Only three years old, this race has already become a local classic. It’s difficult to put your finger on where its attraction lies, but once it’s lured you in, you’re hooked.
Is it the rock-strewn gorge amongst the thistle field at the start which puts it top of the league of “races with a genuine chance of a DNF before you’ve crossed the first stile”? Is it the near-vertical descent into and out of Beater Clough, which seems to be the answer to the pub quiz question “Name the most treacherously dangerous way to cross the Yorkshire-Lancashire border”? Is it the complete lack of any facilities at all other than a table in a layby? Is it the 100% alcohol-based range of prizes, which led teetotal winner Doni Clarke to opt for a Lidl bag for life as his sole reward for a fine evening’s work? Maybe it’s all of these things, and more. If you’ve not done it yet, put in on your list for next year…
Beater Clough made its debut appearance on the Tod Harriers Grand Prix this year, and Doni Clarke let rip, smashing 4 minutes off the already not-too shabby course record with a really impressive run. Dom Leckie continued his excellent year with a 3rd place – albeit 7 minutes behind Mr Clarke! There were several individual Tod battles further down the placings, with a few clusters of runners – the alternating ups and downs of the course (2,000ft over just 6.8 miles) made for some quite interesting racing. Rebecca Patrick picked up 1st FV50, with Dave Collins and Kath Brierley picking up both V60 prizes.
Full Toddie Results
1 Doni Clarke 54.08
3 Dom Leckie 61:01
11 Chris Goddard 66:46
12 Duncan Cannon 67:06
24 Darren Graham 77:18
25 Pete Rolls 78:28
27 Tom Saunders 79:31
28 Stuart Wolstenholme 79:59
34 Dave Weedon 81:15
35 Rebecca Patrick 81:33
36 Mat Gray 81:52
39 Dave Collins 82:31
40 Chris Pickens 83:02
41 Kath Brierley 84:47
51 Alan Davies 94:58
55 David Ashton 102:53
56 James Richardson 103:31
57 Andrew Bibby 103:45
58 Helen Hodgkinson 103:47
Full results can be found here
Video by Olga Wo here
by Duncan Cannon