Not content with running in the Whittle Pike race last night, Robert Cranham was out again tonight in this idiosyncratic 5K, with its 7 gates.  He did actually lead the race for the first mile, but the younger runners gradually reeeled him in and he finished in 6th place, but first V45.

6 Robert Cranham 19:22 1st MV45

79 ran

This race saw the return of Jimmy Craig to the fells and he came back in style.  Luckily the heavy rain had stopped by the start of the race and there were even a few midges out on the tops.  With the rain, the going was heavy underfoot but quickly Jimmy was battling it out with Charlie Parkinson, a young U23 runner,  at the front of the pack.  Jimmy had the beating of him and at one point passed him but immediately went off course.  Charlie Parkinson sportingly called him back onto the right line and from that point Jimmy used him as a pilot, as he had no idea of the course.  As they came off the tops, the two were neck and neck and with Charlie taking a better line down the descent, he reached the fell gate just in front of Jimmy.  However, at that point, he acknowledged that Jimmy had the beating of him and waved him past onto the tarmac run to the finish line.  Just behind these two was Ashley Wright, the first of many Todmorden Harriers who had turned out for this race. 
In the next pack of runners was David Poole who came home in 6th place and first MV40 and then completing a top twenty finish for Barlick was Robert Cranham.  On another evening, Barlick may have taken the team prize, but the race was swamped with Todmorden runners and they easily took that trophy.
Hannah Newbold also turned out for Barlick, but early on in the race, she crocked her ankle and thought of turning back, but she soldiered on to the end with a very sore ankle.

1 Jimmy Craig 47:50
7 David Poole 51:57 (1st MV40)
16 Robert Cranham 54:27
80 Hannah Newbold 76:54

This is a fairly flat twice round the reservoir course, spoilt by having to go through 6 gates.  The race winner was Adam Wale from Clayton le Moors and was chased down by our own Craig Shearer.  The winning time was 17:14.

2 Craig Shearer 17:28
8 Robert Cranham 19:21 1st V45

84 finishers.

This is the first in the series of Wednesday night summer races organised by Rossendale Harriers.   This first one is a cracking race.  After running up a lane, the race branches off to ascend through an old quarry on to the tops.  On the night of the race, it was raining and whilst it felt like gentle rain at the start, once on the tops, the conditions were quite wild.  The course is brilliant in that there are many features through which you have to run.  Steep ascent, steep descent, bogs and on the night, there was even a bit of mist, just to make the navigation a bit more tricky - this race had it all, before completing a circular route on the tops and descending back down through the old quarry and along the lane to the finish.

Everyone, including the marshals, were thoroughly wet through by the time the race finished and it was decided to postpone any presentation until the the Whittle Pike race next week.

The race winner was Ben Coop of Bury in a time of 49:37.  The leading Barlicker and 1st V40 was David Poole.

4 David Poole 52:35 1st V40
11 Robert Cranham  56:13
37 John Boothman 1:09:24 2nd V60

83 finishers