2008 Reports

Last updated: Friday, 14 November, 2008

Blackland Haunts!

Event: Blackland Downs 8
Time: 11:00am
Date: Sunday, 28 September, 2008
Venue: Calne, Wiltshire

Due to the unfortunate cancellation of the Woodstock 12 (a Club Championship race) the The Blackland Downs 8, after much deliberation, was selected to replace it. Having already pre–entered the Longworth 10K on the same day, my old friend Sod’s Law revisited and another few quid disappeared into the ether!

Conditions on the day were just about perfect, still and dry, albeit shrouded in mist.

John Peake approaching the finish in the 2008 Blackland Downs 8.

My partner, Marcia, offered (!) to drive to the venue via a small detour to the Wantage Leisure centre to pick up a select band of “willing” Harriers. Joining us on our adventure were Simon Leech and Dene Stringfellow, thus ensuring plenty of light–hearted banter and general tomfoolery! I did my best to keep the humour in check but you know how it is with some people...

On arrival at the venue, the Blacklands Health & Fitness Club (just south of Calne) we decamped and registered for the race. We soon met up with fellow Harriers; Paul and his father Dick Jégou (not running), Simon Atkin and Jeremy Smeddle. From a personal point of view I was thinking that this is going to be a tough race – my two main rivals for the Veterans Road Race Championship are here (both Simons) with only 2 points separating the three of us, so it is ALL to play for!

Race time approached and as we lined up at the start I was surprised to see only 50 or so runners in total, less people to get beaten by then!

The flag falls and off we go! The sun starts to break through the stubborn shroud of mist and, after a mile of running, reveals a distant monument perched atop what can only be described as a MOUNTAIN!

Blimey! All of those wonderful mind games us runners use to stay ‘focused’ evaporated quicker than the mist itself! Positive mental attitude? Not a chance! More like “How the HELL am I going to get up THAT?!”

No lies here, from the start line (270 feet above sea level) it is essentially a 3.5 mile climb to the summit (850 feet above sea level!) the closer you get to the monument, the steeper the climb...

After 2 miles I was amazed to be in 3rd place, Paul some distance ahead being chased – somewhat forlornly at this point – by Paddy Paton of (ADP). My hill running ghosts then started their haunting and by the top of the hill I had dropped down to 7th, but still ahead of my Veteran rivals.

I can’t describe how tough that climb was! (apologies to my first school teacher Mrs Cuthbertson who ALWAYS told me that there is no such word as can’t, well Miss there ****** well IS and I can’t describe how bad it was!)

Downhill towards the finish now, blessed relief at last. (Oh, by the way, why do the gradients of the downhill stretches appear to be less extreme than the corresponding ascent?) Slowly, but surely, I was catching the 6th place runner. It took me the best part of 3 miles to reel in the 150 metre gap, I drew upsides him with half a mile to go... and do you know what he did? He shot off like a scalded cat!

Somewhat crestfallen I plodded on to the finish, mindful to check (regularly) that no other green vested Harriers were within striking distance. Crossing the finishing line brought about the usual mix of emotions such as I can stop now, pleased that I had beaten my Veteran rivals, annoyed that I couldn’t hold on to 3rd place up the hill and not being able to get that 6th place back at the end!

Paul Jégou was our first finisher in 2nd place overall (a persistent calf problem caused Paul to stop at one point) crossing the finish line just 6 seconds adrift of the overall winner Paddy Paton (ADP) who completed the course in a time of 43:55. I was the next Harrier over the line (7th), followed home by Simon Leech (10th) and Simon Atkin (13th). Jeremy Smeddle (25th) and Dene Stringfellow (27th) were the other Harrier finishers to cross the line.

The first lady to complete the course was Emma Calderbank (Serpentine) who finished in 3rd place overall a long way clear of her nearest challengers in a time of 49:27. Mandy Thorpe (Chippenham Harriers) and Nichola Newton (Calne R.C.) who finished in 22nd and 24th positions respectively overall were the 2nd and 3rd placed finishers.

The general consensus of opinion was that this was a well organised, well marshalled, well marked course and deserves far more support from runners wishing to experience a demanding but ultimately very rewarding race.

After a brief post race recovery our carload of Harriers, with the addition of Paul, set off to the local Black Horse Public house. We all enjoyed an extremely large and VERY tasty Sunday lunch.

Several of us discovered first hand something that we had feared for some time... Dene Stringfellow masquerades as a runner but we know the TRUTH! He is, in fact, White Horse Harriers’ very own INTERNATIONAL PUDDING EATING CHAMPION! I swear I have never seen anybody put that much food away!

So, would I do it again? YES! And would I recommend the race to other Harriers? Definitely!

John Peake