KENT COUNTY -
FELL RUNNING
Last amended
at 14 May 2019
Contact is Ian Marshall
fellrunning@kcaa.org.uk 8-11-15
KCAA sends congratulations to the team from Kent who
competed in the Inter Counties fell Champs - Flower Scar race, Todmorden;
with Max Nicholls winning the Senior Men’s race with a great performance, he
was up against some top class fell runners.
The team came 9th/20 (110 points) which was a very
creditable performance.
1st Maximilian Nicholls 52nd Greg Cole 57th Euan
Nicholls & Anthony Stevens completed the team in 143rd , unfortunately Noah
Armitage-Hookes who was selected for the team had to pull out due to injury
earlier in the week.
Isle of Wight Fell Running Championship Series
Incorporating the SEAA Fell Running Championships
16/17 September 2017, Ventnor, Isle of Wight
Another
excellent weekend of fell racing on the Isle of Wight with dry but cool
conditions ideal for running. A record number of entries this year (275).
Notable now that London clubs are swelling the numbers each year, Serpentine
had 53! Although there are 3 races you do not have to enter all three, only
if you want to count in the SEAA Championship.
This year making the trip to the pleasant seaside town
of Ventnor were Peter Hadley, Christian Poulton, Clem Dixon and Ian Marshall
along with supporters Anne Hadley and Alison Marshall. All four completed
the three races.
SEAA Championship
You must complete all 3 races to be included in the SEAA championship.
Although these races aren’t as tough as fell races in the North (though the
road climb through the town is steep) the fact that you are running three
races in a weekend makes it hard especially on Sunday. Out of the total
entry of 275, 109 men and 46 women completed the three races.
In the V50 category we had 1st & 3rd, which is a great
result. Christian Poulton continued his good form by winning all 3 races in
the V50 category to come first. Clem was 3rd. Peter Hadley after losing 6
months running done exceptionally well to be 2nd V70. Also, because the2nd
race had a course change Christian now holds the course record!
Joe Dale (Victoria Park & Tower Hamlets) won all three
races so did Carla Molinaro (Victoria Park & TH) to win the individual
titles. Victoria Park & Tower Hamlets won both the men’s and women’s team
events.
Race 1 - St Boniface Down (2.5miles/800’)
Only
2.5 miles but this is an 800’ leg buster climb/descent from the seafront
straight to the top of St Boniface Down, a loop around the radio tower and
back down to finish at St Catherine’s School. The first part of the course
takes you up from the seafront up through the High St then onto Tulse Hill
allegedly the steepest road on the island, a few more twists and turns
before reaching a flatter section and a gallop trying to claim places before
reaching the pinch point at a gate leading up to the fell, though this
doesn’t affect the fast boys/girls so much!
Due to the record number of runners the pinch point
meant a 100yd queue for some, very frustrating! A short but very steep climb
up the grassy fell and on towards the radio tower. Before I reached the loop
around the tower the leaders were already flying back down. With peoples
lungs and legs in various states of distress start the very fast descent,
fantastic views up the coast and of the town. Down the grassy fell which
plays havoc with the quads before out on the road again and a sprint to the
finish at the school. Suddenly it’s all over.
9th Christian 19:17 (1st V50)
67th Clem 24:02
119th Ian 27:56
132nd Peter 31:07
Joe Dale (Victoria Park) won the men’s race in 18:02.
Carla Molinaro (Clapham Chasers) won the ladies race in 20:54. Victoria Park
& Tower Hamlets filled six out of the first seven places in the men’s race.
Race 2 - The Ventnor Horseshoe (7.5miles/1450’)
You have about 3.5 hours before the 2nd race at 3pm. Back to the B&B to
rest & refuel. This race also has a pinch point but at a different gate,
there was an announcement before the start that to alleviate this problem
the route is changed, it was changed to use the gate from the morning race
so the same queuing problem occurred! This alteration meant route was
approx. third mile longer.
The sky came over very dark at the start, first part
of the race is the same as the morning one, through the gate, turn
immediately left onto the new part of the route and then the heavens opened,
torrential rain and hailstones but fortunately didn’t last long. Climb
steeply to re-join the old route. Once on the top it’s basically a cross
country run through some lovely country. The hard part starts after about 5
miles, turn off the railway track path and wind up a narrow path that gets
ever steeper, over a stile then reach an incredibly steep set of steps. Legs
are struggling now but luckily there is a handrail you can use to haul
yourself up. Reach the top and onto a good wide stony path leading to the
radio tower which you can see in the distance. Once the tower is reached
it’s the same descent to the finish as in the morning.
Phew! two races down, time to rest up for a couple of
hours before meeting up with everyone for a meal and further post-race
analysis. An early night was required!
