David Howarth reports:
Since returning to the Midlands from ‘down south’ I have hugely enjoyed running fell races again (I did run the Box Hill fell race in Surrey a few times). Although, in the last 2 years I’ve run several relatively short White Peak fell races, I had been wanting to run something longer and in the wilder, more remote Dark Peak countryside. My friend Bob, who runs for Totley AC suggested this race which met those requirements – a BL race 23km with 740m ascent. This was the first time the race had taken place since 2020, just before Covid struck. Race HQ was Langsett barn, next to Lansgett reservoir, a few miles north-west of Sheffield. After an initial 2km to get to the western end of the reservoir, there is then a steady climb up Cut Gate to checkpoint 1, a steep descent to Howden reservoir, a flat section parallel to the reservoir shore, followed by a climb over rough terrain back up to Checkpoint 1. From there it’s a reverse of the earlier ascent back to the finish. Bob and I attempted a recce of the route three weeks previously which we had to abandon because of snow and ice.
In the week leading up to the race I was fretting about whether I would make the cut off at checkpoint 1. According to the organisers this was ‘approximately 8km in’. After the first 2km to get around the reservoir this would then be 6km uphill. The cut off time was originally 1 hour, shortened from the 1.15 of five years ago. The day before the race we were notified the cut off had been extended to 1.05. I was much more confident I could get there by the new time.
Blue sky and sunshine was the backdrop, and as I ascended on the rough, stony Cut Gate path my km time checks were looking good, and after about 6km I reckoned I would be there in around an hour. But lo and behold, checkpoint 1 appeared after only 7.2km, and I arrived there in 53 minutes! At this point I relaxed and enjoyed the rest of the race. With the sun shining, the descent to Howden reservoir was enjoyable. Running along the side of the reservoir I found quite difficult, because I felt I should have been going faster than I was. I felt tired but soon perked up when we started ascending again. I caught up and passed the runners that had overtaken me on the flat stretch. The terrain was boggy, the path in places unclear, but I was loving it, and a few minutes after 2 hours I was back at checkpoint 1 to begin the long descent. The Cut Gate path doesn’t lend itself to fast descents, or maybe I was too worried about stumbling and bashing my head on a rock. That said, I picked up a few more places and after passing the end of the reservoir, I ran the final 2km as hard as I could through the woods to the finish. It took me 47 minutes from checkpoint 1, only 6 minutes faster than my ascent, due to the nature of the terrain. There was originally a limit of 150 places, from which 127 started. 5 of those DNF’d (presumably because they didn’t make the cut off at checkpoint 1). I came 98th in a time of 2.50.40. The male winner was Tommy Holroyd (Holmfirth Harriers) in 1.44.24 and the female winner was Emily Cowper-Coles (Dark Peak) in 1.53.23.
Included in the £12 entry fee, was a bottle of Bradfield Rescue Ale, and enough food to ‘feed the whole of Sheffield’ (as it was described). A fantastic race. I’m tempted to say I’ll be back next year, but it’s unlikely the weather will be so good (in 2015 it was cancelled due to snow). We’ll see.
