Great Longstone Chase

Friday 5th September 2025 | Author Liz Richardson

After a week of biblical rain courtesy of Storm Floris, Great Longstone greeted us with a glorious warm and dry evening – proof that the fell running gods do occasionally show mercy.

The race began in the usual fell running way with a lap of the cricket pitch. Nothing makes you question your life choices quite like sprinting in circles while being watched by locals who are probably wondering if you’ve all lost your minds. From there, we shot out into the narrow streets before tackling the big climb up to Longstone Moor.

The climb was a tough– long, steady, and just enough to make you question whether your “summer training” of beer gardens and barbecues was a good idea. But once at the top, the views were worth it. A gentle downhill across the moor gave us just enough breathing space to enjoy the scenery (or, more accurately, to stop seeing stars).

Next came the woodland descent, which the organisers had kindly warned us would be treacherously slippery. Turns out it wasn’t too bad– slippy enough to keep you on your toes but great fun to slalom your way down.

Then came the road. Oh, the road. A never-ending drag that seemed to defy all geographical logic. This was the kind of hill that makes you invent new swear words under your breath. But dig deep we did, and eventually it spat us back out onto fields for a final glorious, muddy descent back into the village. One last wiggle through the streets and – bam – back to the cricket pitch. Done and dusted.

The atmosphere was spot on: friendly marshals, a brilliantly chaotic prize-giving, and plenty of post-race chatter. Special shoutout to our very own Liam Turner, who bagged first V40 male and walked away with a rather fancy stained-glass decoration. It’s not every day your hill climbing wins you art!

All in all, Great Longstone Chase was tough, muddy, and a whole lot of fun – basically, everything you could possibly want from a fell race. Easy parking (even with a campervan the size of a small ship), slick organisation, and a course that tested the legs but rewarded the soul. If you’ve never tried a fell race before, this is the perfect one to cut your teeth on.

Because at the end of the day, that’s fell running: it hurts, it makes you sweat, you might question your life choices halfway up a hill… but by the time you’re back at the cricket pitch, you’re already wondering when you can do it all again.