Saddleworth Five Trigs
What we now know as the Saddleworth Five Trigs, originally began life as a training exercise for the members of the Oldham Mountain Rescue Team in 1971. It was first completed by Bob Tait and Graham Thompson in a time of 5hr and 15mins. Bob has very kindly provided us with his extensive notes outlining the history of the route (including the notable times achieved) and they are available here in three parts; Part 1, Part2 and Part 3.
Over the years the fastest time was gradually chipped away at, however it was always considered a “walk” until the 6th of January 1973 when Alan Barber of East Cheshire Harriers completed the route in 4hrs dead wearing running shoes and with minimum equipment. After that point the challenge was on and the times continued to fall until on the 30th of July 1977 Colin Robinson and John Monks (both of Rochdale Harriers) set the fantastic mark of 2hrs 38 minutes for the circuit in 1977.
In recent years accurate records of attempts have not been kept but Saddleworth Runners are now seeking to rectify this by starting a log of times, including those mentioned in Bob’s notes. This log can be found below. If you have set a time yourself which can be verified (by witness or GPS file for example, we would be glad to add you to the log), please notify us via email.
The Route & Checkpoints:
Whilst theoretically the route can be ran in either direction and started from any point on the route the “recognised” start / finish point has become the Clarence Hotel in Greenfield and it has also been accepted that the route should take in Pots & Pans and avoid using the Isle of Skye Road (aside from crossing it on the way to West Nab).
Notes on route choice:
To avoid the Isle of Sky Road, originally Wessenden Reservoir was used as an intermediate CP with runners then crossing the moor to the Cotton Famine Road, however in recent years the preference has been to drop to Wessenden Head Reservoir and then take Shiny Brook Clough up to the Cotton Famine Road
Please ensure you follow access rules at all times, please only cross fences etc. at official stiles, it is important that Saddleworth Runners maintain good relations with the local land owners.
If you do attempt the route please ensure that you take the required kit, knowledge and experience on the fells with you to safely navigate yourself around the route. Particular care may be required navigating to Featherbed Moss, especially in bad visibility. Please also take care crossing rivers / streams between Laddow Rocks and the Isle of Skye Road if they are in spate.
As you will see from his notes when the route was originally established Bob Tait provided certificates and badges (at a cost) for successful completions. We think this was a great idea so in a similar vein, for anyone who would like something to help them remember their trot around the route our good friends at Ginger City have created the bespoke Tee you can see below. This can be ordered for £13.50 by emailing ginger-city@outlook.com with details of your size and if you wish it can be personalised with the date and time it took to complete your run (include details in your email).
Saddleworth Five Trigs Time Log
Note / Request: If you have previously run the route and would like for your time to be included in the log, please get in touch with Saddleworth Runners via email.
