Beater Clough
Todmorden’s Dan Taylor has set up a few fell races at the western end of the Calder Valley in recent years including Bridestones, Hoofstone and Orchan Rocks. His newest race is Beater Clough, run for the first time last Tuesday evening. The 7 mile race starts near the summit of the A646 and heads up Heald Moor before dropping into Beater Clough, heading through the woods south of Portsmouth before a short tour round Todmorden Moor. The race the follows a reverse route back to the finish.
Karl on his way to ‘beating’ the rest
By all accounts it is a hard race with pathless moors and tussocks to traverse plus some 2000ft of climbing. Calder Valley’s Karl Gray won this inaugural race in a time of 61 minutes and 19 seconds. Karl’s time indicates what a tough route the race follows. Second was Tod Harrier’s Donni Clarke, followed by Ethan Hassel of Wharfedale. Bryony Holt of Clayton-le-Moors was first woman back in 12th place.
Andy Pullan was second CVFR back in 18th place (76.42) with Darran Jugroop 3rd CVFR in 25th place (79.25). Rachel Beaumont was Calder’s first woman in 5th place and 1st FV50.
Dan says he is looking to run the race again on a Saturday morning early next year.
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Piethorne Trails
An inform Andy on his way to another great win
Another win for a Calder Valley Fell Runners on Sunday at the Piethorne Trails 10k race as Andrew Worster took first place. Starting near Ogden Reservoir and circuiting the hilly Piethorne valley east of Newhay, this trail race crosses under then over the M62 before returning to the finish at Odgen.
Worster took just 38 minutes and 6 seconds to win over Donni Clarke (now of Todmorden). This pair were the only runners to finish under 40 minutes. Calder’s Mark O’Conner took 10th place in 44.38 while Anthony Costello (V55), Keith Hutson (V60) and Linda Hayles (FV65) were 55th, 91st and 109th respectively.
Lakes, Meres and Water Challenge
Andy at the start of his epic challenge
This monster route involves visiting all the 26 Lake, Meres and Waters (excluding Kentmere Reservoir), as shown on the 1958 edition of the one inch Ordnance Survey Map of the English Lake District. The challenge was devised and first run in the early 1980s by two friends, Peter Schofield and Leo Pollard. They were followed by legendary fell runners Alan Heaton of Clayton Le Moors Harriers and by Joss Naylor, both again in the early eighties. Joss Naylor is the only one of 17 recorded completers of this route to do it in under 25 hours.
Calder Valley’s Andy Ford decided to give this 105 mile route a try this last weekend. Starting at Loweswater at 7am on a wet Saturday morning, Andy had a crack team of support runners including Pennine Way record holder and Berkley marathon completer John Kelly, Spine winner Tom Hollins, and CVFR’s Martin Howard, Dougie Zinnis and Karl Gray.
He blasted round the route which includes Buttermere, Wast Water, Coniston Water, Windermere, Ullswater and Derwent Water leaving some of his support runners floundering in the mud. Andy finished at 7.42am Sunday morning at Overwater, north of Skiddaw in the second fastest time of 24 hours, 42 minutes and 44 seconds to become the 18th person to finish this challenge.
and he’s finished with a smile on his face
A delighted Andy said “After helping several friends on recent challenges and seeing a lot of records fall after lockdown, I wondered what I could do if I really went for something. Eventually I decided that Alan Heaton’s time for the original Lakes Meres and Waters route was beatable. After six months of training and recceing I started the day still with an eye on it but knowing it would take a good effort in the conditions. Eventually I got to the final leg with a shade over three hours to run 16.9 miles and put the hammer down to come in 34 minutes ahead of Alan’s time.”
– CALDER VALLEY NEWS REPORTER: tim brooks