Category: Race Rundowns

Club: Organised by Elvet Striders

Distance 5.3 miles

The Willow Miner Trail run is organised by our local running neighbours Elvet Striders, and is a “must” race I have been wanting to do for a few years now, but have always left it too late to register! Not this year though…

This year’s entry fee was £7, and I was eager to taste the much-talked about buffet that would follow the race. Then at registration stage, I read the small print, there would be no buffet this year! Oh no, in Dave Walkers words: “it’s an unbelievable spread”…and this amazing supper had vanished in the blink of an eye. I had to read it again and again, even making the screen bigger. Not all was lost though, as a set meal of chilli con carne was on offer. Never mind I thought, I had to book and that was it.

The race terrain itself is a mix of woodland walks, field edges, grass paths, river banks, bridges and steps with a series of hard climbs and fast descents. Starting at the Houghall College sports field and running through Great High Wood to the south west, and on to Low Burnhall Woodland Trust, where the aptly named Willow Miner sits, you will loop back on yourself, twisting and winding home to the start / finish line, taking in all of the above features in one form or another – reaching the 5.3 mile race distance (approx. 8.4km).

With plenty of high grass, trees and branches to the sides, many of the grass paths towards the Willow Miner can be single file in places, so choosing that moment to pass (if you fancy it) can be tricky. Get it right though, and you’re away. There was a fantastic number of local family and friends supporting the runners and clubs on the night, and well marshalled across much of the course, all offering plenty of encouragement, well wishes and direction. Parking is very easy, with hundreds of spaces available to the rear of the Houghall College or opposite the main road at the Durham University Maiden Castle car park. Registration was easy too, simply follow the signs on the night to the old gym hall at the rear of the Houghall College.

The blue and white club vests were donned this year by Tracy Henderson, Rosie Warnett, Chris Hearmon, Marie and Dave Walker, Andy Featherstone and myself. This year I was a little worried that my race plans could be abandoned by a stiff neck 48 hours before race day, and was feeling pretty rubbish. Would a quick phone call to Neil at PPPT be successful? (More on that later). I persevered with Nurofen and my friend Deep Heat, as I was determined to go out and enjoy it at the very least.

Setting off from Coxhoe in plenty of time, I headed for Shincliffe, passing Tracy Henderson at Bowburn’s Jet Garage (she looked in the zone with her backpack), not realising she was en route to the event herself!

With parking and registration sorted I bumped into a few other Harriers and we headed out to the starting field. Then I got the urge, and a quick toilet stop was needed. No lock on the door. No lights…Well, as all ofus runners know, when you need to go, you need to go.

We all met in the start / finish field and headed over to the start line, where three gentlemen from Elvet Striders had gathered to say a few pre-race words. One Strider in particular, touched us all with his personal brain tumour journey and a moment to reflect. It certainly gave me a lump in my throat.

The start gun went, and we were off, and within a few hundred yards it was out of the field, up the steps and on to the Great High Wood paths, snaking through the various up and downs, and out at the top.  Dave Walker was a familiar partner in crime, and I was hot on his heels as we picked off various runners. Sadly, at 4k, a stitch was knocking on the door, and even though I tried to run it off, it wasn’t going to go away.

Never mind, “keep it going” I said to myself as we weaved around the tight single file river embankments, opening-up to the last big climb (or so I thought). I passed a Blaydon Harrier at the top and kept pressing, skirting around the edges of the fields, THEN it was the last big climb up a steep stepped hill (catching my breath with a brisk walk), and along the edge of the field footpath. This was familiar territory, as I headed down the steps (a reverse of the first kilometre) and back on to the woodland path again. Head down, weaving through the woods, I popped out at the end, down the steps and sprinted for the finish line (proper big strides too). DW was giving the big thumbs up…around the dog leg, and finish line in sight.

Done. That was it. Hands on knees……water, water, I needed water.

I headed back up to the dog-leg corner and joined DW, as we congratulated each other, clapping and cheering our Harriers home. And then they hit us (no, not our Harriers). Bloody midges. Millions of them. It was so muggy and humid, the little buggers were everywhere…so we made a quick exit and headed to the finish line to cheer on. Marie was on another flyer too…was it those midges?!

It was at that point, I had that lightbulb moment! Neil from PPPT had his treatment table at the refreshment tent, so I headed over for 10 minutes of torture (nice torture though…god it was worth it)

Always good craic with Neil (no pun intended of course). But my neck needed it, and I instantly started to feel some relief. Barely off the table, the voices were calling me “Mil, Mil over here” – team photo time!!

Remembering that Tracy had run to the event, it was only fitting that she was given a lift home to Coxhoe after a great Harrier turn-out. Well done everyone. A great evening of running on a tricky and testing course on a very warm and muggy night.

On reflection:

A fantastic local race that seems to creep under the radar, and yet offers so much more, with plenty of excitement, local grass roots club participation and friendly rivalry on the night. It’s on your doorstep and offers similar terrain to what we are used to at the Harriers. At 8.4k it is also a great half-way distance (almost in the middle of a 5k and 10k). It reminds me a little bit of The Handicap (but without the handicap if you know what I mean) in that you can push the pace if you want too, but you might also get caught from behind as well, on the twisty narrow sections between the long grass and bushes. A little bit like one of our older Thursday night training sessions I guess – are you the rabbit, or are you the greyhound? It certainly keeps you on your toes. Not sure if the buffet will return in future years, but I am sure the chilli was just as good.

Put it on your race list for next year. An absolute must!

