Dive-bombing bird cancels junior race

BBC News

04-07-2025

Preparing to take part in a race can come with lots of different challenges.You need to do lots of practice, make sure you're getting enough rest and warm up properly to give yourself the best chance at success. But one group of junior athletes prepping for a big event have been meet with a rather unexpected obstacle. Their mountain running race had to be cancelled because of dive-bombing buzzard.
The organiser of the fell running race, which is a sport involving running up and down hilly and mountainous stretches of land with no paths, said he came into contact with the bothersome bird while out running in the Clwydian Range in Denbighshire."I was following a path along the valley when I suddenly felt something hit the back of my head accompanied by a swooshing sound," race organiser Nigel Crompton said.The Fell Runners Association concluded it wasn't safe for people to take part in the event which had been scheduled to take place on Sunday, and that it would not be fair on the protected species.
Mr Crompton said he raised concerns about junior athletes being targeted by the bird."Thoughts quickly moved from survival to the race in just a few days," said Mr Crompton. The race in the Clwydian Range has been held since 2023 and is one of the races in the English Junior Fell Championships. Participants in the event are as young as seven years old.
A spokesperson for charity RSPB Cymru said: "Although it's no consolation to those attacked, it is unusual for buzzards, or any other bird of prey, to attack humans."The birds are most likely just being good parents and defending their young."They also added that they've now advised people to avoid the area for the short period of time until the young leave the nest.