Oldest extant race record

[Travs]

I dunno.... 7mins is a feasible improvement for someone at my level to comprehend... but could someone of Matt Elkington or Brennan Townsend make that jump when they are already so highly-tuned... I don't want to speculate on what happened to Dan Haworth, there could have been injury or anything... but he gave Finlay Wild a race to the death earlier in the year, and came 7th in the National XC, and he didn't stay the pace on saturday, i think it was going hard at the front.

There's certainly people around with the potential... Carl Bell if he'd continued the same path after that fantastic summer (2018 or19?)

Jacob Adkin, will he return to the fells after destroying some long-time records in 2021...

Finlay Wild...

There's clearly some youngsters at junior level who are going to be serious guys in a couple of years.

[ba-ba]

Dan talked himself out of it on Saturday and beat himself mentally when Matt put the boot in on the rough traverse.

Everyone thought Styan's record was untouchable. Then in the 2016 champs race Sam Tosh dipped under 2h in a race that was descrobed to me as 'we just jogged along to Esk Hause then Sam got bored'. Everyone ran fast that day (I did 2:10). It was very good conditions udner foot.
Fin ran just outside 2h a few years ago in pretty bad conditions I understand.
So 2:02 for Matt in Saturday's very wet conditions is pretty good, and 2:24 (2 mins off the record) for Nicola was excellent.

The Men's record is probably gettable, but you need 3 weeks of dry beforehand and a full champs field with a few ringers in from Scotland to bulk up the push at the front. People thought Jura was unbeatable but the record's gone 3 times in ~8 years

From what I hear Langdale is now the oldest record, as I understand Lantern Pike (Ricky Wilde, same year as Langdale but a month or so earlier) may no longer exist as the Hayfield Sheepdog Trials have ceased to exist.

[Graham Breeze]

Everyone thought Styan's record was untouchable. Then in the 2016 champs race Sam Tosh dipped under 2h in a race that was described to me as 'we just jogged along to Esk Hause then Sam got bored'.

Fin ran just outside 2h a few years ago in pretty bad conditions I understand.

The Men's record is probably gettable, but you need 3 weeks of dry beforehand and a full champs field with a few ringers in from Scotland to bulk up the push at the front.

Yes, of course Styan's record is beatable. If someone put up, say, £50,000 for the record I doubt it would take 45 years to be broken.

Any's record is what it is because on that day three other people were racing outright for the win, and not hanging around looking at each other, and the result was that Billy Bland finished only 14 seconds behind Andy with Alan McGee on 16 seconds.

Andy's account is in The Fellrunner Summer 2007 in which he also points out that the race was in September so presumably more likely to be dryer than now.

[mr brightside]

Finlay wild and Dan Haworth is a good example of what I'm on about. Two guys upping the ante over and over again, and the record went. Apparently after Roger bannister broke the 4m mile, every man and his dog cracked it.

[eccentric]

Go on Graham...

Check down the back of the settee

Yes, of course Styan's record is beatable. If someone put up, say, £50,000 for the record I doubt it would take 45 years to be broken.

[Graham Breeze]

Go on Graham...

Check down the back of the settee

Nah, there's 'ard times in Ilkley tha knows.

[Croberts]

This got me thinking about all the old races I used to do on the North Yorks Moors.

There are a few old ones but Roseberry Topping is I think the oldest and that goes back to 1992 - Robin Bergstrand - 10:20.

Captain Cooks Race was 1991, again by Robin Bergstrand, but the course has been slightly shortened now so it cant be broken.

[Graham Breeze]

This got me thinking about all the old races I used to do on the North Yorks Moors.

There are a few old ones but Roseberry Topping is I think the oldest and that goes back to 1992 - Robin Bergstrand - 10:20.

Captain Cooks Race was 1991, again by Robin Bergstrand, but the course has been slightly shortened now so it cant be broken.

I used to love races on the NYM. And Dave was wonderful.

I once worked with Robin with the international teams and I know he was very pleased (if a little surprised) that his record had stood for so long.

However, it is a very long journey for a very short evening race to attract the very best short steep downhill runners when there are so many summer alternatives.

I have not run on the Topping for a few years but I seem to recall a lot of erosion and I wonder if the best line in Robin's day is still viable?

And I wondered what is the second fastest time?

Perhaps the Calendar should always print the second fastest time to show if the record is "readily breakable"
or "currently out of sight"!

[Croberts]

There are 19 years worth of results on Esk Valley Fell Club Website. Looks like the fastest over that time was 11.11 by a junior called Jack Willis in 2014 who has also had a few other wins. Joe Blackett features a lot in the earlier races with quite a few times in the 11 minutes.

So doesnt look like anyone has been within 51 seconds of the record in the available results, though as you say I am sure if it was a weekend champs race it would probably go.

[ba-ba]

Jack Willis is a good triathlete now. In 2012 he ran 11:4x when he was 15. Kid went up like helium, thought I might have him on the descent but he could descend. My best was 12:16 after a day of househunting in 2018.

The 'chute' (direct route) is very loose and eroded and not fun to come down. I have worn lycra before to slide bits of it.