Simon Bailey had taken 3 minutes out of me at Bosley and
with the heat and my various niggles this wasn't going to be any closer. Jack Ross appeared from nowhere on the start
line and also left me well behind despite stopping to change his shorts! The nostalgia hill is always a grind but the
searing heat required another gear. Over Andrews Knob I picked up the pace but I was bit cautious on the steep descent
to Badgers End and a Pennine runner was suddenly close behind. He worked a yard past me on the climb up the
quarry and increased the gap on the descent. The sweat streaming into my eyes was blurring my vision, not good when you need to dodge the rocks and I imagined that Jim and Whitty were getting closer.
I gradually reeled in Pennine as
we crossed the bumpy fields towards the canal – no mud or bulls this year.
Out on the towpath I edged past him and led past Styperson Pool and
up through the woods. Turning on to the road I could just see Jack Ross in the distance. I thought I'd have
the edge on the long run in but Pennine tucked in and bounded past me on the
steep downhill finish. I wasn't going to
chase him down the cobbles so 4th it was – my favourite position.
Cake and coffee
recovery with Malcolm's "sticky label method" delivering near instant results. It was good to see Malcolm running again and
great support from Stuart on his bike.
Bollington is a great summer series race as the terrain
changes gives everyone a chance so there's always a race on wherever you are in
the field. Well, unless you're Si Bailey
who again won by 3 minutes.
Rob