Rainow 5 Fell Race & Midweek cake
5 Miles and 750 ft (ish)
Rainow 5 Fell race and white Nancy
Wednesday 8th May took us to a little fell race. The midweek races are great, often short, often well supported, always good fun and great for speed and hill training.
The Rainow 5 is no exception. It was the first time we’d ran this course, so was looking forwards to it. Although we were told that it was an easy(ish) course, but with the word ‘fell’ in the billing we were certainly expecting a little climb or 2.
On the drive over to Rainow it was raining, so we were looking forward to a wet race. But as we changed in the car park after registering, the clouds parted and we had broken sunshine. The race started with a quick course briefing and an ‘away you go’ from the race coordinator – Colin Fray. Some 207 runners at top speed raced down the lane behind the memorial hall and pub – first on road then on to track battling for position.
It wasn’t long before the down hill turned into a short, but steep up hill to ‘White Nancy‘. With a quick look up at he view along the Gritstone trail to Mow Cop and across the Cheshire plain, it was head down and a run across the ridge. Clare had left me on the up hill and kept her in sight for most of the race, loosing her at times behind hedge rows and trees. The route took us on a high, then low level circular route until the downhill at the start turned into a up hill at the end.
Legs tired we finished the race and it was time for a nice cheese bap and chocolate cake, with all donations going to the local Girls guide.
All good fun – Darren 🙂
