West Yorkshire Primary schools Cross Country finals
Teddy, Cora, Jules and Winston ready to run. Credit Paul Haigh
On Thursday 22nd February six of our red & white Juniors represented Calderdale schools in the West Yorkshire Primary schools Cross Country finals. In the year 3 boys race were our youngest Juniors: Teddy Haigh, Jules Ciolino and Winston Lalande. Winston finished 25th and 5th Calderdale in 5m 46s; Jules 44th and 8th Calderdale in 5m 56s and Teddy 51st and 9th in Calderdale in 5m 59s. In the year 4 girls race Cora Slater finished 88th and 16th Calderdale in a time of 6m 57s. Meanwhile, in the year 5 boys Alwyn Gardner finished the slightly longer course in 6m 28s finishing 66th and 15th Calderdale. Finally, in the year 6 boys Sam Breaks, who was full of cold, finished in 6m 41s finishing 119th overall and 18th Calderdale. Well done Juniors!
Fix Events Winter Warmer
Adam Breaks ran in the Fix Events Winter Warmer cross country half marathon coming 4th overall and 1st V40 in a time of 1h 33mins. Adam said ‘We returned to Temple Newsham this morning for Fix Events Winter Warmer half marathon. 4 laps and an out and back mile over predominantly muddy tracks, with decent tracks nearer the house. 2 young lads pulled away early on so I just ran round at steady pace. It was a Multi race event so in the latter stages you’re dodging 5k and 10k runners and lapped runners … it was very slow going in wrong choice of trainers, and looking at the positives at least the weather was nice’.
High Cup Nick Fell Race
This beautiful race up an iconic valley in the Northern Pennines took place last Saturday with 3 Calder Valley Fell Runners journey to take race and this was made all the more worthwhile as they had a stunning day for it. An unusual occurrence for the this wet and windy winter.
Special High Cup Nick report by Francis Wooff
Francis climbs the rocks up the Nick. Credit David Wood Fellside Photography
Approaching the 2024 race I looked at split times from 2017, probably my strongest year in fell running & my best result (1:39) in the race. Achieving the same probably wasn’t realistic, but quietly I hoped (& memorised the splits). I decided I’d at least be happy beating my 2nd best time (2016, 1:42), but only owned up to friends who were spectating that I hoped to finish “between 1:40 & 1:50”. I gave the same line to Andrew Davies of CVFR on meeting him for the first time just before we started, Andrew said he had similar in mind & might tag on to me as I knew the race & lines. It was just as well for Andrew that he ran slightly ahead of me from the start as, though I was close on my splits for the first 5 miles (slightly behind 2017, slightly up on 2016) I made a silly mistake as I came on the initial rocks starting the climb of “the nick”. Those ahead of me must have strayed gradually off the best line & though I should have known better I was pulled by being in a snake of runners, only feet apart, into following this mistake. At least I was the first to wake up to the error & shouted to those around me we should be over to our right. We made our way over to the line, but were caught by people further back, as they benefitted from seeing the correction. I estimate this mistake, plus failing to pass slower climbers towards the top of the nick, cost me 2 to 3 minutes.
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I made a tiny bit of this back on the descent, but not much, as I always fly (for me) down in this race. As well as my familiarity from past races I grew up in the area & have walked the section of the Pennine Way that is the race descent many times. I remember the old way a section rerouted for safety some years ago went & (having checked at registration this would be OK) used this in the race for the first time, instead of the flagged route & made my gain this way. The runners I left near the top may have been surprised to see me appear ahead of them further down!
So in the end I came at (my) full pelt into the finish in 1:44. Annoyed in one way that that I hadn’t achieved my 1:42 “minimum” goal due to a silly mistake, but also pleased as knowing it was only that mistake, & not lack of fitness, that meant I didn’t.
‘I’ve now entered High Cup Nick fell race (9.5miles, 1600ft) 6 times. In 2018 I broke my left fibula (the smaller of the 2 lower leg bones) about 3 miles into the race. Typically, not on the race’s famous rocky climb (as you might suppose), but on a flat muddy section. Running on a camber my feet went from under me & I fell badly on the leg. Being a solid fell running type I got up & tried to “run it off”. This didn’t go well. I decided to take my first, & to date only, voluntary DNF. I have I think 5 other DNFs over 10 years of fell & trail running, 3 due to being timed out at a CP cut off, 1 in supporting another runner, 1 as Mountain Rescue asked the race be stopped due to extreme weather. Whether not being unable to continue due to breaking your leg counts as voluntary retirement I’m not entirely sure, it probably does as I was able to hobble back to a marshal post to ask for help, you may still be able to just about walk on a broken fibula & so maybe “broken leg” is an exaggeration.
Unfortunately for me my being able to get back to the marshal was rewarded by a decision to prioritise another situation, where a runner had apparently been hit by rocks on the already mentioned rocky climb. I would have to walk back further, to a track, to be picked up by MRT. I just measured the distance I walked that day on a map & it’s less than a mile, maybe 0.8, but it felt a lot further, it certainly seems the “hardest mile” I’ve ever walked. After the race it turned out the other runner hadn’t been hit by falling rocks, only alarmed by them. When MRT did pick me up they made me promise to go immediately to Penrith hospital. This was just as well, as once they dropped me at Dufton village hall, despite my ankle having swollen to around twice its normal size, other runners advised (in typical fell runner style) that this wasn’t much, it had happened to them only last week etc. I’m glad I felt obliged to fulfil my promise to MRT, as once at the hospital it was “We’ve got some bad news for you”. I was in a cast & then walker boot for 2 months & out of running for 3.
None of this has tarnished my love of High Cup Nick & the race (though seeing the valley the way you do in e.g. Pennine 39 race, where you approach from the other side of the Pennines & it suddenly unfolds in front of you is even more spectacular) & I was soon back for more.
CVFR race results
Pos |
Name |
Cat |
Time |
69th |
Virgil Barton |
10th O50 |
1.21.15 |
236th |
Andy Davies |
19th O60 |
1.40.41 |
272nd |
Francis Wooff |
21st O60 |
1.44.23 |
Hoppits Hill Fell race
George being chased hard by young Joe Stone. Credit Woodentops
George Kettlewell reported that on Sunday Nicky Spinks, a fell running legend, organised her final Hoppits Hill Fell Race in the woods near Hopton in Mirfield. It is just short of 3 miles in length and contains two punchy climbs, 700ft of elevation and plenty of mud. Conditions were good on the day – the mist lifted and the sun was out. I was just ahead in 12th place in a time of 24min 20secs. I also marshalled the junior races and there was a good turnout.
Alfie ‘hopping’ along. Credit Woodentops
In the junior race Alfie Hobday came 14th in the Under 11s race in a time of 16min 03secs. With the under 15s and under 17s running alongside the seniors Joseph Stone came 16th overall and was 2nd U15 with a time of 25min 06secs. Unfortunately, he had a nasty fall on Thursday at his speed training group so took it steadier, but did really well.
CALDER VALLEY NEWS REPORTER: toby sydes