Have you ever been last?

[Graham Breeze]

Doing one of Brett's night runs some years ago (on my local fell race course as it happened), I was in bad shape for some reason and was definitely last until one Graham Breeze took a wrong turn and scuppered my plans! Damn you Breezy, damn you!

Yep.

Actually I think I was just ahead of Ian Holmes until I went off-course.

[Derby Tup]

I once finished just over a minute behind Ian (okay so the race was a mile, and one minute thirty odd isn't strictly just over a minute but I was happy)

[granty]

Being one that tends to finish in the bottom percentile of races, this would be a topic rather close to my heart :-)

I recall thinking I would do well when I pitched up to my first proper fell race - Carnethy 5 in 2014. I had a few trail runs under my belt and was in the low 40s for my road 10k time. I even had the temerity to waste hours of my life pre-race swithering as to whether or not I might do it in under an hour.

Fast forward an hour and twenty minutes later and I'm thinking "how the hell is it actually possible to go so slow for so much effort?!?"

My next rude awakening came later in 2014 when Prsad Prsad finished Stuc a'Chroin in 2014 in less time than it took me to go halfway.

However, my ultimate shame came in July of that year (or was it 2015?) when I offered my services as sweeper on the Arrochar Alps race.

I missed the start by 5 minutes. "Not to worry, i'll catch up the slow coaches" Ran all the way through Glen Loin and up Ben Vorlich - didn't see a soul. Even my sweeping partner was too fast for me (and she a V50 female as well - oh the humiliation!!). She passed me on the way back down Vorlich at the 800m contour - me still with 150+m of climbing to get to the top. "I'll wait for you at the bottom" she said. I am still unsure if this well-meaning act of pity by my friend compounded the humiliation ;-)

By the time we made it back to Arrochar the winners had just finished, having climbed a further 3 predominantly trackless munros and covered an additional 5km than I.

What is my point? Well, I guess races like these (indeed, fell races in general) attract more than your average jogger so just finishing is, in my book, a worthy achievement and one not to be sniffed at, regardless of your ultimate placing. (Of course, I would say that, wouldn't I? ;-) )

[wheezing donkey]

Granty, just to "compete & complete" makes you a "winner". Well done.

[wheezing donkey]

Yep.

Actually I think I was just ahead of Ian Holmes until I went off-course.

But Graham, what about the Bedlamite event on Parlick & Fairsnape, maybe 7 or 8 years ago ..... total pea-souper with horizontal stair rods?

OR, the 2014 Buttermere-Sailbeck?

Ian.

[Bob]

Ian, that reminds me of the Bedlamite Embsay run. Complete pea souper on the moor, so bad that even the marshal couldn't find the turning point! I got to the top of the rise after Rylstone Gate and wondered what all the lights were doing away to my right. It was only on tapping the memorial cross that I realised that the "lights" were all those who had missed the turning point and had continued for another mile. One of the few times I got a top ten placing

[brett]

On an out and back course????

until I went off-course.

[Graham Breeze]

But Graham, what about...the 2014 Buttermere-Sailbeck?

Ian.

Lost and last: a combination often found together!

Graham

[Stagger]

In my one appearance at Gt Whernside bedlamites race, a certain old lad was found wandering aimlessly around above Hag dyke.

Two fat lads ushered the said gentleman to the safe arms of the RO.

Poor old chap ��

[Bob]

In my one appearance at Gt Whernside bedlamites race, a certain old lad was found wandering aimlessly around above Hag dyke.

Two fat lads ushered the said gentleman to the safe arms of the RO.

Poor old chap ��

No way to speak about Mr Breeze