Ah, that time of year again. Yes, I have indeed been running! The Cracken Edge Fell Race is firmly in the calendar now as it is organised by Kinder Mountain Rescue, and is the only race around here that has a Mountain Rescue Team prize.
We (Glossop MRT) managed to get 6 people to the race this year, which is good. Technically you only need 3 people for the team, but it's nice to have extra.
Although it was raining a little further north on the day, it was dry over Hayfield, so the initial climb, which can be a bit slippery was dead dry. Good grip definitely helps, and so we were soon enough all out and away. I was trying not to get caught behind too many people as there is a stile about a quarter of the way into the race which can turn into a bit of a choke point. The uphill wasn't too bad, and I kept StevieK in sight for much of the way to the stile.... cunningly keeping just about enough distance from a block of 5-6 runners in front of me so that my speed was just about right to hit the stile just as the queue cleared.
Perfect.
I then ran into and tripped over a load of brambles scratching up my shin nicely.
Now for the run out along the path, managing to overtake a single runner on the way, maintaining that place all the way up the hill to the halfway point where another runner had seemingly decided to go the wrong way, but was now coming back to get on course. Very strange.
Down the hill and through 3 gates, staying at the back of a decently sized group. Accelerating past them was not an option as I'd have had to slow down considerably directly afterward! So nice and patient, keep the pace at a decent level and see what gives.
They got away from me down the road, but I gained and overtook people on the way up Cracken Edge through the quarries. Which was a real turn up for the books- that never happens... Felt decent all the way up to the steep climb to Big Stone, (where a couple of people took their places back), and then started on the down... where my legs suddenly decided they really weren't happy and didn't want to work... wobbly legs all over the place, and I was fairly content with watching everyone disappear in front of me.
There were a couple of runners behind me at this point, so I had a bit of a talking to my legs and tried to maintain an even pace across to the turn along New Allotments, and onward to the final turn downhill. Legs still a bit trembly, I noticed a couple of people in front of me who seemed to be having more problems than I was... well, the downhill was taken nice and sensibly, (nice to Tim, Sarah and Ellie out supporting), and then down to the trees- where a Pennine runner sped past me on the steep section. Ah, to be able to descent properly again (it's coming back... but I'm not there yet). So 2 places up, 1 place down, and through the trees at the bottom of the hill- with someone breathing down my neck....
Kept the pace up along the final section across the fields, but didn't quite have enough speed to catch and overtake the Pennine runner on the final descent to the finish.
Just over 50 mins, and I wasn't totally destroyed. Faster than last year, and, it seems in better shape. I'll take that.
Yes. GMRT retained the trophy.
A huge thanks to our friends and colleagues over in KMRT for putting on the race. It's always a cracker.
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