Walks, runs, climbs, cycle trips, canoe trips, etc. Also other significant events. Visits to islands:- first visit only.
For pages' contents go to Visit Diane & Gene's
Thehumangenehome Page 1. complementary site
16-1-14 Fellbarrow, Smithy Fell, Sourfoot Fell, Low Fell (Two
summits), Darling Fell
19-1-14 Sale Fell, Rivings, Lothwaite
29-1-14 Flat Fell, Dent, (subsidiary summit of Dent)
2-2-14 Grune Point (Tide-flooded, previous and
subsequent visits not recorded here)
14-2-14 Ling Fell
19-2-14 Montaña Atalaya (Pico de Betancuria) (Two
summits)
20-2-14 Pico Alto, Gran Montaña (and subsidiary summit),
Morro Jorlado
23-2-14 Carbón (Montaña Carbón)
25-2-14 Attempt on Cardón (Montaña Cardón), Minor summit
north of Cardón
11-3-14 Binsey, Whittas Park
23-3-14 Latrigg
26-3-14 Skiddaw, Broad End
2-4-14 Rowling End, Causey Pike, Scar Crags, Sail, Eel
Crag
13-4-14 Sale Fell, Rivings, Lothwaite
15-4-14 Helvellyn, Helvellyn Lower Man, Catstycam, White
Side
19-4-14 Catbells
27-4-14 Carrock Fell, Round Knott, Miton Hill, High Pike,
West Fell
2-5-14 Rannerdale Knotts
31-5-14 WNBR (World Naked Bike Ride) Canterbury Naked
Bike Ride
5-6-14 Catbells
14-6-14 WNBR (World Naked Bike Ride) London Naked
Bike Ride
20-6-14 WNBR (World Naked Bike Ride) York Naked
Bike Ride (On tandem - in front)
3-7-14 Shirburn Hill (Chiltern Hills)
17-7-14 Skiddaw, Broad End, Carl Side, Longside Edge,
Ullock Pike, Watches
22-7-14 Pica to Parsonby Picoparsec (on bicycle)
23-7-14 Sale Fell, Rivings, Lothwaite
24-7-14 Little Fell, Wild Boar Fell, Swarth Fell, Swarth Fell
Pike
31-7-14 Arthur's Pike, Bonscale Pike, Loadpot Hill,
Brownthwaite Crag, Steel Knotts (Pikeawassa),
Hallin Fell
5-8-14 Robinson, Hindscarth
7-8-14 Barbon Low Fell summit, Brownthwaite, Hoggs Hill
main summit and subsidiary summits (Barbon Low
Fell)
8-8-14 Helms Knott
18-8-14 Slieau Curn, Subsidiary summit 331m, Slieau Dhoo,
Subsidiary summit 400+m, Slieau Freoaghane,
Sartfell, Slieau Maggle, Injebreck Hill, Subsidiary
summit 480+m, Carraghan, Beinn-y-Phott, Mullagh
Ouyr, Snaefell, Clagh Ouyr, Subsidiary summits
550m and 533m, North Barrule, (Isle of Man)
19-8-14 South Barrule, Cronk ny Arrey Laa
20-8-14 Snaefell
22-8-14 Colden, Slieau Ruy, Lhargee Ruy, Greeba Mountain
23-8-14 Mull Hill
31-8-14 Grisedale Pike
4-9-14 Wandope (Wanlope), Thirdgill Head Man, Whiteless
Pike
6-9-14 Binsey, Whittas Park
10-9-14 Skiddaw, Broad End
11-9-14 Sale Fell, Rivings, Lothwaite
24-9-14 Wetherlam, Swirl How, Great Carrs, Little Carrs,
Pike o' Blisco
23-10-14 Loughrigg Fell, (and East Summit)
6-11-14 Nab Scar
12-11-14 Stone Arthur
18-11-14 Skiddaw, Bakestall, Broad End
23-11-14 Fellbarrow, Smithy Fell, Sourfoot Fell, Watching
