Ex-Dark Peaker Ali Cory Wright had another excellent performance in this year's New Zealand Coast to Coast. This 240km (ish) run-bike-run-bike-kayak-bike event is the premier challenge event in New Zealand and attracts a large and international field. Ali finished 2nd just 13 minutes down after 12 hours of competition (and just 30 seconds ahead of 3rd!).
Saddleworth fell runners have announced the death last week from cancer of Paul Blagborough. Paul was a well known in the local area on both road and fell. He will be sadly missed by all at Saddleworth.
Full details of FRA selection races, international races, selection policy and finding are now available in this letter from Mark Kinch (RTF format): International races 2003.
A change to the Edale Skyline route looks likely after the National Trust have requested it moves away from the traditional route across Brown Knoll. Further news of a revised route are awaited.
Rob Davison has decided to step down as club men's captain at the AGM in April due to other commitments including the new(ish) addition to the family. Rob has been involved in the organisation of the Dark Peak relay teams for many years now and feels it is time to let someone else have a go. Karen is still keen to organise the women's teams and Gavin has helped by taking on the vets team last year (Thank you Gavin). Please let Roy Small know if you are interested in this post.
Tim Austin started the new year in fine style by breaking the course record for the 3 mile "Giant's Tooth" race at Ogden near Halifax by 1 minute.
Meanwhile Dave Tait's new race on Eyam Moor attracted a good field with victory going to Mike Robinson and first woman to Anna Forrester. Results for Eyam Moors are now available.
FRA secretary Mike Rose is to have more chemotherapy to clear the cancer which has closed down much of his central nervous system. Whilst movement is very restricted, he can still walk with care and has use of the right arm and hand. Mike writes,
"l am quite fit apart from the tumours; good appetite, sleep well and no pain. l'm not done yet, and l look forward to seeing you all at fell races in 2003. One of my targets is my annual pilgrimage to Jura for the race. l particularly want to tell you that the messages of encouragement and support have been a great help top me and my intention to maintain a decent quality of life."
We wish him a successful recovery.
All Winter newsletters have been posted. If you don't have yours by 2nd Jan please get in touch.
Success for Dark Peakers in the Round Rotherham individual and relay event. DPFR won first mixed team in the relay over the 50 mile course. Just 35 minutes behind them was Mick Robinson who ran all 50 miles himself!
After a frustrating and painful year with an arthritic hip, stalwart Howard Swindells is looking forward to getting out on the fells again in 2003 after just having a partial hip replacement operation. Howard is currently at home recuperating and would welcome any Dark Peakers dropping in to help relieve the boredom!
Club men's captain Rob Davison is out of action following a nasty fall. Rob fell from a unprotected upstairs landing to hurt his already troubled back on the floor below. Fortunately it seems the damage may be limited but has still left him unable to move much at present let alone run.
This years High Peak Marathon (Derwent Watershed) has permission for the FULL traditional route. Runners who have competed recently will have received a entry form in the post. Any entry forms /info required contact Rich Wilkes, this years co-ordinator on 0114 266 4908 or 0779 624 276. Also note there will be proper food and shelter at Moscar and Snake this year!
Dark Peak won the team prize at Tanky's Marsden to Edale trog with Tim Austin, Mick Robinson and Neil Conway. Tim overtook Mick in the last half mile to claim second place with Mick still an excellent third.
This year saw a resurgence of Dark Peak interest in the "big" races such as Championships and long "classics". With more people saying they are interested in travelling next year, Dave Tait is promoting the idea of car sharing. It makes the day more sociable, saves money and fossil fuel. To go with it Dave has launched a car share web page.
Mark Hayman retained his title in clear but heavy conditions over the classic Triple Crossing route with Phil Winskill second again. Tim Austin missed the start but ran a strong solo race to third place. Tim Tett was both first veteran and 4th overall for the second year running. First Vet50 was Andy Harmer only just beating Karen Dalton who finished as first lady.
In the evening's entertainment more of the traditional prizes were awarded. Dick Pasley took the Pertex award for trying to use his video controller as a safety device (i.e. taking it on the hill thinking it was a mobile phone). Andy Moore claimed the Local Race League title in a closely fought race over Dave Tait and Karen retained the women's Local League trophy. Finally in the Chairman's Challenge, a limerick competition, Mike Browell bent the rules but still claimed the prize with a epic multi-verse ballad concerning events on this year's Karrimor and presented complete with some fine acting and accompaniment from Richard hakes and Maurice Musson.
Rob Davison and Karen Dalton got married on Saturday (2nd November) with many members of Dark Peak there to enjoy the festivities. The heavy rain, which fell throughout the afternoon and evening, didn't stop the fun that included an excellent firework display as well as the more usual wedding activities. Photos now available on the DPFR photo page.
Phil Winskill and Helen Hargreaves have resigned from Pennine and decided to join Dark Peak. Also transferring, this time from Sheffield AC, is Mark Chapman. When coupled with Andy Trigg's recent decision to join us as first claim from Glossopdale this significantly strengthens our teams for both relays and championship races. Among our front runners there is a desire to have a real go at the championship races next year following recent good performances in the Lakes.
Mark Salkild is this year's BOFRA V40 champion. Mark competed in 17 of the 20 "professional" championship races finishing 8th overall and first in the over 40s. He saved his best until the last (and longest) race with 5th at Wasdale Head.
For those Peak District based runners who like to go for a run from the A57 please note that it will be closed between Glossop and Ladybower (a 13 mile stretch) from 12th to 15th November.
