Keswick’s Nichola Jackson made the perfect start in fell running’s British championship curtain raiser over in Northern Ireland.
She underlined her title ambitions by picking up maximum points by winning The Mourne Marauder from Newcastle.
The 16km race, which involves 1,200m of climbing, provided a stern early season test involving visits to the summits of Slieve Donard, Chimney Rock Mountain and Slieve Commedagh. The race is run in memory of airmen who lost their lives in Second World War plane crashes around the race route.
Nichola held off a stern challenge from Carnethy’s Naomi Lang (1-33-47) to win in 1-49-57 while English champion Hannah Russell, of Helm Hill, was third in 1-51-49. Keswick’s Stefanie Ervine was 29th in 2-27-33 and Kerry Cornforth was 41st and fourth LV50 in 2-46-39.
Keswick-based Matlock AC athlete Will Cartwright led home the men’s field in 1-33-15 after keeping Carnethy’s Alexander Chapelin (1-33-47) at bay with Ambleside’s Ben Sharrock (1-34-01) placing third.
A number of Keswick athletes scored championship points by getting among the first 50 and they were led home by Harry Bolton (seventh in 1-39-08) who was followed home by Mark Lamb (10th in 1-40-21), Steve Hebblethwaite (11th in 1-40-38), Sam Stead (16th in 1-43-41), Matthew Atkinson (21st in 1-45-23), Jake Collier (34th in 1-50-25) and Jacob Tonkin (42nd in 1-55-54) while Ben Barker was in a frustrating 51st in 2-00-14.
Fell running round-up
Keswick’s Brennan Townshend (1-14-19) won Saturday’s eight-mile Coledale Horseshoe Race by a margin of just two seconds from Sam Tosh (1-14-21) with team mate Steve Halsall (1-18-03) placing third.
The race from Braithwaite takes athletes up and over Grisedale Pike, Hopegill Head, Crag Hill, Sail and Outerside and was run in rainy and heavy underfoot conditions. Keswick’s Tom Day was 12th in 1-21-41 and he was followed over the line by team mates Hamish Murray (13th in 1-21-49) and Simon Netherway (second MV40 in 1-25-17).
Keswick’s Dave Prosser was second MV50 in 42nd place followed by Adam Jackson, of Northern Fells Running Club, in 1-33-41. There were 275 finishers. First woman was Harrogate’s Lex Whitaker in 1-31-39 who was also first FU23 in 39th position overall. Keswick’s Shirley Murray was second in 1-32-53 ahead of CFR’s Sophie Likeman who posted 1-33-34.
Meanwhile, Border’s Adam Varey won Saturday’s 5.9-mile Jarrett’s Jaunt (1,509ft of climbing) from Wath Brow in 42-04 and was well clear of the CFR pairing of Howard Seal (44-42) and Ross Coles (47-55). The first lady was Netherall’s Tracy Hodgson (57-33) with Keswick’s Lyn Thompson second in 58-34 and winning the WV65 prize. Keswick’s Colin Valentine (1-04-33) was third MV60 in 24th while Borrowdale’s Mike Hind was 41st in 1-19-39 and second MV70.
