Black Combe Fell Race Sat 14th March 2015

Things wouldn't be the same without the annual pilgrimage to the Western Peninsula for what is one of my favourite races. It was a week later this year than it's usual slot of the first Saturday in March, presumably to avoid a clash with the Flower Scar championship race. Big question, would this mean I'd be a week fitter and manage to beat last years' time?

Times have varied from an all time best of 1:52 (2011, the Wasdale year!) to a recorded slowest of 2:16. The slowest time was at my second attempt in 2010, my first attempt in 2009 failed by not correctly locating the Marshalls at CP5. Unbeknownst to me (and about 20 others) CP5 had in fact been relocated to the village hall by the time we'd reached it's original location!

This is one of the few fell races (other than championship races) to employ dibbers. With CPs positioned at the end of ups, downs and flat bits it gives a very good indication of where your (and others) strengths and weaknesses are. Mine are definitely the downs, but not for Olivia, tall skinny blonde who finished 3rd Lady. Olivia usually wins the races in the Manchester Area Cross Country League I help organise, so imagine my delight when I found out I can run downhill quicker on one of the steeper sections (CP4 -CP5), well for 5 mins anyway, and was only 2 mins slower on the last descent!

The race has a new website and the results with the splits can be found here https://fellrace.org.uk/races/blackcombe/2015/splits Those with older versions of internet explorer may find the website may not function so well.

Due to some of the dibbers not having been cleared from previous events it appears as though I lost 3 places on the last descent, scandalous! But as there were 7 dibbers in front of me not working (only recording finish time) my actual position at each of the CPs was as follows

1st - 200, 2nd - 203, 3rd - 203, 4th - 201, 5th - 196, 6th - 196 and Finish - 192 and 2:03:31 . Quicker than last year, so that extra week of training paid off!

TF