Crag, Low Fell (two summits), Darling Fell
25-11-14 Scout Scar, Cunswick Fell (Cunswick Scar),
Cunswick Scar South (summit)
2-12-14 Grisedale Pike, Hobcarton End
6-12-14 Sale Fell, Rivings, Lothwaite
28-12-14 Skiddaw, Broad End, Cockup
1-1-15 Beacon Hill (Roman Camp), Incleborough Hill,
Beeston Bump (Beeston Hill)
14-1-15 Binsey, Whittas Park
4-2-15 Sale Fell, Rivings, Lothwaite
5-2-15 Blake Fell, Low Pen, High Pen, Burnbank Fell,
Owsen Fell
20-2-15 Ling Fell
21-2-15 Clints Crags
1-3-15 Binsey
14-3-15 Helvellyn, Helvellyn Lower Man, White Side, Brown
Crag
19-3-15 Montaña Blanca
20-3-15 Montaña Corona
21-3-15 Pico Redondo, Pico Aceituna
23-3-15 Los Helechos (and subsidiary summit),
La Quemada
24-3-15 Guanapay, Montaña Negra
19-4-15 Ling Fell
21-4-15 Skiddaw, Watches, Ullock Pike, Longside Edge,
Carl Side, Broad End
23-4-15 Blake Fell, Low Pen, High Pen, Burnbank Fell,
Owsen Fell
7-5-15 Blencathra, Atkinson Pike
26-5-15 Watch Hill, Setmurthy Common (The Hay)
7-6-15 Binsey
13-6-15 WNBR (World Naked Bike Ride) London Naked Bike
Ride
14-6-15 WNBR (World Naked Bike Ride) Brighton Naked
Bike Ride
27-6-15 WNBR (World Naked Bike Ride) Bristol Naked
Bike Ride
30-6-15 Knap Hill, Golden Ball Hill, Walkers Hill, Milk Hill,
Tan Hill, Rybury, Clifford's Hill, Un-named summit
(tumulus) near White Horse
1-7-15 Green Down, Gramp's Hill, Segsbury Down
(Segsbury Fort)
2-7-15 Wandlebury Hill, Telegraph Clump, Little Trees Hill
(Magog Down), Copley Hill (Gog Magog Hills)
16-7-15 Nab Scar, Heron Pike, Rydal Fell, Great Rigg Man,
Fairfield, Hart Crag, Dove Crag, High Pike, Low Pike
23-7-15 Binsey, Whittas Park
24-7-15 Hindscarth, Robinson
25-7-15 Hallin Fell
2-8-15 Sale Fell, Rivings, Lothwaite
7-8-15 Clints Crags
30-8-15 Binsey
6-9-15 Ling Fell
9-9-15 Goldsborough, Burners Hills (Five summits),
Shacklesborough
10-9-15 Citron Seat, Hazel Bush Hill, Pinlow Hill, Seven Hills
(Several)
17-9-15 Skiddaw, Carl Side, Skiddaw Little Man, Skiddaw
Lesser Man
22-9-15 Skiddaw, Bakestall, Broad End
30-9-15 High Pike
1-10-15 The Calf, Bram Rigg Top, White Fell Head, Bush
Howe, Fell Head, Brown Moor, Castley Knotts
8-10-15 Largo Law (two summits), The Binn
28-10-15 Moutti tis Sotiras
30-10-15 Papoutsa (two summits), Mount Olympos
(Chionistra) (by car to highest public access)
1-11-15 Hill (headland) at Kourion
2-11-15 Adelfi (Adelfoi) (and three associated summits),
Madari
19-11-15 Sale Fell, Lothwaite, Rivings
2-12-15 Watch Hill, Setmurthy Common (The Hay)
15-12-15 Hobcarton End
31-12-15 Castle Ring (Cannock Chase)
1-1-16 The Lawley, Callow Hill (Wenlock Edge)
3-1-16 Tong Knoll (Weston Park)
7-1-16 Binsey, Whittas Park
17-1-16 Binsey
20-1-16 Grisedale Pike, Hobcarton End
