The eighth year of the Dovedale Dipper 26 miles Challenge Walk / Run and the 15 miles Ramble was completed on Sunday 1st of August with 278 people entering the Challenge Walk and 97 the Ramble.The event attracted participants from far and wide and once again there were many familiar faces in the line-up for both the events.
The organising committee extend a big thanks to all the walkers and runners who made the event a great success helped by yet another dry day – I think we can boast of an eighth consecutive dry day for the Dipper made event better by a cool wind.
The committee would like to thank you all for taking part and for the number of complimentary and encouraging emails and comments that have been received. These will be posted on both our web site and on Facebook to be shared by other readers.
For those who were sponsored during the events or wish to make a donation, we look forward to receiving your hard earned money as soon as possible so that we can pass this on to Ashgate Hospice in Chesterfield.We hope to raise at least £5,000 from the event and the final collected sum will be posted on our web site as soon as the figuresare finalised.
The winner of the 26 miles Challenge was Les Footitt, a veteran who recorded a new course record of 3 hours 29 minutes. Antoinette Minniti was the fastest lady at 3hours 46 minutes. As veteran Les had taken the 1st prize, it was decided that Greg Cowley who had come in as second veteran would receive the Veterans cup.The fastest veteran lady for the second year running was Kim Braznell in 4 hours and 44 minutes.
Special thanks are due to our external support teams, The YHA at Hartington who provide us with hot baked potatoes and a selection of very good fillings that go down very well at the end of a long day.The Revcom team who provide us with radio coverage in areas of Derbyshire and Staffordshire where we have no mobile phone connection and St Johns ambulance whose team are always there for those who need some minor treatment.
We also pass on the thanks received from you to all our Matlock Rotarians and members of Matlock Inner Wheel for the refreshments and support provided at the various checkpoints and at the event HQ.
Please put Sunday 7th August 2011 in your diary, as usual, entry forms will be available on www.matlockrotary.com.We aim to keep the limit of participants at 400 so do book early to avoid disappointment. We have not yet chosen our charity for next year. Keep your eye on our website for further details and details of our other events such as the Tissington Triangle bike ride in the spring of 2011.In the meantime enjoy your walking and see you next year.
IMPORTANT NOTICE
Unfortunately we did have one incident involving a dog that could have been quite nasty. One of the participants who was completing the course with his pet dog did not follow the Country Code pre-event advice and had his dog loose in a field with cattle. For some reason the cows were disturbed and attacked another couple who were following with their dog on a lead. The gentleman, despite several other competitors urging him to release the dog failed to do so and while trying to protect his pet was knocked down and struck on the leg and head. He eventually released the dog and the cows moved off. This was a very scary and potentially dangerous incident for those involved and others in the field who witnessed the event. And as a result of this, the organising Committee of the Dipper have reluctantly ruled that entrants will NO LONGER be allowed with dogs from 2011 onwards. We apologise to all those who did follow the Country Code however this is the second year running where there has been a potentially dangerous situation with dog control.
