"Go On Dad Go On!"

As it's a busy week of racing again I am dropping in a midweek update to report on yesterday's Shutlingsloe Fell Race which was run as part of the Wildboarclough Rose Queen Fete. This traditional villlage event for once had the benefit of great weather to attract the Bank Holiday Monday crowds, whilst the race itself with its field of over 130 runners was the biggest for many years.

Although the race is only just over 3k in length it is run from Crag Hall, the home of Lord Derby and rises over 1300ft straight up Shutlingsloe, known locally as "The Matterhorn of Cheshire" and then straight back down again! Having run this race most years for the last thirty I know the course pretty well but it never gets any easier!

It starts with a fast start dropping straight into the valley followed by a river crossing, hands on knees for the next few minutes, then jog/walk/ rock climb for the next ten. I reached the summit as seen in the photo (with the Hall in the distance below across the valley) in just under 16 minutes (this years winning time by the current record holder was 15.25 and that includes going back down!). After a rapid descent including an almost sheer 50 metre "bottom slide" through Bluebell Wood you are faced with the same knee deep river crossing followed by the last quarter of a mile back up to the finish in the full view of the crowd cheering on from the wall (the finish line) above. This has to probably be one of THE most lung bursting three minutes of the whole year, in a time of 26.46. Far from my quickest ever time & a minute slower than last year but I did beat my local rival by 20 seconds which is really all that matters!

All in all a great afternoon both of running and of celebrating a traditional english country fete. Hopefully I have captured some of the flavour on the video and the encouragement as I climb to the finish is my daughter Sarah!