Author: Chris Lamb Racing Diary

4 Miles on Wheels

Review by Nicola Wright.

I was asked to do this run at short notice as the original runner was injured. I had heard of the Blenheim 7k but not the 4 miles on wheels which is part of the event. I’d had a couple of wines so I agreed. My son is nearly 5 and I didn’t have a running buggy but I thought I’d give it a go!

The registration transfer was simple and all done by email. I was pleasantly surprised to see that changes could be made up to 2 days before the run and thought this was really good.

My race pack arrived on the Monday before the run which included my number with time chip attached so no queuing up on the day.

I’d spoken to a couple of people who had done the standard 7k run before to ask what it was like and their reply was ‘‘Its beautiful but I hope you like hills!” I do plenty of hill training with my running group Parklands Jog and Run but never while pushing a 3.5 stone child in a buggy!

As I arrived on race day the drive into the grounds gave an amazing view of the palace and a beautiful bridge and there were marshals to instruct us where to park.

There were 3 races going on. An under 15’s 1 mile, which set off at 10:15am, the main 7k which started at 11:00am followed by the buggy and wheelchair run shortly afterwards. There was a fire engine and firefighters to keep the kiddies entertained which my son absolutely loved and I literally had to drag him away.

At around 10:45am the warm up started which I missed as I was queuing for the toilet. Before the 7k started the run director checked the toilets to make sure no one missed the race though.

Once the 7k has set off they asked the runners with wheels to line up. There were 39 of us in total with more buggies than wheelchairs. My nerves had really kicked in now and I wondered why on earth I’d agreed to do this.

Before I knew it the race had started. My son Jaxon vwas loving it shouting “faster faster.” As usual I set off fast but before long my legs were jelly (serves me right for missing the warm up) and my back was aching from leaning over slightly and pushing. I found running with one hand on the buggy the easiest strategy and when my arm ached I swapped to the other one.

Looking around at the other competitors there was various makes and models of buggy’s. Some were super fancy running buggies with inflatable tires and some basic strollers which must of been hard work.

The first mile took me past the palace it’s self so I took the opportunity to take a few photos and next came the beautiful bridge I saw on the way in. I stopped for a picture there and another runner offered to take it (I think we were both grateful of the few seconds rest). I then decided I needed to crack on and get moving.

The early running was quite tough but soon my legs felt better and the switching of arms meant I’d got a good rhythm going. By this point we’d caught up to the back markers from the 7k race and the praise they gave me was amazing! I soon reached the split off point where the 7k runners went off road for about 1k. This was clearly marked and I pushed on straight ahead and up the first small hill. It wasn’t long until we met back up with these runners where they came back onto the road. I was really enjoying it now as I really felt part of the race with lots of runners all around me.

When I reached the 2 mile mark I thought ‘wow this isn’t as bad as I thought’ but then I rounded a corner and faced a hill and OMG what a hill it was! It went on for around 1k slowly winding it’s way up into the woods. I carried on running for as long as I could but eventually the hill beat me and many others even without buggies and I had to walk.

So many people commented on how well I was doing, lots of people were chatting and giving high fives to my son and others asking for a cheeky lift in the buggy.

Walking gave me time to take in the surroundings as the path took us right through the middle of the woods which were full of bluebells and eventually I reached the top and what goes up must come down.

The down was fab. I let the buggy do the work and I just held on and ran as my pace really picked up. Jaxon really enjoyed this part as we were overtaking people and he was kicking the wheel trying to make us go even faster. Just like the uphill this part wound back down through the woods. We were now at the 3 mile mark and looking at my watch I was surprised at how fast I’d completed it.

We went past a lovely lake and over another bridge where a marshal pointed out that we were nearly finished. Just one last dreaded hill to go! That really spurred me on and as this hill was nothing like the last I managed to run it all. As we rounded the last corner I could see the crowds cheering us on and hear the rock choir in the distance singing.

I felt such a massive achievement as I completed the last few hundred metres and I then spotted my mum and one of my other sons in the crowd supporting me which made me sprint to the line. I received a bottle of water and a medal for both me and Jaxon which he was really pleased with.

