Chris Jones reports:
This 6.9 mile race started at the lido in Ilkley. There was plenty of parking, the toilet facilities were somewhat lacking – just the one cubicle for the men. I registered on the day as I had an unexpected opportunity to run. Registration was dead easy and everyone was friendly and welcoming. We gathered on the road above the lido and set off at 11.30 up the hill and into the woods. This is a really steep start as the race takes you out of the valley and onto the moors and back again. It’s pretty unrelenting uphill for the first twenty minutes, you then reach the moors and it becomes up and down (never flat) for the next twenty minutes and then rapid descent for the last fifteen minutes. It’s out and back, but with a loop at the top. It was pretty tough on the moors as we were running into a stiff breeze, the weather conditions were changeable throughout with periods of bright sunshine followed by overcast and cold wind.
I found the course challenging in that it was a sapping long drag to get up to the moors and you had to watch every step as the ground was mostly uneven. It was well marshaled and organized with plenty of space for overtaking (or in my case for being overtaken). We were awarded a commemorative drinks bottle at the end and the lido looked inviting but I had to rush off.
I finished 61st in a time of 53:17 (age category 2nd).
Well done Chris!
