Category: A/S 6.1km/323m, 3.8 miles/1050′
Date: Wednesday, 24th June 2026.
Start Time: 7:30 pm.
Entry: £7.00 (FRA members) £8.00 (Non-FRA members) pre-entry only
Number/Chip Collection : Opens 6:30pm in St Saviours Church, Buckstones Road, Shaw OL2 8NB.
Start: The start of the race is 200m away at Shore Edge Methodist Church (GR 951097), Buckstones Rd, Shaw, Oldham OL2 8LX.
Minimum age: 16 years old, and U18 year old runners only accepted with signed parental consent form available at registration.
Prizes: 1st, 2nd, 3rd Male and Female and 1st in Age Category, Male and Female and Team awards.
Description
The route is a mixture of moorland trail, forest trail and rough moorland paths, and although the course is generally well drained by old mine workings there are some areas where the mud can be found, particularly in inclement weather.
This course is tougher than a cursory glance at the map will lead you to expect. There are numerous ascents and descents as the course loops and threads its way through forest and moorland before releasing you into a steep shale covered descent towards the end of the first lap.
At 3.8 miles the route is fairly short with a total ascent 1080ft, but because it is mostly runnable there is no let up and it can best be described as a ‘lung buster’.
Course records:
Men: John Brown (Salford) 23:05 (2007) * Old course
Ladies: Martha Tibbot (Saddleworth) 26:48 (2022) * Old course
Matthew Reeves (Royton) 29:13 (2025)
Gaynor Keane (Saddleworth) 32:33 (2025)
Chip Timing & Start Area
Runners will collect their Numbers and race Chips on the day from the registration area at St. Saviours Church OL2 8NB. Registration will open at 6:30pm and close at 7:15pm promptly.
The start of the race is 300m away at Shore Edge Methodist Church (GR 951097), Buckstones Rd, Shaw, Oldham OL2 8LX.
Remember the Race Results go off the Gun Time – the first person over the line wins!
Race Notes
The race is to be run under Fell Running Association Rules for Competition. Should you be unclear in any way as to what these are please visit http://www.fellrunner.org.uk
We would emphasise that this is NOT a trail/parkland race as it DOES cross rough, exposed open moorland.
Whilst the course is partially marked, it is possible some navigational experience will be required. Do not rely upon following the person in front. Have a map & compass and know how to use it.
You must be prepared to carry, wear or use the following kit (at the discretion of the Race Organiser): Full Body Cover must be carried by all competitors; waterproof cagoule with hood, full length waterproof bottoms, Hat, Gloves, Map of the course, Compass, Whistle, Use of GPS is not allowed.
A spot check may be undertaken prior to the race starting (at the discretion of the Race Organiser).
Any competitor retiring MUST report both to the nearest marshal & to the Race Organiser at Race HQ (located at the Registration).
Toilets
Toilet facilities will be available at the Registration in St Saviours Church.
Car Parking
Parking is available at the Brushes Clough Quarry off Buckstones Road GR952412 and people are asked to avoid parking on the road particularly outside the houses of residents.
OS Map Link (2025)
Training on the course and land access
The course is run on Brushes Clough Country Park by kind permission of Oldham Council and is fully accessible to the public. Special thanks to the Friends Of Crompton Moor for their assistance in staging this event.
Results for 2025
| Pos | Race No | Name | Time | Category | Cat Pos | Gender | Gen Pos | Club |
| 1 | 50 | Mathew Reeves | 00:29:13 | MV35 | 1 | Male | 1 | |
| 2 | 29 | Mike Gradwell | 00:30:39 | MV40 | 1 | Male | 2 | Saddleworth Runners Club |
| 3 | 56 | Brett Spivey | 00:30:51 | MV40 | 2 | Male | 3 | Royton Road Runners |
| 4 | 59 | Chase Turner | 00:31:41 | MV40 | 3 | Male | 4 | |
| 5 | 21 | Jonny Eglin | 00:32:15 | MV50 | 1 | Male | 5 | Saddleworth Runners Club |
| 6 | 40 | Gaynor Keane | 00:32:33 | FV45 | 1 | Female | 1 | Saddleworth Runners Club |
| 7 | 10 | Philip Chandler | 00:33:01 | M Senior | 1 | Male | 6 | Saddleworth Runners Club |
