After a successful race last year, our annual “Shobdon Wood Race” made a return with many runners raring to take on the challenging course yet again. After a miserable, wet day – only twenty four hours before, the weather had a complete turn around and the sun shone down on the runners as they made their way around the 11km route. 86 runners, 27 of them Crofties, turned up on the day and at 11am, with the thought of donuts for afterwards in the back of their minds, they were off.
The route began with a long, steady, uphill slog and, as I soon found out, after starting further back than I should have, there wasn’t much room to overtake. Once at the top, the terrain became much flatter, although still relatively rocky. After some time running along the straight, a steep, muddy downhill section was awaiting the runners. In fact, most of the route was wet, muddy and undulating. Once down the hill, it was back up onto a rolling track. With plenty of uphills and downhills, the runners were definitely challenged.
At about half way, I hit a mental block. However, after some self-encouragement, I powered on. The track then took the runners down yet another hill. Which is all well and good but you just know you’ll need to go up again at some point. Before that though, it was onto another rolling track that felt long. It was long. With plenty of encouragement from marshals, the runners pushed themselves on and soon they were faced with the dreaded last mile that was all uphill.
I think it’s fair to say that many people walked parts of the uphill section and that’s ok. It’s a tough course. Typically, at the top of the hill, many people were gathered, waiting for the first runners to come through. But once at the top, it was downhill all the way to the finished. And I made it. Just.
For me, I could have done better but it was just one of those days. For Croft Ambrey Running Club, however, the results told another story.
Eric Apperley was first runner across the line. His time was 43:16. Gareth Leek, Sam Juson and Jasper Robinson followed behind in 3rd, 4th and 5th. Jo Marriott was first Croft female in 1:02:47. There were age category wins for Sam Juson, Emma Jones, Thea Preece, Steph Main and Gary Gunner. Full Croft results are:
Eric Apperely – 1st – 43:16
Gareth Leek – 3rd – 44:21
Sam Juson – 4th – 45:01
Jasper Robinson – 5th – 46:22
Simon Norwood – 9th – 50:41
Dave George – 16th – 55:08
George Thomas – 18th – 56:47
Paul Parker – 29th – 1:01:44
Jo Marriott – 32nd – 1:02:47
Emma Jones – 33rd – 1:02:48
Jo Tilby – 35th – 1:03:22
Thea Preece – 36th – 1:03:37
Ireland Lawrence – 42nd – 1:05:30
Howard Verran – 43rd – 1:05:44
Steph Main – 50th – 1:08:04
Bronwyn Preece – 53rd – 1:08:47
Oli Cameron-Swan – 59th – 1:11:47
Flora Gunner – 61st – 1:12:31
Lisa Gray – 62nd – 1:13:01
Steph King – 63rd – 1:13:21
Gary Gunner – 65th – 1:15:01
Nikki Ferguson – 69th – 1:17:16
Clare Preece – 72nd – 1:19:26
Carol Powell – 79th – 1:25:40
Tim Wain-Hobson – 81st – 1:26:08
Claire Verran – 83rd – 1:30:41
Anna Bromley – 84th – 1:30:41
