NB To see the article with pictures included click on Files
A glorious early autumn day in Patterdale greeted Bingley’s Open and Ladies teams. The ‘Wet Weather Parking’ was only abandoned late on Friday the 4th, when it was clear it was going to stay dry, much to everyone’s relief, so we were all able to park on the King George Playing fields in Patterdale – the Event Start and Finish. In early announcements it was great to hear Bingley Ladies ‘welcomed back’ after several years absence.
A full event with 71 teams of 8 running in pairs. The HBMR is a point to point relay with 4 legs each an A grade (hard!) fell race in its own right, with three changeovers scattered up the valley to Kirkstone Pass, total 23 miles, 8860’ ascent. So 568 runners plus supporters, and another 100 or so organisers and helpers, shuttling up & down the valley to pick up numbers, getting to and from changeovers, trying to stay warm waiting for their team to come in, and work out where their things will be when they finish. Parking is very restricted and controlled by permits so the logistics of the day are always a bit mind bending.
The Bingley Teams in running pair order :
Ladies – Team 7 Open – Team 6
Becky Weight Andrew Peace
Lucy Ferguson Martin Peace
Jo Buckley Andy Brown
Suzie Ried Josh Ferguson
Amicia Lee Tom Gomersall
Donna Edmondson-Booker Chris Emsley
Joanne Henry Ian Holmes
Abby Robertson Adam Smallwood
Becky, Jo H and Abby had been Reserves upto a few days before, when it became clear that Sarah Pickering, Ruth Thackray and Hayley Norse had been downed by bugs, bad backs and life. Caren Crabtree was still available waiting for the last minute call up – which fortunately never came. Thanks to all who ran, would have if they could, or held the day free upto the last minute – everyone essential for the team.

How did it go? The Bingley Open Team finished 30th overall in 4:30 and Bingley Ladies 67th in 6:04. The winning Men (Keswick) and Ladies (Helm Hill) finished in 3:32 and 4:23. But that’s only part of the story. I didn’t get much about the Men but learnt more about the Ladies day as I ran and did lift shuttles later.
Lucy & I (Becky) ran Leg 1. I knew Lucy was faster than me on good running so I was prepared to hang on as best I could. The flat road and track start across the valley bottom seemed like a sprint to me with Lucy moving more easily and we were soon watching the bulk of the field spreading out across the valley. As we started to climb up towards Boredale Hause it became clear that Lucy’s cold from earlier in the week hadn’t really cleared as, despite working hard, she dropped back. She continued to work hard on the climb up round Angle Tarn Pikes running where she could. Her later words were ‘she felt like a lead balloon’, so well done Lucy for sticking with it. The descent to the Tarn provided some respite and we followed a pair of Cumbrian Fell Runner Ladies along a small trod along the Angle Tarn shore around to the checkpoint avoiding a small climb. On the easier running across the top between the crags I continued to lead, before swinging right on a contouring path and starting to descend, gently at first through a gap in a wall and continuing right past some substantial fence posts and out onto the edge of Hayeswater Gill, with Lucy keeping in touch more easily. That’s where the descent really starts. Steep and grassy with, by now, a ‘polished trod cum slide’ with people below and to the side of us ‘bum sliding’. With loose shorts on I wasn’t going on my bum but my feet were holding, and we both descended at a reasonable pace making up a few places. Another checkpoint at the bottom, and then as fast as we could on the gently descending track along the valley bottom. Lucy could stride out easily here and I did my best to hang on to her. 53 minutes through the fell gate– hopefully we could make the changeover at the Hartsop sheep pens before the L2 Mass Start at 60 mins. Just. 4.5miles, 1500’ ascent, 57 mins, dib and pass the dibber on to Jo B and Suzie. Jo H, Abby, Ian (Lucy’s dad) and her Mum were there cheering us in, in the sunshine.

On L2 Jo B and Suzie had a mile or so climbing steadily along Hayeswater Gill before crossing the Gill and starting the steeper climb up The Knott, and along to High Street where they were 7th Ladies. Good climbing. Jo, and Suzie I think, had both been under the weather with what Jo described as a ‘lurgy’ the week before and had asked if there were any reserves who wanted to run. At that point, already dealing with 3 drop outs, I had unsympathetically asked Jo if she could ‘just get better’ which, Jo being Jo, endeavoured to do. Jo as a veteran of many fell relays knows what she can ask her body to do, will always do what she can to keep the team together, and loves a day out in the Lakes so I knew I wasn’t being any harder on Jo than she would be on herself. Jo and Suzie were well matched, and their combination of recces, navigation skills and previous L2 race memory found the ‘hidden’ checkpoint at the pond on Caudale Moor straight off. Descending south along the shoulder wall line, down Pike How and along the top of Raven’s Crag, before dropping down to Kirkstone Pass, finishing their 7.5 miles in 1:43 just before the L3 Mass Start allowing Amicia and Donna a clear start up Red Screes.

