Belvoir Challenge 2016

Harby, Leics, Saturday, February 27, 2016

26M

Dave Robson

This was my sixth time running this event. They vary the course, but this was the third time I had run this particular route. However, the last time I ran it was 2013 so I could not picture the exact route. I find having different routes appealing, you never quite know what is coming next. The route was superbly marked with lots of tape, a map, a gpx file and marshalls on the busy road crossings.

We were both expecting lots of mud as this is fairly normal for this event. However, there was very little and you could mostly avoid it. There was a bit of a breeze in the second third, but nothing very strong. Plenty of gates and stiles, especially on the 16m route that Melanie did. As usual the start and finish was in Harby and all proceeds went to the local primary school.

Dave and Mel sticking together (for the first four miles anyway)

Melanie and I were starting at the same time and we would follow the same route for the first 4m. The start was a little crowded and once out of the village we crossed some muddy fields and climbed up the escarpment for the first time and ran alongside fields and on farm tracks – the vast majority of this route was off road with just the odd short road section. To our surprise the sun was coming out through the clouds and we were warming up quickly – it had only been about 2 degrees when we started.

After Melanie and I parted, I went through the first of many pretty villages. Some of these had checkpoints that were as usual laden with home baked food.

I was starting to tire at about 16m which was a bit disappointing. I had been eating cheese sandwiches at the checkpoints and maybe I needed a sugar boost. I certainly felt better after some cake at the next checkpoint.

Another climb up the escarpment and into the woods whether I started to catch some of the 16m walkers who were following the same last 5m as those on the 26m route. However, there didn’t seem to be so many of them this year. Then I arrived at the last checkpoint and it was like a party. There must have been about twenty walkers there chatting away. Apparently they had cheese biscuits and stilton on offer at this checkpoint, but it was so busy I didn’t spot it.

It's all a matter of perspective

The last four miles were pretty easy, more paths through the woods with lovely views to the north and then a lovely downhill into Stathern and then across fields towards Harby. This section normally has a pond where you cannot avoid wet feet, but it basically wasn’t there this year it was so dry. I made it back in just under five hours thirty minutes which was pleasing. As usual, there was soup and a roll followed by bread and butter pudding and custard waiting for me at the finish – there are lots of opportunities to eat at this event !

Melanie enjoyed her run though she was a bit frustrated by some of the queues at some of the stiles, ten minutes at one stile ! She had time to go back to the hotel in Melton Mowbray, shower, change, have some coffee before returning to pick me up in Harby.

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