Three Peaks Fell Race - 29 April 2017

Virgil Barton.was another Barlicker who ran a superb race.  He was not in the top hundred at the top of Pen Y Ghent, but Virgil is an experienced runner who appreciates the advantages of not going off to fast.  He gradually worked his way through the field until at the top of Ingleborough, he had managed to pass his team mate John Whiteside who had a run a good steady race around 50th position.  The two raced downhill from Ingleborough towards the finish at Horton, passing three runners on the down with Virgil just managing to hang on to lead over his mate.  Andy Collins was another first timer and he had a good steady race to have a creditable finish well inside the top hundred.  

Then came the first of our girls.  There was nothing to chose between Leanne Dinsale and Lorraine Slater at the top of Pen Y Ghent.  However, Lorraine put on a bit of a spurt on the descent to Ribblehead and opened up a bit of a gap on her team mate.  However, Leanne kept to her won pace and by the summit of Whernside, there was once more nothing to chose between them.  On the descent, Lorraine once more opened up a bit of a gap, but the steady dogged pace of Leanne was beginning to pay off, for as the reached the summit of Ingleborough, she had opened up a gap of 21 places.  On the descent, Lorraine once more stepped up the pace, but it was a case of too little too late and Leanne managed to come home first seven places to the good.

 Pete Jackson is now a V60 and he certainly knows how to run these longer fell races.  In actual fact, he had a great race, knocking over 30 minutes off his time for last year.  For Pete Beresford, it was his second attempt at this race and his experience from last year paid off, as he finished ninety place higher up the field, knocking nearly twenty minutes off his previous time, in the process.  Gary Bradley and John Boothman are always in the top half of the finishing table, but this year Gary managed to reverse the position last year and come home ahead of John.  Nick Kendall appeared to be battling a bit this year, but at least he completed the race, albeit in a slightly slower time than last year. Our two back markers were both first timers and both ran sensible races, not racing off two quickly and working their way up the field and both showing that determined grit to complete the race.  

All in all, it has been a good day for the Barlickers and given the number of them in the race this year, it is perhaps not too surprising how many pairs amongst them towed each other along.   

The provisional times for the Barlickers are as follows: