Beverley Three Take on Chevy Chase Challenge

Beverley Three Take on Chevy Chase Challenge

Three determined Beverley AC runners made the trip up to Wooler over the weekend, to take on the 20 mile Chevy Chase fell race.

With the weather forecast looking ominous the three runners were in high spirits as they woke up to storm clouds, fog and torrential rain. The organisers did give a ‘lightning’ warning, which put things into perspective. The weather was forecasted to ‘lift’ at around halfway through the race, with the sun coming out at 12.30pm.

The race begins in Wooler, the track then takes the runners up to the summit of Great Cheviot, a steep descent follows with the runners then aiming for the summit of Hedgehope. Once through the checkpoint on Hedgehope, a rolling descent is carried out, with the participants following the course of Carey’s burn back to Wooler. Part of the burn is nicknamed as ‘Hell’s Path’, with rocky escarpments and a steep exit up to Wooler Common.

Iain Twaddle, of North Shields Polytechnic AC won the race in a time of 3 hours, 2 minutes and 56 seconds. The first lady back was Henrietta Bolton Carter, of Wooler Running Club, in a time of 3 hours, 58 minutes and 9 seconds.

The field was made up of 184 racers, 8 of which retired during the race.

First Beverley runner back was Edward Lisney, in a time of 4 hours, 32 minutes and 37 seconds. Placing 77th overall. This was Edward’s second fell race, he commented ‘I’m really chuffed to have got in the top half of the field, especially due to the weather! The conditions made it tougher than anything else’.

The second and third Beverley runner’s were Mark Sykes-Cook and Jim Harbidge, coming in as joint 121st, with a time of 5 hours, 8 minutes and 37 seconds. Mark had recently come back to running from a hamstring strain and was delighted to have completed the race.

Jim had taken part in the race the previous year however he did say ‘the conditions were a lot harder than last time, I’m just glad to have got round’.



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