Hadrians Wall Half race report by Andy Bell
On the evening of the 28th of June I marched north from York towards Hadrians Wall in the footsteps of the Roman IX legion. A 2 hour drive saw me to my overnight stay in the small village of Acomb (no relation to our local version !) near Hexham.
Race day dawned sunny and a touch on the warm side but thankfully clouds began to roll in as I approached Race HQ leaving perfect conditions. Race HQ and the car park was on the largest bit of flat ground I saw that day, about the size of a football field hanging onto the side of a hill, the word windswept was made for this place…near a place called twice brewed, which is just down the road from once brewed….hard drinking folk in these parts!
The race.
The field of 460 runners and assorted shivering spectators gathered behind the start line ready for the 10am start, which seemed to happen more by consensus rather than command, certainly i was near the front and heard nothing ! The first few miles were on road, with some fair size hills…no Brass Monkey as a fellow runner commented (awesome brand recognition there folks !) …people were suffering already but i was cruising about thinking it light relief after the horrors of heartbreak hill on Tuesday. It was at this point i realised that since i was passing a lot of people i might as well pull my finger out and race the bugger…3 miles over open moor and scrubland often with no defined path and squelching through bog and stream then finally a fairly neutral section over gravel service roads through a managed forest which flew past in a flurry of sub 7 min miles allowing to me to pick off a handy half dozen folk. The final section opened out on tarmac again, with the route to the line snaking out in front down into a valley and up to the hilltop finish. I could only see another 5 or so competitors in front by this point, with only one in handy reach but felt strong and ran them all bar one down over the next mile, with the last in the final few hundred meters much to his suprise, i don’t think he heard me coming !
Final position was 17th, 4th MV40…Time of 1:38 and change.
Organisation
Good car park organisation, but getting there early was a good call since the car park was soon close to capacity. 3 stations for your in race self waterboarding pleasure, marshals a plenty and with the course marked at most turns.
Loot
Technical T in a range of blue hues…almost a bit too much complication for my race befuddled mind, i struggle to know my own name the first 5 mins after !
Unlike the IX legion which according to legend dissapeared somewhere north of the wall, i made it home safe and sound and keen to do it again next year !