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Race the Train
Saturday 21st August 2010
Al
Race(d) the Train...
A great weekend lies in wait for those who wish to tackle the tough course that is the race the train 14 mile challenge. There are campsites and B&B's a plenty and there is a great atmosphere in the town with 100's of runners ready to take on the various distances be it 3, 5, 6.2 or the full 14 mile course.
Basically you start when the train blows its whistle and you then have about 1 hour 45 mins to race the train over the 14 mile route and beat it back into the station before it blows its final whistle. Sounds easy!
Its a great mix of hills, boggy tracks, steep angled hill tracks, trails, streams and more mud! I've rarely seen all runners walk but on some sections its faster to do so!
Sometimes you can see the train as its runs along side you with families shouting to loved ones from the comfort of the carriages! You run 7 miles out before the turn, the first 7 are the easier ones as the next 7 provide tougher trails, its all about concentration on some parts as it would be very easy to slip down the hill!
If you didn't have trail shoes and opted for road shoes you may have come unstuck a bit like your shoes in the mud! Tired legs means you might often find the runner in front takes a tumble, I took a quick exit from one of the trails but managed to get back on track after some words of encouragement.
Support is excellent and so is the marshaling. Now in its 27th year of running its an excellent weekend away.
The town offers plenty to any would be watchers and maybe even some might try the shorter distances.
Now after I've made it sound so easy I'll expect to see a good C&C turn out next year!!!!!!
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