This was the first club championship race of the season, a 5.5 mile trail race with nearly 700 ft of climb, organised by Worcestershire Trailblazers. Croft were represented by a mixed array of members: three walking wounded, one who arrived an hour early after the clocks moved forward, and two who lost their way round the course. Our three oldest entrants were even down as ‘age unknown’. So, possibly an inauspicious start?
After a flat run across playing fields we were quickly introduced to mud on our descent through trees. There followed a series of ups and downs on tracks, flat road then a long steepish climb through a deciduous wood, where, while bent double on the climb, I noticed some early violets. Then came fields and stiles, and a yappy dog, with some tricky muddy descents, some evocative smells of wild garlic, a long run along a ridge aiming back towards Abberley Hall school, before we hit the long track that would take us back to the foot of the clock tower, where our photographer snapped our last eeble efforts at making the summit before the short run down to the finish.
Eric, a day after managing to hold off a fast finishing Matt Yapp at the parkrun, triumphed yet again, with a slightly more generous margin than the day before, earning himself a very smart trophy. Dave M was our second finisher, ahead of George Thomas running his first race in club colours. Su ran a confident steady race, finishing ahead of Sam, both in the same category. The subsequent lengthy wait for results was made more bearable by the fine selection of cakes on offer.
This was a race of considerable variety, laid on for the first time, which explains some of the uncertainties. However there was plenty of parking, there were ample cakes and marshals and organisers were cheerful and friendly.
Croft results:
1 Eric Appleby 43.11
25 Dave Millichip 56.22
28 George Thomas 57.07
53 Su Powell 1.02.37
59 Sam Harper 1.04.10
61 Guy Whitmarsh 1.05.04
74 Hayley Colebatch 1.09.03
81 Lisa Grey 1.10.57
95 Huw Williams 1.18.02
98 Mike Hayward 1.18.24
123 Bryan Markham 1.45.48
