Noon Stone Fell Race - English Championships 2010

The Noon Stone Fell Race proved a worthy opener to the 2010 English Fell Championships on Saturday as Todmorden Harriers’ organisation of the classic fell race received much acclaim. Conditions for the 9 mile race were the most challenging for several years with the combination of soft boggy ground and drifts of snow making for hard going. The middle unmarked navigational section was completely shrouded in mist, and that ultimately determined the winner as nearly 500 runners struggled to find the quickest lines across the boggy moors.

Starting from Mankinholes, the race quickly rose up the first steep climb of the day to Coldwell Hill, before plunging back down to London Road losing much of the 600 feet height just gained. The route then had runners climbing back up past Stoodley Pike and then down again to Withens Clough. The third rise of the day took the field out onto pathless open moorland and bog to the highest point of the race at the Little Holder Stones.

It was here that Dark Peak’s orienteering specialist Mathew Speake took control of the race, a lead which he retained to the end, as it returned via Warland Drain and over Langfield Edge before a precipitous descent into Black Clough and the final climb of the day, past the Noon Stone itself, back to Coldwell Hill and then down to the finish at Mankinholes. Speake finished 3 seconds ahead of club mate Lloyd Taggart, in a time of 1:08:16. 2009 Champion Rob Hope of Pudsey and Bramley finished in 3rd place.

First Harrier home was Jon Wright in 31st place, with Andrew Wrench in 51st. Alistair Rhodes-Dawson and Nick Barber both managed a creditable top 100 finish, in 75th and 99th respectively.

Altringham’s Olivia Walwyn staked an early claim for this year’s women’s title finishing in 1:18:56. Todmorden’s Lauren Jeska put in an outstanding performance to finish 5th lady overall just 36 seconds behind 2nd placed Emma Clayton in a highly competitive battle. Despite a painful fall, Todmorden’s Moyra Parfitt took the vet65 prize.

Todmorden Results: 31 Jonathan Wright 74.53; 51 Andrew Wrench 77.11; 75 Alastair Rhodes-Dawson 79.16; 99 Nick Barber 81.28; 116 Andrew Horsfall 82.24; 127 Dave Collins 83.32; 134 Lauren Jeska 84.01; 169 Stephen Brandwood 87.23; 178 Ben Crowther 88.17; 180 Shaun Pickard 88.45; 221 Phil Hodgson 92.23; 232 Simon Anderton 93.29; 234 Martin Roberts 93.47; 281 Ozzie Kershaw 99.10; 292 Mick Craven 99.59; 302 Sarah Warburton 101.28; 307 Rachel Skinner 102.1; 308 Andrew Bibby 102.15; 312 Karen Gray 102.37; 332 Melanie Blackhurst 104.47; 357 Richard Leonard 107.57; 400 Louise Abdy 119.16; 413 Moyra Parfitt 133.21; 414 Claire Duffield 133.22.