The Callow – 2019

Fell races Race Reports

Imagining I was going to be the only Croftie turning up in Little Stretton, it was a nice surprise to bump into Flora, and then find Tim had also, after a change of heart, decided to take the Callow on again. It was clearly going to be a warm run, where it would be wise to carry water, but at least not like last year with temperatures probably around 30 at the start. It also meant that the ground was a bit easier to run on, not so dry and dusty, and the grass not so dry and slippery. But whatever the conditions, 762m of ascent, in just 8.1km, was going to be demanding.

The race was won, in just over the hour, by Jack Agnew of Mercia. I was 27th, in 1.26.28 (6 minutes faster than last year in the heat), one of only two over MV60s. Flora was third lady (37th, in 1.36.30), having briefly been ahead of Kim Braznell (2nd lady), both of whom lost their way during the race. Tim was happy, I think, with his 1.43.30, one place further away from last than in 2018, and with a slightly better time.

Unfortunately such were the physical demands of the race (on an elderly body) that I didn’t make it to the social at Bryan’s, though the idea of a dip in the pool certainly appealed as I dripped with sweat on the last climb up to the summit of the Callow.

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