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Rain Doesn't Stop Play at Coniston Trail Race

News Release / 10.10.2008

Torrential rain along with gale force winds throughout Saturday, failed to dampen the spirit of competitors in the Puma Coniston Trail Race and Challenge, the final event of this year’s Lakeland Trails series. With over 1000 entrants, organisers were faced with challenging logistics as the freak weather deteriorated during the day.

Throughout Thursday and Friday, as the event was being set up, the sun shone and the Lake District could not have looked more beautiful. It was hard to believe how Saturday’s weather could have been more of a contrast, with almost a month of rain falling in just 12 hours.

Advice from Coniston Mountain Rescue members out on the course meant the 15km trail had to be called off through safety concerns, and a shorter, low level 11km course adopted instead. Competitors were arriving from all over the UK, and cars were pouring into the car-parking field which was quickly becoming a quagmire. A car parking solution was found with the kind permission of farmer Brian Hall, involving parking on all of the farm track verges. Whilst competitors sheltered from the elements in Coniston Old Hall, drenched organisers, retailers and caterers were out on the venue taking down storm damaged marquees and gazebos to make the area safe for competitors to start and finish the modified event.

A mass start of all competitors took place at 2pm, involving two 5.5km laps. Over 500 competitors finished the event – a staggering number considering the atrocious weather conditions.

The Puma Coniston Trail Race was won by GB International, John Brown (Salford Harriers) in 38.27 winning £200 cash and Puma product. Runner up was 2008 British Fell Running Champion Rob Hope (Pudsey and Bramley AC, Leeds), and another International athlete, Nick Leigh (Altrincham & District AC) made the podium in third. Olivia Walwyn (Altrincham & District AC), made it two wins in a row at Coniston with a fine victory in 43.16. The GB International finished well clear of International Triathlete Vicky Graves (York AC), with Ulverston’s Helen Woodley in third, taking the trophy for the overall series points winner.

MP for Westmorland, Tim Farron (Dallam Running Club) finished well up in the main race in 151st, and presented the prizes and Milnthorpe Steel Band entertained the drenched competitors. The event was supporting Coniston Mountain Rescue, along with a number of other charities.

Early bird entries are now open for the 2009 Puma Lakeland Trails, and the dates and venues are : 18th April – Hawkshead; 6th June – Staveley; 6th September – Keswick and 3rd October – Coniston.

More details and full results are available from the event website www.lakelandtrails.org.