Valley’s Mounsey clocks personal best time in tough vertical kilometre race
CALDER VALLEY Fell Runners’ Ben Mounsey continued his international running exploits in the French Pyrenees last weekend.
Despite being a late entrant to the VK (vertical kilometre) Belmaig race in Arles-Sur-Tech, Mounsey’s efforts on the brutally steep course paid off with a top-10 finish.
“I entered the race only last week as I was training over in Spain, just at the other side of the Pyrenees,” said the former Brooksbank School teacher.
“I thought it would be a great race-training session because
VK races are very tough challenges. As it turned out, I’d entered the last race of the French National VK Skyrunning Championships by accident!
“Obviously, the field was a little more stacked than I’d first anticipated and the route extremely steep and technical - 1,000m of climb in 2.9k. There were 150 athletes and I managed to finish third senior and sixth overall.
“I also managed to post a new personal best time of 41:05 for a VK.”
n There was mud aplenty for the Red Rose Cross Country event hosted by Todmorden Harriers on Saturday morning.
The recent heavy rain meant the going was very heavy underfoot, with the course becoming increasingly challenging as each race was completed.
Todmorden Harriers were well represented in each event with the seniors and juniors completing different numbers of laps of the same circuit of Calder Vale Park.
Todmorden’s ladies continued to impress with successes across the board.
Pauline May, Rebecca Patrick, Emma Fieldler and Ambi Swindells took first place in the ladies’ team competition, with Pauline, Rebecca and Emma joined by Mel Blackhurst to claim first place in the vets competition.
Rebecca Patrick and Mel Blackhurst also secured first and second in the LV50 age group; Emma Fieldler took second in the LV45 age group, with Pauline May third in the LV35 class. Jackie Scarf was second in the LV55 age group.
Todmorden’s men also ran well. Andrew Worster finished in fifth position overall. Graeme Brown, Nick Barber, Chris Goddard and Ian Symington claimed second in the vets competition.
Paul Brannigan took third spot in the MV55 age group with Graeme Brown finishing fifth in the MV40 age group and Tristan Langlois fifth in the MV45 category.