Sunday 16th November
Peak Raid Autumn Series – Race 3 Alstonefield
After Claudia wreaked havoc on Friday and Saturday the weather on Sunday was a marked improvement with clear skies and cool air greeting the participants for the 3rd race in the 4 race series.
A female dominanted MAC contingent hit the White Peak, crossing the border into Staffordshire to the event base at the village hall in Alstonefield. After kit check and registration the participants went out into the wilds between the Manifold Valley and Wolfscote Date. The objective of these events is to get to as many of the checkpoints marked on the event map within the three hour time limit as possible. This course had 22 checkpoints with 600 points available. The maps only have physical features marked with all place names removed. If you follow the link to ‘Routegadget’ https://www.explorerevents.routegadget.co.uk/rg2/#27 you can see the maps for previous events and some of the routes people have taken.
This course had checkpoints placed on various paths and tracks along with others on some of the summits on access land. A lot of the course was runnable due the geography of the area. There were some steep climbs out of the valleys and up to the summits to test the legs.
The MAC results are as follows: Sally Hale is shown as 2nd place in the F category behind a pair with 440 points (2:52:36), so I’m not sure if that gives second or third? Ayoko Yokoyama-Nichols was first in the FV50 category with 490 points (2:59:08). Kate Ruffell was first in the FV60 category with 440 points (2:44:36). Christine Howard partnered with Frank Holmes to pick up third place the MIX50 category with 380 points (amazing timing here 3:00:00). Tom Withers was 9th the M category with 290 points in (2:48:35), he seemed to be focussed on getting to the pub for Sunday lunch. Nick Gant was 10th in the MV40s with 500 points (2:56:31).
James Chapman (MV40 – Eden Runners) was first overall getting the full 600 points in 2:48:30. Sue Richmond (FV40 – Pennine Fell Runner) was first female with 560 points in 2:58:42.
