As Pudsey & Bramley hosted the FRA dinner in Ilkley on the Saturday evening this year saw a weekend double of Wild Boar races, a night race up and down Wild Boar near Ravenstonedale followed by a ‘Wild Boar on Tour’ on Saturday afternoon on Ilkley moor.  With wild weather forecast registration was in the Fat Lamb, but on arrival all was relatively dry and calm.  However that was soon to change as the heavens opened as I went back to the car to get sorted for the race.

I’ve marshaled on the summit for several years but with the two races I took the opportunity to have a run out on Friday to marshal on Saturday.  It was definitely better to run than marshal, so thanks to the many marshals, (including Caron & Emma Payne), for standing out in the horrible conditions.  Fortunately the start area was sheltered from the worst of the wind, so after a debrief in the pub  and a jog to the start, there was little hanging about before we were off.  A trail of light from the head torches wound it’s way up the bridleway to the fell gate, from their we were helped by glow lights planted next to the steep path to the summit plateau.  The wind was at it’s strongest at this point, which seemed to be driving the heavy rain horizontally, biting into our faces.  Reaching the plateau Gary Devine was braving the weather, ringing a loud bell below a bright lantern.  The hard bit done now if was just the return journey back with a helpful tail wind?,  well maybe not as at one point it did feel like someone given me a big shove in the back…

Any way after a bit of a sluggish start I was happy to pass a few on the final bit of the climb and only lose a couple of places on the descent for a 10th place finish, 48:16.  Danny Hope, Horwich won in 41:45, 1st lady was Claire Nance, Lonsdale 51:24.

Saturday’s race was a tough little two lap affair starting from just above Darwin Gardens.  The route went up past White Wells, up the steps at the end of Rocky Valley  passing the stone cairn, across to the Badgerstone with the lap finishing with the fast descent back to the start/finish field.  Bob Payne and Antonio both did one lap, Adam Powell running well keeping ahead of his dad.  Results to follow,  Jack Wood won in 32 mins for the approx. 4 mile and 1400ft climb.