Race Report: Spunch at Dunham (MDOC)

 When Manchester District Orienteering Club announced a countryside score event I was hoping to make a few of them. Sadly, I will make one of seven due to other commitments but I am so glad I made one. 

I hadn't run Dunham way for a while. I went through a short phase of doing long runs down there due to the ability to loop between the canal and the Trans Pennine Trail and it being quite flat with a number of good cafes plus the Dunham Massey house to finish up at. 

MDOC don't officially allow dogs on their runs, but they haven't stopped me yet. And with Martin away, and having had to take most of the weekend off with a virus, it was a good opportunity to event with Oscar dog in tow (or in fact in canicross). The MDOC events are also very family friendly and many people walk them rather than run them. And whilst a paper map was handed to you at the start, the tracking was all done using MapRun on your phone rather than dibbers. This latter point caused some problems for new initiates but it is worth getting your head round as there are so many events and standing courses on there. 

I was a bit early getting parked up at the village hall as I wanted Oscar to do his 'business' before we got going. I couldn't take him in the hall to register but he sat in the car whilst I did that bit. Four pounds later and we were registered and went for a short warm up walk the canal (and Oscar did his business). The canal was pretty busy with walkers and cyclists, which I worried about for later but it wasn't a major problem. 

We were among the first to go, having chosen the 90 minute course (60 minutes would cause me too much time anxiety!).  I dutifully did not turn my map over until I hit the 'go to start' button on my app and off we went. Well, we didn't really as we had to turn over the map and make a plan. I immediately spotted a loop of controls going off along the canal and coming back parallel with the TPT so we trotted off in that direction. I remembered to start my watch about 5 minutes later, which caused me timing anxiety later (how many minutes ahead of the watch am I? 5? 4? 6? Arghh better head back!). We hit the first control (geo punch, all done by satellite, very clever) quickly and thankfully my watch and phone beeped to show everything was working well. I did stop and help one family who had a false start but Oscar and I were never going to be competitive (one lady slightly rudely said I was cheating with the dog but that is her problem). 

We left the canal at the first bridge (another control- hurray!) and did a short road section before joining a footpath. A few runners were stretching across the field ahead of me and I was trying to decide quite how to play this. I don't do enough of these events to have a real feel how long things will take me, and this being a point score, we could potentially cover quite a way. The map had a huge number of controls in all directions. I decided I would take the detours to nearby controls as long as I could see the path and so I chucked Oscar over the stile in to the horses field and we trotted across to the control by the farm, narrowly avoiding being chased by horses on the way back, which was a bit scary. We rejoined the footpath across the fields and took the next detour to the TPT to pick up another control. 

The TPT was quite busy and as I spun back around after my phone beeped for the punch, a person behind me  (not orienteering) asked if I was going the wrong way. I flapped my map at him and ran back to get back on my loop. We must look entirely mad to people who haven't done orienteering. 

The line of runners I could see was thinning a bit as we reached another road crossing by a chicken farm. I guessed several people would be turning to run back on the 60min course. I hadn't decided until the last minute to go on and do another loop I could see out along a track. With the dog I wanted toI was overtaken by a much faster runner who said hi but it was generally much quieter but still easy to navigate. Turning south west I realised I would have to chose how brash to be in the next section as there were a cluster of controls, rather in a star pattern and I was sure I didn't have time for them all. I was aiming to get on the TPT and cut back east on that. This was where the watch business and my own timing anxiety kicked in. I went conservative and only grabbed one before doing a reasonable stint on the TPT with only one control to later show for it. In hindsight, leaving that point and grabbing a few more around Carr Green would have been a better strategy. 

Oscar had slowed a bit. I think he wanted a drink but there hadn't been a stream today. I felt mean and let him drink from a puddle which was probably not the nicest water. We grabbed the control on the TPT, spun and head for the road junction, only to be held up a bit by some horse riders. I always walk past horse rides, and one of them horses was already flighty. But soon we were back running and heading back down Back Lane towards Dunham town. 

The roads around Dunham confuse me. I was glad when the control beeped as expected as I have expected to be on the wrong road. Really I should have looked at my phone to see how long we had left as I might have pushed poor Oscar a bit less on this section. We jumped on the canal and ran the short distance down it and up on to the road  (me praying for no cars on the bridge), before running in to the car park where the finish control beeped us in. Phew! My watch actually said we had 8 minutes spare but in reality it was 4. Damn it, could have done another control at Carr green but we had hit a nice round 400 and were currently 1st of 4....not many 90 min course people were back and it did not stay that way long! 

