North Downs Run 30k
When I was a kid growing up in the north, I'd often hear on the weather forecast of scorching temperatures in Gravesend, Kent. I grew up thinking that Gravesend had its own little microclimate; a sun-drenched oasis in the garden of England. Anyway, it turns out that Gravesend just happens to have one of the lowest positioned weather stations in the UK and soil with a propensity to heat up quickly in the sunlight. Well, either way, Gravesend lived up to its expectations this Sunday as the North Downs Run, which starts and ends just outside Gravesend, was by far the hottest race I've ever participated in.
As we gathered next to the Cascades Leisure Centre in Thong, the sun was already beating down. Lots of runners stayed in the shade for as long as they could before the race started. Fortunately, my travel companion and fellow runner Chris had brought some sun screen with him and I gave myself a liberal coating.
Chris and I shuffled into the start area ready for the 10.30am start. Neither of us really knew what to expect from the event; we'd heard reports of it being tough, hilly, narrow in parts, scenic and, most worryingly, brutal. The race director confirmed our suspicions during the pre-race briefing in which he described the event as 'tougher than a marathon'. Gulp.
The North Downs Run is almost 90% off-road through public footpaths, woods and trails. As such, I didn't really have a pace in mind. 30k is a distance I can cover in just over two hours, however, the NDR was very much an unknown quantity.
At 10.30am the deputy mayor of Gravesend (who was also running the event) sounded the air horn and we were off. Chris and I had tentatively agreed to run together, however, we also agreed that if one of us was feeling particularly sprightly, we would separate. After a quick lap of the sports field, the route joins a narrow section of public footpath with thick hedges either side. After just under two miles the route opens out into wheat fields and people began to overtake each other. At this point I was ahead of Chris and was running at my usual marathon pace (around 6.50 mins per mile). I saw a hill approaching and knew that I wouldn't be able to maintain that pace.
Passing over Shorne Hill, the route heads south through Shorne Ridgeway, through beautiful open countryside and then eventually over the A2. Almost immediately after crossing the A2, the route loses all of its height as you descend, steeply, around 400ft in just under a mile. The terrain was a mixture of clay and chalk, making for quite an uneven surface.
There's a small road crossing at Lower Bush, followed by a fairly relentless climb through Wingate Wood and into Greatpark Wood. This represents an elevation gain of around 500ft over 3.5 miles. The shade of the woodland brought some minor relief, however, by this stage I was devoid of any energy and could feel my pace beginning to drop. I expected Chris to pass me at any moment.
After Greatpark Wood, there should be some respite as the road turns north and begins to descend. However, by this stage it was midday and the sun was beating down on the runners in what is unfortunately one of the more exposed sections of the route. I chatted briefly with two friendly members of Istead and Ifield Harriers; exchanging expletives about how hot it was and how every country pub we passed seem to taunt us.
I was so surprised by how well the route was supported; it felt like there was a marshal every 0.5 miles; each and every one of them offered words of encouragement. As I passed The Cock Inn at Luddesdown I commented to a group of spectators drinking beer outside the pub; 'that looks nice' I said, 'it is!' was the response...that was the last thing I wanted to hear.
Anyway, I trundled on over the fields towards Cobham and north towards the A2. By now I was absolutely roasting and genuinely worried about heatstroke. I greeted each water station with great relief, stopping to drink big gulps of water rather than just taking small sips.
Finally, after crossing the A2 I felt I was on the home straight. The route undulates through Shorne Wood before eventually forming a loop in Shorne. By now I had resorted to walking anything with an incline. After the final drinks station I retraced my steps through the wheat fields. Somehow I followed about five other runners off-course in the wrong direction only to have to turn back and jog back up the hill. Herd mentality!
As I reached the 29k marker I could finally hear the run HQ's PA system in the distance. Retracing my steps back down the narrow footpath I was relieved when I reached the sports field and could see the finish funnel.
I shuffled over the finish line in 2 hours 32 minutes. I was absolutely shattered. To my surprise Chris was waiting for me at the end. When did he pass me?! Chris joked that he'd finished 30 minutes ago and then informed me that he'd had to pull out around the 10k mark as he'd turned his ankle and couldn't run on it. A passerby had kindly given him a lift back. I was gutted for Chris as it was his idea to run the NDR...I have a feeling he'll be back next year!
