On Saturday I tried out a 5-mile virtual fell race on Ilkley Moor – the Jack Bloor Race 2021 Maprun Challenge. It turned out a fun circuit, with navigational choices over varied running terrain. So, definitely one to consider while the event is open during the month of May.

The Jack Bloor Races normally take place on a Tuesday evening in early May, attracting around 300 runners, both seniors and juniors. The race dates from 1985 and is named after a pioneering climber and fell runner. All monies raised support the work of the Jack Bloor Fund, which awards grants to young sportspeople from Yorkshire who want to improve their skills in an outdoor adventure sport. Past illustrious winners include Greg Hull, Victoria Wilkinson, Dave Woodhead and Boff Whalley.

Last year’s race was obviously cancelled, but this year there’s a virtual equivalent, using the MapRun orienteering app. I’ve posted previously about my positive impression of MapRun for virtual fell races. In particular, with the event open for a whole month, you get the chance to properly recce a course and attempt it as many times as you wish – trying different route options, times of day, conditions etc. This suits this course, which is semi-navigational anyway, with 6 checkpoints to be visited in order but by any line:

So, I started out with a slow 2-hour jog round last Monday, with the course map, OS map and compass to hand. The initial climb, from Darwin Gardens up to the Badger Stone (CP1), was a bit of a pull but straightforward enough. You then lose some of that height down to the Swastika Stone (CP2), but it’s a fun descent. It’s then a long, gradual climb up to Cowper Cross (CP3) – I plotted the direct line across the featureless moor, but found it pretty rough underfoot. I then stuck to the main paths to visit the trig at CP4 and the ruin at CP5, while noting that more direct lines were possible in these dry conditions. It was fun to discover the “poetry box” at CP5 and have time to read a few of the witty contributions (why not post your own?). It was then the exciting descent from the top of Ilkley Crags to the finish, via CP6 on the knoll near White Wells. There must be a million and one variations available here – I tried to be clever by going off-piste straightaway and ended up going down several blind alleys. Lesson learned perhaps…

Returned on Saturday, this time with the event now live on the new version of the app – MapRun6. The phone beeped successfully at the start point (the stone bridge), and indeed at all the checkpoints thereafter. I decided to stick to the main paths, rather than trying many fancy short cuts. So, I returned to Keighley Road along the path after CP2 and ran up the track to CP3. I took the main stone-flagged path between CP3 and CP4. And I ran around the back of White Wells before visiting CP6. Whether this made any difference I won’t know until I try out alternatives, which I hope to do before the end of the month.

I’d like to give it another go anyway as I was mildly disappointed with my time of 57 minutes. I could probably go under 50 at best, but have been out of the habit of running competitively over lockdown (a local adventure I took on a month ago may also have something to do with it…). Nonetheless, it was an enjoyable and varied circuit, mainly on the springy turf of the moor, a fast descent to the finish and all those route options to ponder. Back home, I was pleased to donate the usual race fee to the Fund and support this good cause.

Why not give it a try (or tries) anytime during May? All the details are at www.jackbloor.co.uk