By Dave Beevers

 

SEVEN Burnden Road Runners took on the Hell of a Hill Marathon challenge at Rivington Pike.

This gruelling 26.2-mile five-day event includes eight five-kilometre laps of hills, steps and trails from Lower House Car Park in Rivington up to the iconic Pike and back around through the terraced garden.

Each lap includes more than 2,400 steps and a total of 6,000ft of climb. The race starts and finishes at Wilcocks Caravan Site off Sheep House Lane which completes the full distance.

This year 49 runners attempted to run all five marathons in the five successive days. Those who succeeded – and there were 29 of them – conquered 30,000ft of climb in total, which is higher than Mount Everest.

Burnden’s double Ironman Neil Critchley set out to be one of those but, after successfully negotiating the first two days, had to pull out with a foot injury. He finished in 6hrs 28mins 28secs on the first day and 7:23:30 on the second.

Lorraine Halwood completed her target of two marathons in two successive days with incredibly consistent times of 6:05:23 and 6:44:26.

Matt Barker was the pick of the club’s single-day runners, completing the course in an superb 5:42:01 followed by Paula Pilling in a time of 5:53:20 with Craig Philpot next in 6:29:15.

Brenda Sedgwick completed the course in 7:25:23 with Dave Beevers finishing in the dark in 8:30:15.

Away from the Pike, Mel Walker was first V70 in the Preston 10-Mile event on Sunday in a time of 77:26.

The flat two-lap course starting from Hutton Grammar School was run in windy conditions – another category prize in a fantastic season for him.

Liz McClennan took part in the Age UK Leeds Abbey Dash 10K and recorded a brilliant time of 40:18 over the flat out-and-back road course through Leeds city centre, earning her second place in the F45 category.