Race 35: Arniston Dash

I won a prize! My first win in over 20 years of fell running - first over 50. I was beaten to the top by the over 50 runner just behind in the photo but caught him on the downhill and stayed ahead by just one second in a sprint finish. Enough said!

On the climb with Ullswater in the background

Results: 9th/20  19:56
Distance: 2.4km/1.5 miles  Climb: 300m/ 984ft

Race 34: Tom Tittiman

Yet another scorching day but again, I seem to be on unexpectedly good form. This is a fairly straightforward route with not too much climb and not a lot of rough ground, all of which would make me expect a poor result but as it happened I got into the top half with ease, gaining a couple of places at the finish.

Another race with no photos because the day before, Kath rode her bike into a dog and broke her collarbone in the fall. The dog and the bike were both fine but Kath's six month old helmet will need to be replaced. Amazingly, she still wants a dog!

Results: 37th/92  38:03
Distance: 6.4km/4 miles  Climb: 210m/689ft

Race 33: Aggies Staircase

Quite a hot evening for this race but an unexpected return to form for me on very familiar ground. I organised this race for 7 years. My best result so far in this 50 at 50 and although I feel that I can still do better, I'm much happier with my performance. Unluckily for Luke, I saved my best for the one race he has done this year after a long spell of back trouble. I fear that my victory will be short lived!

Results: 52nd/145  37:41
Distance: 6.4km/4 miles  Climb: 350m/1148ft

Race 32: Two Lads

Hot, fast and another poor run. Oh dear.

Simon coming down from Two Lads in the top 25%

Me on the same descent but miles behind!

Results: 111th/195  45:17
Distance: 8.4km/5.2 miles  Climb: 274m/899ft

Race 31: Pen y Ghent

This is one of the few races I have done in recent years and I was fairly pleased to get in only a couple of minutes slower than four years ago and less than five minutes slower than 21 years ago, (although I have run faster in between). The race in 2010 was run in warm, clear conditions but this year it was wet, much cooler, misty and windy on top of the hill. The rain had been very heavy earlier in the day so conditions underfoot were a bit slippery but the cool, light rain during the race was a bonus for me. No problem with the mist on top because the route is always visible on the ground and I made up a lot of time on the descent, having felt tired on the climb.

It was another tough day out for Kath, slogging her way up some slippery fields and then standing in the rain with a camera, waiting an age for me to show up two thirds of the way down the field and then trudging back round to the finish to see if I've picked up enough places on the way down. For me it was an enjoyable run but still not quite fast enough to be happy with the result. We are both looking forward to fewer races next year, me in the hope that I will be able to do them better, Kath hoping that there will be more time to do something else!

Early on in the climb towards Pen y Ghent.
It steepens considerably after this.

Short uphill on the track running in to the finish at Horton in Ribblesdale.
We have just come off the low ridge behind, just out of the clouds.

Results: 56th/106  1:08:48
Distance: 9.5km/5.9 miles  Climb: 564m/1850ft

Race 30: Paddy's Pole

First race after Jura so I'm bound to be tired but looking at Parlick Fell before the race it looked small and soft and comfortable in comparison. I felt that I ran well enough, keeping going all the way on the runnable climb up Fair Snape and descending fairly well too but not quite quick enough for a top half finish this year. Must do better! (I have never been much more than a minute quicker than this year but I think that the route has been shortened near the top of Fair Snape since I last did it.)

Blue skies over Parlick before the race

Results: 58th/108  37:04
Distance: 6km/3.7 miles  Climb: 336m/1102ft

Race 29: Jura

Hardest race so far by miles and I found it very hard indeed. My slowest time in eight go's at it - around 5:42 when I did 4:30 as recently as 2006. I'm sure I still have a 5 hour Jura run in me and I must do better on this of all races at least one more time. The conditions were hot, which I don't really like, but no excuses as the going underfoot was as good as it gets and the visibility was superb. I simply ran out of steam by Beinn an Oir, which is pretty much the middle of the race, I guess because my training hasn't been geared towards this type of event. Kath made it all the way to the top of Beinn Shiantaidh via a direct route from the Three Arch Bridge so we were both pretty done in by the end. We called in at the hotel during a bike ride later in the week to book a room for race week next year. Simply a must do.

Just appearing near the top of Beinn Shiantadh, with
Beinn an Oir, already tackled, in the background.

Kath with the bikes and the last three of the seven
Jura Fell Race summits in the background. Beinn
Shiantadh is in the centre from this angle.

Results: 160th/213  5:42:03
Distance 28km/17.4 miles  Climb: 2370m/7775ft