Whinberry Naze Festive Fell Race & Fancy Dress Competition. 4 miles 750 ft. 26/12/09 .

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Eskimos are said to have identified 57 varieties of snow. Or was that Heinz?

In any event, after recent heavy snowfalls, the underfoot conditions at the Whinberry Fell Race where challenging to say the least. Death wish hard packed ice and snow at the start, churning into deep slush and mud mulch by half way.
Spikes where the ideal footwear.

The race is actually a fancy dress competition disguised as a fell race. Or should that be a fell race disguised as a fancy dress competition?.
Over the years there have been some fantastic costumes. My favourites include, Todmorden Harriers ( i.e most of the club) as a Chinese Dragon, Rossendale Harriers dressed as Egyptian slaves, carrying a pyramid and, Ian Furgeson and Ian Holmes running with a canoe, which they paddled down the descents. This year, a surfer did a similar thing, surfing ( or should that be snow boarding) down to the finish.

Once the fancy dress judging is over, the race feels like a bit of an afterthought although, it is a little toughy in any conditions.

The race winner was 16 year old Sean Carey of Todmorden Harriers in a time of 27:55.

James Logue was first Horwich, 1st V40 and 2nd overall in 28:32, followed by:-

Graham Schofield 10th / 1st V50 29:26
Paul Boardman 28th 33:12
Ian Hepburn 40th 34:14
Pete Leighton 42nd 34:24
Sam Boardman 38:09
Michelle & Albert Sunter, resplendent as green elves! 110/111th 48:08 / 48:10
Gordon Stone 120th 51:29

140 fancy dressers and runners.

Worth mentioning:
– No Eskimos ran.
– Paul Boardman completed his 22nd Whinberry Naze.
– I once won the race dressed as a fairy, but that’s a story for another time.

Happy New Year.

Graham Schofield.