Evidence of being 1st for less than 5 minutes! 

A lady from my running club I hadn't seen in a while was waiting by the village hall and kindly got me a drink whilst I held the dog. We then sat and chatted on the bench whilst the dog drank a load of water and other people we knew or who I had seen a few times on the run came to chat and pet Oscar. It was such a lovely morning and I enjoyed it immensely. Oscar has slept all afternoon so it was definitely worth the 4 pounds too! 

Race Report: Windy Hill

 Darren at CraggRunner has a sick sense of humour and so it is no surprise that when he resurrected the Windy Hill fell race he made it longer, and finish of about three quarters of a mile up hill. Mind you, we were blessed with much better weather than normal today and its cracking route for winter so we can forgive him (maybe). 

Starting and finishing at a pub which doubles as a farm shop, it was pre entry only, and a course that was partially marked (indeed very partially). Usual FRA kit was required along with a map. Three check points with water and haribo. Just under 12 miles. Beautiful. Park on the super fast A road (less beautiful). 

I was still pretty tired following the cross country the day before, and indeed, marathon training in general. I had spent my pre race phaffing drinking tea and saying hello to a surprisingly high number of people I knew in attendance. Subsequently I needed a wee within a mile and was super sweaty and caved in to stripping off layers at mile 3. Lesson for life: do pre race admin. 

After a short briefing we were off down the bridleway and I took it a bit too slow as everyone was jumbled together. I was chatting to a club mate and toddling down steadily admiring the view of Piethorne reservoir. 

By Sam Hartley

This happy state was promptly broken by the first uphill when my friend ran off and my bladder kicked in. It took  my 3/4s of a mile to find a wall to hide behind and let enough people past to risk it. In this time I caught up another club mate. 

We headed down to the left, veering off the bridleway on to a reasonably made path and then across a rugby club where a number of kids teams were warming up for their matches. After my wall hiding, I was catching a few people through this section and the gentle uphill to go back under the M62 bridge on a well made road and bridleway went well. I continued to go relatively well as we climbed back over the M62 and looked up towards Blackstone Edge. This looming hill has a number of gritstone boulders and pinnacles at the top. It looked a long way up. We joined the Pennine Bridleway most of the way up, then the old Roman Road. Like many Pennine bridleways, the track was not always well made, with intermittent bogs. I could see my club mates ahead of me and thought I might catch them. The cobbly section of footpath wasn't too bad on the way up but as we hit the slabs my two club mates pulled away from me and my race took a turn for the worse. Once we hit the boggier, tussockier part of Blackstone Edge I started to make a meal out of it. I had very much slowed down and was falling away from people in front and the odd person was going past me. As we started to descend back towards the motorway, it was several people. I did see the legend of Otley running that is Antonio though, and was pleased he was out doing his thing at his pace. Long live the older legends. 

The bridge across the M62 was the Pennine way one, and thus, iconic. Shortly after I was chatting to a lady from Norfolk whose husband had signed her up and who was very angry with his deceit. I walked a bit more of the ascent of Windy Hill to the mast than necessary, stopped to refill my bottle at the checkpoint and then joined the boggier, very Pennine path and then track across the ridge, up and down. People were very much getting away from me but I tried to get  a move on. Large puddles filled the main track despite relatively little rain of late, and I was up on a footpath to the side (all very classically Pennine). I had sort of drifted in ot a gap as I dropped back in to the main bridleway and suddenly fell, smacking my head on the floor. 

I stood up pretty quickly (I think) but was pretty dazed. I stood for a good few seconds a bit confused. I must have started moving as by the time someone came behind me I was further down the track. I remember it not being an enjoyable descent back down towards the reservoir and I was not moving fast. The lady behind me talked to me and I was abit more alert by now and we started up the final hill together. It was a long final hill but not entirely unrunnable. Maybe I should have run a bit more as I was a solid 6 minutes behind me club mates I had been chasing (one of whom was at the finish line). 

Tea and soup was free for runners, and pasties (vegan or meat) were available from the farm shop. None from Chorlton had won any prizes but we had had a lovely trip out. Low numbers mean I will still get points for the club champs despite my poor second half. I must admit I enjoyed it all the same; the route had the feeling of a journey in the Pennine landscape. Would recommend, but watch out for the last bit of hill!

