Report from Michael Fryer:
The fog never looked like clearing on Saturday over Wadsworth Moor as three OAC members headed over for Calder Valley Fell Runners’ Wadsworth Trog Race (20 Miles / 4,000′ ascent). Adam Baird and Michael Fryer had both had to pull out which left Tony Cunningham as OAC’s sole representative in the very tough 20 mile fell race. Tony had made the trip up from London just for the race (evidently training opportunities for the Three Peaks race are somewhat limited down there!).
The half Trog runners set off first (9 miles / 1,500′ ascent) which gave Adam and Michael time to walk up to the first checkpoint. Figures soon appeared through the mist before heading off into the grey gloom. The OAC support crew then proved their navigational prowess by finding their way off the moor, through bogs and snow and were soon in a local pub, occasionally asking “I wonder how Tony’s getting on?”
An hour or so later, down at the finish, Tom Brunt (Holmfirth Harriers) came through in first place in a time of 03:00:24. Other finishers began drifting in and with their mud-splattered appearance, exhaustion and haunted eyes, looked like runner messengers from World War I! After longer than expected, a rather fresh appearing Tony approached the finish. With a smile and the words “I got lost!” he headed round the cricket pitch to the finish, completing the race in 100th in 04:41:24. Tony’s marathon PB is just over three hours. He reckons he probably ran about 23 miles on Saturday. That should give an idea of how difficult conditions were. Fair play to Tony for making the trip all the way up from London and for flying the OAC flag.
More details from Calder Valley Fell Runners.