Wirksworth Incline Fell Race.

Today was, for me, the first fell race of the year. And a good start it was, the weather was pretty much perfect, sunny but not too warm with a light breeze.

The course started in an industrial estate and after a few metres of flat tarmac we headed uphill on a stony track passing through the National Stone Centre. Up onto the High Peak Trail we went (a disused railway line now turned into a multi-user trail), turning left for another short stretch of flat on a good surface before The Incline. Along here I saw Dani who cycled over from Buxton (she came home with me in the Landy). This part of the trail goes up, quite steeply, on a part of the railway that locos couldn't climb so wagons were pulled up on a rope. Initially I started near the back, I haven't done this race before so wasn't quite sure what to expect, but by now I was starting to pass people. At the top of the incline, past the engine house that housed the steam engine that pulled the wagons up, we turned right onto fields and more climbing with some fine views. We did see some wind turbines over the hill, personally I find them to be quite elegant. The going was good, easy tracks and nothing technical or overly steep, just a few stiles and gates to hop over. One gate in particular, a rusty steel job which felt like it was about to give up, we clambered over twice as we headed into a field only to run around a trig point and return the way we came. This led to a bit of confusion as runners were attacking said gate from both sides.

After the trig point it was all downhill, across more fields on a slightly different route back to the High Peak Trail, where we turned left and re-traced our steps back to the start. This of course meant running down the incline, so brain off brakes off flat out down I went, thinking that I was flying until a couple of others passed me. Onto the flat I waved at Dani again and headed off the trail back down the stony track. At one point I mis-read a marshalls hand signal and went along another track until a spectator pointed out my error. Luckily I only went a short distance, but it did cost me one place.

I finished the 6.8k course in 36:17, which put me in 83rd place (out of 126 finishers). I'm happy with that.

A good start to the fell racing season.

Paul.