Whittle Pike Race - Rossendale Harriers
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Whittle Pike Race

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From – Cowpe Village Hall near Waterfoot, Rossendale GR 837212

Cost – Online entry vis Si Entries for 2025 

Start time – 11.00 am. Women’s race 12.00 pm 

Whittle Pike fell race 2025.

30 Aug 2025 AS. Amended route map to be posted.

9.8k 550m of climb

Open race 11.00. Women’s 12.00. Revised course so new records.

RO. Nick Harris nick.harris@northmanchester.net 07956344174

1. Priority entries will open on Si Entries on 21 June using the agreed FRA guarantee of entry window. Other entries open on 5th July Race entry will be higher than usual to reflect these costs. These include start/finish timing by SI which adds to our normal costs, which will return to £5 entry in 2026.
2. Registration. Cowpe Village Hall, Cowpe Rd., Waterfoot, Rossendale BB4 7DY GR837212

You will need to collect your SI dibber from the hall.

Pay for refreshments at the hall and we plan to have a coffee van available.

Toilets in the hall and porta loos next to the hall.

3. There are a variety of routes into Cowpe from Burnley, from the south from Rochdale and the M66 into Rawtenstall taking the road towards Bacup or Yorkshire via Sharneyford and Bacup. In all cases you need to turn into Cowpe Rd., at a mini roundabout and follow the road until you see the parking signs. If a car park is full continue further up the road to the next one.

There will be small parking charge so please car share. No parking on Cowpe Road.

Follow signs to park a. on the Greenbridge car park (free for early arrivals b. ex Buck car park, registration is further up the road on your right for both these parking areas and c. behind the nearby recreation ground which you then cross to get to the hall – there will be a small charge for the latter 2 car parks. The start/finish will be off the lane beside the hall. The start/finish area is about 200m from registration.

4. Cowpe, where I live, is a small village on the edge of Rossendale, and is surrounded by parts of the West Pennine Moors. Runners will see the remnants of the old stone quarries and farmhouses in the area, which is now mainly used for sheep farming with newish somewindmills. There are no facilities in the village.

Waterfoot, 800ms away, has the Coop, garages and EV charging in car parks.

5. We plan to use the 2024 Junior championship start fieldand the adjacent filed for the finish. These fields on are private land with no PROW but the rest of the route is covered by the CROW act.
6. The race has been run since 1992 and organised by Graham Wright until 2001 and Nick Harris since 2003. It has been a championship race in 1993, 2005 and 2011. Due to erosion, paths disappearing and vegetation growth the route has evolved and for 2025 there will be further changes leading varied course with more climb.
7. The route is mostly through fields or open moors, generally, but not all on paths with a few rutted sections. No rocky sections. Some stony paths. All flagged. If it is hot take water. You do cross a stream and there is a font at Waugh’s well near the end but little else.

The first section is uphill through two fields exiting past sheep folds and turning left onto the Pennine Bridleway and then veering left to climb to the top of Pike hill, right turn and short descent, left through a gate and then right and a short climb to the trig point on Cowpe Lowe 440m. About 200ms of the climb. 1.5k.

Left turn and a short descent on to a level section past Fo(e) edge ruin, the name of another club race, for about 1 k. At a small gate you will turn right and descend.

You will return to this point and reverse the course back to the finish.

The route downhill follows the edge of a reservoir and Scout Moor Brook for nearly 1k, left over a FP stile and the brook, a sharp climb up to a quarry tram way going right and level for 400m, right onto a steep descent and recross the brook and onto the concrete bridge where you go left.

Here you start the long climb, rutted at first which is the reverse of the Edenfield race descent. A long slog for 1.5 k, boggy in places. 200m climb. The top, Whittle 467m has a large cross on top.

Left turn and descend back to the culverted stream above the reservoir. This is the only section left from the 1993 route. Left through a gate and, after 200 ms, right into a stiff 50m climb on rough ground and then you re-join the outward route after a left turn past Waugh’s well.

The route will take you back up and over Cowpe Lowe and Pike hill before the descent with the last 200ms being a variation on the start climb.

We hope you enjoy the race. Nick Harris

New route for 2025 ( map to be updated ) 

Details: Nick Harris

Tel:07956 344174

nick.harris@northmanchester.net

 

Results 2016 WhittlePikeResults

Results 2017 WhittlePikeResults

Results 2018 WhittlePikeResults

Results 2019 WhittlePikeResults

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Results 2023 whittle pike results 23

Results 2024 Whittle Pike Senior 2024

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