Steel City Striders have organised a fell race since 2011. The first year it was the Cuttroat Fell Race but then it changed into the Salt Cellar Fell Race. It is an open race, registered, permitted and insured through the FRA. It now starts and finishes under the Dam wall at Upper Derwent Reservoir with registration at Fairholmes Car Park on the northern most point of Ladybower Reservoir (SK173893). The route is 10.9 km/486m of accent (category BM), it heads up onto Derwent Edge and descends from Salt Cellar Boulder with some great views and terrain to enjoy along the way (see photo). There is plenty of parking available at Fairholmes and in the laybys along the road leading to the car park. Please allow plenty of time to get to the start line for 7pm. There are toilet facilities at the visitors centre. The results below are archives from year 2011 to present.
2014 Salt Cellar Fell Race held Friday 1st August 2014
This was the third year for the Salt Cellar and we saw a record field of 139 tackle this tough but rewarding route up onto Derwent Edge. Since last year the national trust had thoughtfully supported some of the paths on the descents and made a bit of a dent in the head high bracken. This had two advantages: firstly it meant that the organisers didn’t have to spend their evenings leading up to the race cutting a line through the bracken and secondly the runners were less likely to end up slipping off the path into a forest of bracken.
It was the first wet running of the event which resulted in some good ‘bum sliding’ down the steep grassy field at the end of the race and a few mud splattered individuals crossing the finish line. The race was won by Stuart Bond in a record time of 50:42 which was some 3 minutes faster than the previous record set by Neil Northrop in 2013. The women’s race was won by Clare Ollife in 1:02:49 which was just outside the record set by Judith Jepson in 2013.
Anyone expecting to find the odd midgie at the end of the race was not disappointed and anyone who stayed until the prize giving probably deserved a prize for perseverance. Many thanks go to Accelerate and Inov8 for providing ongoing support and prizes and to Just Natural in Crookes for providing the winners' fabulous fruit baskets. A very special thanks goes to the team of people who helped to make the race a success and without which the race would not happen. Apologies to anyone who didn’t get a cake or biscuit at the end of the race, we’ll make sure we don’t run out next year.
Photos are available here from Mossie Net Photography. Please consider a donation to this worthwhile cause. All the proceeds for the race will be donated to Edale Mountain Rescue to support their excellent work. This year we have donated £494.
This was are inaugural running of the Salt Cellar Fell race which was a significantly different (and more difficult) route than the Cutthroat Fell Race which we organised last year. A modest field of 66 runners congregated at the start on the field at the base of the dam wall below upper Derwent reservoir. After some forecasts of rain we were lucky with the weather this year. There were some tricky condition through the bracken and some very boggy ground due to the recent rain but neither seemed to dampen the spirits of the finishers. The race was won Jonny Wilson of Fatboys and Sally Fawcett of Smiley Paces. First Strider home was Dave Palmer who would usually prefer more tarmac to be included in the race (sorry Dave!).
A big thanks to all the volunteers on the night who had to endure the midge onslaught which made some wish they were running. A veggie wrap was enjoyed by everyone after the race.
2011 Cuttroat Fell Race held Friday 5th August 2011
The inaugural
Cutthroat Fell Race was won by Dave Taylor of Dark Peak and Kate Hastings of Totley AC. After the earlier forecast of heavy rain, the evening turned out to be quite the opposite: warm and sunny with the course dry and dusty underfoot. A bigger than expected field of 122 runners enjoyed a challenging but excellent run over Derwent Edge. The race was followed by a chip butty for all finishers in the Ladybower Inns. The club would really like to thank everyone who came out to help out at the race. It was great to see so many members of the club pulling together to put on what turned out to be a successful event.
.JPG)
