Race report by Josie:
On Saturday, Tony Marlow and I headed to the Lake District to take on the Borrowdale Fell Race, the fifth race in the Classic Series and probably my personal favourite, despite its relentless climbs and brutal descents.
Starting and finishing in the village of Rosthwaite, the 17-mile course crams in around 7,000 feet of climbing over some of the most unforgiving terrain in the Lake District. After the lung-busting climb out of the valley come the boulder fields of Scafell Pike, followed by a steep scree descent (see video). The second half is no kinder, with the huge climbs of Great Gable and Dale Head before the quad-burning descent down the slate quarry to the finish.
Tony and I started together, keeping the pace controlled to conserve energy for what lay ahead. Once the opening climb was behind us, the undulating boggy section allowed us to settle into a good rhythm. Reaching the summit of England’s highest mountain, it was time to switch into race mode and start working through the field. Tony and I parted company at this point as I pushed on, unaware that he was battling through the rest of the race feeling unwell.
The closing miles brought one final challenge as I found myself locked in a battle with another V50 runner who had been relying on my navigation. There was no way I was giving up the place. I dug deep, kept the pressure on, and crossed the line in 4:37:23, securing 3rd F50.
It was then my turn to cheer Tony home as he finished in 5:11:05, an outstanding performance considering how unwell he’d been feeling.
Borrowdale never disappoints. It’s tough, technical, and unforgiving, but that’s exactly what makes it such a special race.
