Sydling Hill Race 10K ish - 27 June 2015
Running on a Saturday? Yep different. Once again a bright and early start on what was (unfortunately for me) looking like a very nice sunny day for a trot around the very picturesque Dorset countryside. My second event of the year organized by White Star Running and again this promised to be an eventful experience with rumours of hills (of course), beautiful scenery (yep), great medal and t-shirt (we are talking WSR here), ice cream, hog roast and bar at finish (they know how to lay on an event) and the now legendary naked farmer ringing his bell, all starting and finished in the lovely village of Sydling St Nicholas.
So 10 o’clock start for the hill race and it was warming up nicely, if you were just sitting around getting a tan but a tad warm for my running liking but none the less off we went to the sound of a lady with a very large hunting horn.
Nice bit of flat to start with but of course this didn’t last very long before it was up, up, up and just a bit more up. This was delightfully followed by a lovely long, long downhill stretch before the inevitable next mega hill which just went on forever and of course there was a photographer at the top ready to snap all the pained faces. Photographers all round the course and photos are free to download from the internet.
This was shortly followed by the first aid station (Nearly Love Station) where, as with the Ox Race there was food aplenty and of course cider and cake :) Then on for a flattish/slightly undulating section before the last upward bit, steep but shortish, and then just for a change the arrows change from pointing upward to pointing downwards. You are encouraged all the way round with little signs with arrows and up signs and “FFS Hurry Up” signs and ones telling you to smile photo opportunity coming up, etc. A steep descent, round a corner and there is the finish on the village green. Finishing on the green was lovely and those already finished were sitting around eating ice cream and cheering everyone else on.
Great atmosphere with people staying to see the finish of the marathon, families picnicking and ice creaming and generally enjoying the sun and a nice day out.
Got to say a big thanks to the villagers for their support of this event, nearly everyone seemed to be involved in some way, from feeding those that camped to just being out to cheer people on. GREAT EVENT thoroughly recommend it and any other WSR event you can get into.
There is also the Giant Head Marathon (voted UKs No. 1 Marathon - Runners World Dec 2014) run on the say day starting at 8.30 for those who really like a challenge of 26 - 27 mile-ish run around the Sydling Valley. And very well done to Paul Rose of Maiden Newton Runners on winning the marathon.