Race 3 of 4 in the 2013 Goyt Valley series.
Since this is in the GV series and I'm aiming for the lot, it had to be squeezed in no matter what. Wednesday evening, two days before Lakeland 100, so what? It's only 7 miles. What harm could it do? In any case I hadn't done this race before and I wanted some of it.
The evening was warm and humid and many of the usual suspects were there - the serial compulsive fell racers like Chris Jackson and Caitlin Rice of Glossopdale Harriers and Peter Bailey of Buxton AC. Last year's winner Steve Vernon of Stockport Harriers was there to try for another win. He broke the course record last year with 42:56. James Scott-Buccleuch and Robert Goulsbra, also of Stockport, were there too. Robert, normally way ahead from the beginning, overtook me well into the race. Eh? What's going on? "I started late."
Based at the top of the Goyt Valley at Derbyshire Bridge and beginning with a run down the lane before veering left up the fell, the race takes in parts of the Shining Tor fell race route before crossing over the valley to Berry Clough and subjecting us to hidden footpaths through head-high bracken. Rampant it was. Give it a few more millennia and we'll be like New Zealand, with bracken evolved into tree ferns.
The route was testing, with lots of ups and downs, but what else do you expect with a fell race? I felt pleased with my efforts and enjoyed quite a strong finish. Even so I still finished in the bottom 42%, which I found disappointing. This race must attract an elite field. ;-)
Steve Vernon did win again, but in a slower time of 45:45. Well done Steve for another win.
Coming back down to Earth with a bump, my time was 63:28, position 72nd out of 124 starters.
I managed to take some blurred
pictures once again. Blurred pictures during the race are mostly because I was fell racing. I had to throw away loads. :-(
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