Race report by Shutters:
Advertised as a category BM fell race and 9.4 miles and 1780 ft of ascent this is a personnal favourite and a race i have run at least 7 or 8 times before in all sorts of different weather conditions. Fortunately, this year the conditions were spot on, dry, not too cold and for the most part not too boggy underfoot (except the run in along the woods which was a totally different kettle of fish).
6 Lostockers lined up along with about 190 other fellrunners at 11am on Saturday, Sally, Daniel and myself had a plan to run together to ensure no-one got lost. We set-off along the 1st mile of this race on tarmac, this is a warm-up before we turned right and headed off-road up the 1st climb to the Trig Point. This is a run/walk type of climb but i was mainly walking and chatting to fellow runners i hadn’t seen for awhile. About 2/3rds the way up the climb i was talking to Josie when Sally jogged past us and just kept on going, we were in danger of being left behind and so had to dig in and try to hang on. At the Trig Point the ground levels out and gives u a chance to stretch out, Sharkey by now well out of sight, Sally ahead but in view, Josie not far behind, Daniel and myself 50 yards back and trying to catchup, Matt somewhere behind. Somewhere before CP2 we managed to catch Sally and then had a 3 1/2 mile downhill section towards the Nick of Pendle where u can open up and strech out. We had a good pace going and Sally was just behind, at some point along this section i glanced round to see how Sally was only to see no sign of her, i stopped and waited and she came into view, as she caught me up she indicated she was fine and to run on. I set-off after Daniel and had a great run all the way to CP3 where we again checked on Sally who we picked out at a couple of hundred yards behind. The 2nd climb was a hands on hips, slow plod upwards in silence. Daniel was just ahead and i was feeling a bit short of fitness, as the ground levelled out the pace picked up and as we approached the wood i got infront and held this over a couple of stiles and through the very boggy section skirting the wood. With 6 or so runners behind me i managed to put some effort in and stay on my feet and finish relatively clean! As other runners finished it was obvious which runners had come a cropper in the final muddy section being covered in mud fromm the waist down.
After a wash in the stream and a change we went to watch the prize giving in the village hall and have some well earned cake. As a bonus Sally had brought some home made cake and i’d have to say it was beautiful.