Milburn

Results: https://racebest.com/results/973cw

As a local-ish Grand Prix race I thought I should give it a go and booked up a couple of months ago. I forgot to write it in my diary, then about a month later the Willow Miner Race at Durham opened for entries, which I do like, yes hilly, hard but a great run.  I spread the word on Facebook because I know a few Harriers also like the Willow Miner and it does fill up fast. It was about 2 weeks later when I was wondering why many Harriers hadn’t entered the Willow Minor the penny dropped, the Sunderland 5K Grand Prix race was the next day!  Oh well I’ll take it easy at the Willow Miner! (Did I heck!)

So back to Sunderland.

First race 6.45pm. Ladies and senior men (over 50s)

Second race 7.20pm. Everyone else, or in other words the fast lads!

Car parking was no problem as there was a large overflow car park, but I’m guessing anyone arriving late may not agree with me, the sports complex has a lot going on. The evening was VERY warm and windy unfortunately, not a cold wind; the good news it was a lot more downhill than up (start at 240ft, finish at 184ft) BUT the main downhill was the first 600m so you were forced in to a fast start!

After chatting to a few Harriers before we set off about the normal stuff like why we won’t be running so fast and not expecting to do well because of …….. heat, wind, tired legs, lack of sleep, not feeling good, injuries, narrow start, the normal stuff, we set off fast downhill (it felt fast which is not good at the start of a race).  It was quite a crowded start and because of the hill it felt like you needed space to let your legs go and take advantage of the hill but maybe it was good that there were people in the way to slow you down a bit.

Once on the flat for start of the small loop the wind hit you head on and it made it really hard work to keep your pace going, not good less than 15% into the race. A small hill was the turning point for the small loop but you didn’t get any benefit of the wind due to the trees on the way back round.

The second loop took you a bit further out, so longer into the head wind but I did feel the wind behind me for a small part of the way back but it didn’t help!

For a warm night with a cruel wind, most of the Harriers had a brilliant run, but I know some suffered from the fast start.

A highlight for me was while we walked back to the car having to stand to the side to let the “fast lads” run past on their fast downhill start; the speed and the cool breeze it created was wonderful!  Also brilliant to watch the start of a race as you are normally running it. (Yes Declan, Paul, Mark and Sam you were the “fast lads!”)

The race was well organised. I also liked the option of bringing your own bottle which they left crates out for you to put them in on the way to the start, then they carried them to the finish for you to collect. The crates were marked by club names, or for the clubs with not so many entries (like us) you were in the “others” crate.

How did I do? Well not bad, the fastest 5k since 2009, but only 12 seconds faster than my recent PB at Sedgefield parkrun which definitely has just as many up hills as it does down!  Yes I do wonder if it was a cooler night and if I hadn’t run the night before would I have beaten my best ever time of 22.01????

by Marie Walker.

Sunday Morning runs are good for many things, fresh air, exercise and coming up with slightly crazy ideas. It was on one Sunday morning that I decided that it would be a great idea to lure my fellow Harriers into a relay for 24 hours. Garnering interest was, for some inexplicable reason, not as easy as I predicted. Underhand tactics were required for a few while at least one person volunteered. At one point I thought we might get enough for two teams but fate (good sense) intervened and on race weekend, five brave Harriers made it to Gibside.

Eric Henderson, Mark Chapman, Mark Raine, Peter King and Stuart Park

The first mile was getting from the car park to the start of the race. Raine was “pulling a Bentley” but managed to get there for the first lap with 5 minutes to spare. The plan was to all run the first lap together and get a feel for the course. All lined up on the start with the dedicated 24 hour runners, a short count down and we were off, well four of us. Ella decided that she wanted to run and was not going to be denied. We were lagging behind quickly and after 100 m turned back to return her to the start. My second start was to a fanfare of tears as I sprinted away to catch the others.

The sprint start soon deteriorated when I hit the first hill, it did not seem too bad though and I caught up to the pack, most were running together at this point. We then turned THE corner and the first hill loomed into the distance. Sensible runners started to walk at this point as it was a very long race. Mark R, Eric and I were still running together with Pete and Mark C behind.

A long section of downhill took us past the stables and then turned up into an unending climb, a slow draining climb that while runnable was mental torture. Finally at the top there was a beautiful view down the valley to a spire in the distance. The descent, while welcome, was not as easy as it could have been, a bit steep and it gave a good jarring to the knees.

The bottom of the hill was at mile 3 and a sharp turn brought us into a nice path along the woods, past the bear cave and up, up, up the last climb (A short sharp affair). The last half a mile was a meander through the woods past the spire (Salute to Liberte) and back to the finish. We stopped to wave Mark R on his way round the second lap (his prize for being the last to arrive).

A well-earned rest ensued with ice cream. The hardest part of the weekend was then getting all the stuff from the car to the camping area. I might have over-packed and with a full cool bag of food (most of which never got eaten) it was a lot to carry.

Lap two soon came around. My first chance to run alone, I walked the hills this time but set myself targets of where to get to and when to start again. This worked out well and lap two passed (without seeing another runner) in a similar time to lap one. Mark C and Pete decided to run a few laps together just so that we would all be able to do a few extra miles (Thanks guys).

We had gathered a crowd of supporters by this stage, Gary, Ray and Jane were running the evening marathon and team Spinks had arrived in full force. Paula and Amy were also present for support.

The big decision now was what to have for dinner, pizza was top of everyone’s list and Beth very kindly offered to go out and get it. Timing was not too great though; my third lap was due to start and no sign of Beth. Pete and Mark arrived back before the pizza so I headed out. Less than half a mile in I saw Beth Struggling under 10 pizza boxes and knew that it was going to be cold before I got back. It pushed me round though and I stuck to the markers I had planned from the previous run. Even slightly cold the pizza was worth the wait.

