Also at the weekend, the challenging Borrowdale fell race!  And a different Keswick men’s team managed to win this too.  This is always a very popular race and this year was no exception in spite of the British Championship race being on the same day with 282 runners setting out.  It was hot and humid and nearly all the runners struggled in these conditions.  From a start at the Scafell Hotel in Rosthwaite, the runners went out on the stony track to Stonethwaite and up on to Bessy Boots.  The route then rolls endlessly round the flanks of Glaramara, skims the other side of Allen Crags to reach Esk Hause before the slow haul to Scafell Pike.  A mad but careful dash along the corridor route follows, cutting across to Styhead Pass and the leg sapping grind up Great Gable.  Carefully down to Windy Gap, round green Gable, onwards and round Bradreth to the relief of a grassy downhill dash to Honister Pass.  Just up and over Dale Head and its all over!  17miles and 6,500 feet of climbing in total!
The race was won for the seventh time by Ricky Lightfoot, quickly followed by Keswick’s Brennan Townshend who has had an amazing season of running. Dan Mills and Steve Halsall coming in 4th and 7th ensured a Keswick win.  The women sadly didn’t manage the team prize but still ran well coming in: Lucy Burnett 9th, Rachel Findlay-Robinson 13th and Lesley Malarkey in 21st out of 27 women runners who completed the race.

Other great results for the athletic club include Katie Kaars Sijpesteijn and Charlie Bradshaw taking first and second places at the Peak Skyline in Derbyshire.
Also in the recent Lakeland 100: Rob Allen finished 13th and Andy Slattery completed the race for the 4th time with very wet conditions for much of the time.  Completing the 50 for us were Craig Marsh and Sarah Mellodew.  Great running by all!