English Fell Running Championships
th
STRETTON SIX SUMMITS – Saturday 9 May 2015 – 13:30
Category AM; 10.1km / 990m ascent (6.3 miles / 3,250’)
RACE INFORMATION
ENTRIES: Pre-entry via www.sientiries.co.uk. The entry fee is £8 (cheques payable to Mercia Fell
Runners). This includes car parking. The minimum age for entrants is 18 on the day. An absolute limit
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of 550 entries will apply, and entries will close either when this limit is reached or on Wednesday 6
May. No name changes or entries on the day will be allowed. A list of confirmed entries will be posted
on the SI Entries website.
CAR PARKING is off the B5477 road 1km north of Church Stretton Town Centre. Coming from the
north down the A49 follow signs to Cardingmill Valley through All Stretton and there will be event
signs in the vicinity of the car park. Please do not try to park closer to the event centre. The route from
the car park to the assembly / finish area will be signed – allow at least 45 minutes to get from the car
park to the start and collect your number.
REGISTRATION will be in a marquee Hut adjacent to the finish. Race numbers will be allocated on
the day at Registration. There will be an area for you to leave small kit bags etc. near the finish. There
should be someone around all the time but their main job will not be looking after your belongings, so
we will not be responsible for your bags or their contents.
ASSEMBLE by the FINISH in Rectory Field for a pre-race briefing at 13:15. You will be walked to the
start from the assembly area after the briefing.
ROUTE – this is a new route using parts of the infamous Callow route. This will be a hard race,
running across the grain of the land between deep and steep sided valleys. The expected male
winning time is around 65 minutes.
A route description is given on the map for anyone planning a reccie. Do not rely on markings or on
being able to follow fellow runners, you must be able to navigate the course yourself. Course
markings are provided where we need you to keep to a defined route for safety or environmental
reasons, not to show you the way around!
Part of the last kilometre to the finish traverses land we only have permission to use on race day. This
section will be clearly flagged on the day. The reccie route given on the map is within 50m of the race
route, so there is no need to trespass beforehand.
KIT: full waterproof kit, hat and gloves are an FRA mandatory requirement and will be required
regardless of the weather conditions on the day. There will be random kit checks before the start and
at the finish. A map and compass must also be carried. Personal stereos / headphones must not be
worn and trekking poles may not be used.
RACE NUMBERS must be worn on the chest in accordance with FRA rules – please make them
visible for marshalls at each checkpoint.
FIRST AID: will be available at CP5 and at the finish area.
RETIREMENTS: if you retire you must return to the assembly / finish area and inform the Race
Director personally as soon as possible. Failure to do this could result in a Mountain Rescue callout.
To return safely to the event centre descend to the south east and follow watercourses / valleys down
to reach the road. Turn left to reach the B5477 road and follow this back to the Square in Church
Stretton. The assembly / finish area is then on the left through a gateway beyond the church.
SPECTATORS: the assembly area has good views of most of the final descent and you should be
able to make runners out with binoculars high on the fell. In Ashes Hollow you should be able to see
most of the field on the way out then walk down a few hundred metres and see them all again as they
come back in. The summits of Devil’s Mouth and Yearlet and will give great views of the race
unfolding but please keep out of the way of both runners and marshalls at the latter.
CONTACTS: for all queries before the event, please contact Jim Tinnion at [email protected] or
on (07790) 938447. The Race Director will be Arthur Clare-Hay. Any protests or disciplinary matters
will be dealt with by the Race Director in consultation with other members of the Mercia and FRA
committee.
Route Notes
English Fell Running Championships
th
STRETTON SIX SUMMITS – Saturday 9 May 2015 – 13:30
Category AM; 10.1km / 990m ascent (6.3 miles / 3,250’)
x
x
x
x
*
CAR
PARK
x
1
Start
Finish
2
Head off Yearlet into the side valley to your left –
don’t go too far right as the bottom of the south face
is very steep and rocky. Cross the stream (CP3)
and climb the spur leading right to reach a wider
ridge which leads steeply to a large rock. From here
the course will be clearly marked on trods through
heather past the summit of GRINDLE (CP4) and
down to CP5 at the foot of Barrister’s Batch.
Take the fast, narrow and technical path down the
right side of Callow Hollow to reach CP6. Cross the
stream. Climb the shallow gully to the cairn at the
summit of CALLOW (CP7) and turn half left to drop
to the saddle at the head of Small Batch. Follow
sheep trods up then round to the summit of NILLS
(CP8). This section will be marked on the day. Fast
running across to and down the north-east ridge
leads to a fence. Keep the fence on your right and
follow it all the way down to the valley bottom by a
stile and turn LEFT to cross a footbridge to CP9. Do
not attempt to straight line across the main valley there are hidden crags, and you will miss CP9.
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3
9
4
Start from the B5477 / B4371 crossroads in Church
Stretton. Follow Burway Road uphill and to the right
to reach a cattle grid at the edge of town. Climb
BURWAY HILL starting past the bench left of the
cattle grid (the road is out of bounds above the
cattle grid). The path is initially steep and narrow but
soon you will be on open hillside with plenty of
opportunity to overtake. A marked section will lead
from CP1 around Devil’s Mouth. Continue gently
upwards to the head of Townbrook Valley. Climb
south east to the summit of YEARLET (CP2).
8
5
7
6
Note: the course will be
partly marked.
This
means you and only you
are responsible for route
finding!
Climb the slope on the right after the cottage,
initially with a fence to your right, to reach the south
summit of ASHLET (CP10) and then work along the
right side of the ridge on good trods. Turn east onto
the green path briefly. The route will be flagged and
marshalled from here to the finish. After 100 yards
move left to pick up a ridge (becomes more distinct
lower down) and descend steeply to reach a path.
For reccie purposes, cross the path at the edge of
the woods into a field, pass a concrete building to
reach a stile, cross this, turn right and up briefly to a
kissing gate and then bear left to fly the Rectory
field to the finish.