The Nine Edges Fell Race is a 20 mile off road route with about 900 metres of height gain traversing the high moorland and gritstone edges from Fairholmes to the Robin Hood Public House near Birchen Edge. Competitors can choose to run, walk or climb.

I entered the race back in the Spring, in the hope that it would motivate me to keep up the long runs over the summer, post-spring marathon. Sadly I arrived at Fairholmes car park on Saturday morning having completely failed to live up to this plan, with just one run over 21kms since the end of June. I was also fairly sketchy about the route, having failed to fit in a recce in the weeks before the race. Fortunately my trepidation was largely unfounded and it turned out to be a thoroughly enjoyable experience, in near perfect running weather. The route starts with a fairly brutal climb up Hollin Clough onto Derwent Edge, the dropping down to a crossing of the Snake Pass at Moscar Lodge, before the long slog along Stanage Edge, I always underestimate just how long Stanage is, and it’s sufficiently tricky underfoot that you rarely have time to look up and enjoy the expansive views. It was a it of a morale booster to realise that by the time I’d reached the check point at Upper Burbage, I’d covered half the distance. Then it was onto Burbage, or rather the good path that runs under it, through Longshaw towards White, Froggat and Curbar Edges. Again, good paths made for relatively easy running and by this time I’d fallen in with a group of runners at around my pace so some chat helped the miles pass pretty quickly. Past a couple of distinctive landmarks, the Eagle Stone and Wellington’s Monument on Baslow Edge and then onto the final, fairly technical, rooty and overgrown section along Birchen Edge, before dropping down to the finish at the Robin Hood Inn, near Baslow, and a very welcome free drink voucher. As far as I can see there were only two Striders present; kudos to Sam Needham who finished in a time of 3:05:33, to secure third MV40, despite falling heavily and hurting his ribs.

The mens’ race was won by Andy Charlton (unattached) in a time of 2:43:50, whilst the women’s race was won in a time of 3:00:00 by Frankie Isherwood (also unattached)