During this rest, night was starting to descend. Our supporters had vanished and marathon runners were starting to finish. Waiting in the dark it was very hard to tell when Mark C was coming in. All runners look the same in the dark with a head torch on. Ray and Jane finished their marathon while I was waiting and then Mark arrived. Off I went with head torch on. It was dark and a bit misty which gave the course an eerie feel. Hit my markers but was a bit slower on this lap. Mark R was a welcome site at the finish as was the knowledge that I would have about 6 hours off before my next run. We were switching to double laps for the night to give a bit more rest.

Change of clothes, food, a quick wash and then try to get some rest. Tent was too warm and was feeling a bit claustrophobic so moved my mat and sleeping bag outside. The night was nice and who doesn’t like sleeping under the stars? I managed about 3 hours of interrupted sleep and woke as Mark C started his two laps. I counted that I would have about 1 hour 40 mins before I was to run so a couple of slices of cold pizza and a cup of tea were in order.

The double lap was hard. There was enough light that I did not need a head torch and it was cool to run in but going past the start and keeping going seemed wrong. The second of the two involved a bit more walking. The course was quiet at that time and I hardly saw anyone else. A chat and walk with Harrier Ben Smale kept me going (He was starting to struggle at this point having not really stopped for 18 hours) on lap two and there was a small deer on the track, my reaction time allowed it to go before I got the phone out for a selfie but it was nice to see. Mark R again a lovely sight waiting at the finish to get going.

Bit of a rest and some porridge but not much time before the penultimate run. Feeling OK at this stage and ran well on this one, only walking the two hills at the designated spots. Running into the finish waiting to see Mark for his last run, where was he? Stopped at the start line and looked down to the tents and there was a half-naked Mark with no shoes on. He seemed a bit flustered but then put in the fastest lap of the team, an amazing 31:38.

At this point I was starting to feel a bit ropey. Sitting around waiting was not good and I could not eat anything. Last lap of the course with about 55 minutes to go. Mark C and I were running together and Beth decided to join us. Started off fine. Beth sprinting ahead and stopping to take pictures, me slowly learning the true meaning of hate. Both Mark C and Beth were spurring me on up the hills but after the last steep climb I was done. Decision time, try running and not make it or walk back. Sense prevailed and I let Mark and Beth go on ahead. Coming along the last bit, one by one the team came back to drag me across the line and I even managed a short jog on the final straight. Thanks Team.

We celebrated with some Champagne but the thought of tidying up was too much and getting all the stuff back to the car required a bus. Champagne did not stay down for long and I was asleep in the car before we left the car park.

Would I do it again? Don’t tell Emily but Yes, It was a great weekend, helped a lot by the weather and the company. A very social run and I would recommend it to everyone.

Some Stats:

Official laps – 33

Official distance – 132 miles

Actual laps – 40

Actual distance – 160 miles

Distance each – 32 miles

Fastest Lap – Mark R 31:38

Most Consistent – Eric 37:26 (Standard deviation 1min 33 seconds)

Finally, a word about Melanie Horan from the Marathon Club. She was the only one of the solo 24 hour runners to keep going for the full duration. She completed 100 miles, 25 laps, with three seconds to spare. On that course – very impressive.

By Stuart Park

As with many challenges, this was first discussed some months back in a pub. Put simply, run a 10K every 3 hours for 24 hours. Do as many as you want, either consecutively or as a pair running every other one. It’s only a 10K, and you get over 2 hours rest between runs. How hard could it be? In the words of one Captain George Mainwaring, “Stupid boy!!”

I arrived for the safety briefing at race HQ (Barton Village Hall), which also doubled as our accommodation for the event, and learnt that there would be 18 of us setting off. A number were only there for a couple of the runs and others would join us during the night. I managed to find a gym mat in the corner of the hall and dragged it across to a quiet corner, strategising as to how to get undisturbed rest between runs and leave me fresh and race ready, “Stupid boy”.

So 6pm came and we set off for the first time on the 10k route, taking us on a short loop around the village (choice of through the ford or over the footbridge), before heading out along very quiet undulating country lanes. Just a couple of hills as we headed into Middleton Tyas and then a lovely gentle 2 miles downhill back into Barton, easy “Stupid boy”.

Straight back to the village hall to get some pasta, a doughnut (food of champions) and some water down my neck as quickly as possible so that I didn’t run out of steam later on and stayed hydrated. I began to think at this point that I would be fine, and that my concerns about nutritional requirements for prolonged period of effort were unfounded, “Stupid boy”.

The atmosphere within the village hall was pretty good, and 9pm came around quickly. Off we set, at a modest pace, completing the route in just under an hour. I resisted the temptation to join a couple of the others in the pub and after some food and a baby wipe body wash, settled in to my sleeping bag to get some rest. I failed miserably to get to sleep so got myself ready in high vis gear and headtorch for the midnight run.

I really struggled with the 3am run and as we finished the 6am run I knew I couldn’t make another, the breaks after every circuit were taking their toll on my legs and to be fair my mileage for the event was higher than my weekly average.

A great event, where you get to know the name and toilet habits of every single competitor – I’ll certainly be back if its repeated, but without the doughnuts, “Stupid boy”.

By Dave Coxon.