28-1-16 Watch Hill, Setmurthy Common (The Hay)
3-2-16 Sale Fell, Rivings, Lothwaite
11-2-16 Ling Fell
23-2-16 Skiddaw, Broad End
31 -3-16 Blake Fell, High Pen, Low Pen, Burnbank Fell,
Owsen Fell
8-4-16 Great Calva, Little Calva
10-4-16 Ling Fell
11-5-16 Iron Crag, Whoap
30-5-16 Moelwyn Bach, Craigysgafn, Moelwyn Fawr, Cnicht
3-6-16 Y Garn, Mynydd Drws-y-Coed, Trum-y-Ddysgl (two
summits), Mynydd Tal-y-Mignedd, Craig Cwm Silyn,
Garnedd-goch, Mynydd Craig Goch (Nantlle Ridge)
10-6-16 WNBR (World Naked Bike Ride) Manchester Naked
Bike Ride
12-6-16 WNBR (World Naked Bike Ride) Brighton Naked
Bike Ride
18-6-16 WNBR (World Naked Bike Ride) Cambridge Naked
Bike Ride
2-7-16 WNBR (World Naked Bike Ride) Newcastle/
Gateshead Naked Bike Ride
9-7-16 Spencer Tunick's "Sea of Hull" Naked Art Installation,
Hull
10-7-16 Spencer Tunick's Humber Bridge Naked Art
Installation
21-7-16 Skiddaw, Broad End, Carl Side, Longside Edge,
Ullock Pike, Watches
25-7-16 Sale Fell
27-7-16 Carrock Fell
13-8-16 Ling Fell
26-8-16 Red Pike, High Stile, High Crag
10-9-16 Little Mell Fell
22-9-16 Penshaw Hill
6-10-16 Ling Fell
25-10-16 Sale Fell, Rivings, Lothwaite
1-11-16 Binsey
23-11-16 Ling Fell
4-12-16 Grisedale Pike, Hobcarton End, (Black Crag)
31-12-16 Black Hill (Soldier's Lump)
2-1-17 Wharncliffe Crags
26-1-17 Binsey
9-2-17 Blake Fell, Low Pen, High Pen, Burnbank Fell,
Owsen Fell
14-2-17 Ling Fell
2-3-17 Sale Fell, Lothwaite, Rivings
25-3-17 Skiddaw, Broad End, Carl Side, Longside Edge,
Ullock Pike, Watches
2-4-17 Binsey, Whittas Park
1-5-17 Akeld Hill (and east summit), White Law,
Tom Tallon's Crag
2-5-17 The Bell (Hethpool)
25-5-17 Longlands Fell, Lowthwaite Fell, Little Sca Fell
Great Sca Fell, Knott, Brae Fell
11-6-17 WNBR (World Naked Bike Ride) Brighton Naked
Bike Ride
12-6-17 Ditchling Beacon
16-6-17 Swyre Head
17-6-17 WNBR (World Naked Bike Ride) Cardiff Naked
Bike Ride
25-6-17 WNBR (World Naked Bike Ride) York Naked
Bike Ride
11-7-17 Hill of Stake, West Girt Hill, East Girt Hill, Minor
summit between West Girt Hill and East Girt Hill,
Misty Law
15-7-17 WNBR (World Naked Bike Ride) Clacton Naked
Bike Ride
18-7-17 Skiddaw, Broad End, Bakestall
25-7-17 Carrock Fell, East Peak, Rospow Hills (two
summits)
15-8-17 Great Orme
16-8-17 Tal y Fan, Foel Lwyd
17-8-17 Foel Grach, Garnedd Uchaf (Carned Gwenllian),
Foel-fras, Yr Aryg, Bera Bach, Drosgl
19-8-17 Gurn Goch, Gurn Ddu (and subsidiary summit),
Bwlch Mawr
19-9-17 Binsey, Whittas Park
26-9-17 The Binn
8-10-17 Ling Fell
2-11-17 Sale Fell, Rivings, Lothwaite
12-11-17 Swarthy Hill
15-11-17 Skiddaw, Broad End, Bakestall
3-12-17 Cardon South Summit, Pico Galera
4-12-17 Montaña Colorada
