Hot Harriers! 30+ degrees and full sun makes for a tough Otter Rail and River Run!
What the 8 participating Harriers did not expect when they sent their entry forms off was that they would be lining up to race in 30 degree heat and in full sun! What a contrast to last year when the race was under threat of being canceled as, just a couple of days before, the playing field was under a meter of flood water! Those of us who ran it last year will never forget wading through swimming pool size (in terms of depth and length!) puddles and sploshing through energy-sapping mud. Fast-forward 12 months and we had compacted, arid, cracked soil, dust and flies to cope with, not to mention the searing heat.
That wasn't going to deter us all from having a go and enjoying what is otherwise a lovely race of 10k along the Otter river bank to Harpford Woods and back along the old railway line to Tipton.
Both Richard Hawes and myself, Ellie Sutcliffe, had run this race last year and we set off at a steady pace. For Rich, he didn't fancy racing hard in the heat and for myself, it was my first race since re-injuring my achillies in early June so I wanted to just tempo run it and see how it felt.
A visiting lady runner from America set out hard from the start and I was happy to just let her go and settle in for 2nd place. Rich and I soon found that we were running a similar pace and so we decided to run around together and enjoy the run. We soon became isolated from all the other runners and, at times, it felt like we were just out on a social club run and not in a race at all! As we approached the finish, I said to Rich, 'Off you go then'! Knowing what a phenomenal sprint finish he can always produce and I wasn't up for any form of sprinting at all. So I watched him shoot off down the finishing straight to take 11th place overall in 44:13 and I followed in just behind in 44:17. Rich's time was still over a minute quicker than what he set last year, despite him not being all out, showing what an improvement he has made since he started running competitively just over a year ago. My time, on the other hand, was 2 minutes slower, but I wasn't bothered about that - I was happy to get round in one piece without pain from my achillies - a huge victory in itself!
Rich and Ellie enjoying a Harriers social run and having a natter on the way round!
A short while later, Nigel Dupain and Jane Macdonald were also arriving in together and having their own little battle for the finishing line; a battle that Nigel just won, edging out Jane by a second. They finished in 30th and 31st places respectively in times of 52:46 and 52:47: impressive times given the course and the heat. Frustratingly for Nigel, he just missed out on the top MV60 prize by 20 seconds. Jane, for her hard efforts, was a creditable 8th in the ladies race.
Lucy Hodgson, making a rare race appearance, was the next Harrier to finish, in 38th place overall in a time of 55:16. The good news was that Lucy, Jane and myself had won the ladies team prize and so a shiny trophy and some chocolate chip cookies came our way. Jane beamed away as she took hold of the trophy, delighted as it was her first win: likely the first of many more for Jane if she keeps running as strongly as she has been!
Jane and Ellie, along with Lucy who had gone home, won the ladies team prize!
Diana Richards was next across the line. Struggling a little with the hot conditions - not her favourite! - she did well to dig in and post a time of under the hour: 57:37 for 47th place overall. Lorraine Kirby, entered as an Exmouth Harrier but running in the red Exmouth Running Belles vest, appeared shortly after in a time of 58:59, just outside of the top 50 finishers in 52nd place.
Karen Hawes was running in her 2nd race as a Harrier. Hoping to improve upon her 10k time from the hilly, tough Umborne Ug event, in order to boost her club championship percentage, Karen had not bargained for racing on what was the hottest day of the year so far! In these tough conditions, she showed real grit and determination to post a time of 1:09:37 for 79th place overall.
Diana, Lorraine and Karen were the 2nd fastest ladies team, behind myself, Jane and Lucy. It just goes to highlight the strength and depth of lady runners that we have at the moment and that almost every time we manage to get a team out, we come away with something. Good work girls!
With just the 2 men running, we were unfortunately lacking the third counter to make up a men's team. Shame, as Rich had ironed his OFFICIAL HARRIERS' VEST especially for the occasion this year.... ;-)
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