DERWENTWATER 10 Sunday 4^th November 2007

The day started early for me as I was at work on nights. It was a glorious morning and I got home from work at 8.15 after a night putting out bonfires, (and not a snooker ball hit or dart thrown). Kirst was starting to get our baby Thomas ready and I joined in as we were due to pick Martin and Lee up at 9am. We were late to Martins but blamed Lee as usual!!! Off we went to the Lakes.

Passing Junction 35 a Focus Estate joined the Motorway on the inside lane. Being the nice person I am and correct user of the motorway, I flashed him once to let him out into the second lane. Martin spotted the Seasiders sticker in the rear window and got all excited. This woke Lee from his zone of near slumber prompting the chanting of football songs! The next thing we knew an arm appears from the afore mentioned car pointing to the third lane. Passing this car, a three fingered salute was observed. At that point, I recognised the driver, just couldn’t bring a name to the face. We all had a laugh at him. Funnily enough, we stayed with the car all the way to the race car park in Keswick! The driver turned out to be a fire-fighter from Lancaster named Phil Rigby – at this point everyone saw the funny side.

So to the race itself. . . This started with a photo in front of the clock tower in the centre of Keswick before we were off out through the centre of Keswick and out onto the B5289 Borrowdale road and the start of some breathtaking scenery. The race takes you past the crags at Castlehead which, in my youth, just a couple of years ago, (ahem!), I did some great climbing routes on and Derwentwater on your right which was mirror still other than the boat taxi breaking the waters on its way to the jetty at Barrow Bay which it arrived at just as I was going past. At this point I still had Pistol Pete some 300 yards in front of me with Lee Barlow a further 500 yards up the road. The race stays on this road all the way past the water until it crosses the bridge at Grange and onto a narrow undulating road which is approx 4.5 miles into the race. Then there is a gradual climb up several hills ‘til the highest point is reached at about 6.3 miles into the race where each and every runner is treated to the most spectacular view of the lake and onto Skiddaw in the distance with Cat Bells on your left and the fantastic lake on your right. Now starts the decent, gradually at first, and then a sharp decent at 7 miles approximately - by this point Lee was no where to be seen but if I took my eyes off the views long enough I found that Pete Cruse was now only 100 yards ahead, a small climb and then down into a small village where the locals are cheering you on then at 9 miles the end is nigh - the last mile is on a main road but this doesn’t affect the incredible enjoyment of this race. Highly recommended!

At the finish we met Lee who had done a fantastic sub 60 minute! He, like myself was a Derwentwater virgin, was as exhilarated by the scenic course as I was – we knew this as he kept launching into the only two lines of Razorlight’s ‘America’ that he knew, (with the wrong words), at the top of his voice!!! We all then decamped into Keswick for late lunch, post race refreshments and new trainers, (can’t go within 50 miles of New Balance without taking a look!). Tom really enjoyed his first pint with the Wesham die hards!!!!

Results as follows:

Lee Barlow 27^th 59.56

Pete Cruse 66^th 64.28

Pete Waywell 67^TH 64.45

Martin Bates 112^th 68.20

Julie Cruse 248^th 77.17

530 Finishers

Written by: Pete Waywell

Submitted: 13^th November 2007

Edited by: Brenda J Earnshaw WRR Editor