I spoke to the run director afterwards and she explained that the race was introduced 4 years ago after a regular competitor of the 7k had an accident and ended up in a wheelchair but still wanted to compete so they adapted the course cutting out the cross country section reducing it from 7k to 4 miles and due to its success decided keep it going.

After the run we explored the grounds and had a picnic, got a return train ride to the palace, enjoyed the playground, maze, bouncy castle and butterfly tunnel and on presenting my race number for an extra £8 we could gain access to the palace itself.

On our way back to the car we could hear lots of cheering and into view came a girl in a wheelchair named Phoebe who 2 was completing her 4 miles which she had done with no help whatsoever. Jaxon helped hold up the finish line for her to cross and everyone around cheered her on. This completely touched me emotionally as it was what this event was all about. The whole course was designed for wheelchairs and pushchairs and although the roads were hilly they were completely smooth and wheel friendly.

Overall this was an amazing experience and day out. It was something for the whole family to be involved in and which gave people in wheelchairs the opportunity to take part. I’d definitely come back next year but maybe not with the pushchair!

Review by Alan Moore.

Gawthorpe – A small village in the heart of Yorkshire where every year, on Easter bank holiday, men and women from all four corners of the UK (and some from overseas) come to push their mind, body and soul to the limit. Welcome ladies and gentlemen to the home of the World Coal Carrying Championships!

This event started like all great events, over an argument in a pub and of course a small wager. In this case it was between a farmer and a coal miner about who was the fittest. They decided by seeing who could carry a sack of coal from the pub on the outskirts of Gawthorpe to the village square and the rest is history as they say.

This was my fifth year doing the event and its like Deja Vu. The organisers have everything down to a fine art and thats the way it stays – tradition and doing it right go hand in hand here in Yorkshire and if you have a better idea well just keep it to yourself, after all ‘You can always tell a Yorkshire man, but you can’t tell him much’.

Registration takes place in the Boot and Shoe pub and opens from 10am. Making your way passed the hardened northerners who are just having their breakfast of John smith’s (and thats just the women) the registration desk consists of a pub table, a lady and a big book. I handed her my registration form and she said “ta” (Translated: Thank you). She goes on to say “Tha in oldies race 2, an tha numba fiftee” (Translated: You are running in veterans race 2 and your number is 50). I then moved on the the pool table where piles of yellow T-shirts were laid out. I was handed my top with race number attached. I also receive a copy of the rules:

1 – If you drop your sack – pick it up

2 – No cheating like cutting corners or running on the pavement

3 – No outside help from anyone

Back outside with the festivities starting at 10:30 with the children’s races – Yes the kids are tough up north too running the entire 1km course the course however health and safety has caught up with them and they are sadly no longer allowed to carry sacks of coal.

The crowds are out in force, the population for the day has quadrupled and the streets are full of proud parents clapping the boys and girls as they sprint down the course to the village square.

Kids races over and its time for the adults. I watch the first race go by then I take a steady jog down to the start line ready for my race.

Each wave has between 20 to 30 runners and its just luck of the draw to who you get in your race. I looked around me to see some familiar faces including a couple of previous winners but i’m not here to win. Its only four weeks since I had a major operation and although recovery is going well this will be a big step so I keep saying to myself “I’m here to take part, don’t push yourself, just try your best.”

For me it’s always here at the start line where my mind begins to take over. We stood awaiting the arrival of the coal truck with the sacks. The experienced runners are going through their routines trying to visualise carrying there sack, they do short warm up runs crouched over. The newbies are eagerly talking about tactics and trying to get some last minute advise.

The truck appears trundling down the road and the buzz starts. It’s too late for the nervous pee now, it’s time to race!

The faster, more experienced runners usually cross the road so they can get their sack first and get a good position on the start line. I just waited and got mine mid position, “Im not racing” I keep telling myself

I bend down next to the truck and a big burly bloke plonks this great big 50kg sack on my back, I grab my corners holding it in place and lift it up till its balancing on my lower neck/ upper back. Crouched over I make my way to the start line.

