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I think the main road will be fine. However, the roads to Wainstalls and Blackshaw head might be a tad impassable to most sensible drivers. There's no way I'd take my car up to Blackshaw head at the moment. That is, if I could get it out of the car park at home first...
I reccied leg 3 last Thursday. Some nice footprints to follow, but if the snow freezes it could get a bit tricky where the snow has been compacted on the route. No problems getting from Huddersfield to Tod. Top car park at the leisure centre leg 2/3 changeover was closed due to the ice, so might have to leave cars elsewhere.
Just hope our leg 1 & 2 runners don't hang about. Don't want to be stood about for long in the freezing cold!
Just been round leg 1, lovely afternoon for it, a few interesting descents on ice, though managed to stay on my feet all the way round. Hope to see everyone at the weekend.
Leg 1 for me again. What was the descent on the road into Ripponden like?Quote:
Originally Posted by supersaint
It's thawing out slowly, been well gritted at the bottom where it's steepest, i live near the bottom of it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Richard Head
Bad news
race cancelled
Just heard from Hx HarrierQuote:
Originally Posted by Stagger
Possibility it may be run in Spring 2011
Just heard the same via the CVFR forum.
News travels fast on the "Fellvine". Simonside Cairns is postponed as well (probably not unexpected that one :rolleyes:) so feet up this weekend I think :D
Official notification HERE
I know a few teams have accomodation booked around Hebden / Heptonstall and usually make a weekend of it - not sure which teams; I'm sure a social run could be arranged - a long circuit around some local routes / beers; I and others based around Hebden would be happy to discuss - there are quite a few of us free on Sunday!
WTF?
I know it's considered bad form to question the decisions of RO (well it is on the forum anyway), but seriously; is anyone else a bit surprised by this decison, made today?
All the weather forecasts show warmer weather (above 4deg and cloudy) for fri and saturday, there's plenty of time for conditions to improve substantially, what's the rush to cancel it??
Hmmm pretty downbeat because thought it had a good chance of been on due to a 'small' window of milder air over this w/e. Suppose have to respect the decison its a big event to run so had to make an early call. Be difficult to find a suitable date now though
Yes it is bad form so dont do it or organise a race for the best part of 1300+ runners and god knows how many helpers and then realise how much time you need to make decisions in and let everyone know.Quote:
Originally Posted by AndyA
gutted my 1st time as well :(
Bugger I was looking forward to that!!
AndyQuote:
Originally Posted by AndyA
I'm surprised they've left it this long.
some of those little villages around there had lots of snow, the roads that are open are just open to local traffic. parking is always VERY difficult with clear roads. some areas will have no parking this year as the snow will have been ploughed on to the sides. Then yu've got all the steep roads covered in ice and snow. The race route may be runnable I don't know? but as for getting all the runners to the various CP safely and on time? It was not going to happen this year after all that snow.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Clash City Rocker
There is nothing wrong with questionning the timing of a decision, don't forget there are very few fell runners who don't organise, marshal, or help at races themselves so we do understand the effort that goes in.
As for the race route, it is very runnable and there is only one changeover which might be dubious (wainstalls) all the rest are in towns or on (or near) good roads which have been usable for over a week now and are well gritted and clear with warmer weather forecast for the end of the week.
And don't forget when you've 1300 sandwiches to make or pies to buy, you can't just make a decision on Saturday afternoon. I've been walking with the dog this week and paths and tracks are bottle ice, it may be runnable but not raceable. The Coley Canter at Shelf was cancelled last year due to severe ice, this is the start of leg 6 and it wasn't even this cold last year.
Having been out on the weekend and last night on parts of the route i would suggest it is both runnable and raceable and likely to be more so at the weekend.
However, having asked around the reason for cancelling appears to be parking problems at two or three of the changeovers.
As for the race route, it is very runnable and there is only one changeover which might be dubious (wainstalls) all the rest are in towns or on (or near) good roads which have been usable for over a week now and are well gritted and clear with warmer weather forecast for the end of the week.
I would say hinchcliffe arms,blackshaw head plus all roads leading to the changeovers are bad.in particular first thing sunday morning.
its bad at blackshaw head,wainstalls and cragg vale at the best of times so imagine all the arguments with the locals,bus drivers,police,ambulance ect!
running on the route is easy but i think the reason is about avoiding snarling all the road routes to and from.
I think if you had pranged your car or slipped on many of the steep descents you would have had something to say.
If i remember right the last time it had to be canceled the hosting club nearly went bankrupt due to all the financial outlay.
it would never be the right decision.
Halifax Harriers seem to be coming in for far too much uneccessary criticism. What were they supposed to do, leave it till Saturday tea-time. !
I fully support and respect Halifax Harriers decission to postpone the event. I am sure they wanted it to go ahead as much as we all did and I am sure they will have an alternative date soon. Just hoping it doesn't clash with other races I plan to do but thats life! I know I will be doing all I can to make sure I am available for my team on the new date. I was looking forward to Salford Harriers winning again!!!
Many thanks to Linda Crabtree and her team for organising what I see as my highlight of the year and the Calderdale Way Relays marks the start of Christmas for me and I will be sad not to be racing it this weekend.
