Race Date: Sunday 22nd October 2017

‘The one with the severe weather warning’

With storm Brian passing over the day before, we were watching the weather anxiously.  With the announcement that Longshaw was to be cancelled, a few nervous messages were exchanged, we wondered if we were bonkers and how we would be able to carry all the required kit.  However, the organisers announced that Mountain Rescue were fine with the event going ahead, so long as the controls were placed on the ‘lower levels’. We were pretty grateful for this, even if the weather was nowhere near as severe as anticipated, Kinder Downfall was still blowing upwards in the wind.  We came back half an hour early, with 170 points in the bag, egos inflated at Jill’s navigational success, who thankfully was the one member of the team who knew anything about navigation thanks to a handy pocket guide and the patience to practice in the back garden.  Egos deflated slightly as we heard the event had been a ‘points bonanza’ with record numbers of people bagging the full 500 points.  These events are well worth a try for anyone who likes fell running.  As the website claims, the events challenge your brain as well as your legs! There are three more left in the series; the next is on home turf in Totley on November 5th.

The first man back was Philip Vokes of LUOC who took the win in a very impressive 1:52:03 and the fastest women were Laura Goy &Tessa Thompson of South Yorkshire Orienteers gaining the 500 in 2:42:47.

Well done to the three hardy Striders who took part.