My new running philosophy is to start from the back so I stand 5 or 6ft behind the front line of runners as they line up all the way across the road.

The starter begins the count down:

3 – Runners start shuffling their sacks of coal.

2 – Time to check the grip on the Sack

1- Final thoughts are banished, Bang goes the gun and everyone is off!

I set off bending forward to keep the bag high and all I see is around 4ft in front of me and almost instantly this causes me problems as I almost run into someone who has started to walk already. I dodge right further into the middle of the road. The first 150m are a slow ascent only rising around 4m but it takes it out of those legs and just as you crest the hill the mind games start to kicks in. I had banished them for the first 150m as all I was concentrating on was moving the legs but know it starts:

‘This bag is heavy’, ‘Is it high enough?’, ‘Is it slipping?’, ‘You can walk if you want too’, ‘Why the hell are we doing this?’.

Pushing the thoughts away I get back to just putting one foot in front of the other as the road flattens. I see every bit of tarmac close up as I concentrate so hard on just moving forwards and not running into anyone.

Having done the race several times I have my own little checkpoints and the crest of the hill means check point one ticked off. Next is the left turn so I start to move to the left of the road and I almost go over another fellow runner who has dropped his sack. I dodge left and almost end up on the pavement – careful as thats an instant DQ!

The left turn is checkpoint 2 and a little bit of knowledge helps here as I take the fastest route, I don’t go left straight away but keep going straight and cut across half way across the road. This is because next up is an almost instant right turn. I hug the apex like Lewis Hamilton driving his Mercedes (just a lot slower!)

The mind games starts to kick in again at this point: ‘You know what’s coming next – The Hill!’, ‘Shall we Start walking now?’, ‘The bag has slipped for sure’, ‘You can’t hold this grip for much longer’, ‘Is that cramp I can start to feel coming on?’, ‘Why are we doing this?’.

I keep my legs moving, I start to think positively. I know I’m in a good way, the sack is still riding high, I haven’t walked and I still have a good grip so I try to push the negative thoughts aside and continue running.

Again moving to the left of the road ready for the next sharp corner and the start of the hill I feel my legs getting heavy and as soon as I turn that’s it, the mind wins, I’m walking the hill.

The incline is only 100m long but it rises over 20m and it can make even the strongest walk (or so I am telling myself) but the start of this hill also marks checkpoint 3 for me and the half way spot so I try to walk as fast as I can. As I reach the top the crowds are out in force. Thousands of spectators line the street cheering and the euphoria is contagious. My legs start to run again without me even thinking about it, the coal sack starts to feel lighter, I get a good grip and start to push forwards. Forget about it not being a race – who was I kidding?- I start to pass the crowd and other runners as they start to slow, dropping their bags and struggling to get them back up.

With 300m to go the noice is deafening! 250m to go I’m on a high, 200m I’m sweating like crazy, 150m I’m asking myself why did I started running again, 100m left – where is the bloody finish line? 50m to go I feel like I can’t go any further but upon finally reaching the finish line I drop my sack on the village green and collapse next in a heap next to it. I move away fast though as others will be finishing and I don’t want a sack of coal dropped on me.

A nice lady hands me a bottle of water and I stand there with 25 other blokes all with hands on knees trying to get our breath back.

I made my way back through the crowd wearing my coal stained race shirt with pride getting pats on the shoulder from strangers and congratulations ringing in my ears to find the wife who has a pint ready for me – yes this is up north and you have to do what Northerners do – carry coal and drink bitter!

If you’d like to give this race a try (if you think you are can be Northern enough) then head over to http://www.gawthorpemaypole.org.uk/ for details and who knows I might see you there next year.

Check out Alan’s video here: https://www.facebook.com/100007742052371/posts/2252976018303778?sfns=mo

You can see more from Alan on the following platforms:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/UK.OCR/
http://www.UKOCR.com
Facebook.com/UK.OCR
Twitter @OCR_muddyduck

Review by first time tower runner Shell Dillon–Redmile

After a whole year of back to back standard running events the Loros Tower Run appealed to me for something different. At £17 it was really good value so I signed up thinking ‘how hard can it be?’ On arrive, at first glance of St George’s tower in central Leicester my thoughts immediately changed to ‘Eeekkkk what have I done?”

