10.1.26 – RACE REPORT BY JAMES
Amazing what a blast of arctic air can do.
A race I’ve only previously ran in the summer months was changed dramatically into a whited out, cold, slippy but still beautiful route.
Music by the resident RSR DJ filled the air in Endcliffe Park, mixing with the excited babble of hundreds of runners all in various degrees of cold weather gear. This ranged from a simple t-shirt and shorts (hereafter referred to as the masochists) and the fully togged up and kitted out with thermals and detachable, exoskeleton spikes for underfoot (hereafter referred to as yours truly).
The start line was buzzing with nervous anticipation as I queued up with my teammate for this arctic adventure, my father who at the age of 65 is quoted as saying “I do really like this event, I find it very challenging but I love it”. The field underfoot in Endcliffe was a microcosm of what was to come, compacted ice complete with ridges. Slowly we inched forward, I dibbed us in to start and that was it, we were off and running.
Stages 1 and 2 are the drag up to the top of Ringinglow, slowly briefly at Forge Dam to say hello to the squadron of ducks skating around on the frozen pond. The biting cold was starting to be allayed by the effort of consistent uphills, with almost everyone being forced to walk the upper echelons of the valley due to the now vicious climb and generally unfavourable conditions underfoot.
The ascent soon gave way to a fabulous descent down Limb Valley and Eccellsall Woods for stages 3 & 4, the energy slowly returning to our legs with us both stating that we were starting to really enjoy ourselves and had warmed up properly by now.
A brief walk past Dore station and up Twentywell Lane beckoned, a flight of nigh-on vertical steps heralded the start of stage 5, Beaucheif Golf Course. After a horrid climb (this used to be part of the timed stages but got removed, to the delight of I’m sure 99.9% of everyone), legs all around us were complaining but this wasn’t going to put us off. The climbing was starting to have an effect now, pace being moderated to ensure survival with knowing what was to come.
Sadly there was an ambulance in attendance on this stage seeing to someone who had slipped on some hidden black ice, our thoughts are with him for a speedy recovery.
Stages 6, 7 & 8 followed in quick succession, with a flyby of Chancet Woods, Graves Park ft. yet another climb and a whizzing downhill for Lees Hall Golf Course. We were motoring along happily for these stages, happily taking in the views over Sheffield from the wooded hillside with trees framing some really quite stunning views. Single track paths provided some bottlenecks and moments of brief respite but the overall mood in the groups that eventually formed was incredibly positive and is something I enjoy the most about the Round Sheffield Run.
Stage 9, reached after a very welcome long recovery walk is Meersbrook Park, providing possibly the most spectacular cityscape but also the most challenging descent we’d found yet. During the summer, this stage is very very fast and direct. Today however, it was covered with thick, sheet ice completed with ridges, bumps and dips. Thankfully we saw no accidents but there were some absolutely fantastic saves, always greeted with appreciative cries of “nicely done” and so forth.
The walk towards Stage 10 felt the mood in our little party of two switch a little towards apprehension, Brincliffe Edge is mostly uphill, some very steep roads at the start and my father was starting to feel the effects of his efforts. However, due to his insistence on moderation of pace, he made it through with great aplomb and he’s on record that my gentle encouragement and cajoling was somewhat responsible. Mine’s a pint of Tim Taylor’s Landlord please Sir (other beers are of course available).
Checking our watches, we released we were on for an overall time of just under 3 hours, a target that we’d be really happy to hit given the conditions underfoot. Despite the fact he was starting to cramp, there was an instance that we jog the last walk section back to Endcliffe Park to give us a chance of getting under this magic 3 hours. Did we manage it? Of course we did.
Racing towards the finish, tarmac gave way to ice for the final time, spikes digging in and firing us towards victory. Not quite victory overall but victory for ourselves. As, after all, sometimes it’s better to take it slower and enjoy a run with people you love. Well done all.