Trail Running the Isle of Purbeck

 When I was a child, I went on holiday most years to Dorset, mostly to see my Nan in Swanage on the Isle of Purbeck. There was a beach, my Mum could get some help looking after us, and there was Beavers Cafe for milkshakes. When I was a teen, I stopped going as I developed other interests and it was only in the few years before Covid I returned and realised what an amazing place the Purbeck Isle and Dorset coast were. 

Please note, Lulworth and Durdledor are amazing but in the last few years the crowds have become too much, there is a lot more infrastructure and its a bit more developed. I can't go as it breaks my heart a bit, but don't let that stop you. 

Having some time off between jobs, and needing to go see my Nan and Grandad, I booked a self catering apartment, loaded the dog in the car for a long journey (travelling solo with a dog is complicated, especially the loo situation) and set off for the south coast and week of gentle walks with Nanny Maureen and some running with the dog. 

Through summer there is a trial running event nearly every weekend on the Jurassic coast, and of course the population probably trebles with an onslaught of tourists. But in winter, there are enough locals to keep a few things open and the odd tourist like me choses to invade. I lucked out with the weather and had an amazing few days down there. So here are a few recommendations for trail running in the area. It is by no mean definitive as there is so much coast path and amazing farm land, I could go on forever, but a few to when the appetite. 

For my intervals session, I used the frozen (it was -3) King George playing field where I believe there was once a club 5k race. Its flat, its well maintained and I could take the dog. You also could use the Swanage prom if you went early which is flat and offers lovely views. 

For trail runs which don't require too much navigation, I recommend either the Sike trail at Wareham forest, or the trust 10k route at Studland. The Sika trail is about 7 miles, and is actually pretty flat, with the odd slope. Its quite well signposted but in summer it is a popular family cycle trail so may be difficult to run on. It is forestry commission with free parking at either the Sika car park or there are some other options you can join the trail at via a short track. The dog ran off the harness all morning and love it. Its forestry fire tracks so not technical but you get a series of lovely sections of scrub, conifer and the odd view over some paddocks. The trust 10k on the other hand was a touch more challenging. Held once a month, these free events are held around the country but the courses are marked the whole time. This one was relatively easy to follow but just check a map first. It starts at Knoll beach cafe (parking from 9am do note! I had to park elsewhere and join the trail further up) and after a section of beach, winds in to the edge of the pretty village of Studland before heading up a long steep road then bridleway on to Ballard down. From here you get some amazing views over Studland, Swanage, across to Bournemouth, and then you head round by Old Harry rocks. It isn't technical but the hill and beach are killer, and you finish going down a bridleway then back the way you came via Studland and the beach. There are several cafes at Studland beach (to get over the shock of the hill), the Bankes Arms pub and lots of parking, but it does get busy in summer and I kept the dog on the lead a lot due to cliffs and farmland. There is also a new trail based parkrun at Durlston country park I haven't done yet, but will feedback if I do. 

On the Trust 10k

For those that can mostly read a map you can do many sections of coast path and either create circles or do out and backs. The coast here is pretty undulating but perhaps not quite as savage as Cornwall. There are some points of interest to take breaks at, particularly the old quarries, but there is also a section that is used by the military for tank drills a lot of the year (Tyneham is fascinating if you do get chance to visit though). By Swanage you can use Durlston country park and come back via several footpaths. There is a short loop with a set of wicked steps and a marvellous medieval chapel at St Aldhelm's head (park at Renscombe farm, go out to the coast path, round and back along the bridle path, reverse only if brave!). Parking at Worth Matravers you can run down to Winspit quarries and admire the caves before heading either way along the coast path to create some amazing loops, perhaps going to Dancing ledge and up to the Spyway barn before back along the Priest's way. The Square and compass in Worth Matravers is an old fashioned pub with amazing views from its garden and gets a lot of recommendations (no food, for that go to Kingston's  Scott's Arms). 

To St Aldhelm's head 

Ballard down, nine barrow down and Knowle hill form an amazing ridge that can be run as an out and back or returning by other routes. A great circular route to do is to start in Swanage, head up to Ballard down, along and to nine barrow down, Brenscombe hill and then drop down in to Corfe for a closer view of the ruined castle. Now from here you can jump on a bus or steam train back to Swanage, or head out across Corfe Common, either heading for historic Kingston via the Hardy way, or more directly to the coast via the Purbeck way before taking either the coast path, priest's way or the middle track back to Swanage. It is quite a run but you get some amazing views of many of the Purbeck highlights. 