The concept was simple. Run up the 351 steps from the ground floor to the top of one of the city’s most iconic and tallest occupied buildings.

The race pack that was sent out several weeks prior to the event was informative and also gave training advice. The advice being to attempt to climb the stairs two at a time. With this in mind I planned my training for the event around this tip. I only managed to practiced to a maximum of 50 stairs but I also continued my running mileage and cross trained.

On arrival at the venue I booked in with ease and was made to feel really welcomed. They asked if I had done the tower run before and I replied I hadn’t but I was looking forward to attempting the challenge.

Lots of fellow participants joined me in waiting in the confines of the Premier inn away from the harsh wind and cold weather. I was glad this was an indoor run! As I stood waiting I could hear everyone around going over their plan of action and the do’s and don’ts from those who had run before.

I got called to go outside and wait for my turn. It was very cold but the conversation from other participants passed the time quickly. I have to say the tower looked huge! I got to the front for my turn but then a competitor arrived late so I was asked to wait. This was fine with me as it gave me time to settle myself nerves.

As I waited the lady behind me said she would be coming for me in 20 seconds. This spurred me into action.
I was counted in (at my scheduled time) ‘3,2,1, go…..

I set off using my planned two at a time approach. Each floor was 2 sets of roughly 10 steps and had a marshal at every one. At floor 2 the marshal happily advised me I only had 18 flights to go!

My plan was working really well and I felt I was doing okay. By floor 8 my lungs were burning but I overtook two people, one of which had stopped with a marshal to catch her breath.

By the time I got to 13th floor I was really struggling and felt slightly dizzy. At floor 15 I remember thinking ‘oh my, what am I doing?’, I slowed to a fast walk up to floor 16 and then realised I only had 4 more floors to go. All of a sudden I could hear the lady who said she was going to catch me so I found some extra energy and sprinted to the top.

At the summit I recall a marshal shouting ‘push the buzzer’ which I did with great joy. I had finished! I felt a sense of exhilaration but I was really out of breath, my lungs burnt and I could not stop coughing.

I walked along the corridor to collect my medal and a well earned glass of fizz to find lots of other competitors coughing too. There were tables with snack bars and bottles of water. I took some pictures of the beautiful views across the city.

Everyone was very bubbly and congratulating one another. As we made our way down in the lift we were all intrigued to find out how we had done. I made my way out and was guided to a van where I could immediately get a print out of my time which was a very pleasing 3 minutes 23 seconds.

I was congratulated on the loud speaker by the announcer as I made my way past which was a nice touch. I was amazed that my legs felt good but my lungs still hurt!

Overall I would highly recommend this event. It was over quickly but the sense of achievement was high, the atmosphere was really good and everyone was friendly and welcoming. The volunteers were great and the event ran smoothly. I was even told I could run up again at the end if I fancied it. I politely declined decided but hope to give it another go next year.

It was that time of year again. Our fourth consecutive trip to Dorking, Surrey for what was to be the twelfth annual UK Wife Carrying Race.

Generally this is an event we look forwards to. It’s fun, it’s about as quirky a race concept as there is and it offers me a welcome break from the monotony of marathon training. This time however things were a little different.

There was no denying that it was still going to be a great laugh. You’re jumping over hay bales and running up and down a big hill while carrying your wife on your back. How can you possibly not rise a smile to that in a world where adults have to be so serious the majority of the time? Saying that there was no getting away from the fact that this year the demand for us to get the victory was high.

In 2018 we put on another 3 of our own events which have now all become annual staples on the calendar for Easter, Halloween and Christmas as well as a Strongman challenge all of which went really well. On top of this we attended and reviewed races with quirky concepts across the country and went international running in both Belgium and France.

