exit, got out and just carried on. 

From here, lets just say, you know the drill. It was wet. Underfoot it went from splish-splash paddling to full on knee deep water. This was on stone, mud, even and uneven ground. The main idea was to just keep running up the hill to Black hill without break. It's all even more runnable now, and there weren't really any other excitements to report except that by now I had actually shed BOTH gloves, so it was officially "warm". (but very damp).

From Black hill checkpoint the route across to the mast was flagged. Essentially it seemed like they had just found a river and thought "yep, we'll flag that for a laugh". So I stomped through the water (this is where I came across another runner who had injured themselves- checked they were ok, and carried on). Man. This section is LONG. Not only is it long, but when it is wet, the ground is boggy, sucky and very hard to run on, especially after the preceding, I dunno- hour and a half of hard effort. Still, if I was finding it hard, everyone would be finding it hard. The compass was out in case I needed it, but eventually the mast appeared out of the mist, and the interderminable run towards it continued. 

Eventually, after a couple of lifetimes of running I finally made it to Holme moss checkpoint, grabbed a sip of water and continued. One of the marshals kindly called out that I was looking well. 7 steps later I twisted an ankle. Ouch. Still- have to keep running- this isn't the end. So in went another gel... one left... and the long and hard run back the way we came was begun. No -one with hokas to follow this time- there was literally no-one in sight as far as I could see. Slipping and sliding and swearing at my ankle, I attempted to maked good time back across towards the finish. The section seems to stretch as you run , with different cloughs and bits of hill appearing that you swear you didn't see on the way out. 

On the final descent before the horrendous hill that *makes* this race what it is, the final gel went in. The climb wasn't going to be pretty. And it wasn't. Slow and steady, sliding every footstep or so I made my way up it, worrying about cramp. However, after a decent few minutes of promising myself that I should get better at climbing, I topped out, grabbed a sip of water from the marshals and put on my running legs for the last few kilometres. 

Yes. That final climb really does make the race hard. But so does the grinding last few kilometres down a straight and undulating track. It's hard, but you've just got to keep going. I tried not to let the pace slide, and managed a final burst around the cricket pitch. Having switched my watch on at the beginning and hidden it under my coat I had no idea how long I'd been out. It turns out that coming over the line, I was 8th, 2nd v40 and the final runner to come in sub 3 hours. 2:59:24. 

Not a bad day out. 

Thanks so much to Clare Higgins for the support out on the course (and the photo!). Thanks to Neal for the lift. And Congratulations to Alice Willson-Culshaw for her winning of the ladies trophy!

The route was a little disappointing, due to the shortening- however, it was absolutely the right choice. This is still, in my opinion (even with the Bareholme moss bit) still quite a ridiculously runnable AL fell race. It seems that I need to practice my running. And my climbing. But then- that's always the case. And if you're wondering- this is what the strava looks like. (and yes, it is still raining)