Dockray-Hartside Fell Race - 6m/2000' - 17th June

Yet another climatically invigorating evening at Dockray with clear blustery skies after a very wet day, followed by a very vicious squall to round up the tail of the race.

From my vantage point at the last control on Common Fell, Steve Birkinshaw and Mike Robinson appeared to be having a real head to head tussle with a commanding lead over Mark Denham-Smith. Mike got a better descent line to win by 13 seconds and Mark commented that the direct route from Hartside to Common Fell is definitely quicker than the longer contouring one. I suggest it is quicker in this relatively short race, where as years ago in the days of the long Royal Dockray Helvellyn it was quicker to contour. The vegetation was also much more lush due to the race being six weeks later than normal. After the initial blast up the lane, there is a lot of route choice between each control on the open fell sides, which makes this a tough and very real fell race.

Briony Curtis was first female, and probably first ‘newcomer’ having travelled from Aberdeen via Edinburgh University Hare and Hounds; her sister, Catrina, who lives locally sent her to run! Jane Davies (Fletcher) and Liz Cowell battled it out for second a third females and both finished in the top twenty. Jane would have been first young newly married mum and Liz first senior female but as we have no prizes it’s purely academic.
The usual thanks are due to Jane, Alan and Linz for help at the start and finish, and to Tim for braving the elements on Hartside. Also to Ken for usually being there. Races can’t happen without these people.

Just for the record this race was also run on the original date in May but only three brave heroes turned up on a very stormy night. If it hadn’t been for Ken Ledward already being in place in his bivvi bag on the top we may have cancelled, but those heroes had a great run, and we decided to do it all over again. Top marks for Shaun Hardisty for doing the double.

It appears to have been a bit of a disjointed or disrupted local mid-week calendar this year, with Coledale and Tebay both moving to Saturdays to be Championship races, and no Fellside either?

Roll on 2010 – it will be interesting to see how the calendar pans out.

1 Mike Robinson Dark Peak 53.56
2 Steve Birkinshaw Borrowdale 54.09
3 Mark Denham-smith Keswick 57.22
4 Anthony Lambram Eden Runners 57.31
5 Steve Bennett Eden Runners 57.46
6 Craig Smith Keswick 58.47
7 Ian Davies Keswick 60.11
8 Stephen Hartley Eden Runners 61.08
9 David Owens Keswick 61.18
10 Robin Gillespie Eden Runners 63.05
11 Chris Harling u/a 63.27
12 Gary Johnson u/a 64.65
13 Richard Unwin Keswick 68.09
14 P W Bailey u/a 68.41
15 Briony Curtis Edinburgh H+H 68.42`
16 Shaun Hardisty Eden Runners 69.03
17 Terry Nichol u/a 74.23
18 Simon Veitch u/a 76.29
19 Jane Davies Borrowdale 79.27
20 Liz Cowell Borrowdale 79.29

Joe Faulkner - www.nav4.co.uk