16-12-17 Grisedale Pike, Hobcarton End
1-1-18 Cranberry Rock, Unnamed tor, Manstone Rock
(Stiperstones)
20-1-18 Binsey
30-1-18 The Binn
10-2-18 Rough Island
20-2-18 Sale Fell, Lothwaite, Rivings
20-3-18 Ling Fell
29-3-18 Blake Fell, Low Pen, High Pen, Burnbank Fell,
Owsen Fell
19-4-18 Skiddaw, Broad End, Carl Side, Long Side,
Ullock Pike, Watches
3-5-18 Gowbarrow Fell
23-5-18 Binsey, Whittas Park
1-6-18 WNBR (World Naked Bike Ride)
Southampton Naked Bike Ride
2-6-18 WNBR (World Naked Bike Ride)
Portsmouth Naked Bike Ride
4-6-18 West High Down, Tennyson Down, Headon Hill,
(Isle of Wight)
5-6-18 St. Boniface Down, St. Catherine's Hill
6-6-18 Golden Hill
8-6-18 West ridge of White Hill, Farthing Downs (Fairdean
Downs - Cuthraedsdune)
9-6-18 WNBR (World Naked Bike Ride)
London Naked Bike Ride
10-6-18 WNBR (World Naked Bike Ride)
Brighton Naked Bike Ride
16-6-18 WNBR (World Naked Bike Ride)
Cork Naked Bike Ride
27-6-18 Great Cockup (two summits), Little Cockup,
Orthwaite Bank
30-6-18 Piel Island, (via Roa Island)
6 &
7-7-18 Lyke Wake Walk
19-7-18 Kustaanmiekka/Susisaari, Iso-Mustasaari, Pikku-
Mustasaari, Länsi-Mustasaari (Islands near
Helsinki)
20-7-18 Katajanokka (An island of Helsinki)
21-7-18 WNBR (World Naked Bike Ride)
Helsinki Naked Bike Ride,
Mustikkamaa, Sompasaari (Islands of Helsinki)
22-7-18 Tählitorninmäki (Observatory Hill)
23-7-18 Lonna, Vallisaari, Kuninkaansaari (Islands near
Helsinki)
9-8-18 Sale Fell, Rivings, Lothwaite
30-8-18 Skiddaw, Broad End, Bakestall
2-9-18 Binsey
12-9-18 Blake Fell, Low Pen, High Pen, Burnbank Fell,
Owsen Fell
28-9-18 Ling Fell
10-10-18 Sale Fell, Rivings, Lothwaite
18-10-18 Great Sca Fell, Little Sca Fell, Longlands Fell,
Lowthwaite Fell
25-10-18 LonglandsFell, Lowthwaite Fell
28-10-18 Binsey, Whittas Park
9-12-18 Grisedale Pike, Hobcarton End
31-12-18 High Neb, Stanage End, Stanage Pole, Stanage
South Top (Stanage Edge)
1-1-19 Bleak Knoll (Bradwell Edge), Durham Edge
2-1-19 Grin Low (Solomon's Temple)
9-1-19 Binsey, Whittas Park
17-1-19 Skiddaw, Broad End, Bakestall
23-1-19 Ling Fell
31-1-19 Sale Fell, Rivings, Lothwaite
14-2-19 Longlands Fell, Lowthwaite Fell
26-2-19 Blake Fell, Low Pen, HighPen, Burnbank Fell
27-2-19 Great Cockup (two summits)
28-3-19 Ling Fell
18-4-19 Sale Fell, Rivings, Lothwaite
19-4-19 The Binn
4-5-19 Cardon, Cardon South Summit (Montaña Cardon)
6-5-19 Bayuyo (minor summit of Bayuyo, Montaña San
Rafael, (Montaña Bayuyo)
7-5-19 Attempt on Montaña Quemada
3-5-19 Latrigg
8-6-19 WNBR (World Naked Bike Ride) London Naked
Bike Ride
9-6-19 WNBR (World Naked Bike Ride) Brighton Naked
Bike Ride
Gene has a running record. Question is, does he hold a running record? ...... Read on!
