Staunton Harold 10km

[anthonykay]

Last year I posted on another thread about trail races at Staunton Harold, about an hour's cycle ride from home, which I was not going to attend because the organisers had come up with a boring course in an area that actually had a lot of potential:

Then there are the trail races at Staunton Harold https://www.endorphinsport.com/10km-...-run-canicross. I could cycle to this place within an hour from home, and it has great potential for a varied race across rough grass and woodland paths, and there's that lovely steep slope on the east side of the estate. The course does go through the woodland, but as far as I can see from the satellite view on Google Maps, the route is mostly on hard-packed vehicle tracks and road (most of it is not public rights of way, so I haven't recce'd it, although I may go for a little trespass some time); and it keeps off that steep slope. I don't think I am going to be paying £24 for the privilege of running a rather uninspiring 10km.

Well, the same outfit announced another trail running event at the same venue, but the course this time looked a huge improvement: there was still some road and hard-packed path, but overall it was going to be a pleasant, undulating meander around the woodlands; a 5km loop, with two laps for the 10km race. So I entered, for less than the price of a return rail ticket to Church Stretton.

The race was today, and given the recent weather, it wasn't clear what conditions underfoot would be like. I brought both my Walshes and the Brooks Cascadia which I use for most of my training runs. But I didn't give myself time to do a course recce; I settled on the Brooks, but as it turned out, at least two-thirds of the course would have been suitable for Walshes, including substantial stretches of the sort of mud that could grace any traditional cross-country course.

I was very satisfied with a time of 54:11 for this course, in 11th place; there were 48 on the entry list, but little more than half that number on the start line. The winner took 40:05; maybe Travs should have dropped in on his way to Prestwold for the Inter-Counties; I reckon he would have been in with a good chance of a podium position, if not an outright win.

The organisation was good, all the marshalls and officials were friendly, but why oh why oh why do they have that noise (I can't call it "music") blasting out of a loudspeaker? You have a beautiful venue, on lawns sloping down to a lake from the 17th-century hall and church, and you spoil the atmosphere with that sonic trash.

[Travs]

I've been running about 41min/10km pace on the cross-country this year, so i expect 40:05 would be beyond me, assuming there was some considerable ascent compared to most cross-country races.