THE GLENDALE SHOW FELL RACE

Well that's the show over with for another year and with it the 2nd running of the new show race.
We kept the same route as last year,5 mile's for the seniors and 3 for the juniors. The difference was this year i didn't have the sleepless nights on the run up as i knew the commitee lead by Rachel and Neil and the race sponsor Davie Bertram fencing would sort out any problems,even with a family bereavement on the run up to the show they made my life very easy,cheers.
I was there on Sunday morning with Davie putting up the tent and flag while Adam came along later to mark the coarse. I was lucky to spot a Raven as we marked it but less fortunate to witness Fletchers impression of a Raven,it was more like a constipated raven with the flu! Lilburn estates where as good as they're word and the cattle had been shifted,it was all systems go.
Monday
I ran it at 6 in the morning and the coarse was near perfect for a fast race. Home for brecky then back for 9 and waited for the hordes to arrive(i said hordes). Slow to start but after a while they started coming.
Friends and complete strangers ,50 runners in all. Not many local or my club runners but 1 thing iv'e reallised is if people don't want to race nothing will change there mind.  I don't suppose many more would have turned up had it been an Alnwick GP race but it would have been nice to find out and it would have been even better if they didn't pick a race the day after to be 1 but didn't really expect much else.
The lads turned up though and i bet the farmer who had the champion bull was pleased it had been picked before Stevie sauntered in with his team GB tracksuit on.
Morpeth Harrier Carl Avery lead from the start and finished 20 seconds behind a certain Nick Swinburns winning time last year. What an effort!The lads got the world at his feet and whatever way he goes hes gonna be a winner,i just hope he doesn't take up fell racing . 2nd was Colin Donnely who won the Falstone Falcon on Saturday and top bloke Andy Blackett (DFR) the reigning NE Fell Running Champion 3rd.
Clare Mckitrick (Charnwood)won the ladies with a great time of 38.08 with Alnwicks very own Suzie Barwise Munro 2nd,Suzie did great for a first fell race after traveling the world competing in Tetrathlons,Phillipa Chambers was back again this year to finish 3rd,well done ladies.
The vets prizes went to 2 of the scenes most popular runners,Marie Drozdowicz and Bernard Kivlehan.
Now the bit ive been dreading-the juniors. I'm not gonna white wash it,i ballsed it up. I should have had signs turning the juniors back but decided (wrongly ) against it. Juniors that where leading and another went up part of the seniors route.I can only appologise and it makes it even harder as 2 of them are local kids i know well. Be that as it may the races where won by very deserving lads who after a bit of luck for them went on to finish the job. Tom Whelan and Tara Hawforth finished 1st and 2nd with James Ritchie who was 1 of the lads who went a bit further 3rd. The under 13s was won by the other brother Whelan (surely the only double Sunderland will do this year) Joe,Henry White 2nd with Callie Henderson 3rd,Callie did great to get back into contention after also going with the seniors. Again i appologise to young Jordan Hedgecock who was leading till my oversight spoiled it for him.
Big thanks to everybody iv'e mentioned already as well as Glenn (my public speaker)Pat,Ian,John,Mary,Alan,the Crombies,WRC with Helen and Ian Cowans taking hundreds of photos.
By spitting the dummy with Alnwick and not getting a lend of signs,arrows etc and having to make my own i think you'll all agree-i really showed them!
Also big up the runners coming from NSP Heaton Tynebridge and NFR to name but a few,who came to the back of beyond to do a wee fell race,cheers