Heptonstall

TF very kindly shepherded me round the  Heptonstall fell race on Saturday to  record a finishing time an hour slower than she did last year.

The high temperatures forecast did not materialise as a brisk easterly breeze kept levels down and at times provided a strong headwind.

From the outset we were at the back and manged to pull back only a couple of places by the end of the 15 miles of the route that mixes boggy peat, pastureland, hard tracks with a few wooded steep and muddy  ascents  and descents.

This is very much a community backed race with much support from Heptonstall residents all round the route, marshaling and encouraging the runners who also received  a short sermon and a blessing from the local vicar at the start.

Haven't  found any results yet and I don't expect to find much comfort in the fact that we probably finished third and and fourth from the tail in about four and a quarter hours. That won't diminish the pleasure of completing  what was a well organised event in a testing yet  inspiring environment.