When G was a snapper of whippers, before he got oldish, running meant sprinting a titchy distance fastly, such as in the school sports, or on the school footie team's right wing. Longer PE lesson stuff, styled "Cross-Country", woulda been dreaded had it not been for the detour devised via back garden of EA, a classmate lad whose identity is protected, enabling (a) massive distance reduction, (b) ciggie time increase. Later, at Glaxo, as he approached restorer of whippers age, G dabbled with distance stuff, mainly 'cos some running whippersnapperesses, as in colleagues, made it look easy. Even so 36 year old G's final act at Glaxo, in June 1979, was to run the last leg of the chaps' relay on Sports Day. Alan McGlynn timed G's 110 metres at 13 sec.
Early '89 saw G fat and unfit via Chrimbo fare, including pre & post, when John of the Gibb sort, G's Cockermouth School Chem Dept. colleague, invalided out of the soonly upcoming Italy Ski Trip. Replacement G's solution to how to get fit enough in 2 weeks? Go out and run! This G did with hate, which suddenly changed to addiction, so that post Italy badly shod road bashing quickly led to shin splints. Lesson learned and Gene created a network of local runs, (Alphabet Grid), to be found, along with other inventions, shoes of the proper sort and the mystery of Root 60 on thisfamilyrobinson's page. He ran his first official half marathon, (Great Cumbrian Run), in May '90, thusly initiating his mini passion for leggin' it ............................ one foot at a time road contact and ........ Gene's Running Record.
DATE
EVENT
7-7-91
12-4-92
4-10-92
2-5-93
30-10-94
23-4-95
The Pennine Marathon
The London Marathon
The Humber Bridge Marathon
The Neolithic Marathon
The Athens Marathon
The Shakespeare Marathon
NUMBER
49
28591
487
42
848
1041
OFFICIAL TIME
246 min. 38 sec.
239 min. 47 sec.
221 min. 39 sec.
228 min. 9 sec.
249 min. 31 sec.
247 min. 34 sec.
GENE'S TIME
246 min. 31 sec.
234 min.18 sec.
221 min. 17 sec.
228 min. 5 sec.
249 min. 28 sec.
247 min. 31 sec.
POSITION
194
12211
252
67
374
129
NOTES
Continued below Table. Asterisks explained.
239 min. 43 sec. on the Race Clock, finish line photograph
A pairs event run with Barry Hughes. Distance nominally 20 miles, actually nearer 25 miles.
THE CUMBRIAN "LITTLE" COCKUP 20 Miles
7-5-94
The Cumbrian "Little" Cockup
214
320 min.
320 min. 31 sec.
5
Course Brampton to Carlisle.
Great Northwestern, Preston.
Great North West, Leyland.
1-1-92
Morpeth to Newcastle
1137
115 min. 52 sec.
115 min. 16 sec.
884
6-5-90
19-5-91
9-6-91
4-8-91
15-9-91
6-10-91
29-3-92
3-5-92
21-6-92
23-8-92
21-3-93
25-4-93
16-5-93
13-6-93
5-6-94
2-10-94
5-10-97
13-9-98
4-10-98
2-1-00
12-3-00
24-9-00
20-5-01
9-9-01
30-9-01
14-10-01
6-10-02
21-9-03
The Great Cumbrian Run
The Keswick Half Marathon
The Great Northwestern
Half Marathon
The James Herriot
Half Marathon
The Great North Run
The Lincoln Grand Prix
Half Marathon
The Great York Run
(Yorkie Half Marathon)
The Great West Run
The Dumfries Half Marathon
The Great Scottish Run (City
of Glasgow Half Marathon)
The Ironbridge Half Marathon
The Penrith Half Marathon
The Great Eastern Run
The City of Norwich
Half Marathon
The Dunfermline
Half Marathon
The Selby Half Marathon
The Great Cumbrian Run
The Great Cumbrian Run
The Great North Run
The British Millennium
Half Marathon
The Great North West
Half Marathon
The Robin Hood
Half Marathon
The Chester Half Marathon
The New Forest
Half Marathon
The Great Cumbrian Run
The Cockermouth
Half Marathon
The Great North Run
The Great North Run
1454
253
61
491
17239
184
3167
1231
1041
2520
183
71
159
1702
1000
31
497
275
7770
1141
269
9809
1676
1580
43
36
14198
13071
106 min.