 

By Dave Walker

Episode 1: Dishforth 10k, 24^th March 2019

This race started for me back at the Tees Barrage trail race in Stockton when I got talking to another club runner about sub 40 minute 10ks and fast 10k courses. We were running around the same time on the 5ks and he said he had managed to get under at Dishforth last year (just!) and I should give it a go.

Chasing people around the x-country races for the last few months has helped with the endurance but I needed more speed so I printed off a 10k training guide to put a bit of science behind my training.

From there on I sort of stuck to a plan (see attached guide / hieroglyphs)

Around this point I thought it would be good to recruit a training partner with a similar goal and I mentioned the race to John Haycock who with a bit of persuasion took up the challenge

My 7 weeks training went sort of to plan with the odd race and X/C thrown in but John was suffering with various injuries that really knocked his training. In the weeks running up to the race he did not think he was going to make the start at all.

Race day came and me, John and Simon travelled down together to a clear, sunny but windy Dishforth

As you passed the entrance to the main camp I noticed the armed guards (note, don’t upset the marshals on this race). There was no problem parking but there was a long queue for the numbers so not much time for a warm up if you were in the S-Z line.

The race got under way and we all set off in quite a tight bunch and with words of encouragement (or that’s what I hope they were shouting) we all settled into our own races.

My guide was just to keep as close to a 4 min/k as possible and try not to go off too fast but the wind was going to be a problem as there is no shelter on an airfield apart from the other runners.

The 1^st lap went to plan and with other runners still in bunches you got a bit of a rest from the head wind down the 1k straight but on the 2^nd lap the runners were spreading out and I had a decision to make, whether to tuck in behind a runner down the long straight and hope to pick up the pace again on the return. So that’s what I did, but as it turned out I only followed the runner half way then had to go past, as I watched the pace falling away (you can see the result on my heart rate on the right of the details below! Not sure what happened when it goes off the scale, must have been thinking about the sprint finish!)

I spent the rest of lap just trying to get my average pace back to 4 min/k and looking for other runner to act as a wind break as I turned back into the wind for the finish,

I did find one at about 8.5k but he pulled up with a hobble before the final straight (obviously oblivious to his new role as my wind break!)

I managed to get over the line in 40.12 chip time which was the closest I have been to a sub 40 10k and this is definitely a quick 10k course given the right conditions (no wind!)

So the chase goes on I just need a straight, downhill, course with a following wind on the day!

 

For Episode 2: https://sedgefieldharriers.co.uk/race-rundown-melmerby-10k-road-race-26th-may-2019/

 

Episode 3: Marske 10k (Everybody Active), 9^th June 2019

Scenic, flat course

Sunny 15 degree, windy

Attendance Me, John, Roger, Janet, Julia

Well after the previous two attempts were scuppered by the prevailing weather, conditions and undulating courses, this was probably going to be the last attempt at a sub 40 before September, due to increasing temperatures and triathlon training.

John had come across this race via Roger who had raced it numerous times in the past and set some of his 10k PBs on the course, so after finding it I duly signed up and watched the weather forecast with fingers crossed.

As race day arrived we boarded the crew bus (Thanks for the lift Roger) and headed off for the race, I was informed from John I had a new mascot (Roger) on this 3^rd attempt. I think John was feeling the pressure of the previous two attempts, even though I did say to him I would not force him to go to every flat 10k until I made it.

We made the start in good time, picked up the numbers, bumped into Julia and Janet for a chat and made the final obligatory toilet stop before the short walk to the start.

The route was a loop around the housing estate, out onto the seafront towards Redcar, with a double loop on the end then back down the front to Marske with the finish flag on the seafront.

After the race director’s quick talk (make sure you run over the timing mat and avoid the traffic) we wished each other well and were off.

Roger said he was not 100% but set off like a rocket leaving me and John setting a pace close to 4min/km. My plan was the same as the other races as I thought I would be looking at just getting under the time, so I would try to get to 9km as economically as possible at a 4min pace, then hope I had enough left to keep pushing to the finish.

When we got onto the front I found myself running with a New Marske Harrier who looked to be running the same pace and I guessed he knew the course, he also made a good wind break on the way out.

Up to about 8 km there was not much to say. I ran, checked the pace, ran, checked the heart rate, ran. It was about this point when I caught Roger and as I passed he gave me some words of encouragement (I was hoping he was still on for a sub 40) as my watch was not beeping on the km markers any more so left me wondering if it was going to affect the pacing.

As I got to the 9km I remember thinking ‘well I have got this far’ and the pace was about right. It was all about the last kilometre and I didn’t fancy doing it all again if I end up at 40:00. Should I look at my pace or heart rate? Would I slow down if it said 200 BPM? Not likely!

As the Marske Harrier slowly pulled away, another group formed around me (it’s funny how you feel you’re running well if you’re one stride ahead but hanging on if you’re one stride behind) so I decided the best course of action was just to run as fast as I bloody could to the flag. If they came past, well I could not complain.

The last few metres were caught on camera, me with a definite grimace on my face but the runners around me looking fine. Still, they all helped keep me going or pushing me on in some way on the day.

All the Sedgefield Harriers appeared to have good runs on the day and it was a nice spot to finish on the sea front (see below for results).

As it turned out when I looked at my watch I had gone under by some way but I had a double check with Roger after the race: another sub forty to add to his list (job done!!!) now what next? Well a pacer for Mr Haycock would be a good start!

 

It’s funny not that long ago sub 40 was not something I gave much thought to as knocking 5 or 10 seconds off a PB could take some time. But I surprised myself a couple of times last year with 10k times and you start to think, well maybe I can?

If you have a goal in mind just keep chipping away at it, you might just surprise yourself too.

