by Chairlady Alison.
As you enter Ashby, along with hundreds of other slightly nervous and excited runners, after parking and walking to the Bath Grounds, the two things on everyone’s minds are bag drop and the loo! It’s a really well organised event, with estimated finish time starting pens, and most have done it before, or are with someone who knows where things are. Considering the weather in the weeks before the race – snow, hail and torrential rain – the rain on Sunday morning didn’t seem too bad and was forecast to stop mid-morning. What we didn’t account for was the temperature, about 6 degrees with a strong cold wind! Many of us still braved the run in vests and shorts – and thankfully got to ditch a layer with some Wreake support crew after the first mile. The Ivanhoe Gorilla, probably most appropriately dressed for the starting temperature, wasn’t the only costume on the day. Also spotted a dog costume and 3 guys in an Aldi Cuthbert caterpillar cake costume.
As detailed in the race booklet, the course starts downhill out of Ashby and consists of two laps of a scenic and undulating circuit run in an anti-clockwise direction on closed roads or footpaths. There are regular water stations, portaloos and hi-5 gels (2nd lap). The course is well supported on the route with villagers and family or friends out to support. The marshalls are brilliant and encouraging! A particular highlight for me was coming up the hill just before mile 11 where the marshalls had a large speaker and it was playing ‘what a feeling’. I had a little dance along that section, probably wasting far too much energy. Seeing the second lap markers on your first lap is a bit disheartening but then hitting the 10 mile and knowing you are on the countdown from there is a bit more encouraging!
The local Rotary club were out in force litter picking sections of the course which seemed like a very sensible use of the road closures. Approaching the last mile, digging deep to the finish and having a group of Wreake supporters cheer you in is a great feeling (despite the various feelings of exhaustion). Crossing the line, receiving your trophy – the coveted Ashby20 finishers hoody – and a selection of edible goodies (cheese and tomato cob, flapjack bars, chocolate etc) and seeing other runners all in the same state, ultimately a feeling of pride that we have just completed a 20 mile road race, is quite special.
Not quite so special is having to queue to collect your bag with dry warm clothes but given the last 20 miles you’ve just endured, another 10 minutes is just another pain barrier to cross!
A total of 21 Wreake Runners entered this event which has to be a new record for us as a club.
If you need to do 20 miles for a personal achievement or as part of a training plan, I would definitely recommend this one to anyone, given the support, camaraderie, facilities and of course the hoody which will be worn for many years to come. It’s not like you can go out wearing your race medals on the school run or trip to the shops is it?