The race was won by Robert Gilroy in 31:07. First lady was Susan Finch in 36:45. I finally scraped under 35 minutes for a 10k, finishing in 34:54 for 20th position, and 5th V40.
It was pretty rainy and slippery underfoot when we started, but dried up nicely during the race. I started off steadily enough and picked it up after about 2k, then from halfway onwards I tracked Scott Kennedy, hoping he would be running sub 35.
Ian Holmes won his 5th Jura Fell Race overall and 3rd year in a row, finishing in 3:18:31, closely followed by Lloyd Taggart in 3:20:45. Angela Mudge was first woman in 4:07:55. I finished 13th in 3:57:53.
I resisted doing my usual sprint start up the track, inside sitting in behind David Riach and Mike Robinson. I ran with these guys, more or less to the first Pap, or until they took a poor line up a boulder slope. I found the normal route along a terrace to the right up easy grass and heather and caught Adrian Davis at the summit of Beinn a'Chaolais.
After the quick scree descent, Mike and I followed Adrian up Beinn an Oir with Dave Ward in hot pursuit. Dave promptly hurtled past on the grassy descent. Mike went after him, whilst I went through a slight lull on the climb up Beinn Shiantidh.
After blagging a drink of water at the summit of Shiantidh I felt slightly better and enjoyed pottering down the jaggy scree on my own, but aided by a line of walkers to aim for. Once across the broad lochan-filled col, I could track Mike, Dave, Adrian and Adam Ward up Corra Bheinn.
Descending towards Three Arch Bridge I opted for the river crossing, since I could see that I was catching Adam that way. I passed him just before the bridge, and checking my watch was relieved to see I had a full 26 minutes to make the road section to guarantee the sub 4 hours.
There wasn't really much point in rushing the road, with nobody in front to chase, so I plodded along at just over 7 minute miles, trying to avoid onset of cramp, and succeeding but for the final short climb to the finish which sent my right aductor into spasm - exactly the same as at the end of Stuc a'Chroin.
Dreadful run at Goatfell. Easily my worst race since Two Breweries 2006. Legs and body not functioning at all. Gave up racing halfway up the climb and just bumbled along, slipping further and further down the field.
Finished about 5 minutes slower than I'd have expected based on Ben Lomond and Stuc a'Chroin - but I had been feeling completely done-in for the past few days, with a chronic feeling of fatigue and desire to sleep.
Momentarily got into racing on the descent after passing Bella runners Elke and Matt, but once we hit the fast runnable forest section they both tore away from me, showing why they ran such great times at London Marathon.
Felt completely washed out and barely able to keep my eyes open on the ferry back, but at least I hadn't wasted my time with the abandoned Scottish Island Peaks Race
- see Damon's excellent report
Damp and rainy evening in the Lakes.
Latrigg is one of those races with an unbeatable Kenny Stuart record of 16:37 - dating from 1984, the same year he set the unbeaten Ben Nevis record of 1:25:34.
I pottered round in 21:27 to finish in 13th place, 3rd V40 and 5th runner called Chris. At one point on the climb there were 4 Chrises in a row - Doyle, Robinson, Upson and Knowles.
Like last Wednesday's race at Dockray, Borrowdale Fell Runners got positions 1, 2 and 3 with Ben Bardsley finishing first in 18:15, followed by Simon Booth and Andrew Schofield.
Grey and drizzly, but fairly mild at Ben Lomond.
Simon Peachey was the clear winner in 1:08:37 after Brian Marshall crocked his ankle on the descent. Helen Palmer had a good run to win the ladies race in 1:27:36. I finished 10th in a PB of 1:17:17 despite the greasy conditions and generally feeling lack-lustre after racing on Wednesday and straining by left ankle. Arrived at the summit in 51:00, so descended in 26:17. Could easily have descended faster if I'd avoided a few more of the greasy rocky sections.
Dull and cloudy evening.
The race started with a mile or so of uphill tarmac before reaching the open fellside. Ben Bardsley and Morgan Donnelly set off at a cracking pace, followed at a distance by Scoffer Schofield, Dave Birch and myself. Bit by bit Scoffer and Dave pulled away, but I thought I had a reasonable lead on the group behind. When I reached the top of the High Brow, I had no idea which way to go and got sent in totally the wrong direction by the marshall. This added a good detour which allowed the group behind to catch up and more or less overtake.
After that minor error I decided to stay with Mike Robinson over the next 2 summits of Hartside and Common Fell. Mike was pulling away on the descent and I was catching him again on the climb.
I just about caught Mike at the summit of Common Fell, but he easily got the better of me on the long tussocky descent, opening out a good lead.
A stunning sunny evening at Broughton Mills. 50 or so runners lined up outside the Blacksmiths Arms for the downhill cavalry charge along a few 100 metres of tarmac before reaching the hill. I lead for the first 200 metres or so before stepping aside to allow Lloyd Taggart to bound off into the distance.
Mike Robinson & I were shoulder to shoulder at the summit of The Knott, then ran together through the boggy hummocky ground to Caw Fell and back. Shortly before The Knott on the way back I switched on the after-burners and opened up a 20 seconds gap on Mike, which I just about managed to hold until the end. Finished 5th in 52:34 just behind Matt Reedy and Nimrod Lockwood who I hadn't seen at a race in ages.
Lloyd finished first in a new record of 45:57. Jackie Lee was first lady in a joint record time of 56:27, finishing one second behind Dave Ward.
