The sun is shining, it's a glorious still spring day. This can only mean one thing...it's the day BEFORE the Trog. Lots of wind, a bit of sleet and a helping of cloud and rain on its way tomorrow. Trogtastic.
The sun is shining, it's a glorious still spring day. This can only mean one thing...it's the day BEFORE the Trog. Lots of wind, a bit of sleet and a helping of cloud and rain on its way tomorrow. Trogtastic.
Well that's the pubs of Hebden Bridge laid to waste. Special mention for The Old Gate and its 8 cask ales. Sadly I wasn't able to do them all justice but it has certainly calmed the pre race nerves. Full breakfast in the morning and I'll be ready to do battle with the beast come wind, rain or shine.Originally Posted by jellybabyfairy
That was a real battle, the toughest 20 miles I've ever ran. A great race, thanks to the organiser and marshals, although the run around the field at the end was pretty cruel!
It was a bit blowy today, elemental in fact.
I cannot thank the marshalls enough. A massive thank you.
Also to the ladies and maybe men in the kitchen at the end the soup was fantastic.
Good day. Some spring like moments when the sun was shining, it was bright and warm at times. Before it turned...
Thank you
Massive thanks to Hannah and her army of hardy helpers. The marshals on the course got a proper battering from the wind but one and all offered encouragement to the shattered runners, thank you.
As for the race, what a beast. I cloaked it 21.5miles, of which more than half this distance is ran across energy sapping bog, most of it into a very strong headwind. The Trog nibbles away at you and spits you out on the final climb, well it did me. It could of been for worse, yes we had the strong wind and sodden moors but at least the rain held of for most and it wasn't too cold. I did notice most runners ran in full gear, myself included.
I agree with wjb! The marshals were just amazing, particularly the ones on checkpoint 12 and 13 waiting in the gale and rain for back markers like me to stagger through. I may be old and slow but I absolutely love fell running. I really appreciate the hard work and commitment of Hannah and her team that allowed me to indulge my passion today - well done all, an outstanding job!
Hear, hear to all of that. So much effort by so many so the rest of us can experience sinking into bogs with sinking spirits. However, the new route near the finish which took us past The Hare & Hounds did make me wonder if I should pop in for a cheeky half.
Thanks again to Hannah, all the Marshall's and all the other helpers for another memorable day.
Well done to everyone today, grand job Hannah, proper organisation! But an extra special shout for the marshals. Now you all know why it's nicknamed 'The Beast' ! First set of photos up on http://www.woodentops.org.uk/ another one coming.
Thanks everyone, I enjoyed that today. Thanks to all the notes of appreciation from the runners, and thanks for the marshals for making it happen (even if they had to hold on to the Trig point to stay standing in some of those gusts!). Thanks also to RAYNET - if you organise a long race, I cannot recommend them highly enough. The Trog would not happen without them - they don't just do the radios, they bring a wealth of experience to the race too. In fact, they told me 4 years ago to do many of the things which are now mandatory or best practice under the new guidance, so I reckon they're on the ball.
One sour note, there were some reports of runners vaulting gates and leaving gates open - made worse by reports of runners being abusive to the landowners when challenged. This kind of behaviour puts not just this race at risk, but a number of other local races. It's been pointed out you can't always open a gate with cold hands, so I'll bring this up with the farmer and try and resolve it for next year, but there's never an excuse to not be polite (in my humble opinion).
Finally, apologies for the diversion at the end. The finish only gets flagged after the race has started (or there'd be a lot of confusion at the start). When we went to flag it, it turned out there were 3 rather crazy acting horses in the first fields after the moor. Rather than add a new take on Man vs Horse into the Trog, we sent you round the road. If it's any consolation, the field the horses were in was one of the boggiest rutted-est fields you've ever seen, so you were spared that.
Thanks all. And thanks to Helen Fines for unwittingly donating her (rather tasty) team prize of beer and pretzels to me - I know she wouldn't want them anyway - and for taking on the organisation next year.
Last edited by jellybabyfairy; 08-02-2014 at 08:52 PM.
Probably the most tired I have felt (and the most hungry) at the end of a Trog today. Trying to run into that strong cold wind on the return from Cock Hill while negotiating bogs sapped a lot of strength out of me.
My thanks to Hannah for her excellent organisation again and I hope she enjoys her retirement.
Thanks also to all the marshalls out there in those conditions and I hope they have all "thawed out" now.
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