Joe Dale (Victoria Park) won again in 54:17, Carla
Molinaro (Clapham Chasers) won in 61:03.
10th Christian 57:51 (1st V50)
56th Clem 69:20
116th Ian 81:49
132nd Peter 92:40
Race 3 – The Wroxhall Round (12miles/1600’)
Off at 10:30 nursing sore quads, it takes a while for the legs to start
working properly again despite a warm up. This time the route is along the
coastal path which is very undulating, very pleasant though running by the
sea. After 3 miles or so turn away from the coast, some annoying drags take
you eventually to a road, cross over and the long climb up past the rugby
club, although long this hill is runnable if you are feeling good! After
reaching the top once again it is like a long cross country run through more
lovely countryside. Rain on Saturday night left one or two slightly muddy
stretches. After about 8 miles take on some water at the one drink station
and onto the railway track path again, a much longer stretch this time than
Saturday pm race, then as yesterday up the dreaded hand railed steps out
onto the top, the radio tower and down to the finish at St Catherines.
The runners tradition after the final race is to
hobble down to the beach for a dip, credit to Clem going in for a swim, I
just paddled.
Once again Joe Dale won in 83:54, Carla in 93:35.
10th Christian 89:58 (1st V50)
53rd Clem 107:33
114th Ian 133:10
123rd Peter 149:34
Ian Marshall
Ben Nevis Race 10 miles / 4450’
September 2nd 2017
Here is a link to a short video of this year’s race.
Starting by initially showing Finlay Wild, the winner (yet again) on the
climb from the path directly across the mountain to the halfway point, the
Red Burn stream.
Ben Nevis Race 2017
For the first time in years the weather was warm sunny
and clear, wonderful views of the surrounding mountains. This year only 3
made it passed the new online entry procedure; Tarbo Fukuzawa, Ian Marshall
and Alan Black. Tarbo & Alan running their first Ben.
By the way that is Tarbo’s bum bag giving the slight
bulge! The walk to registration in the morning showed some first time nerves
but it was a lovely day what was there to worry about! Before the race
started at 1pm the 502 runners were walked around the stadium led by the
local pipe band, there followed a random kit check before we were allowed
into the start pen. Once away the traditional scramble along the mile of
road with people chattering away, this soon dies down as we start the
mountain path. Lots of support up the hill until we turned off directly
across the mountain to the Red Burn halfway point. Most runners then decide
to turn left and go straight up the mountain but I and few others stayed on
the path which is longer but easier going and in some parts runnable, some
think that it is a tad quicker.
Nearing the summit, as well as dodging walkers runners
were also starting to hurtle down past us. At last the rocky summit plateau,
handover the wrist band to prove you made it, turn round and do it all in
reverse taking a few seconds to take in the breath-taking views it’s not
often the summit is clear.
The descent is very technical and it seems as if the
ground is continually moving beneath your feet with rocks and loose scree
all the way down to the Red Burn crossing, with tiring legs retrace your
steps back down to the mountain track and then tackle as best you can the
rocky steps, at least they were dry this year, down to the road this is the
point where you discover if you have jelly legs! This last mile can be
torture but eventually you approach the stadium hear your name called over
the tannoy, round the field, finish and relax/collapse. Time then for tea
and cake.
Tarbo did get jelly legs at the bottom but we all
finished without incident. The amazing Finlay Wild won the race for the 8th
successive year but still hasn’t broken Kenny Stuart’s record of 1hr 25mins
set in 1985, an incredible time to climb 4400’ and return. Diane Wilson,
Dromore AC was first lady in 2:01:21.
Results
1st Finlay Wild 1:31:37
113 Tarbo 2:09:13
390 Alan 2:52:52
434 Ian 3:03:47
69 Diane Wilson Dromore AC 2:01:21
489 finished
Ian Marshall
42nd Jewson International Snowdon Race 2017
Sunday 30th July 2017
Llanberis, Wales – The highest mountain peak in Wales
and England once again provided high drama on Saturday, as over 600 runners
from across the world toed the line for the 42nd running of the Jewson
International Snowdon Race.
Read full report...
The Senior Inter Counties Championship for 2017 was
held at Broughton in Scotland, on Saturday 13th May 2017.
The hills above Broughton make a superb mountain
running location. Broughton Place Farm was ideally placed for access to the
hills, and also provided a perfect race venue.
Read full report...
UKA Inter Counties Fell Championships: Broughton
Heights nr Edinburgh
Saturday 13th May
6 miles / 1800’
A long trek north for this year’s championship which was incorporated into
the Broughton Heights fell race situated in the Scottish lowlands, very
remote but a lovely area. The championship was last held there in 2011 but
on a different course. The new course comprised two loops with long climbs
at the start of each one and unusually for a fell race was mostly flagged
which I assume was because it was a new course. The start of the second loop
was just behind Christian on the left in the photo, very steep. Although the
weather was windy and cool with clag on the tops this was a good course with
plenty of good running and very few rocks.