Among events down there, Maverick run some, the Purbeck Plod comes to mind and there a series of local club events I suspect are great value. Its trail more than fell but its certainly not easy. I am looking forward to head back a lot sooner this time, and continuing to add to my many happy childhood memories. 

Race Report: MACCL race 5 Sherdley Park

No one seemed to want to do Cross Country today; everyone seemed to be questioning their life choices on the start line (or at least that is how it felt, maybe I was projecting). Match 3 of MACCL got postpone due to a clash at the venue (Heaton Park, always busy), and once again I missed match 4 (and Hit the Trial, good by champs points) due to a ski holiday which I suppose is fair enough. To be honest, if I make two races a season I am doing well, and I may even make three this year! 

Sherdley Park is a large park in St Helen's. St Helen's is not, to my mind, in Manchester but then who asked me. There must be a team that hosts it here, or else they just wanted to run in a venue that once hosted a major championship race in 2009. I haven't really been to St Helen's and all I knew about it before today is that it has a large white statue called Dream which once was described to me as looking like a massive tampon and it rather ruined the place for me. 

Having had dog care issues up to the last minute, I forwent the club coach and consequently chose to arrive about 2 hours before my race to manage to get a parking space. A lack of loos and parking are a defining feature of cross country races in our league but given its about a fiver for the season, I shall not complain too loudly. I joined the loo queue, then got a cup of tea, watched the under 11s go off (so small!) and then bumped in to a work colleague who I hadn't seen. Then the club arrived and suddenly there was only 45 minutes to go and at some point I needed to remove the huge number of layers I was wearing and eat my banana. It was nice to catch up with a few people and hear what people were working towards. But I was getting jittery, possibly not aided by the Activ Root green tea powder I was sipping probably unnecessarily (I wanted to try it for the future- not the one I don't think). 

Wellies removed, and mudclaws on, I took a jog and noted that it seemed a bit quieter than some races, possibly due to the distance. I didn't walk the course but had noted the sizeable dip in the park which we would be going up and down several times each lap and tried not to think about it. 

Team photo and we were off to the start line, with a surprising amount of time to spare (we usually don't get a photo until the tree minute gun has sounded...) 

Photo by Rob Mooney

The Sherdley Park course consists of a long start/back/finish straight and then some wiggly sections a bit like a letter B with some extra bumps on the other side. As a spectator, its a great course as you can watch a lot of people at once and not move far. It reminded me a bit of the Parliament Hill Nationals course in that you could see people coming back the other way at quite a lot of points. It undulates with nothing long but a series of short up and downs that central large dip in the park. It doesn't sound bad, but the long route crossed the dip 5 times in total (the short did it 3). We did one long lap and two short laps and the boys did 3 long. The short lap was only in distance slightly shorter than the long but you did get rid of the dips....

The first lap I went out after Ali and Alison who I never beat but was hoping to hang on to for a while. I was over taken on the first climb out the dip which is unlike me but maybe the legs are tired from marathon training, or I am too full of cake from my trip away. We wiggled through the dips and around field which is mostly longer grass, not flattened like a playing field but a bit more uneven. I should have suspected I was going a bit fast when one of the guys shouted 'Hannah you're flying!' As we entered the last dip of the first lap before the long slog around the bottom of the field I clocked I was going a bit fast: my breathing was a bit out of control and the lady from Styal was getting away from me, as was Ali a few places ahead. Bother. 

The second shorter lap was sheer hell and I walked a tiny section of the first dip to try and get my breath back. I was doubting my ability to finish and a few people over took me, and then someone caught me on the flat. I was annoyed at myself and a bit embarrassed to be falling behind so much. Gah! I never learn. I was overtaken by the race leader. Ahead of me a Didsbury runner was walking and I offered support and we joked together about who would over take who where. I tried to reframe my mind: 'You can have an easier one now and give it some beans on the last one', 'You are still doing nearly 10k race pace', 'Starting fast means you don't get despondent watching the pack run away from you'. I didn't know where the next Chorlton runner was but Ali and Alison had now swapped places but were increasingly pulling away and were way too far to over take as I entered lap 3. I was lapped by the 2nd and 3rd place jest before starting the next lap. Humph. 

In lap 3 I was a bit slower to start, walking the first up section a bit again, and losing places. But I managed to keep it going for the remaining dips and people were still cheering me around the course so I had to keep going. As we came up the dip again, I managed to up it to 9mm for a bit, but the last bit round the field felt a slog. The ground had broken up a bit and the soft mud felt hard work. Suddenly I was on the home straight and someone called my name, the ground firmed up and, as I changed from the 'Lap' lane to the 'finish' lane, I kicked a bit, over took someone, lapped someone and headed in to a loudly cheered finish funnel. 

