Arncliffe Fete 4 Mile Race

Saturday, 14^th August 2010

Scenery: From a woman who has time to enjoy it 7

Do it again: Initial instinct it is a long way to go to run 4 miles

Value: 2 £4 attached £6 unattached felt this was poor value. I know we sometimes moan at another t shirt/medal but its better than nothing which is what we got here. Would have even settled for a free cuppa and slice of cake.

Personal Best Potential: 1 hills at 1.5 and 3 miles.

Atmosphere: 5

Beginner Friendly: Not in my humble opinion. This race attracts a high percentage of local runners, many of whom use it as a warm up for the fell race starting 45 minutes after the road race.

Saturday 14^th August saw the Jones’ and support team set off Skipton bound having read the flyer, which stated Arncliffe was near Skipton. A blissfully trouble free A59 meant we arrived in Skipton nice and early and after a quick top up of petrol at Tesco, they get everywhere don’t they, we pushed on in search of Arncliffe and the promised fun of a ‘traditional Yorkshire fete’. Sadly we arrived at Arncliffe before they had even set up so went exploring in the car, driving over to Malham via steep hills and hairpin bends. I tried to convince Abigail and Robert, (my niece and nephew),that we could cancel their trip to Drayton Manor at the bank holiday as they had had plenty of excitement going round these bends but they weren’t for having it. After reaching Malham, we headed back via Malham Cove, bringing back happy memories of youth group trips with Kirkham United Reformed Church.

Having done the bends and hills in reverse, when the stunning scenery looked very different and even more stunning from a different direction we arrived back in Arncliffe to find the fete in full swing. We parked in the car park-another £2 but did include a free programme, and walked to the village hall to be changed and in Dave’s case enter on the day paying £1 premium. Whilst registering Charlie Pass and friend also arrived dashing Dave’s chance of being first Wesham male

We had time for a look around the Fete whilst waiting to start; the announcer was close to the bone with his humour, making us appreciate our own delightful Brian Porter even more. One hundred and eighteen runners set off at a rapid pace passing out the end of the village. By the half mile stage Charlie was well out of sight and Dave just a blue shirt in the distance, there was puffing and heavy footsteps behind me pushing me on and slowly but surely I knocked off a couple of runners, in between dodging idiots on motorbikes who had decided to push through the race.

All my training runs from Guys Thatched Hamlet to Inglewhite with Ruth Turner paid off meaning that the incline at 1.5 miles felt like a gentle slope, shortly after this we turned down a very narrow single track, quite what the marshals thought they were doing letting a 4x4 follow us down I don’t know bar getting nettled to bits. We couldn’t have got out of the way if we had tried. At two miles we hit the unmanned water station - a mop bucket on a table, being unsure if this really was the water station I pushed on. By now the sun had found its strength adding to the strain of the rises followed by little dips. Focussing on the views and aiming for trees in the distance took my mind off what my feet were up to.

At 3 miles, two of my heavy breathers over took me and we jostled for the next half-mile or so. Suddenly there was a sign saying 800m to the finish, I drew on my reserves and pushed on, 400m-another sign the race weaved around the houses and at every turn you thought the finish is here but no there was another one, finally Dave came to join me, then it was round the corner to a small crowd including my own personal fan club ‘Just round the corner’, my sister Angela shouted and, as I rounded the corner, I was suddenly over a white line in the road. I took this to be the finish but the lack of visible time keepers left me unsure until I spotted them. No ‘well done’, goody bag or acknowledgement of my existence!

Robert went to the water table to get me a drink and found it empty so I just had to wait until I got back to the village hall for a drink.

Our wonderful Charlie was 5^th in 21:45; my darling hubby was 104^th in 36.43 despite stopping to take a phone call! In addition, bringing up the rear at 42:18 was me and, whilst a slow time to many of you, I was pleased with my time being the fastest race result all year.

As I said earlier, it was a long way to go for a four mile run but latched on to a trip to Skipton or a weekend in the Yorkshire Dales you could do worse and personally I will be forever indebted to the race organisers who found my wedding ring in the car park, (field), and handed it in

Written by: Sue Jones

Submitted, 17^th August 2010

Edited by: Brenda J Earnshaw WRR Editor