The Kent team comprised five of which four were from Tonbridge AC and
Christian Poulton from Cambridge Harriers. Clem Dixon from Cambridge was 1st
reserve. The fact that we got a Kent team to travel that far for a 6 mile
race was very pleasing.
Christian, Greg Cole, Jamie Bryant, Max Nicholls, Euan Nicholls
As we had at least one runner U23 (in
fact we had 3) we could have five in the team with three to score. This was
a high quality field, the start was on a narrow track and the narrow start
line was crammed with the top runners all eager to get a good start. As well
as the Inter Counties runners there was the open race for the rest of us.
The leaders set an incredible pace and were soon out of view up into the
clag, reaching the top of the first loop the wind was now quite strong but
soon you were hurtling back down out of the mist towards the start/finish
area before going out on the second loop and back into the mist thrashing
through heather in some parts. The last mile or so was fast downhill but on
a very bumpy track.
Max Nicholls had a superb run finishing 3rd overall and winning the U23 race
(again). Max beat some of the best fell runners in the UK. Christian also
had another impressive run but all ran well on a course that seemed to have
more than its 1800’ of climb!
Kent finished a very creditable 7th out of 13 teams. Team numbers down this
year (from 20 in 2016) possibly due to the travelling involved.
Inter Counties
Men’s Results
Winner Andrew Douglas 40:24 Scotland East Inverclyde Athletics Club
3rd Max Nicholls 40:56 Tonbridge AC
23rd Jamie Bryant 44:53 Tonbridge AC
43rd Greg Cole 48:36 Tonbridge AC
47th Christian Poulton 49:40 Cambridge Harriers
54th Euan Nicholls 52:17 Tonbridge AC
Ladies
Winner Lizzie Brown 47:41 Cumbria Black Coombe Runners
Open Race Results
116th Clem Dixon 59:20 Cambridge Harriers
133rd Ian Marshall 71:03 Cambridge Harriers
Men’s Team Results
Team Total
1 Lancashire 5, 7, 14, Total 26 Chris Arthur, Chris Holdsworth, Gary
Priestley
7 Kent 3, 23, 44, Total 70 Maximilian Nicholls, Jamie Bryant, Greg Cole
Ian Marshall
24/05/17
The various
UK wide Fell Championships for 2017
are being announced. Below are details of events that Kent can enter
including the Fell Relays which are at club level which this year will be
held at Llanberis. A short video is included showing clips from the 2014
English Championship.
Inter-Counties Senior
Fell Championship 2017
This is an event
Kent should enter, be aware though that compulsory kit must be carried. If
you are interested then please let me know, I can then forward names to the
county for consideration.
The
Inter-Counties Senior Fell Championship
Senior event this year will be incorporated into the
Broughton Hills
race near Biggar on the Scottish borders.
Competitors for
the Inter-Counties must be selected by the County, and the names of County
athletes will sent to the FRA event coordinator Andy Watts. Selected
athletes or team managers can then enter using the online entry system of
the race, which provides an ‘Inter-Counties’ or ‘Open’ option. Any runners
who enter as ‘Inter-Counties’ but have not been nominated to Andy Watts by
their County will be converted to ‘Open’ category. The entry fee for
selected athletes will be covered by KCAA..
Senior athletes
must have been born in 1998 or before. (This equates to 19 or over). Awards
will be presented to individual Senior athletes, to individual Under-23
athletes, and to male/female teams. Teams may comprise 4 athletes, or 5
athletes if one of the team is Under-23, with the first three finishers to
count.
Inter-Counties Junior Fell Championship
2017
The Junior event will be held on
Saturday 10th June, as part of the Rossendale Harriers 50th Anniversary
Juniors race, in Rossendale. Entry details -
Inter Counties Junior fell championship.
Entry will be on the day only.
The Fell Runners
Association contact for information on the event is Andy Watts (treasurer@fellrunner.org.uk
or 01625 536896). Please don’t hesitate to contact Andy Watts for more
information on either event.
UKA Fell Relay
Championship 2017
Being held at llanberis on 15th
October. This is a club team event, a team comprises of 6 covering four
legs:
1.
Short solo run
2.
Longer leg for a pair
3.
Navigation leg for a pair
4.
Short solo leg
This is a cracking event lasting most of the day.
Cambridge Harriers have taken part in previous years. Here is a report of
the
Fell Relay Championship 2015 from Steel City Striders. The 2016
championship will be hosted by Westerlands Club based near Glasgow
2016 Inter Counties
Championships
Inter Counties Senior Fell
Championship 2016
For information, here is a report
from the championships held at Llanberis in May. Also a short video of the
start –
Inter Counties start 2016. The dark blue Kent vest of Max Nicholls can
be seen.
