Cancellations and postponements

We have had a year of fell races cancelled for Covid, and one trail race I had entered in January was cancelled because the RO had Long Covid. Previously, many months of the fell running calendar were lost due to foot-and-mouth disease. Races are occasionally cancelled at short notice due to extreme weather; but I have now experienced a weather-related postponement of a kind I have not known before.

I had entered the Brassington Fell Race, due to be run today, because the RMT don't want me to go to Turnslack on Saturday. But on Monday an email was sent to all entrants, saying that the race was to be postponed to an as yet undetermined date because the recent wet weather has prevented the farmers from gathering in the hay.

The Stoney Middleton race is also today, but I had a look at the course map, and it looks dire. Starts with 2km of road (admittedly uphill), then most of the rest on stony or gravelled tracks, with only about 2km on pleasant footpaths. Worse than the nearby Eyam fell race!

You are correct in your assessment of the Stoney Middleton race as being dire AK. I refuse to use the word "Fell" in its title. The first 1.25 mile is steep tarmac. The rest is reasonably pleasant as a leisure/training run.

I do not care much for Brassington either. There are two stiles within a quarter mile of the start and queueing is inevitable for all but the race leader!

Although both local, this evenings RATRun will be far more enjoyable and I'll be able to save a bit of energy for Up The Nab on Sunday, which has a railway station within 1 mile of the start AK.

Up The Nab was one of my first attempts an an English Champs race.

Went booting up the first field thinking i could stay in contention.... was walking by the top of the field.