Ann you never said a word at the end about the trainers! Think you should send your forum posting to Strider - was hilarious. Full marks for ingenuity and perseverance.

Yes, Thanks go to everyone involved in organising a tough and very enjoyable event. Wonderful route, wonderful scenery and, of course wonderful food.
However, disaster struck when the sole of my left shoe came adrift, literally sucked off by the mud. My compass string and tally string both provided temporary reprieve, but then the sole of my right shoe fell off. Luckily, the very friendly and helpful marshalls at 3 of the checkpoints donated the red string from their punches and I was able to tie the soles onto the shoes, so I could complete the event. So special thanks must go to them and also to the gentleman who got his hands dirty at the end cutting the string off with scissors. I'm also sorry to have deprived the group of their punch strings. Needless to say, the shoes went in the bin, a note has gone to the manufacturers about the shoddy glue, and the moral of the story is to always carry some string. You never know when you will need it!

Thanks to Ian and Garfield for their glowing reports. It was hard work but in the end worth it. The number of late entries put a strain on resources at times but as you all know, The East Lancs ALWAYS come through. Thanks to all entrants for supporting the event. 301 entries and 276 starters, we must be doing something right.

this was my 1st time on the wrong side of the pennines and i did enjoy it mud'n'all, just had a bit of trouble trying to find my way out of the car park, hehehe,The food was good and the company at the finish was also enjoyable, not bad for lancastrians. thanks

What do expect from a 25 mile hike around moors and fields in January ? Mud. Lots of it. Plus the occasional bog and quite a few paddy-fields. The event attracted a big entry - over 250 - and the 18-mile option meant people had a chance for a more leisurely day out. The food was plentiful and everyone seemed in good spirits - especially the gentleman at the Bull Hill checkpoint who was offering literally that ! It's five years since I last did this event and I remembered it as being a toughie - which it certainly was. But it's a good course with just enough navigational twists to keep you on your, er, toes. "Thank You" to whoever put the red & white flags out - you did a good job.
Superb hotpot at the finish. Thanks to everyone. - Garfield