THURSDAY 3rd JUNE
HENDERSON'S END
6m/800ft
RIVINGTON

Last year I was one of the band of ten or so who followed the trail of course record holder Nick Leigh (and a line of other local fell runners who ought to have known better) completely off course. I had no excuses though, this is my training territory too. Although it did occur to me we had gone wrong, I looked ahead of me and wondered why the likes of Boltonians Andy Staveley and Mark Russell thought otherwise and trusted their 'better' judgement. Eventually I spoke out to Andy and we both stopped, turned around and could just about make out a stream of runners turning right through the broken stone wall that we had been needlessly following about half a mile. Our race was over, but a seperate Staveley v. Sutton contest emerged and so kept things competitive for us both.
This year some familiar faces came back to make amends. I still managed to get something wrong though. I was warmed up and pumped up and ready for action only to find I had misread the start time for the senior race so then had to go and jog off and do it all over again!
The bulk of the ascent in this race is in the first couple of miles up to the summit of Winter Hill and whilst I found it hard going on a hot and sticky sunny evening, I kept plodding on with a little in reserve hoping that I might make up a few positions later on. Once the descent leaves the road past the TV mast and back on to the moor, I quickly closed down on Horwich runner Karl Ward and then sped past Wigan's David Townsend who beat me by almost a minute at Harrock Hill last week. I thought that if I make the most of this downhill stretch which I was running well, I won't be so far behind him for the descent to the finish after he passes me again going up Rivington Pike. Oh me of little faith. I held my place going up the Pike until near the top when I was quite suprised to see not Dave, but Burnden runner Andy Staveley puffing past, just as he did at this stage last year. Suprised, because before the race he was telling me how he had only been back running a week after his London Marathon preparations were shattered with just a week to go due to a recurring knee problem. This year the Staveley v. Sutton battle was for real with 7th place up for grabs and uncannily the de ja vu continued as I passed Andy coming off the Pike and pulled away with a strong finish. My finishing time might not have been any great shakes, but this was another confidence booster and a step in the right direction.
Time: 43:10   Pos: 7th/74