Guisborough Three Tops Fell Race

North York Moors, Sunday, November 8, 2009

AM / 9M / 1800'

Shaun Roberts

Phil collects the winner's prizes! Hope Phil Sanderson got to see some of this little lot ...

Jan’s writing a report on this one at this very moment!

But when she’s finished it, it’ll probably mention that it was a great run over the moors, rather unhelpfully interrupted by three long walks, one up Roseberry Topping. She’ll also be telling you how Phil Sanderson won this after a night of fever and diarrhoea, and describe the state he was in afterwards. Warm drinks and a Mars Bar were offered, but he had to leg it sharpish after the race. I ate the Mars Bar, waste-concious readers will be pleased to hear.

She won’t have seen a fine sprint finish between Phil and Dougie, but hopefully she’ll be saying that she had a good run, as did Nigel and I.

Jan Young adds:

Really enjoyed race – glad I survived, I must be stronger than I think. It was a tough run – plan on doing more. Sorry to disappoint you report-wise – Phil Owen said he’d write report. I’m full of cold, payback time, no exercise this week. See you soon…

Phil Owen adds:

The last race I did run by Esk valley was the short but killer haul up the 1.3 mile and 800ft (approx) of Roseberry Topping race that will had won before I reached the top! Later on my Hardmoors run (yes, I will finish a report soon Shaun) I climbed it and met up with Jez Bragg (100K and 100mile champion ) who was marshalling. Meeting at Guisborough rugby club before heading to the hill to the short road start, I again was ready for Roseberry. This time I had striders Nigel, Dougie, Shaun, Jan, Phil Sanderson, Steve and Brian from DFR although some striders were also wearing their DFR and NFR ‘away’ kit. As with the Roseberry topping race the little talk beforehand was a gem. Last time I remember him saying that there was a whole host of safety rules and regs that we should know and they were on the bonnet of his car at every race and he expects that we have all read them! Today’s talk was much in the same vain with the idea being that it’s a tough race but if you don’t know that its going to be clarty as hell with steep climbs and descents you shouldn’t be here and if you don’t gan canny you might just get yourself hurt and … ! Enough said.

From the road outside the club we assembled and duly set of onto a cinder track and into the first wood. I always find these fell runners fast. Back in the day (hark at me – only been running 3 years !) I would hide in a pack in a some 10K safe in the knowledge that as slow as I am there were many a lot slower with fell run runners its it seems it’s just not the case. They all seem to be as fast as bugger up the hills. The tough climb through the woods seemed to go on forever (see Dougie’s photo’s for the profile) heading for Highcliff Nab. In the past I have been put off doing some of these fell races by my appalling map reading and the thought of getting lost (and I tell you don’t even think of ringing any of those funny telephone numbers they give you with the directions is pointless- not one of them work!) but the odd strip of red and white tape gave clues to of the way. To be fair most of the time slowies like me usually have someone in line of sight but I relied on that earlier in the year on the Ochills 2000 race. I followed a lass I knew had done the race twice before only to find out when I caught her up that she was completely lost!

Across a moorland that was tricky underfoot I finally started to pick up my pace and overtake a few folks where I could but overtaking on the muddy single track isn’t easy and I made a mistake of getting too close to another runner I could not get around. That runner came upon a ditch of peat bog and instead of jumping the ditch straight away he stuttered and then jumped slowing me down so much I had to do the same but could not get enough momentum and had no choice but to plunge my feet down the bog. Up to my knees I went and suction trying to take my inov8’s into the netherworld. Now recently I watched a Youtube vid of a fetchies mate called Andy money that on a multiple lap XC race lost his shoe in the ditch and spent most of the race trying to find it while dodging all the other runners. He never found the shoe again but became a mini sensation and had his 15 minutes out there in the field. Now at every race he gets “keep your shoes on lad” from all un sundry! Off the moor and threw a kissing gate the guy behind me is a bit keen and pushes the gate before I exit hitting my foot right on the really sore bit I’ve been protecting because I think I have a small stress fracture and had to pull out of a road race a couple of weeks ago after standing on a small stone. Hell what are the odds of that? I mean most gates have loads of clearance anyway. The guy could not have been more apologetic as I yelped but I explained the gate just hit the one place that was sore already and had a laugh about it. Onto the Cleveland way heading to Roseberry topping was fairly straight forward. I love the view you get looking down the valley and up to Roseberry. Lovely downhill with folks avoiding the lethally smooth stone walking slabs for more grip on the grass and mud. I worked out the slabs were quicker if you can stay upright and managed a few places going this way. Hard fast hands on knees walk up the topping where an impromptu dog show was taking place. It was tough choice but as lovely as the back lab was I declared the Westie the winner much to the enjoyment of the owner (those of you that know me know I split with a previous girlfriend – I forget her name, will know how much I miss our Westie a dog so the competition wasn’t really fair and there should be some law about who get the dog and visiting rights!) I rounded the trig point and the dropped of the other side.

Now from here the path is unclear and there are several ways you can take to the next top of hanging stones. In true ‘they look like they know where there going’ style I followed the guys in front. I thought all three can’t get it wrong and they look like they know where they’re going. Err no. We got turned around up just up a hill in Huttons’ Lowcross woods and had to double back. Steve of DFR had passed me here and as we came back to the proper route (a slight turning up another steep woodland hill (again)) I met Dougie who looked bemused at my wrong turn. Dougie and I enjoy our little back of the pack battles in these races and another very long hard climb followed to the top I overtook Dougie somewhere along the climb and then we were back onto the Cleveland way and back onto the moorland with the bog ditch we came across before. Now I knew that race was almost over and there would be a steep downhill finish but the last mile or so was all climbing and with my current low fitness I felt I was struggling. Dougie passed me looking strong on this last climb and pulled away. This gave me a bit more vim and I tried to claw him back. Finally at the top and onto moorland with the moorland bird going crackers at our presence I rounded to the trig point and onto the rough dodgy moorland. I picked up my pace and was just behind Dougie by the kissing gate. One mile to go and all downhill! Yes! – pure mud slop and steep down is just my thing and I over took a few including Dougie who came back at me hard on the last flat road bit near the finish with me having to put a little spurt on when I saw him coming. What a fabulous race and the series (printed with start times on the back of the number you keep-what a good idea!) looking so good I have changed some plans already to take in the ones I can.

Jan came in next and DFR, NFR and Elvet chated before we moved onto the rugby club for bacon butties and black sheep ale. Perfect. Everyone seemed to have run a good race and hapy enough but Philip Sanderson of Elvet and NFR was magnificent winning the race by one second after a herculean effort after to overhaul the leader in the dying strides despite being seriously unwell overnight. He still looked so unwell and mildly hypothermic in the rugby club after so we sent him home to bed which meant I got to collect his fist prize of champers and beer.

Both tasted lovely. Get well soon mate.

Results

Pos Name Club Cat Pos Time
1 Phil Sanderson NFR M40 1 68.13
29 Caroline Pollard North York Moors FV50 1 82.39
51 Shaun Roberts MV50 11 87.43
57 Nigel Heppell MV55 2 89.45
90 Phil Owen MV40 17 97.22
91 Doug Nisbet MV45 13 97.23
105 Jan Young FV55 2 104.31

119 finishers.

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