106 min. 29 sec.
103 min. 33 sec.
108 min. 33 sec.
116 min. 26 sec.
98 min.17 sec.
101 min. 45 sec.
104 min. 6 sec.
104 min. 18 sec.
101 min. 56 sec.
106 min. 2 sec.
102 min. 47 sec.
101 min. 25 sec.
98 min. 27 sec.
106 min. 18 sec.
101 min. 36 sec.
113 min. 51 sec.
119 min. 6 sec.
120 min. 30 sec.
118 min. 22 sec.
122 min. 45 sec.
122 min. 42 sec.
143 min. 53 sec.
135 min. 32 sec.
122 min. 28 sec.
159 min. 32 sec.
149 min. 43 sec.
131 min. 45 sec.
106 min. 46 sec.
106 min. 14 sec.
102 min. 50 sec.
108 min. 27 sec.
112 min. 59 sec.
98 min. 11 sec.
101 min. 23 sec.
103 min. 47 sec.
103 min. 59 sec.
101 min. 20 sec.
105 min. 45 sec.
102 min. 40 sec.
101 min. 5 sec.
98 min. 28 sec.
106 min. 13 sec.
101 min. 28 sec.
113 min. 37 sec.
119 min. 5 sec.
115 min. 25 sec.
118 min. 2 sec.
122 min. 42 sec.
121 min. 6 sec.
143 min. 10 sec.
134 min 50 sec.
122 min. 19 sec.
159 min 30 sec.
147 min. 35 sec.
129 min 13 sec.
Official Time corrected by organisers to 110 min. 45 sec. estimating time to cross startline.
865
387
373
174
8473
227
1766
745
210
1871
186
193
752
361
540
237
391
360
11314
342
328
3352
1626
1039
452
65
22914
14276
Position 1669 in men's list, 97 women with faster time.
Position 712 in men's list, 33 women with faster time.
Course Carlisle, Rickerby Park to Bitts Park. Gene's time estimated, incorrect stop watch operation at finish.
Course Carlisle, Rickerby Park to Bitts Park. Run with Dianne Dawes.
Run with Dianne Dawes.
Position includes marathon runners completing only half marathon. Run with Dianne Dawes.
Great North West, Leyland.
Great Northwestern, Preston.
Run with Dianne Dawes.
Position 2855 in men's list, 497 women with faster time.
Run with Katherine Robinson.
Run with Katherine and Philip Robinson. Position 1036 on Internet.
Course Carlisle, Bitts Park to Bitts Park. Run with Dianne Dawes.
Run with Dianne Dawes. See note below about distance. *
Run with Katherine Robinson.
Run with Katherine and Philip Robinson.
28-3-93
10-10-93
25-2-01
4-11-01
10-10-04
The Aspatria to Wigton Ten
Mile Road Race
The Great South Run
The Netherhall Ten
The Derwentwater Ten
The Great South Run
216
1724
4
369
3390
76 min.
75 min. 29 sec.
90 min. 29 sec.
93 min. 51 sec.
89 min. 44 sec.
75 min. 59 sec.
74 min. 40 sec.
90 min. 26 sec.
93 min 44 sec.
89 min. 42 sec.
59
1255
66
320
4860
Gene's time estimated, incorrect stop watch operation at start. Position 1251 on certificate.
Run with Dianne Dawes.
Position 4873 on certificate. **
16--2-92
The Lincoln Grand Prix One
Third Marathon
174
66 min. 45 sec.
66 min. 44 sec.
517
Position 837 on certificate.
