The High Peak Relays at Cromford Mill, Matlock Bath took place on 13 November. The Women’s team came 3rd and the men’s team will explain if you ask them. A great day for all however.
High Peak Relay from Cromford, Sunday, 13th November A tale of cheers and tears for our annual sojourn to Cromford for this popular relay race. Reduced from 10 to 8 stages this year which removed the exposed stages 5 and 6, the day was damp and misty, with visibility reducing the higher the race went. Let’s start with the cheers.
An excellent second place for the Ladies team led off by Helen Pickford on the infamous stage 1 with 30.11 for the just short of 4 miles tough ascent. Debs returned to racing after her maternity leave with 17.52 for the 2.5 mile stage 2, before Rachel Kane returning from injury ran second fastest on the long 5.5 mile stage 3 with 34.08. Carol Walters clocked 20.33 for the 2.5 mile stage 4 with Alison Delaney’s debut of 23.12 for the return leg 5. Cue Jenny Horne to clock the fastest leg on stage 6 for the 5.5 miles of 34.17. Great to see Linda Broddle racing again with 18.45 for the 2.5 mile stage 7 before Maria Hardy cruised down the hill on stage 8 in 29.53. Well done girls an excellent result behind the winners Strollers Pink Runners (what a name for a team!). Now for the tears.
The men….
Yes it’s happened again. After Allan Bamford was overtaken by the field on leg 5 as he jogged out to the start of leg 6 three years ago, Gary Baker suffered the same ignominity on leg 8, this time to be met by the field coming the other way whilst still warming up over a mile from the start, losing over 15 minutes on the final leg and the team dropping from 7th to 16th at the end. No getting away from it Gary, you’ll get reminders about this for years to come! Nick Swift was over from Spain attempting a double header on the day – stage 1 of the relay, followed by a dash up the M1 to run the SYCC League at Wentworth Castle. He comfortably won stage 1 in 23.37 before Chris Maddocks posted a very respectable 14.22 on stage 2. Ade ran 38.02 for the long stage 3 before Malcs clocked a respectable 15.51 for stage 4. Joan ran an excellent 16.28 for stage 5 before Dave Broddle’s 33.41 for the long stage 6. Allan Bamford will be well pleased with his 20.11 for stage 7 before Gary’s calamitous stage 8 effort – for the record his official time was 38.31 for the 4 miles downhill, the reality being that he’d probably have run around 23 minutes.
The lesson again – give yourself plenty of time before the start and warm up nearby!
High Peak Relays Photos.
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