8 March, 2026

By Rachel Doole

It’s Sunday 8th March at 10:50am, I’m stood in a field in Shatton with around 200 other runners, all staring up at what looks suspiciously like a very large hill.

“Do we reckon that’s THE hill then?” I ask my pal nervously.. “It looks like it” she replies.

My Strider friends Emily and David, persuaded me the week before to sign up for Wolf’s Pit Fell Race. Having only just started recovering from a nine week cough, I was slightly tentative at first, but jumped at the chance to take part in a local fell race I’d never done before. It’s only 9km I thought. Great little recovery run. I’ll take it steady.

A recovery run it was not…Take it steady I did not.

The race is a short but very sharp loop up onto the moor above Bradwell, covering 9km with 1,476ft of ascent. Organised by the Braddads, organisers of The Tour of Bradwell, it starts in a farmer’s field next to Shatton village and gets straight to the point, hitting 1,200ft of elevation within in the first mile.

After that, it flattens out briefly along some technical trail around Shatton Mast with a few unexpected further sharp kicks up before a rather dramatic, ankle-breaking descent back down the same hill you started out on. I was pleased to see that my winter of Totley Tuesday fell running practice had paid off, and unexpectedly managed to pass a few people on the final descent. The race finishes with a final trudge of a few hundred metres back across the field, which somehow felt longer than the rest of the course put together.

I finished 11th female and 4th FSen, and despite the intention of holding back, ended up giving it absolutely everything I had. I think it’s just one of those races where you just can’t quite help yourself!

It was a fantastic morning, with a really friendly atmosphere. I’d highly recommend it to anyone who fancies testing themselves and being the only Totley to enter this year I’d love to see more Totleys there next year!