The men's team at the FRA relays were disqualified after it emerged the third pair of Mark Hayman and Alan Ward failed to punch the final control on the third leg. They visited it but were under the impression that the electronic control was not working. Further results available shortly.
Some dramatic times awaited Dark Peaker's on this year's KIMM in the Cheviots. None more so than for Peter Gorvett who was airlifted to hospital with hypothermia on day 2. Fortunately he was released later that day with no ill effects.
For all competitors the clear blue skies of Saturday morning were replaced by wild overnight storms with winds of 70mph and heavy rain into Sunday. Performance highlights included: Andy Middleditch winning the B (with partner Matt Crane); Al Ward and Simon Bourne 5th on elite; Mike Wynne and Richard Hopkinson 9th on the A and first vets again; Tom Westgate & Richard Hakes 13th in Long Score; Christopher & Mike Browell 56th on long score after an excellent day 2. Less fortunate were Phil Winskill and Tim Austin who pulled out very early on Day 1 elite after Phil sustained a torn calf muscle.
All club members should now have their Autumn newsletter. All those who paid the NEAA supplement should also have received their membership card with their newsletter. If you haven't received these please get in touch.
An annual club dinner would not be complete without the Chairman's challenge in which the audience is invited to participate. Roy has now announced this year's challenge: "The challenge this year is to write a limerick or poem on the subject of fell running. The entry is to be read by the author at the dinner for consideration by the assembly. The subject matter may include general observations or better still, specific references to people or events." Roy's own effort is submitted as an example:-
"There was a young colleen at Mourne.
Whose Walshes were exceedingly
worn.
On descending the fellside.
She got into a slide.
And ended up
with her knickers all torn."
Meanwhile some Hillsborough drinkers have suggested that the dress code for this years club dinner should encompass the concept of the 'tasteless Hawaiian Shirt'. Their spokesperson said: "Obviously we would not want any potential dinner guests to be disappointed that they didn't have enough notice to make the appropriate sartorial arrangements… I am sure that an evening of poetry reading will be added to immensely by this."
Dark Peak claimed 3rd place at the Ian Hodgson , one of the "big 3" Autumn relays. Fielding close to our strongest team we were never outside the top five in a high quality field. The women were 5th in their class and veterans 6th in theirs to complete a successful day. More details to follow.
For most of the last two decades, Endcliffe Park intervals have been a feature of the Sheffield training scene. Now, they are to resume by popular demand. Every Thursday at 18:30 from the monument by the edge of Endcliffe park field. Further details from Andy Middleditch.
The nine race Trunce series has finished with two junior Dark Peakers and two veterans among the podium finishers. In the junior boys, Tom Holmes and Dan Tett took second and third respectively. In the mens, Tim Tett won the veterans class with Hilary Bloor second in the women's veterans. The scoring does not permit individuals to figure in two categories but it seems likley that Tim could also been in the running for the overall prize. In the final race he won by nearly 2 minutes from a field which included all the senior prize winners.
Bill was spotted recently, over from New Zealand "on business" but not too busy to run events in both the Peak and Cornwall. Life is treating Bill and Susan well since they moved to the Wellington area of New Zealand and they now have a 3 month old baby called Kieran.
One of our members reports receiving unsolicited mail which he suspects came as a result of filling in an entry form at a race. The letters are long photocopied ramblings about England and the spirit of St. George. There is much about the watering down of the true English by the infiltration of Scots, Welsh and Irish into England, and pages of information about who holds power in various Media and Government. Has anyone else received these? Do they know who is behind them and where they might have got the address from?
Several Dark Peakers have reported problems with the new Walsh Extreme shoes. Examples include sloppy fit when wet, heel lifting when going up hill (tip from Chris Ledger; to stop this happening try smearing a thin layer of copydex adhesive on the inside of the heel cup) and generally not wearing well on the long rough events.
Paul Sanderson has spoken to Pete Bland regarding this and it appears that they do have a problem. These problems are now being investigated by Walsh. It appears to be something to do with the last that the shoes have been constructed on. Although they have a good number of happy customers such as our own Club Secretary who have had no problems there are a significant number of, in Pete's words, "seasoned Walsh users" who have had problems and it is nothing to do with the strange shape our Dark Peak feet! So watch out for the Walsh Extreme Mark II.
Whilst much of the country was sweltering, and quite a few Dark Peakers were enjoying being sunburnt in North Wales, Penistone runner Andy Plummer found the Lakes clagged in once again as he tried his 4th BG attempt. Supported by several Dark Peakers, Andy got round this time but 2 hours outside the 24 hour limit. Andy had tried a month earlier too as part of the annual DPFR attempt from which only Mick Robinson made it round.
On 20th July Chris Legder completed a successful Paddy Buckley round, finishing with just 15 minutes to spare. The Paddy Buckley is probably the least well known, but toughest, of the three main UK 24 hour challenges. Covering the main summits in North Wales it encompasses 70 miles of tough terrain, 29,000 feet of climb and sometimes complex route finding. Bob Berzins started with Chris but had to pull out after 15 hours leaving Chris to complete in 23h 45m. Unlike the Bob Graham club, Chris now joins a small select group who have successfully completed, the last DPFR success being Paul Sanderson 8 years ago.
The Dark Peak club caravan at Cropton, near Pickering is now available for use. Acquired on very generous terms from Andy Moore's family it sits by itself on a farm close to Cropton forest, a popular venue for biking and orienteering on the edge of the North York Moors. It sleeps four, cooking and lighting is by gas and there is a chemical toilet in an adjoining hut. For full details of the facilities available and more information on booking it see the new caravan page. It is hoped to expand this page in due course to show availability and other information.