I
t
turned out to be a lovely day, however I had three layers of clothes
on as I am normally cold. I also had 3/4 length leggings and so went
to buy some shorts at one of the stalls. However they only had little
tiny ones. I said, I like my backside covered up thank you! Everyone
at the stall was laughing.
I
got to the start line where you were guided to pens with numbers on
where you had to stand and everyone was spread out along the field.
It was a brilliant sight to see all the ladies in a line at the
start. The gun went and everyone charged to the middle. With 1034
ladies charging up the hill you got a bit stuck at times with arms,
legs and uneven ground to contend with. It was a very warm day and
quite a few ladies pulled out, it was very tempting; however I was
very determined to finish.
T
here
was a slight wind which was nice to cool off, a few inclines and two
lovely down hills. No mud either to my delight as running round
fields is not my favourite racing. It was supposed to be a training
run (ha ha) however I did have a good race as I was two and a half
minutes quicker than last year (maybe not that fast at 40.10 for the
5 miles and placed 492nd).
It was a very friendly atmosphere but I was the only lady Harrier
running.
Do
I love cross country racing? No, but it’s good training… x
Sunday 9th February is the first event of the Hardmoors 26.2 Trail Series. This consists of 7 race venues throughout the year, in and around The North Yorkshire Moors. Each race day has 3 events, 10k, half marathon and full marathon. I have run this event every year since it started in 2013, mainly 10ks, but today was a half marathon for me.
The race itself starts from the Saltburn Recreation Centre and heads towards the Valley Gardens and down to the seafront within the first mile or so. This is the only flat bit on the course and from here the only way is up! We headed to the cliff tops and started a very long ascent, terrain was actually quite good for the most part (more to follow on that statement) and the weather was actually quite kind today. No driving sleet and snow like last year.
A caption here
It was a little breezy on the tops, nothing like the past day or so, which actually caused the RD (Jon Steele) to divert the route as it would have been too dangerous in high winds in certain places. This shortened the route by over a mile, but we still had over 14 miles of race to complete.
Hardmoors miles are approximate!! Value for money Jon calls it.
Sadly today I was the only Harrier out there. In fact I am at most of these events. I’m not sure what this says about me, answers on a postcard please! LOL.
The course follows the coastline for a few miles, views are fantastic, runners strung out along the cliff tops, it’s an inspirational sight. We then headed inland on the loop back, via public footpaths, country lanes and bridle paths. Some fields were a little muddy, lots of slipping about but manageable for the most part. Until that is, I came to a sharp downhill; it was very muddy and slippery, bearing in mind some 400 or so marathoners and others had made this what it was. Deadly. I nearly escaped with a controlled slide, but a fight between me and gravity was only going to end one way, me on my backside sliding down the rest of the way.
Back at the race finish I received my medal and shirt. A hot coffee, biscuits and cake, a chat to good friends I only see on race days, then start off back home, another one in the bag! Time was 3hrs 55mins, not fantastic, but a good solid training run for bigger things later and good for a kit evaluation and maybe tweaking a few things for other runs. These runs have a compulsory kit requirement which consists of : waterproof jacket with taped seems – hat – gloves – 500ml water – map and direction guide – emergency food – and survival bag.
These events are very well organised and safe, checkpoints every few miles with lots of goodies. Marshals who are experienced trail and ultra runners, look after every athlete, it’s one big family, The Hardmoors Family, and it’s open to everyone! Thank you for reading.
Having
run this race last year I was looking forward to returning to the
Town Moor in Newcastle to run the Valentine’s 10km again this year.
Due to concentrating on longer distances recently I was interested to
see how I’d get on over a distance that I used to run regularly and
on a course that is relatively fast.
Due
to the leisurely 10.45am start time I didn’t need to leave too early
and picked up Nicola en route. Having found parking tricky last year
we decided to park in Gateshead and have a jog to the start over the
iconic Tyne Bridge and through the Toon to the start. This turned out
to be a good move as the Central Motorway appeared to be closed
causing the traffic to tail back as we jogged merrily on. We got to
the start and I had expected to see a few Harriers out as it had been
a Grand Prix event last year and was really well attended. However,
having collected my number, there was only myself representing
Sedgefield that I could see. I bumped into some friends from
Hartlepool Tri and then having discussed the usual pre-race topics of
“What time you expecting?” and “How’s the injury
feeling?” I headed off for a warm up. There was a 5k event just
before the 10k this year so having run the first section of the route
the first runners of the 5k were starting to cross the line as we
stretched off and dumped clothing into the baggage drop.