| 8 | 42 | Dave Kelly | 00:33:09 | MV70 | 1 | Male | 7 | Rossendale Harriers & AC |
| 9 | 26 | Ian Fraser | 00:33:33 | MV60 | 1 | Male | 8 | Pennine Fell Runners |
| 10 | 30 | Edward Grimley | 00:33:40 | MV35 | 2 | Male | 9 | Royton Road Runners |
| 11 | 63 | Simon Wild | 00:34:00 | MV50 | 2 | Male | 10 | Fra |
| 12 | 62 | Stephen White | 00:34:11 | MV35 | 3 | Male | 11 | Oldham & Royton H & Ac |
| 13 | 65 | Alex Frost | 00:34:35 | MV55 | 1 | Male | 12 | Rossendale Harriers & AC |
| 14 | 13 | Chris Davies | 00:34:48 | MV70 | 2 | Male | 13 | Saddleworth Runners Club |
| 15 | 51 | James Riley | 00:34:52 | MV50 | 3 | Male | 14 | Todmorden Harriers |
| 16 | 27 | Paul Garside | 00:34:54 | MV40 | 4 | Male | 15 | |
| 17 | 34 | Matthew Hoar | 00:35:19 | MV45 | 1 | Male | 16 | Holcombe Harriers |
| 18 | 7 | Stephen Burthem | 00:35:25 | MV60 | 2 | Male | 17 | Spectrum Striders |
| 19 | 12 | Jason Chappelhow | 00:35:58 | MV35 | 4 | Male | 18 | Saddleworth Runners Club |
| 20 | 6 | Neil Brock | 00:36:46 | MV60 | 3 | Male | 19 | Royton Road Runners |
| 21 | 66 | Mark Walker | 00:36:54 | MV55 | 2 | Male | 20 | Rochdale Harriers & AC |
| 22 | 19 | Lee Earnshaw | 00:37:37 | MV50 | 4 | Male | 21 | Royton Road Runners |
| 23 | 60 | Liam Tyson | 00:37:42 | MV45 | 2 | Male | 22 | Slaithwaite Striders |
| 24 | 25 | Kenny Forster | 00:37:50 | MV65 | 1 | Male | 23 | |
| 25 | 8 | Rebecca Canaway | 00:38:17 | FV40 | 1 | Female | 2 | Saddleworth Runners Club |
| 26 | 54 | Warren Siddall | 00:38:20 | MV55 | 3 | Male | 24 | Royton Road Runners |
| 27 | 39 | Graham Jordan | 00:38:24 | MV45 | 3 | Male | 25 | Middleton Harriers AC |
| 28 | 15 | Karen Day | 00:38:28 | FV55 | 1 | Female | 3 | Rochdale Triathlon Club |
| 29 | 17 | Danielle Dignan | 00:38:47 | F Senior | 1 | Female | 4 | Rochdale Harriers & AC |
| 30 | 28 | Chris Gee | 00:39:38 | MV45 | 4 | Male | 26 | Rochdale Harriers & AC |
| 31 | 24 | John Felton | 00:39:45 | MV55 | 4 | Male | 27 | Oldham & Royton H & Ac |
| 32 | 23 | John Fay | 00:40:40 | MV40 | 5 | Male | 28 | Royton Road Runners |
| 33 | 38 | Kate Johnson | 00:40:45 | FV55 | 2 | Female | 5 | Spectrum Striders |
| 34 | 18 | Mark Duncan | 00:41:02 | MV45 | 5 | Male | 29 | Royton Road Runners |
| 35 | 52 | Kate Saville | 00:41:16 | FV50 | 1 | Female | 6 | Saddleworth Runners Club |
| 36 | 58 | Nicky Torr | 00:41:19 | FV50 | 2 | Female | 7 | Saddleworth Runners Club |
| 37 | 33 | Tanya Haynes | 00:41:35 | FV50 | 3 | Female | 8 | Saddleworth Runners Club |
| 38 | 47 | Richard MacIlwaine | 00:42:45 | MV65 | 2 | Male | 30 | Spectrum Striders |
| 39 | 48 | Helen Mutch | 00:42:56 | FV40 | 2 | Female | 9 | Middleton Harriers AC |
| 40 | 64 | Sarah Wilding | 00:44:19 | FV45 | 2 | Female | 10 | Saddleworth Runners Club |
| 41 | 32 | Danielle Hardwick | 00:44:43 | F Senior | 2 | Female | 11 | Sip Running Club |
| 42 | 37 | Ryan Ibbotson | 00:46:16 | M Senior | 2 | Male | 31 | Sip Running Club |
| 43 | 43 | Graham Kelly | 00:46:47 | MV45 | 6 | Male | 32 | Oldham & Royton H & Ac |
| 44 | 22 | Andrew Faulkner | 00:47:41 | MV55 | 5 | Male | 33 | Sip Running Club |
| 45 | 55 | Adam Spiller | 00:47:47 | MV40 | 6 | Male | 34 | Middleton Harriers AC |
| 46 | 5 | Siobhan Brennan | 00:48:19 | FV45 | 3 | Female | 12 | |
| 47 | 45 | Katie Lockwood | 00:48:29 | F Senior | 3 | Female | 13 | Sip Running Club |
| 48 | 14 | Michael Davies | 00:48:48 | MV45 | 7 | Male | 35 | |
| 49 | 31 | John Hall | 00:49:37 | MV75 | 1 | Male | 36 | Middleton Harriers AC |
| 50 | 1 | Laura Aiken | 00:49:47 | FV35 | 1 | Female | 14 | Radcliffe AC |
| 51 | 53 | Lou Shield | 00:49:48 | FV45 | 4 | Female | 15 | Radcliffe AC |
| 52 | 2 | Dawn Anderson | 00:50:28 | FV55 | 3 | Female | 16 | Middleton Harriers AC |
| 53 | 35 | Claire Holloway | 00:51:50 | FV45 | 5 | Female | 17 | Rochdale Harriers & AC |
| 54 | 11 | Michelle Chapman | 00:51:51 | FV40 | 3 | Female | 18 | Saddleworth Runners Club |
| 55 | 67 | Janine Jordan | 00:52:40 | FV40 | 4 | Female | 19 | Middleton Harriers AC |
Links to some great photos by Paul Taylor
Results 2025
Results 2024
Results 2023
Results 2022
Middleton Harriers 