Amicia and Donna had got a lift up to Kirkstone with the Men’s team for L3 so had a while to wait, and although we had plenty of sunshine, it was cool and breezy especially higher up. They had dropped their spare ‘keeping warm’ kit and Suzie’s bag at the changeover. Having dropped Jo H and Abby off at Sykeside for L4, I arrived a few minutes later to pick up Jo & Suzie from L2. There was some good natured chatter and laughter with a couple of Wharfedale girls who had been in front of Jo & Suzie but ultimately finished a few minutes after them, having done an extra half mile or so somewhere. The message about kit hadn’t got through so we departed without it – unknowingly.
Leg 3, short, technical, a brutal start up Red Screes, the best lines up to Dove Crag across rough grass and tussocks, and a steep, mixed rocky, boggy, descent into Dovedale before a final runnable half mile to the changeover at Hartsop Hall. Amicia was happy – she wanted a short leg to save her legs for Langdale next week and the British Fell Relay the week after. Donna is happier with some open running and had originally been on Leg 4 before a late switch to L3.
I was waiting at the end of L3 with Jo H and Abby. Would Amicia and Donna get in before the Mass Start? With only a few minutes left the changeover marshalls were starting to hand out spare dibbers for the Mass Start, when our blue and white stripes appeared at 77mins for their 4.5 miles, letting Jo H and Abby head off just in front of the Mass Start. Great.
Leg 3 was not Donna’s ideal, especially the descent and the bogs. Taking care to guard a previously damaged ankle, her white knee length socks now bog-black to mid calf and, worse than that that, there was mud under those long immaculately painted pink nails. She soon recovered and I promised (to do my best) to put her on a longer leg with some running next year

Heading back to the car Amicia chipped in, ‘Did Suzie and Jo pick up their things at the end of L2?’. I couldn’t remember. I had handed Jo B a down jacket that had been put in my hands earlier. No body knew and Jo B and Suzie had gone for a wander out along the end of L4 so we drove back up to Kirkstone Pass to check. All cleared up with the changeover kit and waiting to be collected. Fortunately Suzie hadn’t had to wait around long and there was other kit available back at the field.
By the time we got back to the Event field around 1pm the front runners were coming in – 3.32 for the winning Men (Keswick) and the first ladies (Helm Hill) at 4:23 – great running with some leg records broken. Time for warm clothes, hot drinks, cake, egg butties (local school doing cake, hot drinks and warm sandwiches – big fund raiser for them), see how others had fared on their legs, chatting with friends from other clubs, cheering finishing runners in, enjoying that ‘post-race’ feeling and the Lakes on a bright and breezy day.
Jo H and Abby finished in just over 2 hours at 3.34 giving us an overall time of 6.04. Running together, Abby was stronger on the steep climb up to Hart Crag, with strong legs from long steady recces for the Spine North in Jan 25 plus some run strength & conditioning work. They were reasonably matched across the tops and Jo is a demon descender, so overall a good pairing and they enjoyed their match. In the spirit of the event they shouted a pair of ladies back who were heading off Fairfield in the wrong direction, and got some big thank yous at the finish.
Good going girls, in front of all the Mass Starts, our baton (dibber) made it all the way round 😊, and there were smiles all round after the finish. We were 11th out of 13 Ladies teams, and close behind other Yorkshire teams Wharfedale, Ilkley, and Calderdale. 13 is the highest number of Ladies teams ever but still not many – so it’s a big achievement to get a ladies team out, and our good, safe finish, should secure our place for next year – Sat 4th Oct 2025 (if they stay with Saturday). Book it in your 2025 calendar now. Thanks to Becky, Lucy’s Mum and Donna for photos.
Full results on https://www.sportident.co.uk/results/HBMR/2024/HBMR/ and more photos on the Team App Gallery.
If you want to do more on the fells get in touch with Team Managers Becky Weight and Andrew Jebb – look under Disciplines for more info and contacts.