Race report by Checkers:
Pilgrims Cross. Another race in the Fell running Championship. Just me and Mark turned up for this one. Didn’t feel good before doing this , so wasn’t looking forward to it , just expecting to endure it rather than enjoy it. After going backwards at the start. Once on the climb up to the cross? My body woke up and settled into a comfortable pace, which I maintained jostling with runners on the narrow trod on the other side of the hill. I had good steady run going back up to the cross then on to Bull Hill. The run down from here is really good nice soft grassy moorland to cushion your footfall, my Walshes were at their best here. Had a very good decent even catching other runners. Just the last climb. I powered up it catching another runner . Now the tricky decent on the slabby rocks. I was running good feeling confident even had another runner in my sights almost catching him before the final tarmac section. I had plenty of energy to chase him but he was just faster. Mark was waiting at the finish. Nearly making me run further 🤔😃
Newspaper report by Rachel:
Lostockers, Mark Shuttleworth and Mark Checkley headed to Haslingden to compete in the Pilgrims Cross Fell Race. This was the most recent instalment of the Midweek Fell Running Championship. The race started at Sunny Bank WMC and covered 7miles and 1,300ft.
The race traverses Holcombe Moor and passes the Pilgrims Cross Stone. The Pilgrims Cross Stone is a monument marking the site of the Pilgrims Cross. The stone tell the story of the cross that was believed to be standing in AD 1176. Pilgrims travelling to Whalley Abbey would pray and rest at the cross. The memorial stone was placed at the site in 1902.
This is a challenging race with mixed terrain with tricky descents. The final push is on tarmac leading to a quick finish. Shuttleworth had a fantastic run, finishing in 1:06:28 followed by Checkley in 1:28:18.
