There has been plenty of fell racing going on recently, despite the wintery weather. The 11th January saw the Trigger Race leave Marsden on a one way trip to Edale. Runners navigate their way from Marsden over the notoriously featureless Black Hill, Bleaklow and Kinder to Edale visiting three trigs points on route. How they get back is anyone’s guess. The linear route is measured at 20 miles with 4500 feet climb. The mens winner was Neil Northrop of Dark Peak in 3 hours 36 mins and the women’s winner in 7th place overall was Jasmin Paris of Carnethy in 3 hours and 51 minutes. Four Calder Valley Fell Runners competed the race including long distance stalwart John Minta who finished in 68 place after 4 hours 48 minutes of running. Linda Hayles was the 2nd female v60 in 6 hours 44 minutes behind the indomitable Wendy Dodds of Clayton. Tony Steward (135th) and John Nunn (176th) were the other CVFR finishers.
Closer to home many Calder runners were out on the Hebden 22 and Hebden 15 last Saturday. This is a Long Distance Walkers Association event that is a very popular early season training event for local fell runners. The routes are, of course, 22 miles and 15 miles long and took place in icy conditions with heavy snow showers. Starting in Mytholmroyd both routes snake around the Upper Calder Valley via Wadsworth Lanes, Gibson Mill, and Blackshawhead. The 15 then returns to Mytholmroyd Community Centre via Erringden Moor while the 22 takes a tour to the top of Cragg Vale.
The top five places in the longer route went to Calder runners. Ben Mounsey and Gavin Mullholland have been first back in this event for what seems like the last 500 years, but this year they were joined by Johny Helliwell, all three finishing with a time of 2hrs 59min. Graeme Brown was 4th and Ian Symington was 5th. Hard man Minta didn’t let the previous weekend’s efforts stop him from coming 24th in 3hrs 49min. The first Calder women back were club captain Helen Buchan and Linda Murgatroyd in 4hrs 38min.
In the 15 mile version Ed Hyland from Stainland was first back with a comfortable margin in 2:17. A ‘back in form’ Steve Smithies was first Calder runner in 4th place just a minute ahead of Michael Dean, 6th in 2hrs 50mins. Steve had a knee operation towards the end of 2013, and spent most of 2014 doing leg presses to strengthen his supporting muscles; it looks to have paid off.
Penistone Hill in Haworth was the final racing venue, on Sunday for the 7 mile Soreen Stanbury Splash. There was however a last minute route change to the shorter 5 mile Stoop route due to dangerously icy conditions. The race was won by Tom Adams of Ilkley in 36.06 closely followed by Simon Bailey of Mercia. The snow was knee deep in part with runners falling like nine pins on the descent from the Oxenhope Stoop stone, but with only two retirements it seems that everyone returned safe. Calder’s first runner was Mark O’Connor in 20th place getting in just under 40 minutes in 39.45. Tristan Sheard was the second Calder finisher exactly one minute later. Lindsey Bridle of Horwich was first woman with an excellent 19th place overall and only just three minutes behind the first man. 2014 star signing Lindsay Oldfield was Calder’s first woman in 98th place, fifth woman in 44.56