Mercia Fell Runners Club

Results for today's (very cold) Mercia Hill Trial are here for the short course and here for the long course.

Congratulations Jim, a cracking course made all the better by the weather!

Race Organiser's Report:

This year’s Hill Trial courses made a clockwise loop of the Longmynd, starting with some big climbs and descents before heading along the exposed main ridge and finishing via scenic Cardingmill Valley. We were pleased to celebrate of one of Mercia’s past greats, Gill Harris, with a checkpoint at the fingerpost dedicated in her memory.

70 runners turned out on a grey morning in Church Stretton. As the first runners started up the steep slope to the open fell, so did the snow – navigation and forward progress were seriously hampered especially in the wind. I’d strongly recommend that runners wear ski goggles in these conditions to protect their eyes.

The racing was hotly contested, with things neck and neck between Kris Nowicki and Stuart Bellamy on the long course before Stuart very uncharacteristically missed a control. Kris mastered the difficult conditions to finish the course in a highly creditable time and take his third consecutive win.

Mercia runners Virgil Barton and Mel Price were the fastest pair round the long course despite being seen searching for the second control, a fence corner, some way away from any fences. Lawrie Jones was the fastest M50 in a strong field; Diane Mitson (POTOC) was first solo lady home; Telford Harriers Paul Hill and Stuart Robinson were the winning male pair and Mercian Sue Howarth was first L50 - mountain marathoning experience helping overcome her doubts about the conditions.

Wrekin Orienteers’ M50 Andy Clough won outright on the short course. Naomi Watson (Mercia) put a great run together to be first lady and second overall. Rising star Emma Gould enjoyed a navigation masterclass with Tom Roo, finishing third and first mixed pair. Church Stretton resident Maria Spurling put local knowledge and sound navigation together to win the ladies’ category and Robin Carter was the first L50. Jenny Henn and Janice Curtis were a popular winning female pair.

Despite concerns over whether our hilltop checkpoint team would be able to return down the road everything went smoothly thanks to a fabulous team – Charlie Leventon (maps and timing), Elaine Nichols and Zoe Owen (registration and refreshments), Arthur Clare-Hay and Dick Scroop (hilltop safety checkpoint). Many thanks to all the competitors too (particularly those who collected controls for us) – I hope you enjoyed a testing event and learned something. We’ll be back next year, hopefully in a new area for the event.