If you'd asked me yesterday I would have said never again. Today I'm already thinking about next year's race. This is a such a great event; the route is so well supported, well marked and well catered for. Many thanks to Istead and Ifield Harriers for hosting such a special event!
As we gathered next to the Cascades Leisure Centre in Thong, the sun was already beating down. Lots of runners stayed in the shade for as long as they could before the race started. Fortunately, my travel companion and fellow runner Chris had brought some sun screen with him and I gave myself a liberal coating.
Chris and I shuffled into the start area ready for the 10.30am start. Neither of us really knew what to expect from the event; we'd heard reports of it being tough, hilly, narrow in parts, scenic and, most worryingly, brutal. The race director confirmed our suspicions during the pre-race briefing in which he described the event as 'tougher than a marathon'. Gulp.
The North Downs Run is almost 90% off-road through public footpaths, woods and trails. As such, I didn't really have a pace in mind. 30k is a distance I can cover in just over two hours, however, the NDR was very much an unknown quantity.
At 10.30am the deputy mayor of Gravesend (who was also running the event) sounded the air horn and we were off. Chris and I had tentatively agreed to run together, however, we also agreed that if one of us was feeling particularly sprightly, we would separate. After a quick lap of the sports field, the route joins a narrow section of public footpath with thick hedges either side. After just under two miles the route opens out into wheat fields and people began to overtake each other. At this point I was ahead of Chris and was running at my usual marathon pace (around 6.50 mins per mile). I saw a hill approaching and knew that I wouldn't be able to maintain that pace.
Passing over Shorne Hill, the route heads south through Shorne Ridgeway, through beautiful open countryside and then eventually over the A2. Almost immediately after crossing the A2, the route loses all of its height as you descend, steeply, around 400ft in just under a mile. The terrain was a mixture of clay and chalk, making for quite an uneven surface.
There's a small road crossing at Lower Bush, followed by a fairly relentless climb through Wingate Wood and into Greatpark Wood. This represents an elevation gain of around 500ft over 3.5 miles. The shade of the woodland brought some minor relief, however, by this stage I was devoid of any energy and could feel my pace beginning to drop. I expected Chris to pass me at any moment.
After Greatpark Wood, there should be some respite as the road turns north and begins to descend. However, by this stage it was midday and the sun was beating down on the runners in what is unfortunately one of the more exposed sections of the route. I chatted briefly with two friendly members of Istead and Ifield Harriers; exchanging expletives about how hot it was and how every country pub we passed seem to taunt us.
I was so surprised by how well the route was supported; it felt like there was a marshal every 0.5 miles; each and every one of them offered words of encouragement. As I passed The Cock Inn at Luddesdown I commented to a group of spectators drinking beer outside the pub; 'that looks nice' I said, 'it is!' was the response...that was the last thing I wanted to hear.
Anyway, I trundled on over the fields towards Cobham and north towards the A2. By now I was absolutely roasting and genuinely worried about heatstroke. I greeted each water station with great relief, stopping to drink big gulps of water rather than just taking small sips.
Finally, after crossing the A2 I felt I was on the home straight. The route undulates through Shorne Wood before eventually forming a loop in Shorne. By now I had resorted to walking anything with an incline. After the final drinks station I retraced my steps through the wheat fields. Somehow I followed about five other runners off-course in the wrong direction only to have to turn back and jog back up the hill. Herd mentality!
As I reached the 29k marker I could finally hear the run HQ's PA system in the distance. Retracing my steps back down the narrow footpath I was relieved when I reached the sports field and could see the finish funnel.
I shuffled over the finish line in 2 hours 32 minutes. I was absolutely shattered. To my surprise Chris was waiting for me at the end. When did he pass me?! Chris joked that he'd finished 30 minutes ago and then informed me that he'd had to pull out around the 10k mark as he'd turned his ankle and couldn't run on it. A passerby had kindly given him a lift back. I was gutted for Chris as it was his idea to run the NDR...I have a feeling he'll be back next year!
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| Cake...lots of cake |
