‘a high quality field in one of the toughest and most demanding cross country races of the year’…..why am I standing at the starting line then?
Suffering from mixed emotions that morning, I had turned out in my techiest running apparel. For a race that was probably not going to last longer than 8 miles. This thought was echoed by my running partner who queried my choice to bring a race vest. We had done a few reccy runs for the first of the four stages of the steeple chase. I’d never needed the vest in the past, now surrounded by a field of very athletic looking competitors why had I decided I would be going further today?
I left the vest.
Feeling very out of place, surrounded by people who looked as though they run at least a couple of times a week, certainly enough to earn themselves team colours. I thought we had found ourselves a good starting position relatively close to the front. However as the starting pistol went I realised I had underestimated how many thin fell runners you can fit into a small space. I was in fact closer to the back than the front.
The first few hundred yards are some of the hardest running I’ve ever done. Even though very little running was being achieved. The course takes you from the road below Mam Tor straight up the steep side to the top of the ridge. This was hard when I was doing the practice runs. However it became even harder with that extra surge of adrenaline and racing 400 other people.
The ladies set off five minute after the gents, this didn’t stop the first lady overtaking me before the gate between Mam Tor and Hollins cross. That stung the pride which I now had to nurse all the way to Bamford. The route follows the ridge past Back Tor to Lose Hill from here there is a steep descent before climbing up to the plantation below Win Hill. I saw one take a tumble down Lose Hill but in the process gain about four places. Luckily for me my Inov8 Trailrocs provided a decent amount of grip, enough to keep me upright.
We passed a checkpoint that showed your race position. I didn’t understand it so carried on at the same slow pace. Surely I would be evicted at the first knockout anyway, wasn’t I?
The path skirting round the plantation is awful - barbed wire on one side and broken ground underfoot. I heard that one bloke had come a cropper into the fence but carried on, fair play to him! We then drop down to the reservoir and straight down the Thornhill trail, the home straight. I overtook someone, feeling like a champion, only for him and his mate to come past me about three minutes later. We turned left over the fields towards Bamford Mill, up to the Anglers Rest then, all the way back down the road to the playing field.
There it was, the first knockout, the end, I pulled up by the drinks table absolutely spent…..only to be told I’d made the cut and now had to head back up over Win hill….I can’t repeat what I said when I got this news but it was along the lines of ‘bugger’
The next stage was a lot slower. I should really apologise to the guy who asked me to pace with him. He got about twenty yards before his new pacer had to start walking.
Luckily the second stage was only four miles. It was tough going on the way up but even harder on the way down. There was more staggering than running, I was doing well, and I only had to overtake 104 people to make it through to the next check point.
I was finally cut off at Hope feeling totally broken, but looking forward to the free food and drink at Castleton. What a great event, very well organised and with a fantastic atmosphere.
