Flower Scar Fell Race AM 13.9m, 660m, Sat 16 Mar
After another wet week and the wettest February on record the bogs and mud were guaranteed but amazingly the day was dry, calm and we even had some sunshine….. I think I wrote exactly the same for Ilkley Moor two weeks ago. The same for Flower Scar, our second Club Fell, and the first English Fell, Championship race. A Medium length race from Todmorden in the Calder valley starting with a soft leg sapping lap of Centre Vale Park to spread the runners before the narrow paths up the steep wooded climb out of the valley, soft muddy fields, a continuing climb on narrow winding trods on the open rough grass moors and up Flower Scar (Checkpoint 1), a fast descent to CP2, steady climb with some bog hopping towards the windmills, a mix of hard track and peat bog hopping across Todmorden Moor to CP3, down and across Green’s Clough and diagonally across a rough cow-paddled field descending to CP4 at the bottom of Cock Hill Wood. Running with a broken wrist in a pot I knew I must not fall and must not get my arm involved with any water or mud, so watching runners in front of me thigh and elbow deep in soft, wet, peat black bogs left me hopping about like I had never seen a bog before. So be it. My target was to get round safely and register a race for the English Fell Champs. Some of my age group competition moved past me but self preservation said let them go. After CP4 the route turned back climbing a muddy track up through the plantation before emerging onto a wider forest track descending alongside Tower Clough, across the stream to CP5, a short stretch up the road, and off to the left up to Height Top. A very boggy moorland stretch, past a ruined farm house, down a field and out onto a green grassy old mining track descending diagonally back into Calder Valley. Great views. A steady run down for me, with my head and mantra of ‘You cannot afford to slip’ well in control, to CP6 at just under 90 mins well within the 2 hour cut-off. A short section on a narrow tarmac lane before tackling the ‘mud field’ – an old diagonal track climbing across a steep field with many years of horse paddling. There was no escape and for me and runners around me, no running. Mostly ankle deep but fortunately for me the earlier runners had almost ‘cleared’ a path – maybe only shoe deep in some places 😉. It would be nice to see the front runners in action. Then a steep grassy path climbing across the next field curving round into an old walled track to re-join the outward route. Mostly down now, plenty of mud crossing the fields and on the track back down through the woods and back into Centre Vale Park. Safely round, under 2 hours, and third in my age category. Happy with that.
Enough of my personal challenge – what about the rest of the Bingley runners. Being an English Fell Champs race entries had filled quickly (too quickly for some) and soon moved onto a Waiting list – which does work ; several Bingley Harriers who initially joined the waiting list were allocated places so we had 16 entered and 14 made it on the day to line up with 381 runners and enjoy the sunshine. Despite the wet underfoot, race records tumbled for winners Tim Lamont (MSEN, 1.00.41, Helm Hill) and Eve Pannone (WU23, 1.08.10, Ambleside, 45th overall). Bingley results were :
Pos No. Name Cat Time
146th= 100 Robin Lawrence M50 01:19:40
163rd 309 Alex Small MSEN 01:22:36
176th 341 Ian Ferguson M60 01:24:13
179th 412 Steve Webb M60 01:24:28
189th 78 Ruth Thackray W50 01:25:08
219th 80 Paul Crabtree M55 01:30:33
237th 303 Donna Edmondson-Booker W50 01:32:20
277th= 90 Amicia Lee WSEN 01:37:51
289th 88 Dave Stephenson M60 01:40:56
336th 340 Helder Goncalves M45 01:52:24
342nd 86 Joanne Henry W45 01:53:42
346th 323 Becky Weight W65 01:55:22
357th 82 Caren Crabtree W45 02:02:52
369th 292 Cheryl Jepson WSEN 02:17:14

Good points for everyone in the Club Fell Championship, see the latest on Team App under More/Club Championships https://bingleyharriers.teamapp.com/clubs/567035/custom_pages/8602-fell-championships?_detail=v1.
Welcome to Alex and Steve having great first runs in their Bingley vests. And a great start in the English Fell Championship tables with everyone registering a race, and Robin, Ian, Steve, Ruth, Donna and Becky scoring their first points. We also registered Team results for Men Open, M40, M50 (6th) and M60 (3rd) and for the Women Open (9th), W40 (5th) and W50 (3rd). M Open team is 5 runners, M40 is 4 and all others are 3; older runners can count in younger teams.