T
he
Run Nation events always seem well organised so we were in the Start
chute on time and with a last ‘Good Luck’ to each other we were ready
to go. The course is 2 laps of the Town Moor, heading from Wylam
Brewery across to Gosforth and then working your way round the Moor
and back to the Brewery. It was apparent coming over the Tyne Bridge
that there was a substantial breeze but as I headed out on to the
Town Moor for the first frantic mile I realised we were going to be
battered coming back as I was getting pushed along by a very
pleasant, but very strong, tailwind. This prediction came true about
halfway through the first lap as I headed back to the brewery,
looking at nothing but my feet as I kept my head down, trying to tuck
in behind anybody close enough to offer any protection. Fortunately
this didn’t last too long and soon enough I was passing the start and
heading out on my second lap. Once again I managed to pick up heading
away from the start and was still hopeful of matching my sub-40 time
of last year. These thoughts soon evaporated however as I really
struggled turning into the wind again on the second lap.
I
finished in just over 40mins which I was more than happy with
considering the training I’m currently doing. Nicola however ran a
massive PB, showing that it is a fast course, even in windy
conditions. I’d definitely recommend the race as for 2nd
year running it’s been well organised and a pleasure to run in.
Guest post by Melanie Horan of the North East Marathon Club
As part of our Winter Wonder series, the North East Marathon Club decided to go on tour this year and on the advice of Pete King, hold an event in Hardwick Park. After a recce of the parkrun route in autumn 2018, the NEMC committee decided the park and the parkrun route would be perfect for our event, and a welcome change from running around the Town Moor. This seemed a popular choice and for the first time ever, we had to close entries as we were full and start a waiting list for the event. After the slight worry of snow earlier in the week and a covering of frost on Saturday morning, the weather was reasonably mild at the start of the day, with the sun making an appearance later on. The course conditions were excellent, dry with no puddles or mud, with the only obstacles being a dangerous looking gaggle of geese and a game of swans on the path beside the lake.
Another first for NEMC was the Race Director’s role being taken on by Catherine Smith and Kerry Barnett of NEMC and Elvet Striders, who did a fantastic job of race set up, managing the marshals and time keeping. Registration ran smoothly and it was fantastic to see so many Sedgefield Harriers on the start line, and thanks again must go to Pete for persuading you all to enter! The race began in the usual NEMC manner, without ceremony or incident and after running for a few hundred metres, it was amazing to look back and see swarms of runners along the path.
For those of you who don’t already know me, I am a bit obsessed with the marathon distance, and this was to be my 93rd marathon. I am still absolutely rubbish at pacing myself and set off, as usual, as if I was running a 5k, desperate to keep Gary Thwaites in my sight for at least the first mile. I was pleased to see my good friend and fellow terribly paced runner Omar had also set off at a ridiculous pace, and I had a little bet with myself as to whether I would catch him at 18 or 20 miles as usual. I ran the first few laps with Ben Smale who had kindly marked out the course for us earlier and we had a good chat about pacing and ultra marathons, neither of which are a talent of mine.
Ben made his escape after about an hour, and I ran the rest of the race by myself, although not alone as I was continuously speaking to runners I was passing or were passing me. In case you are wondering what I think about while running, main themes include what is for tea, how long is it until I can visit the sweets and pop buffet (drinks station, which was exceptionally well stocked today thanks to our RDs), whether I need to stop at the toilets, how long it will be until I catch Omar and how much different parts of my body are hurting. Today I had the added fear of having to run through the hissing geese and evil swans, who everyone knows will break your arm if you get too close. To my horror, one of the geese actually ran into me and I felt its wet, slimy beak touch my leg! All was going well until about 22 miles when I had to make an emergency pitstop and spent about 5 minutes in the toilets. After that I found it hard to get going again and really slowed down. I managed to finish my 93rd marathon in 3:51, which is about average for me these days. A great venue, really friendly runners and fantastic support from the volunteers, we will definitely be back in 2020. Incidentally, I passed Omar at 14 miles….
Terrain: Mainly
off road on farm tracks, footpaths and the disused railway line. Dry
and good surface.
Weather: Dry,
bright sun, cold, but extremely windy which made the run quite
challenging.
I love the Gerry
Kearsley Handicaps, they are a really friendly free event, running
through beautiful countryside and I always get to set off first. I
have run not run a winter handicap for a number of years as I have
invariably had a cold over Christmas but having avoided the usual
illnesses I was raring to go on Sunday 13th January.
