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My first time doing this race. A great route over the gritstone tors and edges. I much prefer running on gritstone to limestone: there is good grip on the bare rock, and the sandy soil is much more pleasant to run over than the clayey stuff you get on limestone. And there is plenty of bare rock on this route; you have to watch where you are putting your feet every step.
As usual these days, I felt completely exhausted at the end despite feeling that I was going rather slowly. The worst bit was being overtaken by a lady wearing a T-shirt with the legend, "Clowne Road Runners": the indignity of it, being overtaken by a self-declared road-runner on the fells! Actually, the worst bit was the finish field: slightly uphill and tussocky, just when you are hoping for some easy running into the finish.
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I should have mentioned that Llani Boy is back in form, with another M60 win. As for myself, I'm happy enough when I am in the top half of the M60's these days, never mind top half of the field overall.
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Yes thanks Anthony and nice to see you again.
Like you my first time and as you say a tough little race and I found the toughest part was the fact that your eyes need to spot nearly every step and no opportunity to enjoy the beautiful views. I was pleased with my time and 26th overall and barring a trip over a stick in the gateway out of the second field, which nearly caused a pile up, and a battle with the Dark Peak girl who finished 2nd lady, my run was uneventful.
That last uphill tussocky field to the finish was horrible but it enabled me to overtake the 3 youngsters that passed me just before the last road crossing.
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Great little race, and sheepdogs as well. Did it a couple of yeas ago whilst staying with my M i L in Buxton. Lovely to run over lots of Gritstone cliffs I used to play on in my climbing days.
And yes, the uphill finish is a bugger.
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First time doing this race for me. I managed to trip and fall in the first mile so am now nursing a sore hand. I had to ask a marshal to tie to my shoelaces as my right hand wasn't working later on in the race when I realised my lace was coming undone. Then at the finish, we were all sitting about discussing where we found it hard, and a guy said "you, you, you and you all went the wrong way". We hadn't realised it, but apparently, we'd cheated by running straight across the final road instead of turning right. So I inadvertently gained about two places. Thankfully, we weren't competing for any prizes at the point, but nonetheless apologies to any runners who I cheated out of their rightful finish.
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I was rather puzzled about why the route took us parallel to the road, then across it, and then parallel to it, back to just opposite where we had been. The road is quite straight there, so was the proper crossing point any safer than going straight across it?
I think some people went wrong in front of me, on the way to Over Owler Tor. I could see people approaching it from two directions, straight along the path or uphill from the right. The correct route is to leave the main path on another path diagonally downhill to the right, then turn uphill. I heard some shouting, and then several runners on the straight path went back downhill to regain the correct route.
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[QUOTE=anthonykay;675515]I was rather puzzled about why the route took us parallel to the road, then across it, and then parallel to it, back to just opposite where we had been. The road is quite straight there, so was the proper crossing point any safer than going straight across it?
I think it was a just a case of following public footpaths and crossing the road where the gates were rather than climbing fences.
I think the problem arose because after crossing the road the obvious path was straight on and the marshal should perhaps have been better located beyond the gate to direct runners back along parallel to the road. This is not a criticism, but an observation, on what was a superb event.
PS How's the hand Noel?
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Apparently there's normally a marshal on that road bit to stop runners like me taking the straight on route, but there were some logistic issues this year.
The hand is getting better slowly, thanks. And I forgot to say, well done on your V60 win.