Ennerdale Race - What a Toughy !

[Beneficial Dictator]

Having never done it and this year it being a English & Macc Club Champs race it was a perfect excuse. Very Hot but with a strong wind that was hampering at times. I was getting blown about a bit and I'm close on 13 stone!. Only Mark Hartell and myself from the club there so lots of club champs points for both of us.
Mark finished 25th in 4hrs 31mins in a high quality field. I finished in a steady 6hrs 4mins and consider I had a reasonable run. Definetly the hardest "set course" fell race I have ever done. I reckon I drank near on 3 litres of fluid, mainly isotonic energy drink on route but still finished very hot and dehydrated. Plenty of folk behind me and quite a lot timed out mid route, Karen Macdonald, Mark's girlfriend being one of the unfortunate.
Sorry to have missed Annette Morris, club friend, who was evidently on the route at Blacksail Pass. Thanks to other supporters, complete strangers who were offering us runners water especially a female friend of Chris Cripps ( Cumberland FR and another club friend ) who gave me a Lucozade energy drink. Much appreciated and needed at the time.
A giant of a Fellrunning day - most enjoyable.

[phil cheek]

Well done Craig & Mark,Annette`s not sure how you missed her,she was half way up Pillar having decided there were so many people at BlackSail you`d appreciate another drinkstation a bit further in.
Great to see Ennerdale & other tough longs thriving again after a few dodgy years.
Certainly a toughie but for me the very runnable last 3 or 4 miles makes it easier than Wasdale which finishes with 8 or so miles of the roughest terrain around,though at least there are good streams.I guess the lack of water must have been a problem on Saturday.
Phil