Swaledale Road Runners

On Sunday the 4th of December I travelled up to Blyth to take part in the Blyth Sands handicap race. After getting lost in Blyth and making it to the registration after they had officially closed it and put all their pens away I just about managed to enter the race. As the name suggests this is an age and gender handicap so my group was second from last to start with only the under 40 men after us. This means waiting on a beach, in Northumberland, in running gear, next to the north sea in December while the other groups go off in two minute intervals. Luckily it wasn't that cold or windy so no one froze to death.

The race is run on the beach over a distance of about five miles, the course and distance depending on the tide. This year we started near to the building used for registration and headed south down the beach towards Seaton Sluice, turned round at the marker (an oar stuck in the sand) and headed back past the start and north to Blyth pier then back to the start/finish line. The course is interrupted by large wooden walls called groynes and out-flow pipes, both of which needed to be climbed over or jumped and the sand under foot varied between firm and soft making it difficult to get any kind of rhythm going. I tried to run as close to the sea as possible to stay on the wet sand which was firmer only to have my nice waterproof Inov8's swamped by waves, filling them with water and making them uncomfortable to run in. I finished in 31st place with the 14th fastest time and was 6th male over 40. It's a good little race and really well organised and I might stand a chance in this one in about 20 years.

Martin Randall