Race 10: Stanbury Splash

This was the Sunday of my first two race weekend for years and it went better than expected. Like Saturday's race it has a lot of fast trail running and a hard uphill finish but the top end of the Stanbury Splash course runs round the head of quite a remote valley on small paths of grass and mud - this time the good kind of mud - peaty, black and smelling of earth rather than horses. Fantastic to run on.

I started right at the back, still feeling Saturday in my legs but I soon began to pick my way through the field. By the time we splashed through the river on the return I thought that I had done enough to get into the top half and it felt good after overtaking so many on the peaty paths. Kath was at the river with the camera and she followed us up the steep field back to the track. I hardly had enough energy to get up there quicker than she did in her boots but I held on to my position from there to the finish.

The crazy mass start in the quarry

Approaching the river and looking like a runner for the first time this year.

The "Stanbury Splash"

Results: 210th/437  1:06:36
Distance: 12km/7.5 miles  Climb: 400m/1312ft