People were quick to congratulate me as I came across the line which was lovely but weird as I thought I had a terrible race. However, when I looked, my average pace was actually not bad at all. I was ready for my recovery hot drink and a coat pretty quickly though. 

I enjoyed watching the men's race but maybe was cheering a bit aggressively, as someone made a slightly rude comment from another team within earshot (snide). I enjoy watching them suffer more than suffering myself. I finished low down my age group but not last, and about 2/3s down the women overall. I beat the people I normally beat, some of them by quite a way, but I did not run a canny race. 

I am in two minds about whether to do the rearranged match three as it is the same weekend as my 20 mile marathon-dress-rehearsal race and I don't want to blow a load of energy and feel rubbish on the main day and lose confidence. However, I do like Heaton Park. I do wonder why I do cross country but I do keep coming back! 

Photo by Rob again 

Race Report: Epic Events Petzl Rivington Nightrunner

A second Epic Events event in as many weeks! Usually I am not a big fan of paying good money to run around a hill I run around anyway, but I am increasingly aware that I am going to be running the Lakeland 50 in to the night and I am not always the best at being in the dark. So this event was a good excuse to get out and run in the dark without my usual blacksheep buddies. 

Geared up

I first did this event five years ago when I was first getting in to head torch running. It was probably my second season of headtorch runs, having done a tiny bit the winter before, and I had ended up buying a really good head torch as I was loving it and there was a SIZEABLE discount on the Petzl Nao+. Petzl make good headtorches, and the Nao+ is often seen adorning the heads of pro runners at events like UTMB or the Spine. The interchangeable battery pack is sturdy but not bulky, and the straps hold it over your head, not just round it so it doesn't fall in your eyes. It has various different settings and a good whack of lumens. But all this comes at quite a price (if bought full price). I'll let you look it up. What I am saying is, it is an investment. And that was fine for me at the time with about 50% off, but not everyone can afford it. It just depends on what you want to do with it. I lead people running in the night and want to be able to run ultras with my torch. My partner steals it for mountaineering. If you just want to plod around your local woods or even on the street, it is probably a bit overkill. Many of my club mates have the Alpkit Quark which is a very good torch for the money, and Fenix have good some great ones on the market. What I will say though is think about ability to charge it (constantly buying AAA batteries is tedious) and get some lumens. A camping head torch on the winter trails is going to mean you go slower and you are struggling and squinting more. On one club outing at the edge of the Peaks, I put my head torch on a lady who was running much steadier than the rest of our group and suddenly she was at the front as she had more confidence and ability with the better light. 

So returning to the event: Petzl Rivington Nightrunner is one of two night runs held by Epic Events (the other one is at Delamere) and the theme is UFOs due to the proliferation of reports out of the West Pennine Moors. When I did the event before, my knowledge of Rivington is not what it is now and it encouraged me to discover whole other areas to run there. There was also snow on the ground and in the air and I remember feeling a bit terrified at times. I also took a good dink out of my knee falling over on the cobbles (one of many over the years!) 

The event HQ is at Rivington and Blackrod high school but the parking had rapidly filled up so it was on road parking by the time I arrived, which I managed to do without much bother about 400m up the road but one guy near me was getting a bit stressed by it (I mean, it isn't really far is it?!). I walked down to the start and joined the sizeable queue to register. This felt a bit like Delamere where the queue had held up the start but it actually moved much quicker, perhaps because there was only one distance (I missed the kids race). I'd liked that I could donate my t-shirt costs to charity but a lot of people were proudly wearing their luminous tees. I'd got the tee from five years ago on over my fleece midlayer but I suspect that was a bit niche. I'd gone fleece midlayer and tee, fleece leggings, mittens, head buff and neckie for the race, plus trusty mudclaws to grip the slippery slopes. The only required kit had been a waterproof or windproof jacket which seemed a bit light for me but Rivington is very accessible. 

I heard none of the pre race briefing as everyone was a bit giddy. The queue for the portaloos was okay but got heavy towards the start time. 

They set us off to Star Man by Bowie, an excellent choice. The lady on the mic was doing a fine job but I couldn't really hear her. 