I have been wanting to run this race for the last couple of years, but have had diary clashes. However this year was different, other than it being Father’s Day (sorry husband 😉 ) I was free.  This year also had the added bonus that it was a Grand Prix race,  so, safe in the knowledge that I would be running with lots of fellow harriers I signed up for the race.  It wasn’t until after I signed up that I realised the race was also known as Durham’s most brutal half…… what had I let myself in for?????

The weather in the week leading up to the race was horrendous, a typical British summer with nonstop rain. The organisers kept putting updates and photographs on to their Facebook page, at one point advising us that the water was around 5 foot deep in places.  Thankfully the rain stopped, the water levels dropped and the race was able to go ahead as planned.

I did not have a great preparation for the race, a distinct lack of training, I certainly had not covered the miles I needed to. This, coupled with a boozy hen do on the Friday evening followed by my youngest son’s football presentation on the Saturday evening (which consisted of a pie and pea supper washed down by a couple of large gins) was not ideal prep.

Stuart Park had kindly offered to give Mike Wood, Rosie Warnett and I a lift to the race. During the journey to the start the conversation quickly turned to expected finish times.  Stuart (normally very speedy) Park stated that he had failed to break the two hour barrier on his two previous attempts, so I quickly revised my expectations to just being happy to finish this one!

We arrived at Crimdon Dene in good time and caught the shuttle bus to the start at Seaham, it seemed a very long way! On arrival at Seaham we went straight to registration.  There was a minor panic, as my name was not on the entry list (I did enter, honest!!!), but the kind lady changed Marie Blackett’s entry to Nicky Blackett and supplied me with a number.   I’m not sure if Marie Blackett turned up, but my apologies to her for any confusion if she did……

Although the sun was shining, there was a cool and brisk wind, which most of us hardy souls braved (with a few grumbles). Ray Carmichael, Pete King and Mark Raine had other ideas though and came appropriately dressed.   The question is what were they appropriately dressed for?  Forensics?  Decorating? Raving?????  I guess we will never know…..   Ingenious idea though boys!

We lined up at the start line, I initially stood alongside Lisa Darby, Rosie Warnett and Stuart Park, but then quickly came to my senses and moved towards the back of the starting line, along with Fay Uphill, Sue Dobson and Chris Hearmon to name a few. My aim was to run at a social pace and enjoy the run!

After a few announcements, the race started. There was a little congestion at the start of the race but we quickly spread out and got into our race pace.

I ran with Chris and Sue for the first couple of miles, but Chris soon got warmed up and Sue and I watched as she disappeared off into the distance, attacking the inclines with ease! I was determined to stick at a social pace and not to go off too fast, for once in my life I stuck to my plan.

The first seven miles were not too challenging, with steady inclines, only one set of steps and not too much mud it was easy to get lulled into a false sense of security. However, I stuck to my plan as it was a warm day and the water stations were a very welcome sight.  As was the paddling pool later in the race…

The second half of the course was the most challenging, dropping in and out of denes via steep steps (around 380 in all!) This quickly took its toll on my legs and I started to tire. It was tough to get going again after the steps, but who knew the power of the humble jelly baby!  I seemed to get stronger after the water stops and started to overtake people in the latter stages of the race – jelly babies will definitely feature heavily in my future race plans!

The caravan site at Crimdon Dene was a welcome sight, but I had been warned by my fellow harriers that there was still around a mile to go. I pushed on and was glad that the home straight was downhill.  I was greeted and cheered (very loudly) over the finish line by the harriers who had finished well ahead of me (Mark Raine, Ray Carmichael, Stuart Park (who finally broke his 2 hour barrier), Lisa Darby, Rosie Warnett, Fay Uphill and John Marshall along with Beth Raine who had come along to support and act as chief photographer (thanks again Beth J)

At the finish I grabbed my t-shirt, of which there was a choice between long and short sleeved (most impressed!) and beautiful butterfly medal. There was also free tea or coffee and a great selection of cakes – the chocolate covered flapjack was amazing!!!  I wandered along to join the others to cheer the final harriers home.

I can honestly say I loved this race, yes it was a tough one, but the scenery, friendly atmosphere, jelly babies and cake more than made up for those steps….. Next year I will probably carry my own water, but I will definitely be back!

Well done to everyone who completed the race!

By Nicky Blackett

Place	Bib	Name	Time
20	33	Mark Raine	1:41:57.2
46	108	Raymond Carmichael	1:51:16.0
76	74	Stuart Park	1:56:47.0
81	160	Lisa Darby	1:57:44.0
110	76	Rosie Warnett	2:03:44.2
151	112	Pete King	2:10:29.1
165	398	John Marshall	2:11:30.3
182	29	Fay Uphill	2:13:26.6
219	153	Nicki Blackett	2:19:15.7
232	249	Chris Hearmon	2:22:25.8
246	111	Sue Dobson	2:26:47.4
286	79	Mike Wood	2:36:00.9
300	159	Graham Darby	2:38:49.9
336	15	Helen Frame	2:51:25.7
337	110	Anne Gladwin	2:51:26.2

And here are some more great photos:

 

Well this one started by a rush of blood after Washington 10k back in April when getting back from the run it popped up online. Thinking about the other new events selling out quickly I jumped in, signed up and thought this sounds great ???? Checked how far Melrose was from Sedgefield, 2 hours 15 minutes, just over the border ?? Now that’s not a quick jump In the car and drive up…. so camping it was.

