Scenery: 9

PB potential: N/a

Atmosphere: 10

Organisation: 10

Value (£7/£9): 10 (Free for me) (Derek Buckley gave me his number!)

Beginner Friendly: I think I put N/a last year, but I noticed last finisher this year was 3:15:43 and the marshals still appeared to be out. So I think they deserve another 10!

Do it again: You bet!

Picture courtesy of last years race – 1^st Nick Leigh (No.378) 1:18:19, 3^rd Littler 1:21:39, 44^th Bates 1:37:42

We travelled up on the Friday as we were making a long weekend out of it. Had tea in the Sun Inn and met some runners from Oxford – they had results from 1991!! (I was 95th in 1:33:04 and 1:25:17 at the half marathon point. Dave Waywell was 1:24:50/1:17:41).

I’d not run since Tuesday as we’d both run four races in four days. Would have run five if I could have worked round some cover at work. I’d run well at cross country and our handicap (24:59) and a Civil Service Relay round Stanah on Tuesday, so I was hoping for a good time. I was fifth fastest with 11:32 in the Relay (3150m). Not to blow my own trumpet of course!

I drove Steve Littler’s car down to the finish and the Oldham and Royton runners’ coach reversed into us! Luckily it was only a small scratch on Steve’s bumper and the coach seemed to come worse off.

I started well today…. For the 1^st ¾ mile up to Gawthrop, but then the wheels came off slightly – 40/50 runners must have come past over the course of the race. To cut a long story short, it was not until a 69 year old man, Stephen James of Southport Waterloo came past at 10 miles that I was able to start holding runners off and pick off some runners. It was Stephen’s birthday today and he was the dad of our host at the cottage (Scar View), Rosie. He knew young Dave Waywell of course - (young to him!).

When we started to head back to Dent, we past a field containing two alpacas. We walked through this field the next day and Steve and Linda ran a mile! They were only curious as they galloped towards us and Steve and Linda turned on their heels! Michaela asked the owner of them who was saddling her pony…. “What’s the purpose of these…..What are they for?”…… We learned that they were ‘field ornaments’ no less….and certainly no more……I’ve heard it all now……they were cuties though.

On the penultimate hill, the runner in front gave up and started walking. He asked the nearby marshals if it was the last hill!

1^st Rick Hayman (Sale) 1:16:02 1^st Lady: Lisa Dent 1:33:03 (Sky Rac)

2 Nick Leigh (Altrincham) 1:17:38

3^rd Steve Littler 1:19:29

31^st Peter Cruse 1:32:43

37^th Dave Waywell 1:33:58 (goes without saying 1^st V60!)

61^st Martin Bates 1:38:32

80^th Peter Gleaves 1:41:06 Dentdale debut

90^th George Kennedy 1:42:14

114^th Michaela Dempsey 1:45:26 (6^th Lady and 2^nd Vet)

207^th Kath Hoyer 1:54:59

212^th Andrew Divall 1:55:15 Dentdale debut

281^st Peter Cooke 2:03:03 Dentdale debut

315^th Finlay McCalman 2:07:32

448 Finishers

Peter Cooke decided to take Brian Porter’s Windermere number and therefore thought he better start doing some mileage!

The girls did well and probably would’ve stood a chance of a team prize had there been another lady present!

The men were 1^st team for the 3^rd year on the trot. Initially announced that we had won by 1 point and I was in it, but they had Peter Cruse down as unattached. Drat! Just goes to show though, if the runner on the penultimate hill hadn’t started walking…..

See http://www.runnersworld.co.uk/events/ratingsall.asp?sp=&v=1&ugn=783

Written by: Martin Bates

Submitted: 16^th March 2007

Edited by Brenda J Earnshaw WRR Editor