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Not my usual neck of the woods but did this race today as happened to be in the area. What a beautiful day! Lovely route, and the uphill finish didn't feel as bad as I was expecting (although I was expecting it to be BAD...)!
Thanks to the organisers - the markings around the course were reassuring for a non-local! And thanks again to the folks who kindly let us leave our bike stuff in their car :)
On behalf of the lady who got a bit lost ( and,incidentally my chauffer back to Leeds :eek:) she says thankyou for your concern and she will try to do it a bit quicker next time !
Great course and a tough race,I was 25mins slower than last year.
Anyone doing this? Its this coming Sunday, 4th August 10:30, rescheduled from March.
A great race but looks like its gonna be a warm one.
Yes I am doing it, i was up there a few weeks ago reccing it and it is rather overgrown in places so will make it a little different doing it this time of year rather than in march.Quote:
Originally Posted by Fozzy42
Its a tough race, particularly that long climb up at the end. I hope there is a good turn out a couple of the recent local races havent been very well attended
It's a fab race and probably one of the hardest in the series. Don't think I'll be doing it as I may be up in the lakes again this weekend and I might also struggle having just done the LL50 at the weekend. Having said that, I'm giving Gribdale Gallop a bash tomorrow but that's a fair bit shorter and less tough. The Esk Valley winter and summer series are really lovely sociable races.
I agree, all the races are really well thought out routes and its all very well organised. I still think tomorrows race is very tough as its a fast course and all very runnable apart from maybe going up roseberry, completly different to blakey which is much harder terrain
Great race, very tough. Anyone doing it be careful dropping into Fryupdale, it's rough (but great fun)...and a great place for a pint at the Lion at the end.
Just wondering what its like underfoot, what shoes to do it in, not that it'll make much difference to me whatever I wear.
Personally I will be wearing mudclaws it will be wet in places and as mentioned is rough ground so maximum grip needed for me
I did Blakey Blitz after all and on the back of the LL50 and Gribdale Gallop, I'm pretty pleased to have got a pb of at least 2 1/2 minutes (will know for certain when results are out). It was a good day for it. Sunshine, some cloudy bits to cool us down and a decent wind (although running into it was a bit trying at times). Firm underfoot and I always love the descents. There was a good turn out :)
Yeah great race today. Bloody tough but enjoyable, conditions were pretty good really, that cool breeze was nice. Probably one of my favourite races in the North York Moors area.
There's a video of the start to the race on youtube (link below). Well worth a watch as Bob (starter) blows his whistle 4 or 5 times so Dave (RO) who is back at the road knows when to start the official stopwatch. Only thing was Bob forgot to inform the runners why he was blowing it and many runners thought it was a false start!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuWq1N95Cws
I'm making my way through the North York races and upto now this one is my favourite.
Some good boggy sections, a beltin gully descent and a tough long climb up towards the finish really hit the spot.
Dave the organiser does so much for fellrunning in this area, he's priceless. He has his own system of running things and it seems to work a treat....hats off.
Many thanks to all involved.
I never managed to fit this one in when I lived up there, but was always told it was the one 'proper fell course' on the Moors by the locals.
Dave is also an absolute hero!
Echo those comments, Dave puts on loads of great races on the moors throughout the year and with a lot of help off Bob Lilley as well, the blitz is definitely a toughy, the weather was perfect though yesterday and with a couple of pints of Wainwrights in the lion inn after, alls well with the world.
Any-one know of a race with a tougher finish?
For those who haven't done the race before the finish is at the top of a 600ft climb which is over a mile long.
It was a fab race, first time I had done it, horrendous finish but those views on a sunny March day didnt half make up for it.
No surprise ! Mandale / North York Moor Athletic Club / Esk Valley Fell Club and now theyre off again !!!
Bit puzzled by post 58 (Reply With Quote doesn't seem to work). As a reasonably active member of Esk Valley Fell Club I'm not aware of any-one leaving.
More details please.
Recently relocated to the north east and learning about and enjoying the races in the Cheviots and the NYM. Got an XC the day before this one, which i'm guessing is a bad idea but you know what it's like...
The gist is that it's tough and has a killer finish. Is that about the size of it? :)
Thats about right Mark, Blakey and Gisborough Moors are probably the two toughest races on the NYM. 3 tough climbs in the race and the last climb to the finish is a mile long slog.
I'm sure XC the day before is not advisable but I'm guilty of doing the same thing myself plenty of times :)
Lots of York Knavesmire will be heading up tomorrow and I'm hoping for a better result than the last couple of years when I've either been ill or lost :(.
Lost? So not one to just follow the tape on then?
There is usually plenty of tape and in clear weather it should be fairly easy. I guess it depends on where in the field you are and if the clag comes down, I was in 3rd at the time and on my own, managed to somehow go the wrong way before the climb to CP7 and lost lots of places.
Ah no worries - i don't think i'll be troubling the scorers too much as they in cricket. I have no qualms about navigating but wondered all the same... Looking forward to it
T'was excellent and a hell of a finish. Saw Jim Mann fully changed and 200m down the course willing us also-rans on as i finished and figured he must have won it and been in a while... Really enjoyed it, thanks very much to the organisers.
Finish was as tough as I remember, Jim Mann did indeed win in a close finish from Harry Holmes and myself.
You all finished within 20 seconds, must have been a hard competitive race all through.
CliveT
From Esk Valley Fell Club Facebook
Quote:
Blakey Blitz sun 18th March due to weather forcast we have decided to cancel with consequences for marshals competitors and likely access issues, hopefully rearrange after Easter.
Bob Lillie
Clive Thornton
Esk Valley Fell Club
Ran this today for the first time. A very fine race, but a beast of a finish. Had to try very hard at the end to hold off one of my clubmates. Thanks to the organisers and marshals.
Hope you managed to stay in front til the finish! This is one of my favourite races, got bits of everything in it - some nice climbs, fast descents and some good running inbetween, with some classic moor bogs thrown in.
Yes, held him off. Agree that it's an ace race - not many fell races that start with a long descent!
Or finish with a long (runnable) climb! Got to be one of the hardest finishes of any fell race.
Taking this on again tomorrow! Masochism (sp) tango! That finish!