Organisers of a major cross-country event in Keswick have apologised after spectators turned fields at Fitz Park into a quagmire.
Football matches were cancelled following Saturday’s race because the churned-up pitch was deemed unplayable, while an area next to the cricket pavilion was reduced to a sea of mud by dozens of pairs of feet.
More than 160 runners took part in this year’s annual Cumbria Cross Country Championship, which is a chance for competitors to catch the eye of selectors for the forthcoming inter-county championship later in the year.
However torrential rain beforehand meant the ground underfoot at Fitz Park was already sodden before the race began.
While the runners kept to a route which avoided the sports ground, which is used by Keswick’s football and cricket teams, spectators eager to follow the action trampled over the grass, quickly turning it into a mudbath.
Steve Harwood, a town councillor who organised the race on behalf of Keswick Athletic Club, told the Reminder: “I was very concerned about the state of some parts of the park after the event and fully understand why some people would have been upset by this.
“I have organised many of these races over the years, but this year provided the most challenging conditions with the weather leading up to the race.
“However we were aware how important this event was in providing so many young athletes with the opportunity to compete at this higher level travelling from all over Cumbria so we did not want to disappoint them.
“I have been in communication with both the football and cricket clubs who were understandably concerned about the impact on their pitches. I am reassured from past experiences that the ground affected will recover in a reasonably short time scale.
Mr Harwood added: “We have learned some lessons from this experience and will reconsider various aspects for future events.”
Cllr Duncan Miller, chairman of the Fitz Park Trust, who have overall responsibility for the park, said: “It’s very unfortunate situation, and obviously we will be looking at ways to prevent it happening again.”
Meanwhile there have been renewed calls for an artificial, all-weather playing area to be installed to ensure sport can be played year-round in the town.
The Keswick All Weather Sports Facility group on Facebook now has more than 400 members, including town councillor Markus Campbell-Savours.
He said: “My son’s training game was cancelled on Sunday because the pitch was unplayable.
“Hopefully lessons will be learned about mitigating the impact of spectators at events like this in the future, but it highlights the need for an all-weather playing surface and I will be raising the matter at the next meeting of the Fitz Park Trust.”
Earlier this month frozen pitches led to the cancellation of all senior football and rugby matches in Keswick, while the indoor facility at Keswick School has been out of action for several weeks due to exams and Covid testing.
Mayor Cllr Alan Dunn said in an online post: “I think the Keswick Athletics will take a long look at this. “
I was on a walk and came into the park just as the races were starting. I always loved running and these were the Cumbria Cross Country Championships which I imagine was quite a coup for the athletics club.
“The various routes were pretty much a quagmire a lot of the way round. We must fight for an all-weather surfaced pitch.’’
A bystander said: “I was down to walk the dog and the surface was already damaged. The problem was made worse by family members and spectators blocking the path around the pavilion so anyone else had to use the grass.’’
