Race Date: Tuesday 27th August 2024

Let the record state that I haven’t written a Striders race report since the infamous Stan’s Toffee Run “horse whisperer meets steward’s (no-show) enquiry” in 2018. That race featured, to the best of my knowledge, the one and only time that Bill Brown has led a race after a marshal failed to direct the fastest runners into a Elsecarian wood, and Andrew Woffindin successfully and gainfully staring down four horses and still managing to post a decent time.

Six years between race reports. That’s nothing – I suggest you look to Kate Bush, who has taken longer to release records although, rumour has it, is still capable of a sub 25 minute parkrun and can talk down rampant horses in Barnsley pit villages, and don’t judge me too harshly.

Recently experiencing a Second Coming to the Striders fold after four years with, ahem, another sporting organisation in the north of the city, I thought I’d mark my 50 days of Being 50 life festival with a fell race in Eyam. In the Striders way, I brought cup cakes, a tiny bottle of prosecco obtained as a distraction method in a popular Peak District pub, Matt Gibson and the aforementioned Andrew Woffindin – for continuity purposes and a lift, as well as his excellent company.

Eyam Fell Race is a delight, but not without its challenges, especially for a VM50 who has spent more time propping up bars than fells this summer. A big hill up and out of the plague village, some wonderful fields and a first Trig point from which you could, if the weather wasn’t a shocker, see five counties. What better way to spend a late summer’s evening? There is something for everyone on this run, tracks, trails, ridiculous climbs, dazzling descents, two trig points and a death-defying last mile through woods and back into Eyam. Any slower and I would have been forced to run back on the road due to bad light stops play, so I’m taking that as a win.

Also worth mentioning, even though he doesn’t like to talk about it, that Woff, having successfully talked down a fleet of stallions and penned three albums en route, also managed to overtake me on the final 100 metres. I’d like to add that this was to create a beautiful narrative arc (much like The Ninth Wave by the aforementioned la Bush)  to tie this race report together and nothing to do with the hundreds of people he knows already waiting for him at the finish line and spurring him on/ his superior running ability. I also got a lovely chorus of Happy Birthday from Matt Gibson who was already safely back in the pavilion before Woff’s late heroics.

Additional kudos for a great post-event buffet, this is a a fine race to bring up another decade in running. Running up that hill, it didn’t hurt me, yeah, yeah, yo. Apart from when it did.

The male race was won by Henry Webb of DPFR in 42.51. The female race was won by Eve Pannone of Ambleside AC in 46.53. Well done to all the Striders taking part.

Striders’ Results