When the day came the weather had turned and camping was looking likely to be a hotel ??? as the tent is 23 years plus old !!!! But no I stuck to my plan….. So “Billy” and I set off up the road. We got to the border when a thought came into my head …. did we need our passports? Well not this year maybe next year !!!! ?? #Brexit …

I must have taken the roads like rollercoasters which by the time I got up there I was glad I was stopping over as felt a little sick. The campsite was right next to the end where we were going to be finishing but this was also where we were getting picked up and had to register before things got started so all good. Pitched the old tent and it was time for date night with “Billy 😘…had a lovely meal at a local pub, King’s Arms Hotel (if you’re up that way ???) and was tempted to see if they had a room as it was still raining, but no…. so an early night it was.

Didn’t sleep great as the sleeping bag made me feel a little bit claustrophobic as I couldn’t move my legs easily. Also made a camper’s error by not looking to see which way the land was falling….. so with legs not being as free l would like and me rolling around it was a great night sleep … Not !!!!

So in morning the sun was up and birds were singing, things looked and sounded great, I packed up grabbed a quick shower and went off to find breakfast. Registration was all set up so I grabbed my number early so no rushing back. Back to the King’s Arms, great breakfast and nice coffee, which ended in two cups. At registration already for the pickup, I spotted a lot of familiar faces and all seemed excited for this new event and what was all about to follow…..????

Two double deckers turned up and we all piled on, and off to the start we went. A short ride and a race briefing and we set off into sunny fields and hills from the start. The course was typical Trail Outlaws, straight into inclines from the start, up and over and across some fields and onwards picking up farm tracks (roads) and trails through woods which was great. A nice pace, enjoy the views and some chat with others. Once we were a few miles into the course you could see the hills in the distance “The Eildon Hills“ which everyone was talking about, where we were heading. The weather was great, holding up well, sunny and dry and sometimes feeling a little bit too warm.

The views along the way were great as I took time out for a few photos (as this was not a race to me, maybe next time???). So l carried on my merry way passing fields and volunteers. The Marshals clapped us all the way…. which helped us pass the day , great to have to find your way…. Well enough of this rhyming there’s only one man for this …… Mr Fearnside…. 😁. So the course took us along next to a river and over a great bridge all the time to the hills getting closer….

A few miles more and we came into full view of the Eildon hills. I started “The Climb ….” just like “Miley Cyrus!!!! “ Surely I could just keep on going all the way …. ??? No don’t be silly it’s a bloody Mountain…. so time for some more photos and some much needed air intake.

It didn’t help that there was repair work going on so the path up was blocked in places so you had to find your own route up…. After few little stops more I made it to the top … “what no snow ???? But the view was fantastic you could see for miles… But it didn’t help that someone had somehow driven up the other side, which made think he must be laughing at us coming up over the side we’ve just crawled up !!!!!! A few more pics and a good drink…… Right let’s get a move on and get back down, not far to go now.

This was going to be fun too. You had to make sure you watched your footing as again work was ongoing this side of the hill (mountain). Running down and around the base of the hill, heading back towards Melrose, it was downhill all the way with some areas where you had to hold it back, through some more woods and out into the entrance to Melrose. You ran though the town and around to the finish which was well sign posted, over the line and a turn to see the hills which we just ran down from, phew!!!

A Nice medal and T-shirt and soup and sandwiches, which I had ordered beforehand! Once sorted and freed I sat with a coffee and watched others coming in. You could see from the finish area right up into the hills, people running down and along the hillside, everyone seemed happy coming in.

A great new event by Trail Outlaws and I’m sure a few of us may try this next year; Tim and Gary were saying it’s going to be around July time so watch the website…

So time to drive back. A nice steady drive, I was thinking of the A68 all the way, but no I went the same way back 😂??

Notes: as it was a new event it seemed to run smoothly and everything worked well.
The course: was just like they had posted, a good kick at the end ….This is why the name ??? Devil’s Foot a good kick??? But great.
The campsite: was clean and everything you would need, mainly for caravans and campers but they have a small tent area plus a very small walk to the centre of Melrose.

As the event went it’s another great Trail Outlaw race, everything you would expect , from the area, hills and views, great stuff.
Would I go back??? Yes, with a little bit of hill training 😂😂

The views …. The views you see ,
The views you feel ,
The views look far
The views are short
The views you love
The views that make you know it’s time for tea ,
But the views I saw though out the day will stay with me till I return to thee …….

Sorry couldn’t help myself 😂😂😂

Ray out ……🎤

 

Results: https://devilsfoot.co.uk/devils-foot-results-2019.php

I booked up for this race and Marie quickly decided it would be a good idea for us to ditch the kids at the in-laws and have a nice night away together. As race day approached I wasn’t too optimistic about how I might perform but was looking forward to a night away none the less.

Sunday 26^th May

Took part in the Whitsun woodland trail run, although relatively pleased with my time there I found it a real effort and had to use every last drop of energy to cross the line without a flourish.

Tuesday 28^th May

Felt awful at Harriers training session. Lost all energy after 2 hill reps and only about 5 minutes in. My feet felt like lumps of lead, my lungs couldn’t grasp the air I was asking them for and I felt dizzy at the top of each hill having to stop a couple of times until the stars stopped floating around in my vision.

Saturday 1^st June

0900 – Harriers time trial, 1^st kilometre was ok then, as on Tuesday, my body wasn’t as willing as my attitude to run fast.

1400 – Visiting family had left after a visit for lunch so it was time to pack our overnight bags. Realising that none of my current running shorts had made it through the wash I had to dig to the bottom of the wardrobe for an old pair which had no elastic left and a bust zip on the pocket.

