Having the start at the edge of the map usually means that riders have 2 choices, clockwise or anti-clockwise. The leading 3 M40’s all chose the
former route but Andy Conn’s more efficient options just edged it with 452 points over Al Powell 425 & Conrad Ellison 420. In second place overall was
M50 Graham Fielding 435 who decided to go anti-clockwise as did the Vesty generation team 425 & M50 Tim Evans 413. Of the ladies only Andrea Foster, assisted by husband Steve topped 300, in fact the leading 4 ladies were all W50. The quartet of controls around Ellington Firth Wood gave many route choices between them and riders tried
all permutations but it’s not clear what is the optimum.
I should have located control 58 on Witton Fell further south as most riders
went in/out from the north & then used the A6108 to reach the next controls to the east. I had not anticipated this & expected riders to use the
permissive track running east/west on Witton Moor which was quite fast to reach Ellingstring village. Only Steve Willis seems to have tried the
Slipstone Crags bridleway with the deep rocky gullies warned about in the pre-race information. Control 60 may have caused some difficulties but there was only 1 small oak tree on the grass verge at the west end of the wood to the south of the lane (motto: use all the information on the map!)
Many thanks to my control collectors Paul & Sam Leight, Simon Coiley & Andrew Salter, Graham Townsend and Jenny (with her crutch)
Regards, David Day