Race the
Train
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Official Results |
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What is the best way to celebrate a
big birthday? I know 'sitting on the sofa with your new
slippers' is tempting, I decided that my first V50 race would be
14 miles of cross-country against a train.
A friend, who was also celebrating
the same big birthday, suggested the race as a good challenge
and Sally decided to join us too (she is NOT celebrating
reaching this age, I hasten to add!)
We were pleased to start on a dry and mild Saturday afternoon. The haunting whistle of the train started off the nearly 1000 runners on the railway bridge in the town of Tywyn. After a mile of streets, we were into cross-country mode. For the first 7 miles out the route was through fields and farm yards near to the narrow-gauge railway line. There was a ford crossing and a locked gate to hurdle, but otherwise the going was good.
Now for the return route! Here we
start to go up the side of a slope and into woods. The recently
dead sheep had a certain aroma and was a warning to not lose
your footing a slip down the side of the hill. It would have
helped to have one leg slightly shorter to help 2 mile of slope
traversing! Also single file running meant that placing yourself
in the first half of the race was important. Past a waterfall
and up and down valleys, always in view of the railway and
overlooked by the foothills of Cadair Idris; this was a great
opportunity for site seeing, when you could look away from where
you were putting your feet! The haunting sound told me the
train was passing me full of spectators cheering on the runners.
It has to sit at the top of the line for 15 mins to move the
engines to the other end of the coaches of the train. So
back to the road and a great fast finish. OK, so I didn't beat
the train (it took 1:47:46), but a good race with a large medal,
T shirt and goodie bag.
We went on the train a few days
later and in took 2 1/2 hours!
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