England's best resume battle at Loughrigg
The 2007 Loughrigg and Silverhowe race
The 2011 English Fell Running Championships are at a fascinating stage. Three rounds in and the men’s championship is wide open. Former champ Rob Jebb leads from 2011 revelation Ben Abdelnoor, with 2010 Champion Rob Hope lying third…
Jebb showed that he still has the class which has seen him win almost every major honour in British fell running, as he won at the round 3 Duddon Valley race three weeks ago.
Chris Steele and Ian Holmes lie 4th and 5th at the moment, and bar Steele’s disappointing showing at Mearly Clough in May (17th) the Borrowdale man could have been even higher up the rankings.
Lloyd Taggart
Long Mynd winner Lloyd Taggart sat out the Duddon round – the first of the long races. The Dark Peak man lies 6th currently, and his long counter must now be at Sedbergh in August.
As round four beckons in the women’s championship 2010 winner Lauren Jeska has a pretty good lead. However, the Todmorden athlete has 2010 British championship runner-up Helen Fines breathing down her neck, and after a superb bronze at the WLDMRC last weekend the Calder Valley runner will be chasing hard over the coming rounds.
Lauren Jeska in the tall grass at Mearley Clough
Helen Berry is third at this stage, and the only realistic challenger to what is fast becoming a two-horse race for the ladies title.
And so to Loughrigg and Silverhowe for round 4 this Sunday. The Ambleside race is organised by Pete Bland, and should therefore be a race worthy of the English Championship. Its 8.5 miles of running ascends over 2500ft and is pre-entry only.
