Mud Runner
Mud Runner – Slippery When Wet
Sara Turner / 15.10.2009
<i>The inaugural Mud Runner, a 10km run round the Land Rover Experience tracks at Eastnor Castle took place on Oct. 11th and Sara Turner of Evesham Vale Running Club was one of the 400 competitors. This is how she got on ... </i>Though the weather was not consistent of our usual monsoon rain, the organisers of the event made a great job of the course! We said that if it was not muddy enough we would want our money back. No fear of that! The browsers of water brought in for our benefit ensured it was messy enough.
The family and I arrived nice and early to the grounds of Eastnor Castle, Ledbury. I met up with some fellow Evesham Running clubbers, made many trips to the loo and we all lined up in the start area. The choice of some kit items on view was alarming: A man wearing normal running kit (fine) but with marigolds?! What was that all about? And there were some runners in very bright shiny new WHITE trainers – Der!
Anyway off we went down a lane by the castle then turned up a track. It's all absolutely stunning along the valley, through woods and farm land. This track went onto a hill and a HUGE and long hill it. The burn was enough to slow nearly everyone to a walk.
We got to the top along a field and into the woods. What we just went up we now went down. It was muddy, wet and slippery and about a mile long. Through the woods up and down up and down and we then hit the first serious obstacle.
I looked on and all I could see was heads bobbing in grey clay, and the screams; well they were enough to put you off going any further. The mud was up to my knees then there was a succession of water pits, the consistency of porridge, which everyone was struggling to move in. I plopped in and hauled myself (treacle feet!) through, passing loads of men who were completely stuck. I went along the bank grabbing at everything I could and got to the other side but a bloke was in the way as he was trying to get out but couldn't. So I thought I would do the ladylike thing and gave him a bottom shove! Then ran straight passed him!
There were three pits like this and I ploughed through and must have gone past 15 people. I'm sure it was the trainers! I kept upright but many did not.See All Event Posts
