Trafford have always had good fell runners down the years, especially for a club lacking in hills. But over the last few years numbers competing regularly in fell races has increased.  This year the Trafford junior team finished 5th club in the English junior champs out of 76 clubs from around the country, with boys and girls competing in all age groups.

The Fell season started off with Adrian White (u15) running away to win the famous Rivington Pike Junior race, from both the u15 and u17 field.  In the English Championship Thomas Daly ran all 6 Championship races consistently finishing 2nd he claimed the silver medal overall behind Tom Craker (Ambleside).  In the U15 Boys Inter-counties race Adrian White again ran away from a strong field but was disqualified due to not carrying his waterproof jacket around the full course.  The u15 Boys England 3km track champion has shown great all-round form as he recently competed in the National Triathlon champs.  Others competing in the u15 age group were Adrian's brother Daniel and teammate Joe Bowden.

In the u17 age group Rachel Bowden in her first year in the age group had an up and down season (pardon the pun) finishing 11th overall in the English Champs.  In the u17 Men's season Jay Hutchinson progressed from last year’s 4th place and improved during the season after an illness slowed him down at the start.  He finished 2nd in the English Champs as well as winning the inter-counties fell race, the England u17 trial race and just missing out on the England u18 team who competed in Mountain International.  This weekend Jay was another of the athletes who had to miss the National as he finished 2nd in the Home Countries u17 Men’s Fell race. Jay's training partner Evan Lewis has made a big improvement this summer moving from 21st in last year’s English Champs to finish 4th this year and 4th in the England Trial race, just missing out by a few seconds on his first England vest.  Isaac True and Benji Cavanagh enjoyed their first races over the fells so will hopefully do more next year.

Trafford's best individual Team was the u19 Women as they finished 2nd Team in the English Championships. Fay Lewis is an experienced Fell runner and she claimed her highest ever position with 6th in the English Champs, whilst Daisy Barlow made her debut in the final race with an impressive 5th place.  In the Men’s u19 races, Josh Watson is in his first year and after finishing 11th last year in the u17 Men’s English Champs he made a big improvement to finish 5th overall, he then went on to finish a close 11th place in the u20 England Trial race.

The Fell season isn't quite over yet as on Sunday 6th October it’s the English Schools Fell Champs at Giggleswick School, near Settle in Yorkshire.  These are races for athletes in school year 7 to 13, you can either enter yourself or via your school.