20th August 2024 –

Where pens, sticky labels and highlighters are still going strong

Race report from Martin Downham (as I think I was the only Strider there, again):

Taddington’s landscape is dominated by rocky limestone outcrops and is surrounded by wild and windswept moorland. This can be seen all around on arrival at race HQ (The Bramwell Memorial Institute).

Weather on the day: Dry (just) – no puddles. Cool and very breezy

Parking: there is plenty of parking along Main Road.

The race course is a loop rising sharply out of Taddington. Almost all the course’s 125m of elevation is completed in the first 1.4km  (approx. 80m) on a single track road out of the village. Somewhere near the summit the route takes a left turn (on to a Green Lane). This leads to a deeply rutted gravel farm track with plenty of overhanging hawthorn and nettles. The most comfortable route through this involves a lot of rut hopping. After approx. 2km the route takes a sharp left turn on to a gently descending single track road. This leads back into the village. The route then takes some single track footpaths around the back of the village before turning on to Main Street for the final (slightly downhill) push to the finish funnel (back at the start and race HQ).

Thanks go to the organisers, villagers and marshals, who put on this great little event. Where there wasn’t a marshal there was usually an arrow to keep us all on the right path. There was also plenty of support en-route from a number of villagers. Tasty hot food was available at the venue and charming village pubs are nearby, if required.

As is the tradition, results were generated with labels and colour codes. See the photos as they may not be loaded onto the internet. The more standard prizes (usual categories) are supplemented with some more unusual prizes, including: welder’s gloves, cable hooks, a pizza cutter and unusually an Eyam Half Marathon 2023 T-Shirt. Sadly, I could only manage second in age category despite achieving a faster time than last year. Bizarrely, the welder’s gloves were won by a welder (???)

This is not the most local of races, but it’s a nice journey there and the various routes pass a lot of welcoming country pubs, many with great Derbyshire views. With Well Dressing in full swing, so there is currently an extra reason to pop over to Taddington. Additionally the views from the top of the hill are amazing.

Results: as per photos: https://www.webscorer.com/race?raceid=362790

Striders result

35th in 32:35 Martin Downham