SOME appalling weather over the weekend — especially on Sunday — failed to dampen the spirits of hardy runners who took part in the annual Isle of Wight Fell Running Series, which incorporated the 25th SEAA Fell Championships.
The event comprised three races, held over two days, with the runners covering 24 miles of off-road running, over 4,300ft of ascent.
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This year, the event attracted 120 runners, with 145 finishing the first two races combined.
Top English running clubs, Victoria Park Harriers, Serpentine Running Club, Cambridge Harriers and Compton Harriers, took part, as did Island club, Ryde Harriers, which was well represented.
Saturday opened with the St Boniface Fell, which comprised a straight dash from Ventnor seafront to the top of St Boniface Down and back — the runners covering 4km and 776ft of ascent.
After a short breather, it was the Ventnor Horseshoe.
Again, runners started at the seafront and ran up St Boniface, before descending to Wroxall to St Martin's Down, via Cooks Castle and the old railway line, then onto Luccombe Down, before returning to St Boniface.
The runners covered 12km, with 1600 feet of climb, with conditions very slippery underfoot once the rain started midway through.
The men's winner of the opening two races was Matthieu Marshall, of Headington Road Runners.
Cat O’Shea (Victoria Park Harriers) was the first woman in the opening race, with Kaitlin Hewitt (Highgate Harriers) taking the second race.
Tyler Rimmer, of the Isle of Wight Road Runners, was first Island man with Jenna Williams (unattached) first Island woman.
On a horrendous Sunday morning, several stiff runners lined up for the Wroxall Round, the longest race of the weekend, which saw runners cover 21km and 2,000ft of ascent.
The race started relatively flat through La Falaise Park in Ventnor, before ascending to Watcombe Bottom and Stenbury Down.
It was then a steep descent to Stenbury Manor Farm, before another ascent to Gat Cliff, Freemantle Gate and onto the Isle of Wight Donkey Sanctuary and railway line, before another long ascent to St Martins Down and Luccombe Down, before dropping down to St Boniface to the finish.
Again, conditions were treacherous for running.
The men’s winner was again Marshall, to make it a memorable hat-trick of victories, to take the series — and the SEAA Fell Running Championships.
Rimmer enjoyed a very good race to finish third and fourth overall in the series.
In the men’s veteran categories, the first Vet 40 was James Harrison, of Shorwell.
The first woman was Ellen Williams, of Ryde Harriers.
In the SEAA Fell Championships, the third male Vet 50 was Graham Gardner, of Ryde Harriers.
The second female Vet 50 was Elaine Parry, also of Ryde Harriers.
The Serpentine Running Club was the team winners, with Ryde Harriers, which comprised James Darling, Graham Gardner and Ken Beak, coming second.
Organiser, Chris Lewis. said: "Everyone enjoyed the series, despite the weather and mud, which was the worst for a number of years. A big thanks to all the marshals who turned out to stand in the rain."
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