It was dark and wet as I parked the car at Gabriel’s Fishery. I was greeted by a band of marshals. Despite the early hour and the inclement conditions, they were cheerful and welcoming. Once in the warmth of Edenbridge Cricket Club there was the familiar scene of walkers and runners making final adjustments to their kit, picking up the route descriptions and heading off into the dim light of dawn.
As I set off, I wondered how long I would be able to keep my feet dry. The answer… not very long as we hit wet grass and muddy patches just before the Golf Course. Both the 25km & 50km shared the route to the first checkpoint outside the Barley Mow Pub in Tandridge.
The route out to the first checkpoint was fairly flat which made for steady progress.
From Tandridge the 25km entrants headed East for the Limpsfield Chart checkpoint in the church hall. Meanwhile the 50km contenders headed West to Merstham and soon were tackling the first real hill (Tilburstow), climbing through beautiful woods with the leaves turning gold, yellow and brown. The weather was intermittent drizzle. Enough to keep a waterproof on despite the warm temperatures. After passing Mercer’s lakes, we zig-zagged through Merstham to be re-fuelled at the Age Concern building.
From Merstham the proper climbing began, up onto the North Downs across flinty, muddy fields.
Once at the top we headed East along the North Downs Way to reach the aptly named Hill Top Road. For the next few miles we followed undulating tracks, descending & ascending steps before we eventually reached a camper van in the Gangers Hill car park for light refreshments. This was probably the hardest section physically and mentally.
The route then dropped steeply off the Downs, sapping the energy of tired quads that strained as they tried to keep control on the slippery slopes. As we cut through Oxted via footpaths between gardens, the rain finally stopped and the sun made a brief appearance. At last, we could ditch our waterproof layers.
It is always a great relief to make it to the last checkpoint (Limpsfield Chart) with the finish finally in our sights. Here we rejoined the 25km route for the last stint home. Steeply down at first and then back to the flat but muddy countryside that surrounds Edenbridge.
Back at the finish we were well fed & watered by an army of volunteers and were able to sit back and enjoy the stories of highs and lows of each person’s endeavours.
Sadly, for one participant, she suffered more than the expected struggle, effort & discomfort. She broke her leg and was taken to an Urgent Care Centre. A big thank you to the fellow entrants that stopped to help and we wish her the speediest of recoveries.
Certainly, the slipperiness of the route worked the core muscles very hard as they strained to keep us all upright and added to the difficulty of the event.
Gatistics
The number of entries was up compared with the last 2 years but the wet weather did deter a few from starting with 66 “no shows”.
76 started the 25km route with 72 finishing. Based on average time it was ranked the hardest of the 5 years we have included this distance. Based on percentage finishing it was the 2nd hardest.
95 started the 50km route with 87 finishing and 68 finishing in 10 hours or less. Based on average time of those that completed in 10 hours or less it was ranked the 38th hardest of the 40 events held. Based on percentage finishing in 10 hours or less it was the 16th hardest.
There were two milestone completions this year.
Firstly, Richard Spear completed his 30th 50km event in 10 hours or less. His cumulative time for 1500 kms was 222 hrs and 44 minutes with an impressive average time of 7:25 and a best time of 5:14.
Secondly, Gareth Clark completed his 10th 50km Gatliff in 10 hours or less. His cumulative time for 500kms was 76 hours and 29 minutes; averaging a quick 7:39 and a best time of 7:08.
Congratulations to both. They will be receiving special Certificates listing their times for each completion to commemorate their achievement.
David Wakeling clocked up another completion within 10 hours to remain at the top of the number of completions table. He has completed 39 of the 40 events held. For the first time he ran round with his son Luke Wakeling. We are look forward to seeing Luke again and seeing whether he can emulate or surpass his father’s impressive record, including 21 fastest male finishes. No pressure Luke!
This year’s fastest times were;
25km Gill Stevens 3:57 James Caffrey 2:36
50km Lisa-Joanne Walbridge 6:01 Cameron Adams 5:22
Amazingly, Lisa-Joanne has been the fastest female every time she has entered (9 times)!
Well done not only to the fastest but to everyone who entered.
There were 5 Personal Bests on the 50km route.
The winner of the John Munday award goes to David Wakeling the first COPSE member to finish the 50km course.
Finally, a big thank you to all the marshals that give up a lot of time, sleep and effort both on the day and for months before the event to ensure it runs so smoothly!
Hope to see you all next year!
Tim Styles
