photo: Andy

Well done to Bruce Crombie (Alnwick) and Hannah Shillitoe (Heaton) who win the men’s and women’s. A few photos from Andy Russell. Here are the full results from and report from Will:

“A new show field brought yet another course change so it is likely that the rescheduled 2011 Boxing Day fixture will be the last over the original 1995 course. The new course has about as much ascent but is about 800 m (1/2 mile) shorter, so perhaps 4.5km. To minimise disruption to traffic and danger to runners the course was also run clockwise, so runners exited the showground, down a steep road to a ford over the Forest Burn, through the back of The Gate pub, through the original show field and then the original course in reverse. Thirty-five arrived, started and finished with a few distant visitors making good use of their annual holiday. There were also several fell race debutants who will probably remember this for a long time. The ground was mainly hard despite some recent rain and the weather, whilst breezy, stayed dry for the duration. The new route did mean that I was able to scoot around in my car and catch the leaders coming over Ward’s hill and back up and then down to the show ground. However I wasn’t quite quick enough to see local man Bruce Crombie clinch his first official fell race win by a slim margin on Dark Peak’s John Boyle, a regular holiday-maker and native north-easterner. Bruce had played a clever game, tracking John closely until the short section of road back up Ward’s hill but John was not going to be beaten easily and pushed Bruce all the way to the line and a few hundred yards beyond it. After that runners came in a steady stream down the side of the car park. Those who follow the Northumberland fell running scene closely will have known that Bruce’s win was due and he duly held the new Chairman’s Cup aloft in the show ring to loud applause. Special mention to Phil Green and his son James who made the trip over from their holiday in the Lakes for this race; the journey did not appear to have done too much harm as Phil finished strongly in 4th overall. Many thanks to all, especially my ever faithful course marker (literally), Casper, who despite feeling very tired and hungry still jogged round with me to take the course down at the end of the day. See you all on the 10th August 2014.”

Will Horsley