Fell
Inter Counties results and report 2016
Inter Counties Junior
Fell Championship 2016
For information here is a report and
results from the 2016 event.
Fell Inter Counties Junior 2016
English Fell
Championship 2014
A 7 minute video covering the
various races of the English Championships in 2014 -
English Champs 2014 Trailer DVD
UKA Inter-
Counties Fell Championship (7.75 miles/3000’)
lanberis, North Wales 14th May 2016
The various summits on
the race route
For the first time in many years
Kent entered a team in this championship. The team of five was a combination
of runners from Cambridge Harriers and Tonbridge AC. The team:-
Max Nichols (Tonbridge AC, U23),
Julian Rendall (Tonbridge AC), Clem Dixon (Cambridge H)
Christian Poulton (Cambridge H) and Steve Hodges (Cambridge H).
Max Clem Christian Steve Julian
The Inter Counties event was
incorporated into the Moel Eilio annual race. Saturday dawned with a
cloudless sky but a tad chilly, perfect running conditions. People had made
their own way up to Llanberis on the Friday and we all finally met up at
race registration.
The start was on a narrow lane at
the back of the town and vests were spotted from all over the UK inc
Northern Ireland and various parts of Scotland. About 300 runners were
crammed into the start area including some of the best fell runners in the
UK, 1pm and we were off and immediately started climbing steeply, initially
on tarmac then tracks and finally onto the open fell. This climb lasted the
best part of 2.5 miles until we reached Moel Eilio summit, on the way up
many false summits were encountered which didn’t help morale or the legs!
The weather was perfectly clear and the views from the tops were fantastic.
Underfoot was mainly short grass and the course from Moel Eilio onwards was
a switchback of steep longish descents followed by equally steep longish
climbs, not a flat section on the whole course. At about 5 miles the final
descent on large clumps of tufty grass with Llanberis and Lake Padarn far
below, the last two miles were on tracks/tarmac and was a fast run down and
finish at the Youth Hostel. Everyone finished ok with no incidents to
report. A brilliant day on the fells in perfect weather.
Kent came a very creditable 9th
out of 20 county teams. Max Nichols was 4th overall and 1st
U23 a great achievement, Christian was 1st V50.
Yorkshire won the men’s event
with a total of 18pts
Cumbria won the ladies event with
a total of 6pts
Kent County Team Result (First
3 to count)
Max (U23) Julian
Christian Steve Clem
County Place 4th/1st
U23 25th 61st
76th 77th
Race Place 4th 26th
77th 131st 154th
Time 61:05 66:06
74:09 82:53 85:27
9th Kent (90pts)
The event was a success and it
was good to see a Kent team compete again. Hopefully we can now enter a
county team on an annual basis.
Previous Championships
Inter
Counties Fell Championship 2015
For information, here is a report
from the championships held at Betws-y-Coed in May.
Inter Counties Fell Championship 2015
UKA Fell Relay
Championship 2015
This is a cracking
event lasting most of the day. Cambridge Harriers have taken part in
previous years. Here is a report of the
Fell Relay Championship 2015 from Steel City Striders. The 2016
championship will be hosted by Westerlands Club based near Glasgow.
English Fell Championship 2014
A 7 minute video
covering the various races of the English Championships in 2014 -
English Champs 2014 Trailer DVD
Welcome to the Fell Running
page.
There is nothing like being out
on the fells, great scenic locations and sometimes challenging running
(cross country with hills!). I have been running the fells with my fellow
Cambridge Harriers for well over 23 years travelling all over the UK. As you
can probably guess there are not many fell races in Kent, Box Hill in Surrey
being our nearest one. However, there are races all over the UK.
The intention on this page is to
provide information and news on fell running and events. If you or your club
are interested or you would like more information then please mail me at the
above address. Perhaps you would like to join Cambridge on one of their fell
racing weekends. The sport is all the year round and there are over 600
races in the
FRA Fixture calendar.
If you are new to fell running
here is a short video of running in Yorkshire to give a flavour of this
great sport -
Fell Racing
The sport is governed by the
Fell Runners Association (FRA) and was formed in 1970. The FRA also
encourages youngsters and there is an U20 championship. There are many
championships throughout the year e.g.
British Championships
English Championships
Relay Championship
Inter Counties
U20 Championships
If you are interested in trying
fell running it is important that you are aware of the compulsory kit
requirements and when in an event you MUST report to a checkpoint marshal or
at the finish if you drop out. Kit is normally carried in a bum bag -
Runners Requirements.
There are specialist fell
shoes mainly the sole for exceptional grip. Follow the link for some
examples.
Will update this page with news
and future event information/results/photos.