Thanks again Hlifax Harriers.
Andi
No criticism coming from this direction. I have absolutely no doubt that the right decision has been made with the information the organisers had available (most of which we don't have). A late decision doesn't help anyone. Thanks for the early warning - I can now replan my weekend.
Trying to make contact with the Tring and Milton Keynes teams who usually have accomodation and make a weekend in Hebden/Heptonstall -a bunch of us would like to invite them on an epic social run from Heptonstall to Haworth and back. Seems a shame for them to miss their jolly? Any idea how we can conatct their captains?
I agree completely. It's good to see race organisers making a decisive early decision to give enough time to let everybody know and make alternative arrangements. This contrasts favourably with the organisers of the Thirsk 10 road race who recently left it until 8.20 of the morning of the race to cancel.Quote:
Originally Posted by Marvin
I work with one of Tring's team members. I'll PM you his email address.Quote:
Originally Posted by Trig
Thanks Chris - at least they have option to have a weekend in the snow. The full route is being planned tonight - but expect an 8am start in Heptonstall - 20 miles plus on some combination of snow bound tracks and trods - as social run it will be a gentle pace. Different route on return. Option to get bus back from Haworth to cut short although tea and cake in Haworth should power us back! Looks like a few Tod Harriers/CVFR/Heptonstall so far. It would be wrong not to have an Xmas pint back in Heptonstall at the end!!
As organiser of that other relay in January ( Pennine Bridleway Relay) I have a question for everyone out there, in the event of bad weather is it better to cancel the event completely or popstpone till a later date. I have thought arranging a later date as part of the event set up so that teams will know before entering that in the event of bad weather and postponement that they have a choice to enter or not in the knowledge of the later date and their other commitments at that time. What do you think ?
I think for big events paticularly at this time of the year then this is just good planning. Not only for those coming to do the event but also to move it on quickly with out having to reorganise quite so much.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lefty
Good idea in my book!:thumbup::D
For me what id do is already have a later date planned and inform entrants of that alternative just in case...as time needs to be booked off work occasionally or other commitments may have to take priority at such short noticeQuote:
Originally Posted by Lefty
I'm not sure an alternative date would make any difference. Once the date changes you're going to have to start again checking everyones availability anyway, and if you ask for everyone to have both dates free from the start i probably couldn't get a team together. But if its helpful to the RO or other teams to have an alternative date i wouldn't be against it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Lefty
As for entering or not, i think you enter any event in the knowledge that exceptional circumstances may cause a postponement or cancellation. Having a published alternative date wouldn't change my decision to enter a team.
Halifax have done the right thing and put safety first. Knowing a few days in advance is handy so we can make other running plans for Sunday.
I'm not sure they're getting much critisism. Only one, possibly two, comments.Quote:
Originally Posted by Leeds Rhino
I was disappointed when I heard it was cancelled, but did the old 'what would I do trick' and decided that given the state of the changeovers, particulary the car park at Leg2/3, and the thick ice on route causing risk of injured people over a 50 mile route with 1st aiders having to cover all that ground, I'd have cancelled.
Can't see when they're going to re-schedule it without clashing with something else though!
Not sure what thread you're reading? No-one has criticised HH for cancelling, i've just asked whether or not it seemed a bit premature.Quote:
Originally Posted by Leeds Rhino
Everyone has considered the question (well almost everyone; CCR didn't bother reading it, just fired off a pompous "RO is God" kind of response) and given their opinion, i'd probably agree with them but it does seem a shame, especially as most of the financial outlay has probably been committed by now anyway.
I imagine local runners will be out on sunday anyway, probably running the leg they were down for; maybe there's scope for an unofficial Leg by Leg competition!
Hi Trig,Quote:
Originally Posted by Trig
I'm the Tring team organiser. I've just had an email from the MK team captain about this, so we are on to it. Not sure which Tring runner Chris H knows but I'll talk to the team anyway.
Thanks for the offer - sounds great!
I know a few of the Tring team are still planning on travelling. We stay at Riverdene bunkhouse at Colden (by the New Delight bridge). I think the MK lot stay at the Scout hostel at Hardcastle Crags. I'll get one of the lads who is still travelling to PM you. I think MK will make contact separately.
Cheers,
Steve
Thanks Stevie - just left you a PM with my contacts
are the pies and sarnies paid for yet !!Quote:
Originally Posted by AndyA
I think we are probably going to have a run up Penygent and a slide back down it !
Not at all "RO is God" nor hardly a pompous response, although I'll own the bit about firing off without really thinking!!. Simply saying that its the RO's decision and we should respect that. We can chunter on about if we dont like it but I dont think we should be challenging it. Its not for us to be able to say when decisions should be made. Its not going to be any better here on Sunday and thats been known for a while. Good decision well made.Quote:
Originally Posted by AndyA
A short while ago DW was taken off the forum on the grounds that she was posting "nonsense". How come the rest of you can get away with every bleeting day of your lives!
If you look around the country, but in this case specifically around Tod', this was soooooooooooooo clearly the right call.
See you all again in 6 months when my next ban is served.
ToWiT of nix.