A Hell of a Run

Rob Howard / 23.10.2005

“It’s a much tougher course this time,” said Keith Anderson of Trailplus at the start of the second Saab Salomon Hellrunner, an adventure run billed as ‘The Devil’s Revenge\'. A few competitors had mistakenly told the former international marathon and fell runner that last year’s course was not tough enough!

“This year the course is a bit longer, around 11 miles, with some more hills, more mud and a tough finish,” he said. Not that the challenge had put anyone off, more than 1000 arrived at registration to be met by a sign saying “Welcome to Hell”. They were a mix of road and cross-country runners, and there were a scattering of regular adventure racers too, with Tom Gibbs representing the Saab Salomon team.

In this race though it was the Saab Salomon adventure running team who were the favourites. Nick Sharp won last year and was back to defend his title, with team mates Rob Jebb & Simon Booth. (Jebb recently won the Skyrunner World Series.) From the team vests it was clear runners had travelled from all over the country to take part, and they squeezed into the start area on a fine October day.

Before they could begin though red smoke canisters were let off under the start arch, and ‘the devil’ put in an appearance to taunt them. (It was the other Trailplus partner Paul Magner under the mask.) Then rockets were fired and racing through the smoke everyone set off. An appropriately pyrotechnic start as the race is set in the grounds around the Longmoor Army Camp in Surrey.