The summer weather has finally come and we have 4 hot races to catch up on. All 4 varying in distance, 1 even involved rowing across a lake???

1st up, 15th June, was the Gummers How Race. A fantastic event that originally started in the 1920s (Could be earlier). It starts from behind the Lakeside Hotel, Buck Yeats field, from there you sprint out of the field, down the road and onto the shore of the hotel. You then jump in your designated boat and row over Lake Windermere. Once on the other side it's a lung busting run to the summit of Gummers How before returning back to your boat for another row across the lake and to the finish in the hotel grounds.
3 Members per team, the Elbra lads, Dava Williams, Chris Lister & Shaun Atkinson set off down the road at good pace. Then, for the 2nd year running, showed some....... being kind, not so good rowing. Coming out of the water well down. A few places were made up on the run and managed much better on the rowing on the return leg. A 5th place finish in the end. But more importantly such a good laugh for a race.

16th June, Alex Roberts took part in another short BOFRA organised race. Flying the Elbra flag (Vest) in the Yorkshire Dales. This time competing in The Kettlewell fell race. A fast start required to reach the gully, which is usually a bottle neck, before reaching the ridge, then a run along the skyline to the cairn before a fast descent and a short section of scree to the finish.
Alex finished high up taking 7th place out of 74 runners.

19th June, another midweek classic. Langstrath. A team of 4 from Ellenborough took part. The short 5 mile race starts in Stonethwaite by the Langstrath Country Inn. A fast start over the bridge before a tough climb out of the valley to Dock Tarn. Runners then move as fast as they can towards the descent to Watendlath. A short climb out and another descent where runners can pick what they think is the best line. Once at the bottom by Hazel Bank, runners then race along the rocky path. The seems to go on forever, especially when being chased along. Back over the bridge and to the Inn for the finish.
Ricky Lightfoot took the win,
Chris Lister just missed out on the top ten, finishing 11th.
Daz Wylie (his 1st race for a while, nice to see him back) next home in 19th closely followed by Shaun Atkinson in 21st.
42 runners took part.

Last but not least, 22nd June, Darren Holloway Memorial Buttermere Horseshoe.
Another of the Lakeland Classics. Dava Williams once again tackling a classic.
This one, possibly the toughest of the classics. Over 22 mile and over 9,000ft of ascent. Starting at Loweswater Village Hall, heads out down the road and makes it's way to the 1st fell, a 2,000ft climb to Whiteside. The next set of checkpoints being Hopegill Head, Grasmoor, Whiteless Pike, Newlands Hause, Dale Head, Honister Pass, Innominate Tarn, High Stile and finally Mellbreak (South Top).
Dava faired well over the 1st part of the race and into the second. But unfortunately the legs gave up on the climb up to High Crag. Still managing to move well across the top and on the descent down to the base of Mellbreak. But again fought the climb. However, a good finish on the descent and strong running on the long run back made him 4 places up. Over 5 hours out in scorching sun, a lovely vest tan to boot but most importantly a free beer at the end. Dava finished 32nd on the day. 82 Runners took part in the long race.

Brilliant stuff all, keep it going 💪
#elbra

📸various sources, Lakeside Hotel, Beth Ripper.
📸 @granddayoutphotography

Saturday was the Ennerdale Horseshoe Fell Race.

It is an annual Lake District fell race held in June, starting and finishing at the Scout Camp near Ennerdale Water. The route is approximately 22.9 mi in length with 7,510 ft of ascent and takes in checkpoints at Great Borne, Red Pike, Blackbeck Tarn, Green Gable, Kirk Fell, Pillar, Haycock, Iron Crag and Crag Fell.

The weather forecast leading up to the race didn't look good. On the day a few of the lads thought it was gonna be the bad weather route, which some weren't really looking forward to or interested in running. However the full race route was given the go ahead. Fair play to those marshals sitting out on the tops in wet and windy weather for us to be able to race.

So the race. The weather didn't seem bad at all while standing around at the start line. However less than half way up the climb to Great Borne it changed. First the rain, then the wind. Most runners who didn't start with a jacket on were certainly getting them on or thinking about it. Once dropping off the summit and out of the clag the weather seemed a little better. It didn't last long. The climb up to Red Pike brought the worst of the day. I'm guessing at this point every runner would have had the jacket on by now. The wet, windy and claggy weather continued all the way to Green Gable. It seemed as though the rain had stopped by the time most reached Kirk Fell. Although the ground was soaked, which made the descent of Joss' gully a bit tricky.
Pillar was next up, and although the weather was much better, the summit was completely under clag. Visibility really poor and down to maybe 10m. This was where a few took some wrong turns. One leading runner ending up in Wasdale, many others managing to recover after some wrong turns.
After Pillar the weather lifted, clear visibility and an increase in the temperature. The legs starting to tire still had some miles to go though, hitting the remaining tops of Haycock, Caw Fell (not a checkpoint), Iron Crag and finally Crag Fell.

Elbra had a good turnout, with 5 members pulling on the Royal Blue and Gold.
1st home was Richard McGrath claiming 5th overall and 1st V40.
Next was Dava Williams finishing in 17th place.
Peter Kemp followed, who for the 1st half of the race was side by side with Dava, finishing 25th overall.
Nick Ray and Shaun Atkinson were also neck and neck until the halfway point, with Nick just pulling away and finishing 33rd. Shaun not far behind in 38th.

Brilliant running lads, especially in those early miles with the weather as it was.

Just over 100 (TBC) entered the race, not bad considering a few would have stayed away due to the weather.

#Elbra

Last week we had 3 races to catch up on.

First up, Saturday 1st June, was the Duddon Valley Fell Race. This race forms part of the Lakeland Classics Trophy, covering 18 miles around the head of the Duddon Valley. With over 6000ft of climbing hitting Harter, Hardknott, Little Stand, Swirl How, Dow Crag, White Pike and Caw.
Just the one Elbra runner and it didn't turn out to be a good day. A warm but wet day. The clag set in right from the first summit. Runners were getting lost all over. If anyone uses strava flyby, you will see how far out of the way some went. Our runner, Dava Williams actually managed to nav pretty well and was running well up until Swirl How. However the wheels came off shortly after. Feeling in a pretty bad way he decided to pull out at Dow Crag and instead of hitting the last two checkpoints, made his way down Walna Scar back to the finish. Still putting in close to 17 miles and around 6000ft.

Better luck next time.

The following day was the Coniston Gullies race. A brilliant fell race for the fearless fell runner. It may be short in distance, but it has a lung buster of a climb and a tremendous descent, which is a sheer drop taking in a scree section. It's a classic up and down race, not for the faint hearted.
Alex Roberts took to the start line along with 71 other runners. Alex flew round continuing his fine form. Finishing 12th in 17:35.

Alex Roberts was at it again on Wednesday night. The Blencathra Fell Race has to be one of the best midweek races about. A huge turnout of 180 runners started. It's not an easy race that's for sure. Some rough ground, runnable climbs, fast descents and to finish a brutal steep drop to the finish line.
Alex came home in 20th position in 1:12:56

2 Brilliant races Alex, well done 💪

📸 Grand Day Out Photography at Duddon (Catching Dava retire 🤣)
📸 David Dicks at Blencathra

#Elbra