This start of the
Handicap was particularly poignant due to the recent death of Peggy
Kearsley who was such a fantastic supporter of the event, Sedgefield
Harriers and was a lovely lady. Ean paid a very moving tribute which
was followed by a 30 second silence.
A key section of
the usual route from Fishburn along the River Skerne was closed. This
meant that as an alternative the Handicap was a two lap course
starting from the Community Centre in Bishop Middleham. Almost
immediately after setting off there was a steep climb through the
village, past a farm and houses. Once at the top the road dips down,
giving me a chance to recover before turning left heading out into
the countryside around Bishop Middleham and following a track to the
River Skerne. This route immediately gives the runner beautiful views
and passes historic landmarks, the castle ruins and medieval wall.
The route
continued along the track, over a footbridge crossing the River
Skerne, then turning left to carry on along the disused railway line.
This is a good steady section with flat running before turning left
again over the river and climbing back towards the village. This was
the tough section running uphill into a very strong wind. At one
point I thought I was running backwards! Once through the fields it’s
down then up and down again into the village. If that’s your first
lap then you have to do it all over again.
I found it a
tough run because of the wind but I was really pleased with my
performance. I didn’t have quite so many runners overtaking me as
normal so maybe others found that last couple of miles quite
challenging. It was a great atmosphere before and after the run with
the enjoyable presentation ceremony at the end. The Handicap is a
really inclusive event where different runners can succeed and get
their hands on a bottle of wine and their name on the shield.
Brass
Monkey has been a firm fixture in the northern running calendar for a
number of years and is one of the most popular half marathons
attracting runners from the Scottish Borders down to the Midlands.
Fast and flat it’s somewhat surprising only a handful of Harriers run
it each year. This year saw myself and Ian Spencer running with Emma
Featherstone (and the sprogs) and Jayne Freeman on supporting duties.
Starting
at York race course and heading to Bishopthorpe, Acaster Malbis and
Appleton Roebuck before heading back to the race course, it follows
scenic country roads and is ideal for a fast time. Bit of fun running
in gale force winds but at least carrying a few pounds meant I didn’t
get blown over.
The
race is hosted in excellent facilities in the Ebor stand at York
Racecourse.
So
this makes an eventful race report….after a steady 5 and a
half miles battling strong winds and holding a steady pace my race
took a downward turn. Running in a group I was unable to see a
pothole and did my best pavement surfing routine and hit the deck.
Covered in blood on hands, knee and head (due to hands) and with a
set of sore ribs and bruised hip, after a minute on the floor I
dusted myself off and continued on my way, getting some funny looks
like I’d just been in a slasher movie.
Losing
time and with adrenaline wearing off I dropped pace and managed to
make it to the finish line having dropped 6 mins away from my goal
and made it in 1h42 (not the 1h36 I was on for). Just over 7 minutes
later Ian followed and met his goal of going sub 1h50 with 1h49.
The
post race memento was the ever fantastic long sleeved Brass Monkey
tee shirt, this year in a fetching purple shade. The t shirt allows
for the creation of an ‘Ass Monkey’ shirt when worn under a short
sleeved t shirt for a bit of fun. Was also nice to get a wooden medal
to celebrate 40 years of York Knavesmire Harriers.
6th
January 2019. I
shouldn’t have looked back at my race notebook (doesn’t every running
geek have one?!). It has been 8 years since I last ran the Old Monks
(now called the Stuart Pailor memorial run) and I was having one of
those ‘why did you enter this’ moments. If I wasn’t getting
picked up I might have feigned illness. I’ve been in the Sedgefield
Harriers since the beginning but MIA for most of the last 7 years
since 3 small people have arrived and caused havoc with my running
schedule. I’ve only completed a handful of races over the last few
years and I’m a bit race ‘rusty’.
I
remember Old Monks to be freezing (well it is the beginning of Jan
and yes it was, but not as bad as some previous years), brutally
hilly through the dene (yes and need to remember you go through the
dene twice and save some energy for the second hill) and fast on the
roads on the way back (or as fast as tired legs can go). There were
294 runners which is 5 times as many as the last time I ran it but it
still has the friendly feel of a local trail race. The village hall
is lovely and warm, serving coffee and cake. It’s well organised
and relaxed and once we had set off all nerves disappeared and it was
great to blow the Christmas and New Year cobwebs away (powered by
child free euphoria and caffeine).
29
Sedgefield Harriers took part which is a fantastic turn out with some
amazing results. David Bentley was 4th Male overall, Justin Cox was
1st male Vet45, Ciaran Lines was 1st U20 and I was an unexpected 1st
female Vet 35 (which I think was more down to luck that there were
not many V35 runners rather than speed). The prize money will be just
about enough to pay for my next Costa coffee and I’ll be back next
year, as like a true running geek, I loved every second!
