Howard 50 at 50 Jo Hughes - 4th May

I had the lovely pleasure of running out with not just one, but four lovely ladies this weekend. The ladies all members of my 2nd claim club West End Runners were in the area having run in the Cake Race the previous day. One of their members Jo, a research nurse is one of life's great characters and is effectionately know as 'Mad-Jo' due to her myriad of costumes and even known to wear a little less!! A stunning run around the Castleshaw Valley nr Delph for a 5 mile run on drying out moorland.

                                                       Jo Hughes (Mad-Jo to my right)

Jo and I covered how she got into running, weight loss, her work/life balance and what drives her to improve. An avid park runner and all round lovely person

The Cake Race 3rd May

Once again our Saddleworth Cake race at weekend was a runaway success with 152 runners heading over the East Pennine Moors towards Marsden. This 10 mile fell race (was originally created as a trail race) and is fast running all the way round, bar the one exception of the Cricket Club on the way home.

Another bright sunny day, and although numbers well down on last years record field was just about right for our venue (Diggle Church) The start is a mile and a half up hill over 'Boat Lane' once used to ferry the barge horses over the Standedge Tunnel.

From Standedge, the route joins the Pennine Way and takes the runners over stone flags to Black Moss Res before dropping into the Wessenden Valley and a long hot run down towards Marsden. At just about the furthest point of the course come the dreaded steps, sixty or so steps down, followed swiftly by a cruel return up the reciprocal steps to the toughest part of the course round Marsden Golf Club.

After the Golf course a tough uphill section back onto Mount Rd and Boat Lane on the return home. Once this initial section is out of the way, its a fast mile and a half sprint to the finish...and the cakes.

Well worth a trip Up North if you ever get chance to take in this fantastic race