The Isle of Wight Fell Running Series (32nd running of the event) was held at the weekend and consists of three races held over two days with the runners covering 24 miles of off road running with over 4300 feet of ascent.
This year we had 150 runners registered and 322 finishing the three races. The races were hosting the SEAA Fell Running Championships for the 27th year.
This year’s again saw some good entries from Macclesfield Harriers & AC, Victoria Park Harriers, London Frontrunners, Serpentine Running Club, Cambridge Harriers and Compton Harriers with local club Ryde Harriers and local group Dark Star Running also well represented.
The three races explained
Race one, the St. Boniface Fell is held on the Saturday morning and consists of a straight dash from the seafront at Ventnor to the top of St. Boniface and back down, the runners covering 4km and 776 feet of ascent.
It’s then all too short a gap to race two, The Ventnor Horseshoe, held on Saturday afternoon. The runners again start at the seafront and ascend St. Boniface before descending to Wroxall, through to Cooks Castle and then the railway line before the long ascent to St. Martins Down (and the steps), Luccombe Down before returning via a descent of St. Boniface. The runners cover 12km here with 1600 feet of ascent.
Sunday morning sees quite a few stiff runners lining up for the Wroxall Round, the longest with the runners covering 21km and 2000 feet of ascent. The race starts off relatively flat through La Falaise Park before ascending to Watcombe Bottom and Stenbury Down.
It’s then a steep descent to Stenbury Manor Farm before another ascent to Gat Cliff, Freemantle Gate. Then through to the Donkey Sanctuary and the railway line before another long ascent to St. Martins Down (those steps again) and Luccombe Down before the descent of St. Boniface to the finish.
The rain held off on Saturday with only a few spots on Sunday 25 minutes into the third race and conditions were very good underfoot.
Men’s race winners and veteran categories
The men’s winner of race 1 was Islander Ben Windsor (Unattached), with Frederick Slemeck (Hercules Wimbledon) second and Fabien Lassonde (Victoria Park Harriers & Tower hamlets AC) third. Second and third Island men were James Harrison and Callum Wright (both Unattached).
In the men’s veteran categories first vet 40 was Fabien Lassonde, first vet 50 was Matthew Lynas (Thames Hare & Hounds), first vet 60 was Christian Poulton (Cambridge Harriers) and first vet 70 was Bob Pentland (Portsmouth Joggers).
Women’s race winners and veteran categories
In race 1 first woman was Alicia Roberts (Macclesfield Harriers & AC), second was Francesca Brint (Macclesfield) with Hazel Norton-Hale (Victoria Park) third. Jenna Williams (Macclesfield) was first Island woman in eight place overall with Sasha Levrier (Ryde Harriers) second and Hannah Bryan (Dark Star Running) third.
In the women’s veteran categories Hazel Norton-Hale (Victoria Park) was first woman’s vet 40, Maggie Illingworth (Cambridge Harriers) first vet 50 and Anne Brindley (Hardley Runners) first vet 60.
In race 1 U18 women’s winner was Sophie Floyd (Cambridge Harriers).
The men’s winner of race 2 was again Islander Ben Windsor (Unattached), with Frederick Slemeck (Hercules Wimbledon) second and Fabien Lassonde (Victoria Park Harriers & Tower hamlets AC) third. Second and third Island men were James Harrison and Callum Wright (both Unattached).
In the men’s veteran categories first vet 40 was Fabien Lassonde, first vet 50 was Matthew Lynas (Thames Hare & Hounds), first vet 60 was Christian Poulton (Cambridge Harriers) and first vet 70 was Bob Pentland (Portsmouth Joggers).
In race 2 first woman was Alicia Roberts (Macclesfield Harriers & AC), second was Cat Oshea (Victoria Park) with Ruth Wilkinson (Macclesfield) third. Repeating the race 1 result Jenna Williams (Macclesfield) was first Island woman in seventh place overall with Sasha Levrier (Ryde Harriers) second and Hannah Bryan (Dark Star Running) third.
In the women’s veteran categories Hazel Norton-Hale (Victoria Park) was first woman’s vet 40, Maggie Illingworth (Cambridge Harriers) first vet 50 and Anne Brindley (Hardley Runners) first vet 60.
The men’s winner of race 3 was Frederick Slemeck (Hercules Wimbledon) with Islander Ben Windsor (Unattached), second and Fabien Lassonde (Victoria Park) third. Second and third Islanders were Callum Wright and James Harrison swapping positions in the longer race.