The McTaggart Trot is unique. Teams of three, more or less randomly
deranged, set off at the pace of the slowest runner to cover the
first leg of four miles. They (the first leg runner) are then free to
go back on the bus of leisure, where canapés are served by a
liveried flunky (not really), run the four miles back to the start,
complete the second leg of seven and a half miles, before dropping
out, or run the whole 11 miles. The second leg runner is faced with
similar choices at 7.5 miles while the final leg runner is obliged,
on pain of death, to finish the 11 mile scenic, undulating, route
around t’country lanes of Yorkshire.
O
nly
the final leg runner has the ‘chip’ on their ankle (I had to be
content with the one on my shoulder). So, the 11 miler could just
blast round on their own but that wouldn’t be in the spirit of the
event. And this event is all about spirit. Fancy dress is optional
but almost universal and it’s all for charity, mate. The whole
thing is in aid of St. Theresa’s Hospice and probably raised about
£2000, as most chip-in more than the £8 entry fee. This event is
steadily growing and deserves to. This year 75 teams, with no other
ambition but to enjoy thems-elves dressed in a variety of suitably
festive gear, apart from one bewildering Power-Ranger or whatever and
a very sparse sprinkling of people whose countenance screamed ‘bah!
Humbug!’
Sedgefield
Harriers were represented by Jayne ‘Santa’ Freeman, who took the
first leg of our team 19. I ran the 2nd leg, as an elf
with a pituitary gland disorder and our 3rd leg runner
(not a Harrier) ran as the ghost of Christmas can’t be arsed. Pete
King hedged his bets by running faster than any of us in team 62,
wearing Santa’s tropical kit.
The
organisational team is superb under the admirable captaincy of Grant
McTaggart and results in a race that just makes you feel good and
brings forth a mountain of cake at the end.
Times? Who cares?
But, for the record, the race was ‘won’ by Team 54 (Abbie
McCartin, Pauline Brown and Peter Armstrong) in 1:22:09. Their split
times were: 32:25, 26:26 and 23:18, respectively.
Team 19 (Jayne
Freeman, Ian Spencer and Sarah Guy) 1:40:07 in 44th place.
Our split times were 40:08, 31:40 and 28:18.
Team 62 (Susan
New, Julie Whinn and Pete King) 1:40:57 in 47th place.
Split times 28:08, 45:48 and 27:01.
We’ll be back
next year, having found a way of making sure our costumes don’t
smell.
This
was part of the ‘Winter Wonder’ series organised by North East
Marathon Club. I’ve been a member of NEMC for two years and enjoy
their local, low key events. The Winter Wonders have generally been a
Newcastle Town Moor fixture but this year have started to branch out
to such places as Herrington and, next month, Hardwick Park. You
don’t have to be a marathon runner to be a member of NEMC and the
Winter Wonders are designed accordingly for runners of all distances.
They tend to be multi-lap events, for participants to run as far as
they wish within a six hour window. There are no finishing placings
as such and sometimes runners’ own times are used as their
‘official’ time. I also like them because you get to run past the
refreshment table for snacks and drinks every few miles, avoiding the
need to carry your own kit.
Fellow Harriers Justin Cox and
Ben Smale also took part. Justin needs no introduction. Ben is an
unassuming guy from Coxhoe and a good runner (first Harrier at the
Coxhoe Trail 10k the other month) and we shared a lift. Coxhoe, by
the way, is a hotbed of running talent, just ask Mil Walton.
Following Storm Deirdre and her freezing rain the previous day, this
was a chilly but rather pleasant sunny morning for running. I chose
road shoes based on the tarmac path at the start, but soon questioned
that once we danced through some downhill icy slush. Despite having
to stop twice to empty stones out of said shoes, it was a decent
decision. Herrington Park, a colliery until 1985 with the largest
spoil heap in the North East, is in the shadow of Penshaw Monument
and the course was a 5km loop on good paths. There were several
inclines but they served more to break up the run rather than tire
out and it was an enjoyable event in good surroundings. I’m not
training for anything in particular so was happy to call it a day
after five laps and sixteen miles. Further ahead Ben had decided the
same. He’s recently completed five marathons in five days at an
event near Bolton so felt he didn’t to push himself too much.
Justin lapped me on lap four, well ahead of anyone else. I happen to
also know the guy in second place, Elvet’s Gareth Pritchard from
Coxhoe (hotbed, I did say).
