Picture the scene………a still, Sunday morning and the mist is right down. You get yourself out of bed, grab the dog and go for a quiet walk around Piethorne Res. It’s peaceful in the mist. You can’t see anything, and you feel it’s just you and the dog for miles.
Then……….243 runners come bounding down the track at full speed, puffing and panting and all you can think of is……wtf!!! Why??
Why do we do it? Why do we run on some days when it’s best to just roll over and go back to sleep? Why? But as runners, we know the answer. It’s because it makes us feel alive. We work hard all week and to rock up at an event on a cold, misty, Sunday morning in February, we know we are going to feel absolutely fantastic……….after the event.
So well done to everyone who turned up for our second edition of the classic Windy Hill Fell Race. It was great to see so many runners on the day, unless you stood 50 yards away, in which case I couldn’t see you.
Weather wise, I think we got away with it again. Although misty and cold at the start, at least it wasn’t wet and windy as well….or even snowy…….save that weather for another Craggrunner event I know which would like it. Hopefully the weather Gods will continue to smile on us.
It can be difficult organising a race in February as it is so weather dependent. The weather makes it difficult for marshals standing around in the cold for hours; snow can disrupt travel and participants can easily get cold and suddenly they are in trouble. Hence why we have to carry the correct kit. It is so important to do this on a winter race, whether it’s here in the South Pennines or somewhere around the Fisherfields in Scotland. It can save your life. So thank you all for carrying the right kit on Sunday.
Full official results can be found on the FRA website HERE