Spring has indeed sprung

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Calder Valley Fell Runners – 21 March 2022

Spring has sprung! And our fell runners are springing up all over the place, like mad March hares with vests on.

Fiona at the Montane Goat Ultra, with her coach Ian Warrington

First, a huge congrats to Fiona Lynch. On Saturday 19 March she completed the awesome Montane Goat Ultra – 58 miles, 13000 feet of climbing – in a remarkable 15 hours 15 minutes, to take 8th female place. This race, postponed from December due to Storm Arwen, is a really tough course around the Scottish borders and the Cheviots – a challenge to the finest runners whatever the weather. Ever positive, Fiona says, ‘we were blessed with fantastic views all day, and a spectacular moonrise in the evening. I’m really pleased to have finished, and to wake up the ultra muscles and mindset in time for other adventures this year. One of the best and toughest days out I’ve had for a long time’. Well done, Fiona, we’re proud of you.

A fantastic showing of red and whites

With this being the first of the long races in CVFR’s club championships over 30 of the club members took part in the Heptonstall Fell Race, 15.4 miles and 3170 feet of ascent on Sunday. This race takes in a lot of the Upper Calder Valley – some of the most beautiful and remote scenery in the South Pennines. The winner of the men’s race was never in doubt with International runner Tom Adams from Ilkley Harriers leading from the off finishing the race in a time of 1hr 47mins and 58secs. In such good conditions if he’d know the route a little bit better and hadn’t taken some slight detours he would have broken the course record. The present record holder CVFR Ben Mounsey’s was relieved to see his great friend Tom had narrowly missed it by 33 seconds.

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