Bernard & Kay get life!

Trog 004Bernard and Kay Pierce were nominated to receive Honorary Life Membership to say thank you for their many years of commitment and dedication in support of Calder Valley Fell Runners. Unfortunately, due to illness, they were unable to attend the club’s Annual Presentation Evening on 5th Jan 2013, so we had to decide on another occasion to present their certificate. The most appropriate and perhaps obvious event was the Wadsworth Trog.

Formerly members of Clayton le Moors Harriers, they decided to join an up and coming local club and have been members of Calder Valley Fell Runners now for over 25 years.

It wasn’t long before they were planning a long race for Calder Valley. The Trog was their brainchild. It was the perfect alternative to the original Chew Valley Fell Race which had been cancelled due to erosion problems. We had the same Pennine moorland terrain and it was held early in the year when snow and ice were still a distinct possibility making it a real challenge.

Bernard and Kay devised it, planned the route and first presented it to an unsuspecting fell running community on 23rd Feb 1991. It was tough! It had some hard climbs, tricky descents, deep peat bogs and long moorland slogs. It soon earned its nickname ‘The Beast’ and those who have run the race will know why.

They organised the Trog for many years but even now, having handed over the reins to new organisers, they still turn up and are always there to help.

At this years race on 10th February Bernard and Kay were the official race starters and as the runners waited for the countdown, current race organiser Hannah Dobson, who had been asked by a suffering runner after last years race, who would be so cruel as to plan such a tough race, made it known to all that these were the two people who were guilty!

Just before the off we found time to present them with their Honorary Membership certificate and give them a resounding and well deserved round of applause.