In the men’s veteran categories first vet 40 was Fabien Lassonde, first vet 50 was Matthew Lynas (Thames Hare & Hounds), first vet 60 was Christian Poulton (Cambridge Harriers) and first vet 70 was Nick Crane (Stubbington Green Runners).
In race 3 first woman was Alicia Roberts (Macclesfield Harriers & AC), second was Cat Oshea (Victoria Park) with Ruth Wilkinson (Macclesfield) third. Repeating the race 1 result Jenna Williams (Macclesfield) was first Island woman in eleventh place overall with Sasha Levrier (Ryde Harriers) second and Hannah Bryan (Dark Star Running) third.
In the women’s veteran categories Hazel Norton-Hale (Victoria Park) was first woman’s vet 40, Maggie Illingworth (Cambridge Harriers) first vet 50 and Anne Brindley (Hardley Runners) first vet 60.
Series champions and SEAA honours
Men’s series winner over 3 races was Islander Ben Winsor with Frederick Slemeck (Hercules Wimbledon) second and SEAA Men’s Fell Running Champion with Fabien Lassonde (Victoria Park) third.
Women’s series winner was Alicia Roberts (Macclesfield) with Cat O’Shea (Victoria Park) second and SEAA Women’s Fell Running Champion and Francesca Brint (Macclesfield) third.
SEAA team championship results
In the SEAA Fell Championship veteran men’s winners were vet 40 Fabien Lassonde (Victoria Park), vet 50 was Matthew Lynas (Thames Hare & Hounds), vet 60 was Christian Poulton (Cambridge Harriers) and vet 70 was Dick Kearn (Compton Harriers).
In the SEAA Fell Championship veteran women’s winners were vet 40 Hazel Norton-Hale of Victoria Park Harriers, vet 50 Maggie Illingworth (Cambridge Harriers), vet 60 Anne Brindley (Hardley Runners with FRA qualification).
In the SEAA Fell Team Championship men’s winners were Victoria Park Harriers (Lassonde, Carl Sutcliffe, Andrew Bates), with Cambridge Harriers (John O’Mahoney, James MacDonald, Christian Poulton) second and London Frontrunners (George Lowe, Craig Munn, Ben O’Shea) third.
In the SEAA Fell Team Championship women’s winners were Victoria Park Harriers (Cat O’Shea, Hazel Norton-Hale, Clare Hartley-Marjoram.
Island runners and local participation
Islander SEAA Fell Running Championship performances were third vet 60 man Les Cupis (Ryde Harriers), third vet 40 woman Sasha Levrier (Ryde Harriers) and third vet 60 woman Lorraine Baron (Ryde Harriers).
Ryde Harriers also award the Chris Blow Memorial Trophies (Chris sadly passed away but got a lot of the Harriers interested in off-road running) for first (first claim) Harrier man and woman over the series, this year won by Graham Gardner and Sasha Levrier.
Other Island women competing were Sarah Ward, Jenny Crowe, Claire Alchin (all Dark Star Running), Gemma Swain (West Wight Road Runners), Rosie Eldridge, Nat Rose, Sian Gardner, Alison Critchley (all Ryde Harriers) and Zuzana Windsor (Unattached).
Other Island men finishers were Dan Williams, Alexander Dabell, John Newsham, Adam Wood, Jack Eldridge, Stuart Backhouse (all Dark Star Running), Robert Maryon, Ken Beak, George Hobart (all Ryde Harriers), David Aked (West Wight Road Runners), Steve Apsey, Nathan Docksey (both Isle of Eight Road Runners) and Martyn Holbrook, Jonathan Idle (both Unattached). Stu Backhouse was super sweeper for the first 2 races with Dan Williams taking over in race 3 with Alison Critchley.
Hannah Bryan, Sarah Ward and Jenny Crowe of Dark Star Running were third ladies team over the series of 3 races.
Thanks to organisers and volunteers
Many thanks to Wight Event First Aid for the cover over the two days, St Catherine’s School for allowing us to use them as a venue again and to Wightlink for their generous travel sponsorship for mainland runners.
Everyone enjoyed the series and they all say it’s a great atmosphere and thanks to everyone who ran, also a big thanks to all the marshals who turned out over the weekend!
News shared by Chris on behalf of The Isle of Wight Fell Running Series. Ed
