I signed up for this on a whim a couple of weeks ago. A point-to-point trail race in decent scenery... sounded good. It had an unusual format - no formal start, just rock up any time between 10 and 2, collect your number with chip, cross the mat and you're off.
So that's what happened. It was a chilly bright morning with the warming March sunshine competing with a brisk north east wind. I arrived at Charlton Athletics Club at the edge of Andover, vaguely wondering whether it ever gets confused with Charlton Athletic FC. I stripped off layers, got my number and headed off.
The quiet trails were lovely. There was a mile or two of country lanes and then it was a long progression of footpath heading north through woods and over grass fields of chalk valleys. From a few minutes in I was steadily passing runners, some doing the one-way 10 miles, others the out-and-back 20. It was all very matey and cheerful.
It was steadily uphill for much of the course. At 10k the slope inflected and it was a good uphill slog on one of those never-ending slopes. I panted my way to the top and enjoyed breezing down the steep hill on the other side, high-fiving with John Wheatley on his returning leg for his 20 miler. Then back uphill again, a niftily steep ascent on the edge of a dramatic dry valley.
From here it was for the most part a breezy descent on trails and then roads. I saw some Romseyeque colours ahead - hello Nat Stacey and Sue Sylvester. Then over the finish line to briefly greet Alice Lane before she set off for her second leg.
All done and dusted. I had been a bit anxious about the transport home... would I have to wait forever for the minibus freezing my bits off? Luckily, no. I found a seat next to James Blyth - my fourth friendly face - and I was just starting to shiver when we set off. Poor James had been waiting for almost an hour.
I checked out the chip timing leaderboard. You're in pole position, it told me. Wow! Early days, I thought... but it stayed that way.
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| Rolling starts make it impossible to know how you're doing. |
What a terrific new bit of geography to explore, and what a privilege to be on the trails on a day like this.
