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Thanks guys!! I'm quite confident on my nav skills and I'm glad you've said it's on the easier end of the spectrum for a long, probably the best way to start & if (hopefully not) I do go wrong, I know I need to sharpen up my skills
Cheers for the tips too guys, hopefully I'll be there
This will also be my first 'long' race, and I'm really looking forward to it...
To be honest I've been surprised in my first couple of races that I've finished so far up the field (in the top 25-30%)... obviously nowhere near the real front runners but still pretty good in my eyes for a novice... (although I must say the general level in fell-racing is far, far higher than local road race events, where I'd regularly hit top 5 or 10 no problem..)
But looking at my expected time for this one, and the past results, I think this will be a bit of a step up, and will show me a bit more realistically where I really stand in the grand scheme of things...
If I run the ideal race I'd be astounded if I even scraped into the top half on this one... if things go wrong and my navigation lets me down, I dread to even think....
Find a Pennine (black/red/yellow) or Dark Peak (mainly brown) and stick with him/her for the whole race :)
You will be a lot higher up than me Travs, haha! I do 50% at best in fell races at the mo, sometimes around 70% depending how I race on the day...I guess there's only one way to find out ;)
Thanks to organiser, marshals, MR & others involved. Had a cracking day out. Spent the first 10 miles running well, hanging around top 25, but then got dropped like a bad habit twice & ended up 44th. Perhaps I should learn a little about endurance & pacing...
I'd echo the comments above, superbly organised with a minimum of fuss...
A bit gutted today... was running fine, coming off the final summit sat comfortably in about 50th-60th with nobody in sight behind, and less than 2 miles to go... unfortunately missed a fork in the footpath, and when I finally hit the road I was a good km or so west of the correct road crossing, resulting in a miserable trudge up the road...
On studying the final results, I was sat in 57th and the error cost me approx. 9 minutes and 27 places, ended up 84th in 2hr34...
On reflection if offered my finishing time and position before the race I'd have snapped their hand off, but disappointed to let slip what would have been a great result for me in my 3rd race...
I also ran well for the 1st 10-12 miles, but the penultimate climb up from the river crossing did it for me, i desperately hung on due to the thought of a sub 2:30 finish, but need more miles and hills in the legs..
After the New Allotments? You are not the first to miss that right turn! It's important to study the map and know what turns are coming. Probably true for many races.
yes I made the sharp right above New Allotments, but it was the fork after that... by the time I'd realised my error, I was down at a farm road junction. had I got the map out I would have seen that a sharp right would put me back on track,with only a couple of minutes lost, but stupidly I powered straight on down the hill...
To New Mills?
Luckily I wasn't as far off course as New Mills... I finally hit the road adjacent to the little reservoir about midway between New Mills and Hayfield... The fork I missed was at Foxholes Clough...