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Mixed Emotions on the Mountain Relay

PAUL BROWN 12 DEC 2012
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The Ian Hodgson Mountain Relay has grown into quite a prestigious competition and this year celebrated its 25th anniversary. Each participating team has to field four pairs of runners who each run one leg of between 4.5 and 7.5 miles over some seriously rugged Lakeland terrain.

Team TAC was taking part for the third time, and we were blessed with an absolutely perfect autumnal day in the Lakes. However, it all started in fog and pitch blackness at 6.25am when Steve and Lou collected me and Heath so we could get to race registration in Patterdale well before 8.45am.

As we headed north the sun rose, the fog cleared and a crisp and frosty morning heralded an exceptional day of blue skies and glorious running conditions. We had a good natter in the car as Steve took us on a short cut via some misty lanes around Pooley Bridge.

Our two superheroes, Ironman and the Mighty Atom (or was it Mouse?), were running the first leg and were raring to go. I left them getting changed, in Steve's case out of some fetching knee-length stripy socks and into some equally lurid trail shoes, and dashed off to register. Having spotted the bacon butty and cake tent, I only just managed to return with our race numbers, dibber and slate coasters, in my final job as outgoing captain.

We made our way down to the start with hundreds of other competitors, including a certain flame-haired former club-mate now furtively attired in orange and white. The marshals forced the gathered throng back a hundred metres before sounding the horn to get the relay underway!

Hundreds of fell runners were soon streaming over a narrow bridge and bridleway towards the first climb up to Angle Tarn. Meanwhile, I legged it back to the car where Lou kindly ferried me the start of Leg 2, where we were greeted by a very relieved-looking Dean (did he think I'd be late or something?) together with Chris and Sandra.

Molly was supposed to be running the second leg with Dean, in fact they had even recce'd it the week before, but she unfortunately came down with a nasty virus two days prior to the event. So it was that our new chairman stepped into the breach, interrupting his trip to Mull to make sure we still had a team. Good man!

As we all nervously waited at the transition point, Heath and Steve came flying down the track in an amazing 13th place overall (and well ahead of an aforementioned red head). Apart from a slight disagreement Heath had with a gate, they'd had a blinding run and were justifiably buzzing!

Chris and Dean started their relentless three-mile climb to High Street, so we made our way back to the car and bumped into the remaining TAC contingent in the form of Dave Croll, Scott and recent recruit, Dave Potter.

We took two cars up to Kirkstone where we had at least 45 minutes in hand before we expected the Leg 2 lads to check in. Having done a lot of walking in the Lakes, I was well aware of the scale and steepness of some of the fells, and the eastern flank of Red Screes has both in abundance. This was what Mr Potter and I had to contend with next, and Dave wasn't looking forward to it!

Ultimately, we had to accept the task in hand as Dean and Chris picked their way down the final drop to the changeover zone. Thank goodness we were blessed with crystal clear conditions, in complete contrast to Tony and Matt's foray into unknown territory here last year! We set off and within minutes were hacking up the sheer and stony fellside almost on all fours.

From the valley I'd spotted a narrow rocky ravine close to the top which I wanted to avoid. But when you're up close and personal with the terrain you don't have the same advantage of perspective, and we found ourselves stuck right in this crack with six-foot sides and a 1000-foot drop behind! Dave was seriously psyching himself up before we gingerly scrabbled out of our fix. Phew!

The going was much better after this and we had a good though occasionally slippy run past Little Hart Crag and on to Dove Crag. Running with Dave was like following a guided missile as he skipped over hazards and gave a running commentary in the process! He was having an eye-opening maiden Lakelend race and was seriously considering tearing up his first Tour of Pendle entry form, though he did enjoy the fantastic panoramic views.

We eventually reached the drop into Dovedale where we were soon passing the leading Leg 4 teams coming back up the valley. The descent was steep and slippery in places and I took a tumble at one point, miraculously avoiding a cluster of football-sized rocks in the process.

Thankfully, we picked up a proper footpath and thus some speed with less than a mile to go. The only downside was that the running became a little more technical on such a narrow rocky path, there being sudden changes in direction, tree roots and rocky outcrops to contend with. Dave had really impressive fall - a full somersault without losing any groundspeed - despite clattering his knee and elbow.

Scott and Dave were ready to go as we finished our leg, and scuttled off back up the valley. We knew Leg 4 started with a long drag up towards Hart Crag having descended the same way. Dave had jogged around the route a couple of weeks earlier too so was well aware of what was to come.

Very sadly, no one could have foreseen one incident. As Dave and Scott approached Fairfield they saw a group of relay runners and walkers surrounding a man down receiving medical attention with a rescue helicopter close by. They stopped to offer assistance but were turned away as enough help was evidently already at hand.

Somewhat shaken they pressed on, running over Cofa Pike to Deepdale Hause then up and over St Sunday Crag, the last half mile a killer descent to the valley floor and finish line in the Patterdale playing fields. Dave Potter and I had driven Dave Croll's car back to base and were on hand to cheer the boys in with a couple of beers.

Team TAC came home in 37th place with an overall time of 5:01:11 improving on our previous best by 12 places and over 23 minutes. It was undoubtedly a great day out for the club!

Although we didn't find out until the next day, an impeccably arranged and otherwise successful anniversary event was tarnished by what turned out to be a fatality on Fairfield.

Darren Holloway from Pennine Fell Runners was the man Scott and Dave C saw being treated (and whom Dave and I must have passed on our final descent). He sadly died upon reaching hospital in Carlisle having suffered heart failure.

Like all of the running community, our thoughts go out to a fellow runner and lover of the fells. Rest in peace Darren.

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