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Golf Ball Fell Race

PAUL BROWN 25 AUG 2010

Ian Hollas, John McDonald, Robert Smith, Dean Ralphson and Paul Brown all ran the Golf Ball Fell Race at Loveclough, near Rawtenstall, organised by Rossendale Harriers.

After a wet and miserable day, thankfully conditions improved no end before the start resulting in almost perfect weather for the race itself.

A crammed and crowed field hit a bottleneck within the first half mile as everyone filed through a wooden kissing gate. The pace didn't improve greatly after negotiating the stile until a steep climb finally eased off to the moorland plateau of Hameldon Hill.

Dean, despite saying he was going to "plod around", made one of his trademark rabbit-out-of-the-trap starts and stormed away over the fell top. Paul gave chase but couldn't gain much ground until the final sharp descent on tarmac at around the five mile mark.

Overtaking Dean and two other runners, Paul plummeted down a grassy field and ploughed into a mud bath quietly lurking in some trees. Dean made good ground over the last few hundred yards and almost caught Paul on the line - a great club finish!

Robert Smith ran a course PB, even though by his own admission he's a little older now, and John McDonald wasn't far behind him. Ian Hollas valiantly came home sporting more muck than most to reveal he'd lost a shoe in a bog and had to stop to fish it out!

This is a great local race with two serious climbs, some fast downhill sections, and plenty of mud!

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