1600 – Drop the kids off and set off for Bamburgh.

1730 – Arrived at The Mizen Head hotel and checked in to a lovely room with a view of the castle over the rooftop (if you were over 6 foot tall) and the sea in the distance.

1900 – We went out for our tea at The Lord Crew hotel down the road. I had a very tasty chicken, chilli and chorizo linguini, Marie chose a burger, we filled up with a dessert each then we had a wander down the road to suss out where the event start was.

2030 – Heading back to the hotel and out of the blue I had the sudden realisation that I’d left my running shoes at home! I’d completely forgotten to pack them. We quickly thought through all possibilities of how I might get hold of them. My brother was planning on coming to spectate so if he set off earlier he could pick up our spare house key from the in-laws, collect them and drop them off. No, that was asking too much of him so we ruled that out. I could set off home to pick them up but it would be a 3 hour round trip, meaning I’d not be back at the hotel until too late so ruled that out too. I resigned myself to the fact that I’d have to run in the casual trainers I was wearing.

2230 – Lights out for an early night and a lie in in the morning so I might wake feeling revitalised after a kid free night’s sleep.

Sunday 2^nd June

0515 – No lie in then.

0800 – We’re 1^st in the queue for breakfast as I’m feeling anxious about the timings for the morning. An hour and a half to have breakfast, get ready and packed up, check out and walk a mile to the start. I should learn to be more relaxed as we made it to the registration 20 minutes before the start.

0920 – I believe the race used to start up at the castle but this year the start and finish was at a non-descript car park about half a mile down the road. I didn’t feel too optimistic about having a great race, with a poor week of running leading up to this, the wrong shorts, the wrong shoes, a poor night’s sleep and being all flustered getting there so placed myself towards the front of the middle of the pack, expecting to finish anywhere between 50 minutes to an hour.

0930 – The race began with a 3/4 lap of the car park before heading back towards the village on the main road. The 1^st 100m was a bit of a shuffle but it opened up and I found myself in plenty of space to get going. I kept to the right of the pack, ducking back onto the left hand side of the road as traffic headed towards us on the open roads as we approached the imposing Bamburgh castle. The only hill was from the start and through the village and as I reached the left turn at The Victoria pub onto the back straight country lane section of the course I felt surprisingly good. It felt like my feet were gliding across the ground, my legs felt light and free and my breathing was steady and rhythmic, in sync with every 4 strides. The course was as described, undulating, but it didn’t seem to break my rhythm on the inclines and the last kilometre was a downward incline so I managed to finish with a sprint.

I crossed the line, stopped my watch and checked the time, 44:38!! A new PB for me by a whopping 3 minutes! Unbelievable! To paraphrase Sir Alex Ferguson, “running, bloody hell”.

Race results – https://runnation.co.uk/results/bamburgh10k2019

By Sam Rudd.

The Hardmoors 110 has been on my list of ‘Must Do’ races for quite some time. I’ve fancied having a go at the fabled 100 mile distance and the 110 ticks a lot of boxes being close to home on terrain I know well and being very well organised by people who love ultra running.

Having finally bitten the bullet and signed up I started training well before Christmas and have consistently managed long runs on the Cleveland Way most weekends since. This meant that as we travelled down on the Friday of the May Bank Holiday weekend I was confident I knew the course and that I was in good shape to tackle the distance. I was being supported by my partner Nicola who had done a lot of the training with me and my mate, Leachy, who is a veteran of several Hardmoors ultras. Having stopped in Scarborough on the Friday evening (…and enjoyed a pre-race Guinness!) we were at the start in Filey in good time for the 8am start on the Saturday morning. Having registered I did my usual check, re-check and check again of my run bag before we were off.

The first few miles ticked along really nicely and I met Leachy and Nicola a couple of times on the way to Scarborough to grab some food and drinks. Scarborough itself is always a long slog to get through as it’s a considerable distance to be running on hard concrete and through the holiday crowds. We were soon back on the cliffs though and heading to Whitby on what was was turning out to be an exceptionally warm day.

The morning passed really quickly and by the time I was in Whitby it was early afternoon and the tight streets of Whitby were filled with tourists. The famous Abbey steps took me into the crowds and it meant I was forced to walk most of the way up to the Whale bones for some much needed food and drinks. There were several people struggling with the heat by this point and I was taking in plenty of fluids, grateful I had my support crew meeting me with fresh bottles regularly.

Saltburn was the next big town which also reflected about halfway in the race. I got there in just over 10hrs and was still feeling strong and in good spirits. I again got some food down but as the weather was turning and night was drawing in I pulled on some extra clothing and Leachy joined me for the climb through Skelton and off to the Cleveland Hills.

It wasn’t long before Roseberry Topping loomed large on the horizon but as I was still moving well and managing to maintain my eating and drinking I was still feeling positive.

Nicola joined me shortly after this for the night time run over the Moors. This coincided with the clouds dropping and we were running through the fog in the dark for most of the night. As the night carried on and tiredness started to kick in and the lack of visibility became fairly disorientating. This is where all the recce runs came in to their own as I always knew where I was and felt confident we were on the right paths.

The sun was starting to come up as we approached Osmotherley and then climbed out the other side. The long climb was hard but we met Leachy at Square Corner who had food waiting. This is where my legs decided that enough was enough! As soon as I set off I tried a gentle run and there was nothing there. I’d done 90 mls by this point, by far the furthest I’d ever been, and despite still feeling I had the energy my legs were too sore to run. I therefore settled in to as fast a walk as I could muster and strode out for Helmsley. The hardest part was climbing up to the White Horse at Kilburn on route up the steep steps. I must’ve have looked a bit strange heaving myself up them, relying on the railings for support…but it worked.

