12
Outlook: ON YOUR MARKS!
GERRY McCABE reports on the fifth annual Grand Prix race series (spon sored for the first time by Burnley and Pendle Transport) which begins on Fri day, May 11th.
WHEN some 200 runners shiver along Red Lion Street, Earby, on Friday evening waiting for “the off’ they are not just making their annual pilgrim age to Pinhaw summit but starting their summer
long Grand Prix campaign. This will involve 11 races taking runners across the
Pendle and Burnley area and culminating at Barrow- ford with a run to Blacko Tower on Saturday, August 25th.
petes on a league basis with runners in his own age group. This means that there is competition and interest at all levels of the race and not just at the front. Times are not so important but positions are because
positions mean points. In a large field, but a short race, with runners finishing fast and close together a five second gap between you and a rival could make the difference of up to 20 points if there are 20 runners between you and him/her. Running is a very popular sport and although the
Each Grand Prix entrant races for points and com ALMOST there! David Ferguson climbing Pendle Hill in the Barley Fell Race. -—
boom years of the late 70s and early 80s have waned there are still far more runners than there were 20 years ago when I ran my first race, coming last (which won’t surprise some people) out of 65. In those days there was little understanding or
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interest in running, and racing was scarce. If you found two spectators and their dog watching, you were lucky. . . but the dog would generally bite you. It’s all changed now and, although the dog will still probably bite you, the numbers of runners and specta tors are up. During this summer it will not be uncommon to have more people out running in Pendle/Burnley than there will be playing cricket, or any other sport for that matter. However, it rarely gets the same recognition or coverage.
you (I don’t associate the term “jogging” with what I do). It’s very cheap and inoffensive to the public (except when, in emergencies, runners do unmentionables in unforgiveable places). You can run when and wherever you feel like, and you can do it on your own (sounds boring but it’s not). However, many runners are not content with just
It is now generally accepted that running is good for IMPROVEMENT fee?:
running. There has to be some ultimate point to all that pounding of roads and fells. The point obviously is that we want to get bet
. ’ter****;.
ter. We want to see improvement. We want to know that we can run faster and longer than other people. Yes, in the words of that great philospher Ben Elton, “We want to prove ourselves.” The obvious and neces sary way to do this is to race. I started the Grand Prix in 1986 after accidentally
■Photos: Peter Hartleyl
wandering over the Pennines in 1984 and then for getting how to get back again. I found myself head master of a special school, in Nelson, with inadequate funds to do all of the things I had planned. I therefore did what most schools do and I looked for
Alan Schofield crossing Wycoller Bridge during the Trawden race.
methods of raising money and thus began the first Hendon Brook Half Marathon, some 13 miles of self inflicted torture through some of the most beautiful parts of Pendle. As a race it was a great success, as a fund raiser it
was somewhat of a flop as only 69 runners entered, and although everyone remarked on the quality of this race the entry was only slightly up the following year. As I came to know and love this area I realised that
’*8*
my race fell on the same weekend as two, sometimes three, other races in Pendle alone. Runners may be determined but very few will run two races the same weekend. I therefore set about contacting all other local race
take place because the race organisers have taken too much “flak” from the very people they are giving up their time and energy to help. Organising a race is a difficult and time-consuming business. At times it seems that everyone, including the people who should be there to help you, are building barriers to prevent you providing a successful event.
It is almost certainly true that many races no longer
organisers and with financial backing from Buoyant Upholstery, a 10 race Pendle Grand Prix began in May 1986. In 1987 the Burnley Boys Club joined to give us the
was started. The generous sponsorship money from Buoyant Upholstery and now Burnley and Pendle Transport provides the race equipment and helps reduce some of the pressure on the race organisers. Also the meetings and discussions which take place between the organisers encourage each other to keep going.
It was therefore with this in mind that the Grand Prix
11 race format we now have. This year when Burn ley and Pendle Transport took over the main sponsor ship the title was changed to the Burnley and Pendle Grand Prix. Runners'are probably no different to any other sport
Prix which has certainly put Pendle on the running map. There are other Grand Prix around the country but
none, to my knowledge, following our format which I feel makes our competition so unique. Each race is different, varying in length from three
ing activists in that although most want good competi tion, they want it well organised and at a very low cost to themselves. As with most sports it is also not uncommon for run
We have a successful and unique event in this Grand
CLAYTON Harrier veteran Jack Riley pounds the route in the Burnley Boys’ Club 10 km race.
surroundings which makes for a pleasant day out for the whole family.
is the charitable causes which are supported by the races. Two special schools (Gibfield and Primrose Hill), three village events (Kelbrook, Earby and Barrowford), two local soccer teams (Trawden Celtic and Padiham Wanderers), Burnley Boys’ Club and Colne Lions’ Club all benefit, and since 1986 close to £5,000 has been raised from the 40 Grand Prix races for these local charities. The main personality of the Grand Prix since it
local event such as Kelbrook Church Fete, Burnley Boys’ Club Fun Day and Barrowford Show. Probably the most rewarding aspect of the Grand Prix
began is without doubt Mark Aspinall, of Rossendale, who has won the competition every time, albeit with tough opposition from Mark Smith, Burnley, in the
early years and Alan Schofield, Clayton, in 1988 and 1989. There was probably no sadder sight than when in
ners to be critical of certain races and of race organisers; in the same way as a soccer player will criticise his man ager or referee without whom the sport could hot make place. .
. to all 11 races there is the option of separate road or fell competitions. To compete in these separate events, runners must all run in all five fell or all six road races. Separate prizes will be awarded by Hyperactive Sports, Burnley, for the road and Runnerprint, Burnley, for the fell. All are- naturally tough races because of the hilly terrain around Pendle, but all are held in attractive
to 13 miles, five events on the fell and six on the road; and for those runners who cannot commit themselves
Some of the races are held in conjuction with a
1988 Alan Schofield went into the final race at Bar rowford some 20 points ahead of Mark Aspinall but could finish only 20 places behind Mark, who not only won the race but took his third consecutive Grand Prix title at the last gasp.
. Mark Aspinall who waited anxiously for his rival and friend to follow him home. Aspinall’s joy at winning was very clearly overshadowed by his concern for Schofield. P Such moments capture for me the value of the Grand
rix.Q
The person most concerned for the dejected Schofield, who had led the competition from the first race, was
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