Note to self: Any race that has registration and prize giving in an ice-cream parlour gets my vote. Rachel and I were in the Lakes and Yorkshire for a weeks holiday with this race tacked onto the end. 20km in glorious Yorkshire Dales starting and finishing in Reeth which featured in Stage One of last years Tour de France. It was a trail run rather than a fell run and was nice to be able to run without having to carry a bumbag full of rarely used but important stuff. A very friendly and low key race with a race briefing emphasising the ‘brief’, unlike Graham Henry’s ‘Feel the Burns’ stand-up routine. 120 folk set off for either the 20k or 10k – however, due to some slightly vague directions, most of the 10k runners probably completed most of the 20k route by the end! Some were less than chuffed!
We took part in the 20k race – representing not only Carnethy but all of Scotland too. After a gentle intro, things got a bit tough for 4km of climbing onto Grinton Moor. A steady descent, followed by a bit of a leg-sapper of a final climb before descending into Reeth finished off the race. Although on trails, there were pretty rocky which merited the decision of the fell shoes.
Rachel 1st woman, 13th overall. Me 6th. Happy but well aware that the main action was in Wales this weekend. The whisky when staying with my brother the night before obviously drove me on in the final stages.
Stats: 20km, 567m of climb, winning time 1.23
Verdict: Fantastic race, really friendly, beautiful setting, fabulous ice cream – worth the trip alone.
Website: http://www.gr8events.org.uk/event/reeth-trail-20k-2/
Results: http://www.gr8events.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/Reeth-Trail-20k-Results-2015.pdf
Tom Middlemiss