This Monday kicked off with one of the writer’s favourite races of the year, the Tor Mile, hosted by Ramsbottom Running Club. This challenging clamber up (and fun bum-shuffle down) the Tor in Helmshore is one of the UK’s oldest fell races, with both a senior race and a shorter 1k junior race.  

For the junior race, Rowan was first back for the club in just 12:54, followed by George (13:04), Millie (13:09), Byron (13:36), Erin (14:01), Lola (14:08), Grace (14:29) Poppy (17:23), Isla (17:36), Skyler (18:05) Benjamin (18:36), Gracie (19:34) and Alexandra (19:36). 

In the senior race, Jack Porter flew back down the Tor in just 16 minutes, followed by  Lucie Tighe (18:43), Paul Stevens (19:08), Ethan Holden-Malone (21:12), Karen Doherty (22:20), Sharon Bowden (22:25), Lisa Antrobus (22:34), Kathryn Davis (22:54), Dominic Parry (23:26), Peter Warr (23:53), WIlliam (24:10), Charlotte Holden-Malone (24:16), Elaine Bailey (26:12), Ella Henry (26:20), and Michael Scott (33:47). 

On Tuesday, Caroline Malone hit the Mobberley ‘Round the Runway’ 5 Mile race around Manchester Airport’s Runway 2, completing the course in 1:08.  

On the same day, Tracy Wroe, Paula Abernethy, Kathryn Davies, Stephen Crowe, Sheila Jones, Karen Doherty, Lucie Tighe and juniors Benjamin and Gracie took part in this week’s SELOC Urban Trails orienteering race round the streets of Farnworth, hitting 14/15 checkpoints in an hour.  

Next up, Ian Swan’s first race of the week was the 16th finisher at the Cragg Vale Fell Race on Wednesday, a 4.16 mile course with 800 feet of ascent, in a time of 37:12.  

On Sunday Kath Biddle took part in Endure 24 Leeds held in historic Bramham Park. This 24 hour trail running event saw runners complete as many 8k laps as possible, with Kath knocking out an impressive 17 for a total of 85 miles in 23:18:09.   

Four members raced the Lyme Half Marathon, a trail race closer to 14 miles with over 2,000 feet of elevation with little visibility and off and on rain throughout the course. Ian Swan delivered another fantastic result, coming in 25th place, in 2:02:59, followed by Christopher Mihalyi (2:09:28), Donna Cartwight (fourth lady and second FV40 in 2:13:44,) and Andrew O’Donnell (2:25:16). 

 
Emma Wolstencroft raced through the dunes for the Bridlington Beach 5k, finishing in a great time of 29:26 despite the challenge of running through sand.  

The last race of the report is the somewhat eventful Puddleducks 15k trail race. Unfortunately, the organisers didn’t quite get all their ducks in a row and most runners were sent completely off course with runners racking up half marathons and more, sent for an unplanned out and back before being chased down by a vehicle and redirected to the correct route. As the timing mat was removed before most of the club’s runners were back and with vastly varying distances, it is not possible to report on the times. However, Kathryn Davis, Peter Warr, Chemane Thomas, Daniel Hunt, John Szubert, Elaine Bailey, Karen Doherty, Lisa Antrobus, Rebecca Chambers-Nolan and Mark Garner are just about ready to laugh about the whole adventure and deserve special mention for their efforts.  

This Wednesday 17 Radcliffe AC members took on Eddie’s revenge, a category A fell race across Crompton Moor with steep climbs and fast descents boasting a total of 1080 feet of climb, described as a ‘lung buster’. With timings split into two sections, the main race and the ‘Quarry Sprint’, Khama Banda was the first over the hills and to the finish line in just 29:12 (5:09), followed by Ian Swan (33:42) (5:44), Chris Mihalyi (34:28) (5:56), Michael Aiken (34:53) (6:19), Neil Greenhalgh (35:55) (6:17), Jamie Dobson-Billington (36:55) (6:45), Laura Tracey (41:21) (6:45), Mark Taylor (42:12) (7:06), Paul Stevens (42:12) (7:22), John Szubert (43:31) (7:18), Jack Connor (44:06) (7:18), Lisa Antrobus (45:19) (7:34), Stephen Crowe (45:34) (7:57), Amanda Callan (45:42) (7:43), Laura Aiken (46:37) (8:02), Alison Howarth (50:35) (9:24) and Ethan Malone (51:00) (8:49).  

