Coggeshall Charity Trail Report & Results
On Sunday when most eyes were on a certain road race in London, 50 enlightened souls toured the Coggeshall area on a very attractive route.
Arriving a bit before the start time I was surprised how few cars were in the car park compared to the last race there a few weeks ago. I had driven past Wendy and Snig shivering at a table outside the café so knew they were ready to take entries. Entry on the day is a thing of the past for us as pre entry avoids unnecessary queues but if the queue is not too long it is usually a sociable wait before the off. The queue was two people long when I registered only to overhear the trail race organiser’s nightmare question, “Do I need these instructions?” from one of the two in front of me. He followed it up with “What’s TL?” Luckily he was running with a more experienced trail runner.
I logged in and took off about a minute behind my fellow queuers. I caught and overtook them at line 2. The course weaved through an estate then onto a field edge and gap we had done three weeks ago. However the gap was dry unlike the quagmire it had been. Next field edge was as Ginny’s race but then turned right.
A few field edges, then across the road passing the football club on the long path along the river to the now reopened Nunn’s Bridge over the Blackwater. The bar at the start of the bridge was higher than I had anticipated and I just about held myself back from a head first dive into the waters below.
The course now climbed across fields on baked paths. Rather than baked they were probably blow-dried. At the entrance to Pantling’s Lane (a long enclosed track we have run many times from the Western Arms) my two queue mates came past. I was 12th person to start and several people had overtaken me and I in turn had overtaken several walkers so I was in the current top ten.
The route dropped down to Coggeshall Hamlet and the lovely path through the meadows alongside the river back to the abbey. As I approached the road my two queue mates came past again, having enjoyed Pantling’s Lane so much, they hadn’t turned off at the footbridge.
I’m told quite a few people mentioned Vane Lane to Wendy, but I didn’t incur her wrath.
Another excellent day out in the Essex countryside thanks to Wendy and Snig.
EASTER EGGSTRAVAGANZA
The 21st annual Easter Eggstravaganza Trail Series was run in much dryer conditions than the Met Office had warned, but mud was still in abundance.
I drove to Panfield on Friday with my windscreen wipers alternating between intermittent and full on, but by the time I set off the rain clouds had passed by. My main worry was would I get out of the football field without a tow truck. In fact that was on my mind all the way round and I cursed myself that I had been foolish enough to park there.
The course went towards Rayne (appropriate) so most of it was on well trodden trail territory but Dave found a few new paths on the way back. Adam and Lynn won the five miler with Antony and Jackie triumphing in the ten. The chocolate bunnies were nice and I have had a better pint of Landlord, but my moment of the day was getting off the football field without sliding into anything.
Day 2 at Purleigh was again dry, but I have never encountered such waterlogged fields. Again the course was all well known trail paths and there were some great views from the tops of the hills. Jackie won the five outright with Lynn in second place. Lynn towed Gary to win for the men. It was Antony again in the ten with Nikki (2nd overall) for the ladies. Andy and his team put on a great spread at the finish.
Sunday was forecast to be the best day of the weekend, but it was chuffing freezing. I had checked the course in a downpour on Thursday so stayed in the warm with Howard. Again a race from Felsted should mean lots of known paths but Howard managed at least two stretches I had never done before. Just one distance today and Jackie won by a mere 9 seconds from Antony.
The final day had sold out five weeks ago and the forecast had been for rain. I awoke to blue skies and sunshine. Three runners beat Helen and me to the start. Although very busy all seemed to go smoothly. Antony got his revenge on Jackie who was second overall. The April Fool clipper caught a few out. There were 140 runners 79 women and 61 men. There were 5 women in the top 7.
Over the weekend we had 254 different runners split exactly 50/50 between men and women.
Thanks to all the clubs and venues and to all you lot for making it a great weekend of social running.
Prize List is here. All prizes not claimed from me by The Galleywood Gallop in May will go to Essex Air Ambulance.
WHAT'S A CLIPPER
After lots of rain in the week leading up to the race I woke up to fog, but the sun was beginning to shine as I arrived at the then empty car park. I walked through the nature reserve to put the clipper on the footbridge. Did I need to bother?
We were all set up ready to go and people were already mingling around us. As things got going it was difficult to make yourself heard or hear anyone else and on top of that there was a spotlight shining in my eyes when I turned to my right. To top all that I had a nose bleed.
Within half an hour all was quiet as all 142 runners and walkers had left hopefully with the correctly numbered instructions and we had the wait for the first runner back to confirm the route description worked.
The first returnee was local runner Michael on the short route who confirmed the instructions were fine but he hadn’t clipped at the footbridge. (remember the clipper?). Pleased as we were that the short course was OK, Howard had added a MP to my instructions in the woods on the longer route when he checked it on Friday and we thought a few people might struggle through that section. So it was even better news when Justin was next in having completed the route with the long wood section without too much trouble. He also found the clipper.
Soon people began to return and the place was buzzing with conversation mainly about a clipper. Some thought it would be an old sailing ship conveniently moored in the river, although what that would have to do with the route directions I don’t know. The clipper was placed to stop anyone with local knowledge just running down the main road to the finish, rather than running up to number 95. Now I’ve never seen a bigger house number in my life but it wasn’t big enough to spot by one group of runners who ran straight past it. Other conversations were about the urinals in the gents which some ladies just had to see.
Last year’s winners had a major conversation in the woods as they added an extra mile almost completing a circle back to where they should have been before turning round to reverse their route.
Whatever the trials and tribulations everyone seemed to enjoy the courses and strangely the mud and the chance to have a swing in the woods. One couple enjoyed it so much they went round again.
If this was your first narrative trail event we can’t promise you mud every time but we think you’ll always have fun and plenty to talk about afterwards.
SLIPPING, SLIDING, SPLASHING
The wettest February since records began changed a nice mainly grassy route into a slippery mud slide. High winds also meant we used the term “clamber” for the first time. We also added “splash” to confirm the way.
In such conditions it was a great turnout and there were some remarkable times.
This was our first night venture from this popular pub and the management and staff could not have been more helpful. We will definitely return for more night time shenanigans. We are actually back here on Easter Monday for Day 4 of the Eggstravaganza trail series (only 10 places left).
Well done to Tom and Sarah on mastering the conditions and course and thanks again for coming out on a grim night.
NO AMOUND OF TROUBLE
It was totally different conditions to our last night trail with ice and cold replacing wet and mild.
Although Howard and I were sat in the pub we got frequent icy blasts as runners left and returned through the back door. Nobody banged their head and only one runner tried to leave through the Ladies and no he is no lady.
The night didn’t start well for John and Lorna as they negotiated the new Boreham Interchange roundabout only to find themselves back on the A12. Things only got worse as they missed the correct turn before the mound and ended in a rare DNF. Their confusion wasn’t helped by seeing Neil running towards them and they also distracted Ben who fed up with left turns took an incorrect right to relieve the boredom. The mound also confused a few people who had TL before the FC. (Do what the route description says and all will be well).
Apart from one faller into an icy ditch we heard of no other mishaps and every one was more than pleased to get back inside in the warm.
The race itself was extremely close with the first man being Adam. It wasn’t Eve who came next but another Adam just 4 seconds down. Then first lady Keeley and “Ladies man” Terry were just 34 seconds back. Second lady was Teresa with Sue & Lorraine sharing third spot.
This is such a nice course we are hoping to run it again in the summer.
Entries open at 6pm tonight for our next night trail https://www.entrycentral.com/Dark-Rose