Official time 47 min. 28 sec. and position 1021 on certificate. Diane Robinson ran this event.
26-9-93
3-10-93
23-5-04
The Great Midland Run
The Great Caledonian Run
The Great Manchester Run
780
1018
9194
46 min. 2 sec.
48 min. 52 sec.
61 min. 48 sec.
45 min. 45 sec.
46 min. 58 sec.
61 min. 26 sec.
Gene's time estimated, stop watch accidentally stopped for a few seconds. Race clock read 62 min. 10sec.
Run with Dianne Dawes.
834
1174
8268
In most cases "Gene's Time", (stopwatch operated exactly at start and finish lines), is Gene's correct time. There are slight inaccuracies due to incorrect stop watch operation in three cases. The "Official Time" is generally less accurate for any individual, since all runners do not cross the start simultaneously. This discrepancy is greater in bigger events like the London Marathon and The Great North Run. In some later events all runners wore a "chip", which provided more accurate individual times. Nevertheless published information on times, (and also on position), sometimes differed from source to source, newspaper, Internet, certificate, for example. See "Notes".
* The Cockermouth Half Marathon, 14-10-01. "Foot and Mouth" demanded 11th hour course changes, which many thought increased the distance to 15 miles. The organisers admitted 14 miles.
** The Great South Run, 10-10-04. Run with Philip Robinson.
You might run a mile faster than 3 min. 40 sec. or so and break the current record, (time of writing 2013), but you'll never break Roger Bannister's record, (first to beat the 4 minute barrier, 6-5-54). Page 3 documents G's unbreakable LWW record, (first crossing in darkness at the winter solstice), and G invented the Pica to Parsonby Picoparsec, believing he ran it first. Could you beat his time?
C
R
O
L
L
N
E
S
S
I
T
U
D
E
Unless you’re a photon a parsec will seem a long way to travel. A parsec is a unit of distance used in astronomy, a bit more than 3¼ light years. If you imagine a triangle with its shortest side as long as the diameter of the Earth’s orbit, with the other two sides coming together at an angle of 1 second, i.e. 1 degree divided by 60 x 60, then the height of that triangle would be 1 parsec. It’s a thincredibly thin triangle, of course, and a parsec turns out to be 19.16 million million miles! A million million is 10 in scientific language, so a parsec is 19.16 x 10 miles.
Scientists use other tricks too, like adding a prefix. The prefix “micro”, for example, signifies a millionth, and “pico”, (pronounced “peak-o”), means a millionth of a millionth. A millionth of a millionth is 10 , which would cancel out the 10 in a parsec, making a picoparsec just 19.16 miles, easy for a particle of light, but a bit of a challenge for a human being!
P2PP Route *
It so happens that Pica and Parsonby, two Cumbrian villages, are about 13 miles apart, not a picoparsec of course, but the 13 applies only to photons and crows. If you go by road not only will you pass through a fine selection of the west of the county’s villages, but the distance will be around 19 to 20 miles, and by selecting the right route it’ll be 1 picoparsec.
Pica, (pronounced “pike-a”), is perched on a lonely hill, with wide and wonderful views; the Irish Sea and Scottish hills one way, the Lakeland fells the other. Parsonby on the other hand, has close neighbours, Arkleby, Plumbland and Threapland. Three of these four places are contiguous with the fourth almost so, and there’s a locally famous rhyme that goes on about Plumbland Church being in Parsonby, (although it’s actually in Arkleby), while Plumbland School and Village Hall are both in Parsonby. Plumbland Mill, though, is close to Threapland and, to cap it all, Threapland is actually in a different parish from the other three. Meanwhile Wardhall, (pronounced “Wardle”), detached and halfway to Gilcrux, (pronounced “Gilcroose”), is in Plumbland’s parish.