The race starts down the school drive, along the bus stops and up the side of the school before narrowing down on to a cobbled and rocky track that I have been up dozens of times. Its a steady climb and by this stage in the race we were all still sufficiently mixed that it felt crowded with some walking and some running this section, all trying to get around each other. I mostly jogged until we reached the gate for the terraced gardens when I had a brief walk to the top of the rise before we started the job down to the Pigeon house car park. I know this trail really well, and it was still kind of crowded. I didn't notice the weather at this stage as I was mostly dodging people. 

I think a lot of people were a bit taken aback by the next climb; the old road to the Pigeon house. Its a really rocky, craggy path, with a narrow path running up the side of the main more unstable path in the dip (but only intermittently). I think I did some over taking here but I was mostly walking, with purpose, up the main track, taking the rocks and occasionally bigger step in relatively good stride. As we reached the top I realised how foggy it was, and noticed a few people getting a bit jittery around me. I actually couldn't see the Pigeon house through the fog by the top. 

I tried to make a good progress along the track at the top, which is old cobbles. I am not fast on the flat but I don't mind the bobbly bits. I did feel a bit heavy and slow but decided not to worry about it and decided to do my best over to the of Rivington Pike. We hit the left turn towards and things were definitely thinning out crowd wise. I walked jogged up the first few bends of the path to the Pike before realising we were going around, and not over. I was sure it was over last time but oh well, it saved me doing the steep bit and lets be honest, it was so foggy, there was no view. People over took me on the downhill back to the main track but I held my own back on the flatter cobbles and knowing where to cross the bigger puddles. 

Very soon after I started on the lower track, the front runners came past heading for the final descent. One of them shouted 'Good luck its fairly mental up there'  which I think did not reassure a few of the people around me. It seemed to take a while to get to the left turn up to Two Lads given we couldn't really see any landmarks. 

I was slow up Two Lads, given I had been doing reps up it earlier in the week. There was a bit more to-ing and fro-ing and I walked more than I ought to. I think the fog got a bit better again as we got a bit higher, but you couldn't see the ridge from the top. We went up to the road where the visibility seemed to completely fall but the turn up on to the final mound through the now boggy ground. Earlier in the week it had been frozen, and most of the course had been harder under foot. It wasn't worth dodging the bogs given how much you could wonder off course with so little visibility. The cairn finally loomed out the fog and it was time to start the descent. 

The descent had taken some casaulties, if not actually in falls but a lot of people losing their nerve completely. I did a reasonable amount of over taking, trying my hardest to remember the fastest and safest line off the hill between the sparse sticks with reflective tape marking the way. I offered encouragement and advice on the line to a lady whose headtorch had died and prayed mine did not do the same. I managed to get the right line off the bottom steep section which was a relief, as I hate the steep descent that has evolved since the pandemic. At the hut cafe, a lady and her daughter were cheering us on. I don't remember if there were people still heading the other way towards the ascent but there can't have been many as I headed back along the main track and its cobbles towards the long descent. I was in a small pack of men and made an effort to keep the pace up here, aware I might lose some places on the long descent to the start. 

The marshals were making the final descent clear as, again, it was hard to see the landmarks in the fog. The first part of the descent seemed like dropping in to nothing. All I could see were three yellow jackets slightly ahead of me, and fog. I also had little to give in my legs having run parkrun this morning and given it a decent effort this evening. I used to be so good at descending but I seemed to be off my game and by the time we did the switch back someone had caught up with me and one or two people would pass me before the bottom. Its a decent track, much easier than the fell descent off two lads but this lost me my local knowledge advantage. 

Suddenly we popped out the fog and came upon the gate at the bottom and it was time to try and hare it down the road at the side of the school and past the bus stops again. I tried to focus on my form and pumping my arms. Annoyingly I was over taken as I turned in to the school drive but I thought I gave it a strong, well formed finish...until I looked at the event photos! See below!  A fat shuffly mess! 

Courtesy of Epic Events photographer

I collected my medal and drifted away from the start line. Later I learned I had actually placed quite highly among the women and was outside the bottom third overall which is good for me. 

Would I recommend the race? Its not a trail running beginners race, and some of the marketing is probably not that clear. In good weather its a course with only a few sections of technical (the quarry road ascent and the fell decent, and the tiny boggy bit) but it is January so good weather is perhaps unlikely. However, you aren't going to get too lost and the entire top track is runnable at the very least. It is good practice with a head torch but you might want to think about buddying up if you haven't done much before. I remember being scared and feeling a bit unsafe the first time I did it (this time I felt more comfortable, knowing the route very well). The medal is quite good though. And we didn't see any aliens except in fancy dress, but who knows what was out there in that fog!