Dark & White / RaceKit Mini Mountain Marathon Series - Round 2
Mean and Moody and that was just the Weather ...
Jeremy Sainter (Dark & White) / 30.03.2011
Over 160 runners arrived bright and early at Chapel-en-le-Frith Leisure Centre for the second event in the 2011 RaceKit sponsored Mini MM trail run series. Registration opened at 8 a.m. and there were a few early birds already there and eager to get started. Several runners were ready for the off bang on 8.45 a.m. after that there was a constant stream of starters with most out on to the hills by 10 a.m. This turned out to be a good thing as the early morning good weather soon started to deteriorate as the breeze increased in strength and the descending cloud cover turned to drizzle and eventually rain.There were 25 checkpoints to tackle (in any order) in an area bordered by Eccles Pike to the north and the Goyt Valley to the south. In total they provided a possible maximum score of 335 points for anyone with the legs and navigation skill to select a course that could be completed in 3 hours or under. As the maps where handed out at the start, there was a great deal of head scratching as people tried to work out an optimum route, don’t you just love those route planners?! I hope everybody adhered to the no swimming rule at Fernilee Reservoir!
Out on the course the going was good and for the most part the paths and tracks were firm enough. Initially the sun was trying its best to break through and the conditions could be described as almost perfect for running. Did anyone lift their heads long enough from their maps to see the rainbow?
But by 11 a.m. the drizzle was becoming more persistent and you certainly didn’t want to be hanging around on the tops of the hills too long. Up on Ladder Hill it was even sleeting; no wonder no one was dawdling! By 11.30 a.m. a lot were starting to plan their route back to the Leisure Centre and wondering if they would be able to collect that ‘extra’ checkpoint on the final run in.
While slogging it out on foot did you see any of the vintage motor bikes? There must have been a rally and it was criss-crossing the same area we were using. There are a few photos on the Dark and White gallery for those that missed them although I’m sure you could not have failed to hear them.See All Event Posts
