adidas Terrex Coast to Coast (C2C)
Day 4 – Coast to Coast Completed
Rob Howard / 29.08.2011
All the category leaders were in strong positions to hold their leads to the end of the race, with the closest contest being the 14 minute lead in the female solo class. However, throughout the field there was close competition for places at all levels, particularly in the male solo class.
After setting off again from Northallerton there was a short road ride to the quiet village of Swainby at the foot of the Cleveland Hills and the transition in the car park of the Black Boy pub was frantic as supporters tried to get their athletes out onto the run along the Cleveland Way. The athletes were fed, some changed shoes, were given new maps and mandatory running kit all in a minute or two. Then they were on their way.
The adidas Terrex team changed tactics, taking James Cracknell off the running stages he had found so hard. In a TV interview the previous evening he had commented that the athletes here were a league apart from him when it came to skills like mountain running and navigation. That’s quite a compliment from a renowned Olympian and adventurer, speaking as he was about amateur racers who compete for fun. (There are no cash prizes in this race.)
Among the solo racers there was a close mid-pack battle going on, with Chris Heppenstall chasing Eddie Winthorpe, who was chasing Tarquin Cooper, who was chasing Jiri Vystejn. They were all keen to be out of transition rapidly, and with everyone now very tired, racers had to be careful to avoid mistakes. Some of the racers left without their maps, others with their helmets on (though they all quickly realised) and they were often unreasonable and demanding of the supporters feeding them and helping them change their clothes! Cooper kept demanding his orange gloves – and when he was finally given his green gloves said, “That’s right, those!�
Sally Ozanne almost left without dibbing out of the checkpoint and had to be called back. She was trying to reduce the 14 minute lead Fiona McBryde had over her and hoping to gain on the running stage, but it wasn’t to be. She lost 4 minutes on the first cycle ride and was to lose more on the run, ending any chance of taking the win.
Ozanne is a highly qualified outdoor instructor, in both mountaineering and kayaking, but has relatively little racing experience. She had pulled back considerable time on McBryde on day 3, but it seemed that effort had taken too much out of her and she lost time on all the stages throughout the final day. At the finish line she said; “I know what standard I’m at now and what I need to do to improve ... and it’s more time out training!�
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