We need to talk about Chevin 14km, 650m. Sat 23 Mar 24
Not technically a fell race but pretty close. 14km mostly off-road, up, down and around Chevin Chase finding 650m of ascent, the equivalent of a Category B Medium length race. A couple of Bingley Harriers made it their Saturday outing and good to see Ms Sharples in a running event again, with 88 runners on the start line. Woodentops on photo duty so plenty of photos available.
9 77 Martin Peace M 9 M50 01:21:25
16 71 David Norris M 16 M50 01:25:02
74 89 Rachael Sharples F 19 F60 02:03:02

Heptonstall Fell Race BL 24.8km / 15.4m, 966m / 3170’ – Sun 24 March 24
“A category BL race across the best of the local landscape around Heptonstall in the upper Calder Valley. The 25 kilometres of route takes in a mixture of steep-sided wooded valleys, upland pasture and pathless moorland”. Who was tempted? 3 Bingley runners amongst 234 in a race won by Luke Foley of Horwich in 1:53:25
40 Ian Ferguson Bingley Harriers & AC M60* 2:27:04
114 Andrew Smallwood Bingley Harriers & AC M60 2:55:02
233 Harry Atkinson Bingley Harriers & AC M70 4:11:25

Blubberhouses Moor 25, LDWA Challenge Event. Sun 24 Mar 24
Organised by Nidderdale LDWA and picked up by 7 Bingley Harriers and partners.
2 Dave Town 37 3.40
24 Joanne Henry 39 4.44
37 Jason Beckett 225 4.59
100 Caren Crabtree 3 6.12
101 Cheryl Jepson 243 6.12
102 Jodie Smith 74 6.12
195 Dom Henry 232 9.40
Great to see ‘long distance’ Dave coming in second, a happy Jo having had some niggly calf trouble and a Haworth Hobble ankle roll, Jason (no picture!) getting some good miles in, Caren, Cheryl & Jodie working well together, a bit of bush bashing, and Dom re-discovering his walking legs.

Bingley Harriers Fell Championship 2024 and other fell dates
Full details on the Bingley Harriers Team App site – under Disciplines https://bingleyharriers.teamapp.com/clubs/567035/teams/971139?_detail=v1 or under Events. We want as many runners in the club championship as possible, and to make teams in the English Fell Championship races so any race you can run supports the club as well as your individual ambitions.

Lad’s Leap (AS, 6 Apr) Entries still open so get your entries in now. Club & Eng Fell Champs.

Pendle Clough’s (AL, 11 May) Entries on a Waiting list – only 12 at the moment so highly likely that you will get a place. Also substitutions are allowed so if any of our 16 entries to date find they can’t run they can substitute another Bingley runner in. Club & Eng Fell Champs race so we want as big a turnout as possible for the club competition and to make teams up.

Calderdale Way Relay – Sun 19 May. 6 point to point legs between 5 and 11 miles around Calderdale. Run in pairs. Mixed team entered. Let Paul or Caren Crabtree know if you are available / interested – some have already put their names forward but it always helps to have more to call on.

Austwick Amble – BM 13km, 365m, Mon 27 May – Club Fell Champs. A bank holiday Monday outing alongside the Austwick Street Fair. Entries open on SIEntries.
Bradford Millenium Way Relay – Sun 9 June Put this date in your diary now. Our local point to point off-road relay 5 legs between 6 and 11 miles and run in pairs. You will be wanted and needed to make teams (several!) from ‘fun social day outers’ through to ‘event winners’. All comers welcome. Watch out for comms on this.

Ingleborough (AM, 20 Jul) is open for entry too. Club Fell Champs.

If there are any other fell / off-road ventures featuring Bingley runners you would like to see here write a few lines and pull out the Bingley results and send them to me. I’ll do the rest.
If you need more information about the fells get in touch with your Fell Team Managers Becky, Paul or Andy to chat about what would be good for you, or pick up with some of the regular fell runners on our training sessions.
Becky Weight, Ladies : beckyweight@btinternet.com
Paul Crabtree, Men : paulcrabtree67@yahoo.com
Andy Jebb, Men & Juniors : andrewjebb2@gmail.com
Photos from Becky, Donna and Cheryl