Rombalds Stride

[Martyn P]

Another glorious day for the Stride although I don't think I've seen it that muddy before. Happy with my 3h26 after not competing since 2014. Good to catch up with some people I've not seen for a while.

I also thought it was particularly muddy. Conditions were pretty mild weren't they? I can't say I had the best day out, I fell on the slabs over Ilkley Moor and came a proper cropper ..... actually, perhaps it's more accurate to say that I was mugged

Anyhow, on the subject of route: I agree that the expectation in events like this is that everyone follows the same route (more or less), we had a big debate about this after the Hebden a few weeks back, because some people definitely got an advantage that day by deviating from the prescribed route. It's all down to interpretation I suppose .... for instance, today I followed what I believe is viewed as the "correct" route from the top of Rocky Valley down to the conduit, but one gentleman - joining the main path after having taken the lower (slower) line, intimated that I was doing something that wasn't quite cricket. As far as I'm concerned it was HIM who had taken the wrong line, but like I say, it's all down to interpretation.

[wjb]

I also thought it was particularly muddy. Conditions were pretty mild weren't they? I can't say I had the best day out, I fell on the slabs over Ilkley Moor and came a proper cropper ..... actually, perhaps it's more accurate to say that I was mugged

Anyhow, on the subject of route: I agree that the expectation in events like this is that everyone follows the same route (more or less), we had a big debate about this after the Hebden a few weeks back, because some people definitely got an advantage that day by deviating from the prescribed route. It's all down to interpretation I suppose .... for instance, today I followed what I believe is viewed as the "correct" route from the top of Rocky Valley down to the conduit, but one gentleman - joining the main path after having taken the lower (slower) line, intimated that I was doing something that wasn't quite cricket. As far as I'm concerned it was HIM who had taken the wrong line, but like I say, it's all down to interpretation.

I think the conduit is the accepted and best route as far as most people are concerned. I don't think there are really any advantages to be gained with route choice on Rombalds Stride to be honest. For example, I stuck to the edge path all the way to Burley Moor from the conduit and saw some people staying higher to my right, but they didn't gain any advantage. I tried to be clever on Baildon Moor but went too far right and had to do an out and back along the road to the checkpoint! Spoke to some faster runners after the race who tried the Cowpers Cross route and they said they lost time compared to others following the wall after Whetstonegate.