Helmsley couldn’t come soon enough and I eventually finished in 28hrs 30mins. The last 20mls had really slowed me down but I’d finished. Exhausted and sleep deprived I collected my medal, hobbled to the shower and headed home…vowing to stick to sensible distances in the future… maybe!

 

Results: https://www.hardmoors110.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/Hardmoors-110-2019-Results.pdf

 

By Ian Blakemore.

Editor’s note: a very modest account; a look at the results shows how impressive Ian’s achievement was.

Family Featherstone ventured to the scenic Bowood House in Calne, Wiltshire to partake in Runfestrun for a weekend of camping (not doing our best Alan Carr or Graham Norton impression but staying in our tent) and running. This event was the brainchild of Chris Evans and Vassos Alexander. All runners were divided into 4 teams with themed kits.

After a long journey down we arrived in Swindon on Thursday to see the delights of Swindon Town Centre (Think Bishop Auckland but down south with funny accents). Friday saw an early rise to venture to Bowood House and start our adventure.

Friday saw an exploration of the various stalls of the shopping village on site which saw many gin samples and cake samples consumed which unfortunately for Andy came minutes before him and Alfie ran the mile race for our 1^st Medal of the weekend. Alfie ran some and was carried some but was the youngest in the race and finished last but he charmed the marshals by picking up the cones and running with them. Those of you used to Alfie at parkrun knows he has a thing for picking up cones during events.  This was our first experience of the fantastic marshals mainly from Calne Running Club and Chippenham Harriers who were some of the most enthusiastic people we saw.

2 hours later saw the first big event of the weekend with the sunset shuffle with approx. 3000 people running a hilly and challenging 5k course including many with buggies, and many running with young kids. Team Featherstone (Andy and Emma) shared the workload throughout the running taking turns pushing the 33kg of Kids and Buggy. We finished 1^st buggy for our 2^nd Medal of the weekend. Alfie and Evelyn just loved the bumps. To celebrate being 1^st buggy we went straight for the nearest spritzer stand and had the joy of being mid drink before the 2^nd buggy even finished. The evening finished with listening to Razorlight while the children slept. We finished in just over 28 mins.

Saturday started with an early rise for Andy prepping for the half marathon which started at 9am. After a race brief from Vassos, Chris, Paula and Crammy (and Andy being a selfie whore) the race started by following the 5k route but with more hills. The temp quickly rose to 20 degrees before 9am. It was clearly a brutal route with runners being pummelled by hills and challenging terrain. On lap two (of 3) Andy ran with Natasha Evans (Chris’s wife) and talked about the joys of buggy running. To say Andy enjoyed the scenery and had fun was an understatement after stopping for selfies with Ultra runner Susie Chan on lap 1 and then Crammy and Alison Curbishley at lap two. On the 2^nd Selfie stop they said “You’re Chris Lines’ mate aren’t you?” which made me laugh. I finished in my slowest ever time of 1hr 58.

A quick changeover of parenting duty saw Emma take off on the 5k which followed the same route as the Friday evening sunset shuffle. Emma was greeted by a plethora of noise with Rock Choir, Ukulele Band and Steel Drummers providing a samba and a welcome distraction from the run and a stitch (which according to Emma hadd nothing to do with free food and drink samples). She finished in 25 mins.

An hour or so’s break in which lunch and few talks from speakers were visited along with a shopping trip which Ivana Trump would be proud of saw Andy and the kids undertake the 2.5k (which actually measured 3k). The course was different and heavily grass based and also involved what can only be described as a game of human dodgems with Andy having to dodge children with limited awareness of surroundings. Andy finished 1^st buggy again and not surprisingly celebrated with more free samples.

The temperature ramped up further as the sunlight shone and Emma took to the 10k course which was two hilly laps. Hot and Hard was Emma’s description of the event. Apparently it had hills again too. Emma finished in 58 mins and headed straight for a pint of cider and a portion of chips. Andy was getting ready for the 3k road race (the only non hilly event and only one entirely on tarmac) when Emma 2 mins before the start decided she wanted to run it. Andy finished in 14 mins, with Emma not far behind in 19 mins with a double buggy. Hard to believe the sports dietitian thought it would be big and clever to run 20 mins after a diet of champions.

The evening was spent reminiscing about the day’s events and admiring our runners tans while listening to a DJ set from Faithless bringing back memories of the 1990s.

Sunday saw the culmination of the running with the fun themed Big Bug Run, a 5k event with the aim of each team gathering items worth points. The winning team (of about 1000 people) would win tickets to Friday Night at Carfest South. The teams of Team Bee(Steve Cram), Ladybird (Tequila Tash), Butterfly(Paula Radcliffe) and Dragonfly (Colin Jackson) were set off in staggered starts depending on their position in the points table. The Featherstones joined the other 700 or 800 team Dragonfly members and set off first to gather Pollen (ball pit balls and beach balls) for prizes, along with taking part in challenges to win bananas worth 100 points. The Dragonflys decimated the course by make use of the lack of rules and taking bags to gather balls and carry them 5k, a few whole bags of 50 to 60 balls were pilfered by members of the team. Each team had a Volvo estate to fill. By the time team Ladybird started to come in the Dragonflys had filled the entire volvo including getting rid of the driver and filling from the sunroof. The banter from Vassos on stage suggested they found the whole episode hilarious.

A thoroughly enjoyable event which we look forward to taking part in again next year.

By Emma and Andy Featherstone.