Duddon Fell Race

[DazTheSlug]

split results are now available on the website

as there were no electronic dibbers, this is tremendous work by the marshals! :thumbup:

[MarkL]

as there were no electronic dibbers, this is tremendous work by the marshals! :thumbup:

Providing manually calculated splits - definitely above and beyond.

As I was driving over Wrynose on the morning I was surprised that there were cars parked on top that early. Then I realised it was probably marshalls on their way up. Commitment.

[Quinny]

Amazing effort by the marshals and very much appreciated by some-one who loves analysing spilt times. I'm sure I'm not the only one!

Providing manually calculated splits - definitely above and beyond.

As I was driving over Wrynose on the morning I was surprised that there were cars parked on top that early. Then I realised it was probably marshalls on their way up. Commitment.

I think some of these cars will have been runners (like me) stashing a drink/gel/food behind a rock for later in the race so they didn't have to carry it to 3 Shires.

[wrross]

Hello all. The Duddon is coming up this Saturday and yes, entry is allowed on the day in both the short and the long race.

For details please see https://duddon.fellrace.org.uk/

As always there's a band on in the evening so most of us will make a long day it until chased away by the midges.

[Ben Mason]

Does anyone have the course description for Duddon Fell Race? Apparently there was a description in an article in The Feb 2007 Fell Runner Magazine. They have only been digitised up to 2006. Thanks

[ba-ba]

A map id available on the website: https://fellrace.org.uk/races/duddon/

[Tindersticks]

Blimey! Where to start......

Before I’d experienced the joys of fellrunning my ‘fell fix’ was satisfied with weekend trips away camping to the likes of Duddon valley and staying at the excellent Turner Hall Farm in Seathwaite.

Whenever camping I’d always like to try and get the vibe of our camping neighbours. Would they be noisey, disruptive or just plan weird....you can’t be too careful these days, there’s plenty unsavoury characters out and about. I know a bloke who eats a scotch egg and a packet of cheese and onion crisps everyday without fail whilst doing a sudoku puzzle. Bread crumbs constantly drop from the egg onto the puzzle which he then attempts to remove by blowing a mouth full of egg and crisps spittle. The spittle is then swept aside with a swish of his hand sending it all over the table. A zip and a thin sheet of nylon isn’t going to protect you if this guy took up camping and went into a rage because he’s forgotten to bring his scotch egg and crisps combo....you have been warned, keep your eyes peeled.

So....one weekend we’re camping at Seathwaite and I’m making conversation with our neighbour and getting the vibe. It’s a good start as I can’t see any scotch eggs or sudoku puzzles. The vibe gets better when it’s obvious he’s from Wolverhampton, I love certain strong regional accents and the Black Country accent is one of my favourites. If you’re unfamiliar, it’s like Brummie only harsher. To hear a Wolverhampton accent pronounce cup of tea is one of lives pleasures, it’s as satisfying as watching cats and dogs doing funny stuff on YouTube....it just makes me smile.

I offered our Wolverhampton neighbour a brew, he thanked me but said he was fine....I can’t remember his name, it’s years ago but I’m going to call him Wayne for ease...Wayne from Wolverhampton, it has a nice ring to it.

I continued chatting to Wayne whilst he was putting up his tent then Alison and I went off on a walk. On our return Wayne looked a little despondent. He’d been awaiting the arrival of his mates who should’ve been there hours ago and told me they’d planned to go for a walk up Scafell Pike...then the penny dropped. I said to Wayne, “I think you might be at the wrong Seathwaithe”. Then I explained to him that there are two Seathwaithes in the Lake District and the other one down the Borrowdale valley is the one more commonly associated with a walk up Scafell Pike. He pondered for a moment them simply said, “is that Kipper tie still on offer?”.....this was music to my ears, it even sounded better than I’d remembered especially given Wayne’s downbeat demeanour dragging the phrase out even more....kipper tiiieee

I always give a thought to Wayne when Duddon fell race comes around, he was a cracking bloke and I hope he eventually did Scafell Pike with his mates. And now and again I think about his navigational error....how could anyone get their nav so wrong? Hmmm famous last words.

Duddon fell race 2018....welcome to Wayne’s world...party on dudes.

When the clag is down and visibility on the tops is ‘next to nowt’ it can get extremely disorienting. I don’t do strava but I’ve heard the traces from Saturdays race are interesting to say the least.

Coming off Little Stand and I’ve put my map and compass back in my pack. It’s an obvious trod down to Three shires Stone and my mindset sat nav knows the way. Yeah it’s pretty obvious in clear conditions but in clag my inbuilt nav is malfunctioning, I’m having second thoughts if I’m going the right way, do I stop and get out my map and compass? No...I carry on because I think it feels ‘almost’ right. I see Sharon Taylor and wisely Sharon has her compass out but says, “it doesn’t feel right to go in the direction that the compass is pointing”....I’m in total agreement with Sharon, after all Sharon and I are harden fellrunners, we’re on the fells every week and we know better than a navigational device that people have relied upon for centuries...so obviously we ignore the compass because we know best.

Imagine our surprise when we drop out of the clag and find ourselves staring at Cockley ‘bloody’ Beck...we’ve only misjudged by about 1.5 miles and dropped about 1000ft more than we should’ve. Now I call this character building, yes shocking navigation, but great character building. If we’d have been wearing long sleeves they’d have been rolled up....we laughed it off and commented that the compass knows best and set off running up the road towards Three shires stone.

The remainder of the race wasn’t any easier with Dow Crag, White Pike and Caw also creating many navigational errors for what seemed like nearly everyone who ran.

It’s on days like this when I realise just how much I love this sport. Anyone who takes on a race like Duddon is obviously fit, we all have different levels of fitness within our sport but ultimately we’re all doing something that the vast majority of the general public couldn’t do. And when faced with conditions like we had a Saturday that’s when fell craft comes to the forefront. My good friend Leigh Warburton is the prime example of having the fell craft. He’s a V60 but runs like someone far younger and his experience gained over the years is priceless....to finish in the top 20 as a V60 in a hard Lakeland classic long race is amazing.....learn your craft and reap the rewards, well done Leigh.

Whenever it’s been a challenging day on the fells you’re always guaranteed some good post race banter. Duddon is great for this as many camp over and head for the pub at night....check your neighbour isn’t eating scotch eggs first.

I learnt something on Saturday night...I’ll let you into a secret. I’ve found out the main reason behind the ever improving ‘Green Machine’ that is more commonly known as Helm Hill.....Yeah, they’ve got Billy doing amazing work in coaching the runners, especially the younger ones. They’ve got a fantastic team spirit which always helps and of course there are many class runners within their ranks....but ultimately, like any machine you need the correct lubricant and the best fuel. And the lads and lasses of the ‘Green Machine’ have found that alcohol keeps them well ‘oiled’. These guys spilled more than I can drink and great value they are for it...long may they motor on. And yes, Shazza and dazza’s trip to Cockley Beck is funny.

Many thanks to all concerned....time for a ‘kipper tie’.

ps well done to Nic Barber on his first Lakeland classic win...good skills pal.

[Derby Tup]

Great stuff Daz

[ba-ba]

One of the more surreal moments in my fell racing 'career' was to reach Caw to be greeted by a man in a top hat and bowtie T-shirt, asking if I'd seen his bride. They were later seen finishing together so I assume the mist didn't keep them parted too long!

[Stagger]

Results please???