The Tour of Pendle Story

It all starts on a cold, wet, freezing, rainy Saturday morning. Driving into Barley, looking up at Pendle thinking what have you got in store for me today, I rolled into a ram-packed full barley car park to be greeted with hundreds of other mad fell runners.

Then 10.30 arrives and 350 freezing cold fell runners set off into the unknown for 17 miles of ascent and decent on Pendle. Everyone I'd talked to about "The Tour" says don't start too quick and don't get dragged into a race at the start. No greater words have ever been spoken!

The first ascent to the trig point was a great warm up cure, off came the waterproof for the whole of 5 mins until on the descent to the Nick of Pendle we were greeted with some lovely wind, rain and to top it all off HAIL...now i really was thinking what am i doing up here - how did i get myself roped into this race?

Until you have taken part in this iconic local event you cannot begin to imagine just how tough it is. The event is challenging, soul destroying and exhilarating all rolled in to one. However upon completion there is a sense of total achievement and the urge to do it all over again!

I will wear my Tour T-shirt with pride! Bring on 2011!