Today the team provided ‘Standby Rescue Cover’ for the annual Easter Saturday Rivington Pike Fell Race.

Organised by Horwich RMI Harriers and Athletics Club, this short distance but gruelling height gain (And immediate height loss on the return stretch !) fell race has a history of being run for over a hundred years, and attracts many of the country’s top class fell runners.

Eighteen team members in all four of our Team Land Rover Mountain Rescue Ambulance vehicles attended today, with thankfully no injuries or incidents to attend to regards the fell race.

The Fell Race attracted ten entries in the Under 12’s catagory, six in the Under 14’s, five in the Intermediates and 212 runners in the senior race.
At the conclusion of our assistance today, our Team Leader Garry Rhodes MBE was approached by two ‘faces’ from his and the teams past.

Firstly was long standing friend of the team and former ‘Bolton Evening News’ journalist Frank Wood, who regularly reported on the teams activities in the 1980’s and 1990’s when he was a reporter with the ‘Bolton Evening News.’ (Now the Bolton News)

Second was former team call out list member from the 1990’s David Garner, formerly of Horwich and now living in Heywood. Dave has now taken up running and was around to watch the fell race with the intention of taking part in the 2013 Pike Race.

Both passed on their best wishes to Garry and on the continuing success of the Bolton MRT.