Meet the English Fell Running Champion From Yorkshire
Fell running isn't for everyone, but for Yorkshire-based Ben Rothery it's a walk in the park (kind of)
A pleasant run in the countryside is more than enough to get the blood pumping, but add in a punishing climb and treacherous descent (and around 2,000ft of elevation) and you can count us out. But for Ben and his fellow fell runners, there’s no better way to spend a summer’s day.
Racing other runners to the top of some of the most impressive and scenic fells in the country, fell running is certainly not for the faint of heart, but Ben can’t get enough. ‘I was into running in school but didn’t know much about fell running,’ says Ben. ‘In sixth form there was a teacher who held a running club before school and he was really into fell running and trail running. It got a few of us into the idea of doing some fell races ourselves.’ With such a wealth of peaks in the country, the real question is where to go? ‘I live in Ilkley,’ says Ben, ‘which of course has Ilkley Moor on its doorstep, but there’s loads of different places in the UK for fell running, and where I grew up, in the Saddleworth area, you’ve got the Peak District. Basically anywhere they’ve got moorland and hills you’ll get good fell races.’
The English Championships gives runners a surprising amount of freedom when it comes to courses. ‘The English Championships is divided over six races, split into short, medium and long distances. To qualify you have to do one of each distance and then another race of your choosing.’ For an event that is already challenging enough, exactly how long is ‘long’? ‘Short is usually three to four miles and medium tends to be eight to 10 miles. Long ones can be anything closer to 12 miles and above, and the longest one is around 23 to 24 miles.’ There’s a point system in place, but it is open to anyone who wants to give it a go. ‘The people who come last may not get any points but still show up to every race because it’s good craic.’
It’s the variety that Ben enjoys the most. ‘I think that’s what draws me to it really. To be English Fell Champion you have to be good at every distance, you have to be good at climbing and at descending. You do have to be good across the board and you might be a good long-distance runner or a good short-distance runner but not necessarily have the whole package.’
Clearly from his recent win, Ben is the whole package, but his preference leans towards the trickier routes. ‘It’s funny because I would say the best part of my running is probably the downhill part. I’m naturally quite good at that and find that in races I tend to overtake people on the downhill, where others might be stronger than me on the uphill,’ Ben explains. ‘Typically, I quite like having a race that’s got a good, difficult bit of downhill – a technical downhill with lots of rocks, roots, mud and obstacles. I like a long descent at the end to make up any places that I might have given up on the climbs. Overall, I prefer a race that’s rougher and that requires more technique. In terms of distance, it depends on the day of the week. Some days I can’t be bothered doing a short race and some days I can’t be bothered doing a long race!’
Even a runner as sure-footed as Ben has had his share of bumps and bruises. ‘I can definitely think of one that happened earlier this year. Before the season started I was doing a low-key race in the Lake District that’s only about five miles and goes straight up a fell called Blencathra. It was fairly early in the season with nothing really riding on it,’ Ben says. ‘But I gave it some beans and had a fairly good go up the hill and was in first at the top of the hill. On the way down, the descent was very wet and a lethal combination of wet grass with rocks strewn between them. It was the only time where I managed to clip my toe on a rock going down and went head over heels. I ended up smacking my head on a rock and cut it open, and preceded to get up, hold my head and carry on running down but still managed to win the race! Touch wood, that is the first and last serious injury that I’ve had.’
After placing third, second, and finally first in the English Fell Running Championships this year, Ben is understandably proud of his achievements. ‘There’s a certain level of satisfaction that I’ve accomplished what I wanted to accomplish,’ he says. ‘I’ll still be racing and still doing stuff next year, but I’ve not decided if I want to go for the Championship again, or possibly do other more local low-key races. We’re expecting a baby at the end of November so I’ve not planned too far ahead!
‘The fell running community is incredibly welcoming, friendly and the anthesis of elitist so I’d highly recommend anyone interested in trying it heads along to their local running club or try a local fell race which are often very low-key, cost about £5 to enter and often end with a beer and a laugh afterwards.’
QUICK-FIRE QUESTIONS
What’s your go-to snack for a race?
Pre-race is always a massive bowl of porridge and then right before the race I have some kind of caffeinated thing, whether that is a shot of coffee or a caffeine gel. Usually straight after the race I’ll have some kind of cake – and then a beer.
Tell me a hidden gem in the area.
We really like places like Malham Cove.
What piece of kit is most important for beginner fell runners?
For fell running specifically, you need a shoe with really good grip. Road running shoes and trail shoes just don’t have enough grip and don’t do the trick.
To find a fell race near you, visit fellrunner.org.uk.
