The Fairfield Horseshoe is a classic amongst fellwalkers and fellrunners alike. It is probably one of the country’s finest walks and it is perhaps inevitable that fellrunners would turn their attention to it. As it happens, Saturday’s race was the 50th running of the event.
It’s an eight summit, high level horseshoe of mountains connected to each other by high connecting ridges so once you’re up, you’re up, as it were. The highest is Fairfield at 2,867′ – higher than our local biggy the Cheviot by 200 feet and at the ‘top’ of the horseshoe, with summits leading to it and from it. It is sublime architecture and a privilege to run on.
The race stats were simple – 10 miles, 3,000 feet of ascent and descent and seven Polyfellers lining up with several hundred runners from all over the country.
Chris Lowe, Gary Robson, Jon Heaney, Mark Smith, James Hennin, Richard Hanley and sole Polyfilly Rachel Carr made the trip with only Rachel knowing for sure that 50 points were hers for the taking in the Poly Champs. The rest of us had to fight for points, although with the pride of the Poly in Llanberis at the inter-counties, the rest of us fancied our chances. The weather was clear and stunning.
Results are yet to come in but informal times are below:
Gary Robson : 1:39:??
Chris 1:45:54
Jon 1:48:17
Mark 1:54:45
James Hennin 1:58:??
Richard 2:04:31
Rachel 2:27:00
Richard decided to give his knee a whack on the way up with Mark right behind him. Mark did the caring, sharing clubmate bit and stopped until Richard looked ok before they resumed hostilities around the course.
Jon and Mark had a ‘blister-off’ at the end (no photos!) and Gary and Chris were up there mixing it towards the top of the field.
Rachel meanwhile easily beat her 2:30 intended target and mad the superb decision to buy chips on the way home – perfect 🙂
More photos and info to come…
Polyfellers 
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