Having failed to get into the Tatton race this year, i set about finding an alternative and stumbled upon this one, it was only ten miles up the road and only cost £7 to enter.
So off i went on a very cold and frosty morning, although a very civilised 11am start was good, the race was based at Apedale country park which was the last working coal mine in Staffordshire. There was ample parking on the road upto the park and a cafe and toilets at the heritage centre. Nothing fancy like chip timing today, plenty of time to collect number, a very quick safety warning about the treacherous paths and we were off.
The conditions were bad on the main paths for ice, and quite a lot of time and energy was spent staying upright. There was a lot of hills, mud, ice, and surprisingly good views. The run basically criss crosses the park, taking in woodland, landmarks, hill top views, a lake, and makes for an interesting and pleasant 10k.
Due to the ice, hills and having a bit of a cold i dawdled around in 46 mins and 3 seconds, although i still managed 41st out of 210 finishers. I got an Aynsley china mug and a sports bag for finishing, all in all a bargain and a brilliant run for £7.
For more information visit the website.
Alan Pearson.