Loughrigg Fell Race 2019
Three days after the Manchester Marathon and I was huddled with two hundred or so other runners at Rothay Park in Ambleside awaiting the start of the Loughrigg Fell race; a four mile out and back evening race. We'd had a stunning day of Lakeland weather and it was a beautiful evening as the last of the day's sun cast long shadows over the surrounding fells.
I was unsure of how I would perform so I positioned myself further back than usual. I realised my error as soon as we set off as two hundred people all funnelled onto the narrow stone bridge crossing the River Rothay. Shortly after the bridge, the route zig zags up a gravel track. I felt reasonably good so I managed to meander past some of the other runners to try to get myself a little more space.
After about half a mile, the track turns to fell and I was able to begin picking my own way over the terrain. My watch soon buzzed to signify I'd completed the first mile; at this stage the incline increased and the hard work really began. There were four or five steep sections where everyone was reduced down to a hands-on-knees shuffle. I looked at my pace; I was averaging about 9 minutes per mile, which I was quite pleased with, all things considered.
Up ahead I could see silhouettes atop a rocky crag...finally the summit was in sight. At this stage the faster runners started hurtling down the fell. I was amazed to see how quick and fearless they seemed as they made their own lines over the bracken. The views from the top were stunning as the sun sat low in the evening sky. A marshall noted down race numbers as I looped around the summit trig point, then it was back down the way we came.
The downhill came as welcome relief, but I was conscious of my tired post-marathon legs so chose not to gun it too much and risk ruining the holiday. I made some decent lines across bracken; cutting some corners off and trading places with some fellow runners. Ahead of me a guy took a nasty fall but bounced straight back up. Hard as nails.
As I hit the final mile the gradient became comfortable enough for me to begin really pushing the pace. I felt really good now and was full of the exhilaration of the fast descent. Returning to the gravel track and approaching the stone bridge I realised I could pick a couple of people off so I really pushed myself for the final two/three hundred metres. I ended up in a sprint finish with another runner and just managed to get a shade ahead of him as I crossed the finish line. 35 minutes 11 seconds. Not bad.
What a race! Many thanks to Ambleside AC for their excellent organisation. This is a cracking race and was made all the better by the perfect conditions...it's on the list for next year!
I was unsure of how I would perform so I positioned myself further back than usual. I realised my error as soon as we set off as two hundred people all funnelled onto the narrow stone bridge crossing the River Rothay. Shortly after the bridge, the route zig zags up a gravel track. I felt reasonably good so I managed to meander past some of the other runners to try to get myself a little more space.
After about half a mile, the track turns to fell and I was able to begin picking my own way over the terrain. My watch soon buzzed to signify I'd completed the first mile; at this stage the incline increased and the hard work really began. There were four or five steep sections where everyone was reduced down to a hands-on-knees shuffle. I looked at my pace; I was averaging about 9 minutes per mile, which I was quite pleased with, all things considered.
Up ahead I could see silhouettes atop a rocky crag...finally the summit was in sight. At this stage the faster runners started hurtling down the fell. I was amazed to see how quick and fearless they seemed as they made their own lines over the bracken. The views from the top were stunning as the sun sat low in the evening sky. A marshall noted down race numbers as I looped around the summit trig point, then it was back down the way we came.
The downhill came as welcome relief, but I was conscious of my tired post-marathon legs so chose not to gun it too much and risk ruining the holiday. I made some decent lines across bracken; cutting some corners off and trading places with some fellow runners. Ahead of me a guy took a nasty fall but bounced straight back up. Hard as nails.
As I hit the final mile the gradient became comfortable enough for me to begin really pushing the pace. I felt really good now and was full of the exhilaration of the fast descent. Returning to the gravel track and approaching the stone bridge I realised I could pick a couple of people off so I really pushed myself for the final two/three hundred metres. I ended up in a sprint finish with another runner and just managed to get a shade ahead of him as I crossed the finish line. 35 minutes 11 seconds. Not bad.
What a race! Many thanks to Ambleside AC for their excellent organisation. This is a cracking race and was made all the better by the perfect conditions...it's on the list for next year!
