Hope’s top show over Noon Stone (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Hope’s top show over Noon Stone

8:51am Thursday 4th March 2010 in

• Skip social links
• Print
• Email
• Comments(0)

It’s official. Summer has arrived with the English Fell Championship series getting underway with the first of six races which will take us through until September.

Todmorden Harriers were the hosts for the opener with the Noon Stone from Lumbutts, and although their organisation was otherwise exemplary, they completely forgot to book the summer weather.

Well over 400 runners were greeted by a course where snow was still visible in parts but turning to mud elsewhere, and during the race there were flurries of more snow arriving. Crucially there was plenty of mist too, and it was an orienteer Matthew Speake from Dark Peak, who won the race.

Throughout the nine miles there was always a large leading group, but only one local was involved in the mix, the reigning British Champion Rob Hope, who was the runner up in last year’s English Championship.

Hope, from Wheelton, has already found his form this year with victory at the 11-mile long Winter Hill Race, and here he was a very competitive third only 16 seconds behind the winner in 68:30.

With all the nation’s leading fell runners in action, it was a similar tale in the women’s race where Lauren Jeska was the only local in the first 10 giving organisers Todmorden plenty to shout about with fifth in 84:01.

It was in the age group categories where East Lancashire athletes really shone and Sam Tosh of Rossendale Harriers and Jack Dugdale from Clayton Harriers made it a 1-2 for our region in the U23s as they placed 29th and 41st.

Mike Johnson from Bowland and Clayton’s Mike Wallis were first and second in the over 50s with respective times of 76:10 and 76:26, while Bowland’s Mike Whyatt was second over 45 and was his club’s first counter. Best of the Tod Harriers was Jon Wright in 31st as Tour of Pendle winner Dominic Raby took 34th for Chorley Harriers.

Clayton Harriers Jack Holt and Kieran Carr won the over 60 and over 65s as Andy Robinson took third in the over 55s, and the Rossendale pair Phil Taylor and the unrelated Ken Taylor put championship points on the board with fourth and fifth respectively in the over 50s and over 60s.

It was further evidence that Ken, the 2008 British and English over 60 Champion, is well on the way to recovery following his treatment for stomach cancer last year.

Clayton’s Wendy Dodds, looking for her 10th English Championship gold medal, made the best possible start by winning the over 55 women’s class in 97:06 and Chorley Harrier Lynne Clough was first over 40 in 90:21 to be 14th woman, but will not take maximum Championship points as there were three over 45s ahead of her.

Sue Burns was second over 50 for Clayton but was beaten by a mere half minute.

Just ahead of her in 26th, Vickie Mousley was Accrington’s first counter in a nominated Club Championship Race while their stand out performer in the men’s section was Steve Davies, second in the over 65s.