Where to start with this latest event. I did not really pay too much attention to the description when i booked the race. I later learned that this was a trail race similar to the South Downs experience but over a far less challenging course.
What i failed to understand was that there would be very limited signs on the course and no marshalls, except at the 5 checkpoints. So in order to get round the course you were given 4 A4 sheets of paper with instructions that you had to read and try to make sense of on the run.
Bearing in mind my ignorance of the above, as i gave my copy of instructions to my Wife Jennie so that my support team could work our where to cheer me on from. I was forced to run with a group of runners including Graham, Howard and Jo who were (i found out later) running sub 3:30 pace. This meant i went through half way in under 1 hour 50. My pb for a half marathon race is only 1 hour 40 so i was really running at my limits.
Due to the nature of the course i took a few wrong turns and eventually lost touch with this group and eventually found myself running with some other runners and again did my best to keep up but due to my initial pace i started to struggle with the terrain and heat of the day.
Thanks to those that literally dragged me round because i came out of the housing estate close to Barnwell school to hear whistles and shouts from my friends and family. My brother even ran the last 400 metres with me, pushing me to a real sprint finish, which on reflection was probably the best idea.
Mt time for this really tough orienteering marathon which was completely different to any other race i have taken part in this year was 4 hours 37 minutes.
There is over a month before the next installment, which takes place in Margate on the 5th September and the 9th race is on the 12th September
