Today the team provided its usual standby rescue cover provision for the gruelling Winter Hill Fell Race, organised excellently as ever by Horwich RMI Harriers and Athletic Club.
Now in its 28th year (the team has attended every event), the course takes in an 11 mile route with 2700 feet of ascent, centred on Winter Hill, starting and finishing at Rivington Hall Barn.
This year, 31x Call Out List members (including two of our ’reserve’ members) and 9x of our new Probationary members provided cover at each of the nine checkpoints, with ’spot pick up crews’, radio links, start/finish liaison and control and communications (MRT radio network only).
In addition five members of our Support Group, Gillian Gregory, Iain Clarkson, Julie Thompson and Howard & Teresa Gilliland provided an endless supply of bacon, sausage butties (with a choice of sauces!), soup and hot drinks to the team from our purpose built Catering Trailer.
Special thanks to valued friend and regular supporter of the team, Paul Lawrence who journeyed from the far flung reaches of Whaley Bridge to be with us and assist the team today.
Picture (c) Carl Silver, used here with persmission
202x runners entered today with the temperatures at the Lower House car park, (in comparison with the 12C temperatures enjoyed in 2008 and -4C of 2009), starting at 0C, slowly increasing to 3C, all in generally clear conditions with the odd snow flurry on the tops. Six runners failed to complete the exacting course, and we are pleased to announce that other than a few scrapes, bruises and sore ankles none of the competitors required our services.
Picture (c) Carl Silver, used here with persmission
A brief search was started at the end of the race when one competitor could not be accounted for, he was subsequently traced to his home address after apparently having left the course without informing the event organisers.
As usual the team vehicles, our control trailer and catering trailer (along with a myriad of team members private vehicles) generated a fair bit of interest from passing members of the public, so much so that we were requested directly by members of the public to go to two seperate incidents nearby unconnected with the event. (see other news items)
Picture (c) Carl Silver, used here with persmission
The team is happy to provide standby rescue cover for this event (as with other fell running events on our moors) and to support our local fell running community.
