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  1. #1
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    Hoby Hop

    A village cross-country race, held to raise money for local charities. Hoby is only 4 miles from Gaddesby, but unlike the Gaddesby Gallop https://forum.fellrunner.org.uk/show...addesby-Gallop which is held in December, there was no mud at today's Hoby Hop; or at least, the mud was baked hard.

    We were set off in waves of just 12 runners, not principally because of Covid, but to avoid congestion at the first stile, only about 200 metres from the start. Actually, a runner with good stile style could make up a lot of time on their competitors on this course, as there were quite a lot of stiles.

    I was in the 9th and last wave, and had the unusual experience of overtaking quite a lot of other runners, without ever being overtaken myself. The course is roughly in the shape of a back-to-front letter P, with the start and finish at the bottom of the stem of the P. The challenge as I saw it was to get onto the loop of the P before the fastest runners from the early waves met me on their way back to the finish; I failed this one.

    The race was won by Tim Hartley, aged 52. He's a sort of Leicestershire version of Ian Holmes: into his 50's but still hasn't worked out how to not win a race.
    In his lifetime he suffered from unreality, as do so many Englishmen.
    Jorge Luis Borges

  2. #2
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    Enjoyed the 2022 edition of this village cross-country race. Start was in waves again (fastest runners first), although only 57 runners in total. I was in the third wave, and went off like a nutcase as usual, soon getting away from the rest of the runners in that wave. Passed two second-wave runners on the village street in Ragdale (one of the few uphill sections of the course), but was passed by one third-wave runner a bit later. Managed to maintain a good pace through to the finish, despite my stupidly fast start. Then back to the village hall for drinks and cake: lots of cake, baked by the RO's mother.

    Sunshine, but not too hot, and a pleasant breeze; a course along field-edge footpaths (but the RO had cut away most of the nettles, which spoiled some of the fun), drier than I would have liked, but otherwise very pleasant. And the cycle ride there and back (12 miles each way, out via Ratcliffe-on-the-Wreake, back via Seagrave) was also very enjoyable. There were huge numbers of cyclists out on the country roads, most of them going considerably faster than me.

    As usual, Tim Hartley won the race. He's only 53; will he still be winning races when he's an M60? Apparently my time was more than a minute and a half faster than last year; if this continues, I could be as fast as Howard Partridge and Mick Moorhouse by the time I reach M70 [see Bamford Sheepdog Trials fell race results].
    Last edited by anthonykay; 11-06-2022 at 04:30 PM.
    In his lifetime he suffered from unreality, as do so many Englishmen.
    Jorge Luis Borges

  3. #3
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    Fame at last: https://www.facebook.com/photo/?fbid...56371596521371 [The grey-haired bloke in the white T-shirt and black shorts is usually seen running on steeper ground than this - and he definitely looks at his best from the back.]
    In his lifetime he suffered from unreality, as do so many Englishmen.
    Jorge Luis Borges

  4. #4
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    My last race was the steepest I have ever done: the Lingmell Nose (shortened Scafell Pike) race, with 1600 feet of climbing and descent in 2 miles. Today was a complete contrast: the Hoby Hop has a little over 300 feet of climbing in its 5 miles. In terms of performance, I am much better at these races through undulating Leicestershire fields than when racing on the fells; but I do enjoy both types of terrain.
    I finished in 43:44, as against a winning time of 31:59 by Tim Hartley (M50), who is a sort of Ian Holmes of the Leicestershire countryside, still winning stuff regardless of his age. First woman was Naomi Prosser of Hereford Couriers, who is now living in this area, but I have seen her name on Welsh fell race results.
    The ground was pleasantly soft, but not too muddy, after the deluge earlier in the week. However, cycling to the race, I saw that some of the roads across the Soar valley were still flooded, even though there has been no rain since Wednesday morning (at one point I went up onto the raised footway to avoid a flood).
    The race is advertised as a trail race, which is correct in terms of terrain; but in other respects it has more in common with a fell race: £10 entry fee, and plenty of cake afterwards.
    In his lifetime he suffered from unreality, as do so many Englishmen.
    Jorge Luis Borges

  5. #5
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    Quote Originally Posted by Marco View Post
    stile style

    nice
    Seconded. I always appreciate good old-fashioned literacy, not to mention athletic skill in negotiating said edifices.

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