The route from Pica to Parsonby is quite hilly, but downhill overall, Pica being about 300 feet higher than Parsonby. It begins downhill too, heading east to Dean Cross and straight on into Ullock, where the River Marron is crossed. Dean is next on the route and then the way turns right at the crossroads near the school making for Deanscales and Eaglesfield. At Eaglesfield, birthplace of John Dalton of Atomic Theory fame, the route turns right into the village, then left, left and left again to return to the original road, a short tour that is needed to make the distance. After this it’s on into Brigham, turning right and then left down to Ellergill Bridge, then left and right to a tricky dogleg crossing of the busy A66. (Look Left, Look Right, Look Left Again! Then hope for the best. There're some idiots on A66).
Crossing the River Derwent the route then climbs towards Little Broughton, but turns right to Priests Bridge and crosses the A594 to reach Tallentire and obey its one-way system. In the final miles now, there’s a right turn at Greengill, then, after passing through Gilcrux and Wardhall, another right turn at Wardhall Guards leads to the last turn, a left at the crossroads on the B5301 in Parsonby.
Using the best methods of measurement to hand Gene made the distance to the “Horse and Jockey” in Parsonby 19 miles 282 yards, i.e. 1 picoparsec, or at least pretty close to it. A pub seems to offer an appropriate finishing point and a convenient start is the road junction to Distington in the middle of Pica. However, should someone with more accurate means of measurement find that the distance isn’t quite right; there is sufficient latitude for adjustment both in Pica and Parsonby and also within the route itself.
The best bit, though, is that you don’t need to stop running at the pub, because it turns out that a three quarter marathon is 19.66 miles, i.e. half a mile longer than a picoparsec! Even better, in Parsonby, you can run down the lane opposite the pub to the school, turn left up the path they call “The Stoups”, then left again on the main road to return to the pub! It’s exactly near enough half a mile, (to the nearest 53 yards). So there are two runs in one, both finishing at the pub:
Pica to Parsonby…….1 picoparsec, first finish at the “Horse and Jockey”.
Pica to Parsonby…….¾ marathon, second finish at the “Horse and Jockey”.
The First Run
Gene ran from Pica to Parsonby by the route described on the morning of Thursday 26th October 2000. There was a strong following wind. Gene's times were:-
Pica to Parsonby Picoparsec……….3 hours 9 minutes 4 seconds.
Pica to Parsonby ¾ Marathon……… 3 hours 14 minutes 55 seconds.
P'raps. Or even Prob. Or Not. But click up panel left to display the important junctions en route, excepting less important junctions and them as was less important, but are now more important on account of importance increase.
Click red and yellow squares for more route detail, click black
square for pub, click pub sign to return to thisfamilyrobinson.
Tallentire is spelt Tallantire on some OS maps, even though Tallentire Hill isn't. Pronunciation.
Distington ... Dissington. Greysouthen ... Greysoon. Gilcrux ... Gilcroose.
EPIDOGALOGUE Final words on organised running events.
BAD.....Mania for running dressed as a radish, or in ilk fancy clobber. Increasing obsession with Charity to the point of expectation.
UGLY.....Indecent Charity pressure. What Dianne & Gene experienced at one event amounted to attempted bribary.
GOOD.....More than healthy lifestyle promotion. The opportunity to run in the same event as top athletes. Moses Tanui, first to run a sub-hour half marathon, (Milan,
3-4-93, 59 min. 47 sec.), failed to finish 1991 Great North Run, Gene didn't. Likewise Rosa Mota did not complete 1992 London Marathon. Gene did. Did Gene beat them? Mmmm! Well, they sure didn't beat him. Not on the day! 6-10-02 Gene trailed by some distance one Paul Kosgei, who ran the Great North Run in 59 min. 58 sec. Gene was part of the first sub-hour Great North Run. Now that's better than any radish! Better than Charity hijack!
Final words on Pica to Parsonby Picoparsec.
Good example of aforementioned importance increase occurs early on. Click up "arrows" panel far left. First left to Distington is no longer important, being replaced by a left after the right to Arlecdon. This was formerly a very minor road and isn't included on the route diagram. The newly promoted road leads to Distington and also to Gilgarran. Don't fotget you're travelling Pica to Parsonby, i.e. top to bottom. So what looks like a right on the diagram is actually a left and vice versa! Mmmm!
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