No such concerns today, though. Ideal conditions enabled Billy Cartwright to push the course record back a little further to 20.45 having shown his arch-rival Dan Haworth a clean pair of heels who was 2nd in 21.14.
Isolated in third place was Luke Beresford in a very respectable 22.22.
Aaron Tresidder was back next in company with his dad Ed in 26.38, a great result from one of Britain’s finest young fell runners.
It was the four-legged Meg Webster who was next back in a lunge for the line with her human, Karl Webster, in 28.12.
John Thorpe laboured round in 29.15 and not far behind in 29.28 and 8th overall was first lady Amy Jones.
Frank Holmes was next in 30.04 being chased by Lizzie Webster five seconds later.
The next few were Scott Thompson (30.38, 11th), Jacob Jones with some dramatic looking blood spread around both legs from a little bramble scratch (30.50, 12th), Mick Moorhouse (30.59, 13th), Callum Burch (31.31, 14th), Brett Wilton (31.35, 15th), Rory Burch (31.34, 16th).
The sight of his old man disappearing into the distance from the top of Bolehill was too much for John Webster to bear who rolled his ankle in desperation, but he eventually reached the finish in 31.52 and 17th place. It’s a good job he did because next to finish was his mum Christine Howard in 32.39.
19th was Abbie Burch in 35.00 followed by Eden Heeler in her first fell race, even if a bit of dog propelled assistance came into the ascent (36.35).
Lisa Jones (36.45, 21st), Dale Peakall (detoured and 38.49, 22nd) and Gary Jones (40.45, 23rd) brought most of the field back home just leaving the very veteran Jim Titterton to opt for a safe route in 55.10.
Finally, and the recipient of the virtual beetroot, was 12-year old Ethan Burch, abandoned by his mother and older brothers to search for a route back to High Peak Junction. Eventually finding his way back in 56.48, Ethan was in for a b—–ing for making himself late for his chimney cleaning round. In fact, it was reported that his mother made him walk back to Winster.