On Sunday, Kath Biddle ran the Ramathon Half Marathon, a road race starting and finishing at Silk Mill Park close to Derby Cathedral, taking in Pride Park Stadium, in 2:02:56.  

On the same day, three headed to the Northwhich 10k, one of the club’s three championship races of the week. Nathan Walker whizzed round the closed road course from Barons Quay in a speedy 48:48, along with Daniel Hunt (51:37) and Stephen Crowe (1:01:21).   

Over in Tyldesley, 22 members tackled the 3 loops (and tough climbs up the hill at the end of each!) of the Gin Pit 5 mile off road race. In another strong week, Mike Aiken was the first back in 35:02. There were also several category wins for the club, starting with Mark Williams (35:53) taking 1st MV60. Other results included Mark Garner (39:29), Mark Taylor (41:27), Lucie Tighe (42:30), Dominic Parry (42:34), Laura Aiken (43:28), (1st FV35), Sheila Jones (43:51) (1st FV70), Lisa Antrobus (45:09), Karen Doherty (47:32), Kathryn Davies (48:37), Elaine Bailey (49:37) ,David Bartlett (50:45), Ella Henry (53:59), David Schofield (54:34), Tracy Wroe (56:37), Graham Beales (58:10), Helen Kay (58:18), Nikki Anderson (59:05), Bev Quinton (1:09:16), Rebecca  Chambers-Nolan (1:11:41) and Sara Parry (1:11:41).   

This Tuesday, Karen Doherty, Sheila Jones, Paula Abernethy, Kath Davies and Tracy Wroe took part running in the SELOC Urban Trails orienteering event in Walkden, with the aim of visiting as many checkpoint as possible in an hour, with some worth more than others.  

On Thursday, Ian Swan took on what he  described as a ‘half hour asthma attack’. The Brown Wardle (and a Bit Moor) Fell Race was a 3.2 mile course with 1,076 of climb (and apparently no breathing), managing a brilliant 15th place in 35:56.  

On Saturday, junior and senior members of the club headed to the Sunnywood Project’s Burrs Colour Dash at Burrs Country Park, both as volunteers and as entrants.  

Donna Cartwright travelled all the way to the Run Through Trails 25km in Morzine in the French Alps. The event featured 4,300 of tough climb through all sorts of terrain in 29-degree heat, with the stunning scenery making it all worth it, with Donna finishing in 4:03:47. 

Rob Hall ran his 150th parkrun this weekend over at Clarence Park in 25:14 – with fellow member Jack Porter the first finisher at the same event in 19:02.  

Four members competed in The Tour in Tameside, a series of four back-to-back races from Thursday through to Sunday. Race one was the X-Trail 10k through two country parks - Adam Wills (54:00), Dominic Parry (55:38), Chemane Thomas (58:37), Stephen Crowe (1:04:44) Race two was Hell On The Fell, 6 miles of steep climbs on open moorland - Adam Wills (58:37), Chemane Thomas (1:03:52), Dominic Parry (1:06:22), Stephen Crowe (1:08:39) Race 3 was the Hero Half Marathon along the Longendale Trail – Dominic Parry (2:00:52), Chemane Thomas (2:05:05), Adam Wills (2:09:20) Stephen Crowe (2:21:15) Finally, race 4 was the Dr Ron Hyde 7 Mile Road Race, which members powered through despite the fatigue and tired legs from the previous 3 days - Adam Wills (57:06), Dominic Parry (59:00), Chemane Thomas (1:00:53), Stephen Crowe (1:12:26). 

Juniors Thomas and Skyler also joined in on Sunday, enjoying the series’ Victorious Mile Fun Run.  

Meanwhile, junior Lexi hit the Decathalon Rundays 5k in Stockport, impressively winning first female in 24:13!