Having ran the BH5K (Naked Run) at The Naturist Foundation back in May, I knew what was to come on 16th September at their second race of the year. This race, albeit a little quirky is fantastic for body positivity and confidence. People of all ages, races, shapes and sizes participated.

Legend has it that this race started before the First World War and continued between World Wars. It then took a break before being revived in the 1970’s then went into intermission again (apart from once in 2004) until 2010 where it was reborn in its current form that we see today.

According to tradition at the end of the potato season the farmhands would lift the old hundredweight sacks (51 KG’s) and race with them from the churchyard in the village of Flitton to the farm one mile up the road in Greenfield then get to keep the potatoes for their efforts.

In the seventies the route was reversed so that it ended at the White Heart pub (opposite the church) and the weight of the sacks was reduced to 25KG’s but the distance remained the same.

When it was brought back again the only further change made was bringing the weight down to 20KG’s for men and 10KG’s for women to meet with modern day health and safety regulations.

Quirky Races’ Chris has been attending this event since 2015 where he won the race breaking the course record with a time of 5:30. He successfully defended his title the following year with a slightly slower 5:35 but due to a fixture clash had to miss it in 2017 so he was even more excited than usual to be returning this year with the aim of reclaiming his throne as the potato king!

Flitton in the county of Bedfordshire is only a 40 minute drive from Quirky Races HQ in Northampton and the races don’t start until midday so unusually an early start wasn’t required which was nice as the event fell on Father’s Day so I got to open my cards and gifts before making the journey. I had my wife and two young children with me as this event is for all the family. As well as the adult’s race there are races over the same distance with lighter weight sacks for older children and spud and spoon races over shorter distances for the little ones. The pub garden at the finish line has fairground rides, stalls, inflatables, an ice cream van and BBQ where most gather afterwards and await the presentation.

It was another nice hot day, as it has been every year I’ve attended which always helps the occasion. Registration and safety briefing are held in the village hall at roughly the half way point of the course. I then took an easy run up to the start which acted as a perfect warm up. I was first to arrive and got some drills and strides in before the rest of the 59 males and 18 females joined me. It was then time to collect our potato sack. It was great to see three hardcore participants had requested to carry the old hundredweight! Fair play to them. I put my 20KG sack on the start line and waited for the signal to go.

I was confident I was in shape to run a similar time to what I had done on the two previous occasions so I had the attitude that if someone was going to beat me they’d need to break my course record to do so. As the air horn was sounded we were off and my tactics were to start steady but be right up there in the leading group.

I found myself at the front with a couple of others just behind on either side of me but that gap seemed to lengthen with every stride and within a minute I felt no pressure. I was running well within myself and just stuck to my plan.

Each quarter mile point is signed which really helps as theres no way of looking at your watch as of course your hands are raised gripping the sack on your shoulders. The route, which is on a closed road, is straight and flat and the further you get the more spectators there are lining the paths either side. From half way it gets very busy and this is where I put my foot down a little more.

The crowd had been waiting in expectation for the first runner to come through so when they saw me I could really feel their excitement and I fed off that as my legs started to tire slightly. In the final 400 meters the streets are packed and the cheers get louder and louder. I pushed on again as although I felt no danger from behind it’s hard to tell and the noice from the spuds rattling around prevents that sense you normally get if someone is catching you.

As I completed the final stretch with the church and pub in sight I knew I had the win wrapped up but because I’d felt quite relaxed the whole way and hadn’t been pushed at any point I wasn’t expecting the time to be as quick but upon crossing the finish line and the timing mat the announcer called out that I’d ran a new record of 5:26. This really surprise me and was a really satisfying bonus.

I turned around to see second place (last year’s winner) coming in just under half a minute later and stayed in the finish area to see almost all the other runners coming home with smiles but very tired looking faces and then the kids from 10 years and above who set off just after the adults.

Next up was the relay where teams of four take on the same course running a quarter of a mile each with the potato sack acting as the baton.

This was followed by the under 10’s races which my daughter was taking part in so it was another little run for me as I ran alongside her cheering her on, shouting encouragement just like so many others had done for me.

