Cardington Cracker

[IainR]

How does that race rank in terms of difficulty / length / quality / aesthetics?

I've got no idea what other fell races would be like.

Race lengths vary from 3 - 20 miles.

Difficulty wise its hard to say. Flatter more runnable courses are in many ways as hard as the very steep rough courses, just a different kind of difficulty, depends where your strengths are.

Aesthetically, I thought it was nice, never been to that area, but there's lots of variable racing around North Wales. Clwydians, northern Snowdonia, merionydd, borders, Llangollen. All quite unique areas and hard to compare.

I liked it, it felt a logical loop, some races can feel a bit artificial and contrived, but I thought that was nice and varied.

[(notsomuchofa)Fellrunner]

This was my first ever fell race (I was 8th) and wasn't it a cracker? (arf arf).

In contrast to many other reports, I thought it was (i) too windy (ii) too wet. Perhaps I should get myself some proper shoes to keep me upright.

Are all fell races as tiring as this?

In the middle of the race I was thinking "never again", but now I find myself thinking "where's the next one?".

What's all that about?

Great photos.

I was the runner just ahead of you Slacker. I'm gutted that you didn't have good shoes on as I thought it was my superior descending technique that enabled me to pull away from you on the drops . Did you notice me having a sneaky look over my shoulder at every stile on the run in?

You definitely had better support than me. That lassie with the colourful wellies was particularly rowdy .

I'm pretty sure that I'll be racing you again soon.

[RhosgadMath]

bloody hell he was too. I remember thinking that when I see him later. Him and Roger Yapp? put a huge gap on me on that first descent, flew past me.

Roland always seems to be wearing the awful fllyroc's but always also seems to fly downhill at excellent speeds!!.............the again not quite as fast as Roger Lamb - superb!

[IainR]

This was my first ever fell race (I was 8th)

8th, in your first race is bloody good going, especially in the CC, few races get such a strong field. Certainly in North Wales I've never seen such a strong field.

[slacker]

I was the runner just ahead of you Slacker. I'm gutted that you didn't have good shoes on as I thought it was my superior descending technique that enabled me to pull away from you on the drops . Did you notice me having a sneaky look over my shoulder at every stile on the run in?

You definitely had better support than me. That lassie with the colourful wellies was particularly rowdy .

I'm pretty sure that I'll be racing you again soon.

Well I think it was a bit of both (your skill + my shoes) but I was just wearing a pair of Nike trial shoes with no grip on the heel, that wet grass was a bit of a nightmare. I thought I might catch you on the run in, I chased all along the the ridge and then across all those stiles, every now and then I thought you were coming back to me but I couldnt make it.

The rowdy lassie was the wife getting over excited.

Hope I will race you soon, but I might go back to what I'm best at, which is 3-5k on flat hard roads and running tracks

[slacker]

8th, in your first race is bloody good going, especially in the CC, few races get such a strong field. Certainly in North Wales I've never seen such a strong field.

Ta. I've been running, on and off, for years, just never done a fell race.

[trilathon]

Though visible on the horizon as a conical volcano type silhoutte from 50 miles distant to the northern eye, I'd never been upon Caer Caradoc 'till yesterday

the lower reaches are wet and muddy and sit beneath such imposing heights

upper slopes are somewhat frozen and precipitous making for a defence and difficulty to ascent akin to storming the Iron Age hill fort that crowns its majestic heights

a dark swathe of snow cloud swept in whilst I was atop, so with the view gone ( which was as bracing, penetrating and as well travelled as the wind ) I took the time to visit the small cave where legend has it that the family of Caractacus' , the warrior chief, hid from the Roman cohorts after the last stand of the Britons

all in all an inspiring route to race on....lookin forward to Sunday

[Fellhound]

It looks a grand hill, but just a bit to far away for me to make the trip... Now Long Mynd Valleys on the other hand....

[Brenno]

I'll be there, with a few Erewash Valley lads.

[Celine Dion]

Anyone got a map they can post up?