Report written by Guy Whitmarsh
I feel a bit like an outsider, trying to keep up with the three musketeers: Flora, Tim and Gary, who go charging off all over the country to fight for club and country. And, it was only with luck that I managed to even arrive at the start line for the Blorenge Fell Race – a little under 6km and 478m of ascent. The “luck” element was giving Tim a lift. As we approached Llanfihangel Crucorney, I was thinking we were nearly there, but Tim said no, we needed to go on to Abergavenny and then off to the right. I was beginning to realise I’d confused The Blorenge with the Skirrid race – which is in 3 weeks’ time. That explained as to why they had no record of my pre-entry. Anyway, I pinned on my cloth number – all had number stitched on, and joined 91 other runners through the tunnel under the canal before we toiled up a steep, slippery and rocky slope, with a brief interlude over grass, then steeper up the hillside and into thicker mist. At the top we turned right for the trig point, touched it, then returned along the ridge til we plunged over the side, through bracken and peat, then along the contour for half a mile or so, including some nasty little climbs, before the final descent down the same slippery, rocky slope, into the tunnel (mind your head!) and momentary blackness, and a “sprint” down to the finish.
Results:
61st – Tim Jones – 0:54:42
62nd – Flora Gunner – 0:54:59 – 1st FV60
73rd – Guy Whitmarsh -1:00:03 -1st MV70
87th – Gary Gunner – 1:16:45 – 3rd MV70
The most unusual prizes were all the ingredients for a vegan meal, contained within a splendid cloth bag, with “The Blorenge” stitched on.