75
runners completed the event, each deciding their own distance, with
25 doing a full marathon or more. All entry monies were for charity
too, raising an impressive £1,500 for Special Olympics Sunderland.
For the record, I completed my five laps (16.2 miles) in 2hrs 27:40,
and Ben in 2 hrs 17. I stiffened up on the last lap but was pleased
overall. Justin ran 8 laps+, the full marathon distance in 3hrs 1:33;
a great effort for a training run, eight minutes quicker than anyone
else.
A
bonus was that Herrington Park has an electric car charging station,
which got me all the way home too. Result!
10.5m Fell Race Organised by Allen Valley Striders
Sunday
was race day. Coxhoe had been grey, wet and windy all week and waking
up on Sunday morning it didn’t look any better, as I waited for my
fellow harriers Dave Walker and Mark Raine to arrive. We set off at
9am for the one-hour drive to Allendale, via the A1 and A69. Knowing
it could be a different world up there, we didn’t know what to
expect as we drove through plenty of drizzle, low fog and really poor
visibility on the B6295 from Hexham to Allendale. However once we
drove through the village of Catton the weather cleared up almost
instantly and we could see Allendale and the miles of hills – which
brought much relief and smiles all round.
Registration
was at Allendale Primary School Sports Hall, which was quick and
effortless for the mandatory kit check (full waterproofs, whistle,
compass, map and food bars). In return we were given a rather cool
25th
Anniversary buff. Just the job.
This
left us with about 45 minutes to spare with an 11am start, so
essential toilet trips and running gear / kit bag options were
deployed. Once all sorted, we chatted with a few runners and then
entered the school for our race brief, fair itching to get out.
So,
a bit about the Hobble. It is named after the late Angus Tait, a
local runner who died suddenly in 2010, and this year the event was
hosting its 25th
anniversary with over 220 runners entering. Angus was a champion
runner and fell runner who was well known in many local running
clubs, winning numerous events. He won the first Hexhamshire Hobble,
but apparently was so disappointed with the lack of trophy for his
efforts he decided to dig out an old trainer, sprayed it gold and
attached it to a wooden plinth – a bit of a memento I guess.
Sentiment to this, Allen Valley Striders now wonderfully recreate
Angus’s trophy with a beautifully cast trainer as a replica,
presented to the first male and female winners.
The
course is 10.5 miles, and this year was ran in reverse (clockwise
direction). Starting on road (next to the school), a good mile road
ascent takes you up to muddy Land Rover tracks which weave up and
down to Westburnhope Farm. Back on to road and climbing steeply up to
Cocker Shield Farm, switching back on to Land Rover tracks, and then,
into the thick of it! Yes, grouse moorland, heather, deep bogs and
beaten animal tracks with steep little climbs and descents with large
rocks and puddles to navigate – onto Hangman Hill for a marshal race
number check. Back onto track now, before a really steep descent,
followed by a “hands and knees” crawl up the other side of the
small stream. It was a moment to catch your breath here, as the
summit at Stobbs Cross was in the distance and I could see the
runners ahead snaking their way up through the moorland, with more
and more rocks and deep bogs to contend with. I could safely say
goodbye to my white socks at this point.
Reaching
the summit, my neck and shoulders were really starting to ache, but
thankfully the gentle farm track descent was yards away (photo time
too), which would lead onto the tarmac again. At this point Marshalls
were shouting “One mile to go Sedgefield. Well done – keep it
up”. These words were a welcome relief and I knew the end was near.
And then another surprise. The steepest hill I have ever run down,
before skirting onto a green and back up the hill to the school. I
heard a voice shouting behind me. Time to find another gear, before a
sharp left turn, and quickly down to the finish line. He was a
Birtley Harrier and we congratulated each other for our efforts.
Slowly
starting to get my energy back, Dave and Mark were all smiles (all
right for some) as we headed back to the school. Wow – what was in
front of my eyes. The biggest cake selection I have ever witnessed as
a Harrier. They were amazing, so I grabbed a big slice of coffee and
walnut cake, which made the race that extra bit special before we
entered the sports hall for the prize giving and raffle.
In
summary. A cracking event and only an hour away, and with a £7 entry
fee and stunning scenery across Hexham Common, it is a must race. But
you will get your feet wet!
People
have asked “What was it like, was it tough?”
Well,
in the words of Dave Walker: “Tough? Well one guy lost the whole
sole of his shoe, it was that tough!”
And
it is true, he was a Low Fell Harrier and ran the last mile of tarmac
in his socks!
