Mickleden Straddle Fell race was the second counter in this year’s championships and the first opportunity to tick off a long race for the GP hopefuls.
With 14.3 miles and 2431ft of ascent the race attracted a field of 127 runners, of which 23 were Tod Harriers. Weather conditions on the day were ideal being cool but dry and bright.
A blast along a wide track for a kilometre or so warms the legs and wakes the lungs before the work starts properly with a 5 mile undulating climb to the first checkpoint. An eyeballs-out descent to Howden reservoir swiftly follows then another smooth wide track calms thing back down for a while. The next checkpoint steers you left and the climbing starts again.
The track varies from easy runnable to bog, then open moor with tussocks, heather and more bog before picking up a trod back to the path up to the first checkpoint. Then it’s a simple 5 mile run back the way you came …only it isn’t. On the way out the loose rocks weren’t really an issue but now it’s a descent the treacherously loose rocks demand your full attention and batter your feet.
First back for the Harriers once again was Ben Blosse in an impressive 1:52:35 and leading woman, picking up the fv40 in the process was Janine McGregor-Stead. The combined might of Janine, Mel B and Rebecca Patrick scooped the Women’s team prize. Further back in the field Dan Taylor described the race as “horrible” while Joe McWilliams declared it was his “favourite race ever!”