Medals and goody bags collected it was time for a celebratory drink and ice cream in the pub’s garden while reflecting on what a great time we’d had.

A trail run, an obstacle course, an ultra challenge, a festival. Runstock really does offer something for everyone. Weather you want to run one 5KM lap or go for the ultra challenge of 50KM and beyond you can do it all here. If running isn’t your thing then there’s a festival full of family activities but I’m pretty confident that once you’ve taken on just one lap of this course you may well change your mind and become a running addict like the majority of the 2000 taking on just some or all of the 8 hours of running time available.

As much as I love obstacles, on this occasion I personally was just there for the running (I couldn’t resist a couple of goes on the monkey bars though). I did however manage to notch up 16 laps so could well be best placed to comment of the course as I ended up running more than anyone else.

What I saw throughout the day was more smiles on faces than perhaps any other running event I’ve ever been at. From participants to marshals to spectators. Everyone seemed to be beaming from ear to ear from start to finish and it was easy to see why.

I think what contributed most to the chilled and happy atmosphere was the freedom of choice. So many obstacle course races these days have mandatory obstacle completion or a forfeit for failure. Here you did whatever you wanted with a run route set out for those who didn’t fancy getting wet or muddy or those, like myself, who had set themselves a running distance target. For many this was the ‘ultra challenge’ of 50KM (10 laps) set up by the organisers which came with an extra shiny gold medal and a vest (if you paid an extra fee). You could also stop running at the end of any lap, take a rest, go and enjoy the many activities of offer in the festival, then join back in at any period from the start at 10AM to 5.30PM with participants getting until 6PM to complete their final lap.

The variety of people taking part further alliterated the appeal to everyone this event had and the lapped set up meant I could see this throughout as I went past those of all ages, shapes and sizes.

This is the perfect introduction for kids to running and obstacles and for adults into ultra running as well as offering a challenging and competitive aspect for anyone who wanted it.

Review by Alan Moore.

Having already done food themed running events such as the Chocothan and the Pieathlon (https://quirkyraces.com/2016/12/15/pieathlon-2016/) when I saw Pizza Run UK was coming to Leeds I though what’s not to like and what a great idea, a 5k run with slices of pizza at checkpoints, I was going to enjoy this!

My first challenge however was finding the venue which had been changed at short notice. I followed my sat nav but the postcode given took me to a cemetery. No sign of any pizza so I had a drive around and a mile later, on the same street, I found a park with people mingling and a few red marquees. Then a saw a pizza run flag, yes I had found it!

There was already at queue at registration but this went quickly and I had my wristband and race number ready to go. I sat on the grass in the glorious sunshine with my son who I was running with and my wife who had come to support us as we watched the DJ.

Soon after the music got going it was time for the warm up hosted by Mr Pizza (basically a man in a pizza outfit).

We where told that the run would be three laps of the park with two pizza stops on route then we where off!

I tend to struggle running in heat so stuck to a steady pace which put me in the middle of the pack. After the first lap it was time for a much anticipated slice of pizza. It was a lovely looking slice of margarita, however unfortunately it didn’t taste as good as it looked as it was cold and I mean cold! Now cold pizza is usually ok the following morning after a night on the tiles but not the best in 30 degree heat.

Lap two down I missed the pizza stop as I was looking for a water station but couldn’t find one resulting in me struggling on the 3rd lap, I know its only 5k but I was fast dehydrating and as I came around the final corner I was walking.

I crossed the finish line and was awarded a pizza slice shaped medal but chose to avoid the last bit of pizza and saw many other runners doing the same. I collapsed on the grass and my wife brought me some of her Fanta she had bought from a local shop.

The music had stopped which I later found out was because the generator had blown up which was a shame. When I had recovered I found out there was a water station but it wasn’t on the course it was behind the finish line in the registration tent. Strange place for it but this is a rather strange race I suppose.

In my opinion this event has all the makings to be a success but it needs to get some of the basics right first such as having water on course and finding a way to keep the pizza warm but I do love the idea and it’s concept and after they have done a few more I am sure they will get better at it and I would like to attend another to find out.