The North Downs Run
The Istead and Ifield North Downs Run is known for being one of the toughest, but also the most beautiful off-road races, and it also has an unknown attraction for us traccies with some of us having taking part as far back as the 80’s.
This year’s 30k race also incorporated the British masters Multi Terrain Championships attracting trail runners from all over Britain. A slightly adjusted course meant utilising the Gravesend cyclopark as the start.
The big dilemma was what type of shoes to wear on a summertime trail following heavy downpours. It was however a fine day for racing with cloud cover and a risk of drizzle to dampen the steep descents. Most of the course was very dry with some sticky patches in the woods.
The racetrack bridge was the start line where the familiar waves started our journey –the masters race denoted by little age group labels on our backs. The wave start, however made this a little difficult to know who started where. Local Isteadrunner Mark Champion was in my wave and age group as well as many more V50’s so I had a little competition. I had my goal at a podium in my age group, however it was going to need a time faster than I’d run before at the NDR.
Over the bridge with the jumping rabbits on, and soon it was all wildflowers on the trails, hills, woods, stiles, cattle barriers and kissing gates, allwith Covid rules though! We were getting a taste of going up and downhill on the route you will return on. Plenty of good directions from the marshals directed us through Cobham and onto the Ranscombe Nature reserve using the North Downs way. Then up, up and up and then up some giant steps using your hands to haul yourself up the rest, totalling 117ft in 0.15 of a mile that’s a 20% incline! (this hill is familiar to us when driving over the river Medway on the A2 looking South West).
Jumping tree roots next, slightly down this time and some very steep descents favouring the studded goats, we all ended up at the bottom, some head over heels. Just over halfway at 18k Luddestone’s Cricket pitch hill has nearly 100ft of elevation in 0.25 of a mile, good for watching cricket and growing grapes but just there to completely test your fitness inside the last 10k. I knew I was mostly likely second or third in my category, so my race was just about keeping the runners behind me at a good gap and getting back on pace as soon as possible on each ascent.
We finished on tarmac racetrack to most runner’s disgust and with a modest cheer from the supporters on the bridge, I had run a PB by 4 minutes.
A superb T shirt, Medal and cake was collected with some great stories from the traccies shared and we all said we will come back year after year to put ourselves through it all again!
The race was won by Darren Deed (Bedford and County) in 1 hour 51 mins. With the first Lady Nikki Woodyard (Springfield striders) in 2 hours 24 mins.
Our first Thanet Roadrunners were Jack Bradley 15th in 2 hours 11 and Asmaa Hatim 48th in the ladies.
The British Masters results
David Winch V70 Gold just ahead of the local Istead runner Trevor Edgley by just 3 seconds.
Nicola Boyes F50 Gold.
Christopher Brenchley Silver V50 2minutes ahead of local Istead runner Mark Champion.
|
Pos |
|
Category |
C/Pos |
G/Pos |
Time |
|
|
15 |
Jack Bradley |
Open |
6 |
15 |
02:11:11 |
|
|
22 |
Chris Brenchley |
M50 |
2 |
22 |
02:15:16 |
|
|
71 |
Andy Stevens |
M40 |
36 |
66 |
02:33:09 |
|
|
78 |
Richard Allan |
M40 |
40 |
71 |
02:35:37 |
|
|
131 |
John Hunt |
M40 |
55 |
111 |
02:46:30 |
|
|
134 |
David Winch |
M70 |
1 |
114 |
02:47:12 |
|
|
173 |
Spencer Hoult |
M40 |
62 |
141 |
02:53:25 |
|
|
229 |
Asmaa Hatim |
Open |
8 |
48 |
03:04:00 |
|
|
243 |
Joanne Holl |
F45 |
20 |
54 |
03:06:14 |
|
|
258 |
Steve Clarke |
M60 |
15 |
199 |
03:09:13 |
|
|
275 |
Nicola Boyes |
F45 |
26 |
67 |
03:11:15 |
|
|
293 |
Oliver Northrop |
M40 |
99 |
215 |
03:16:15 |
|
|
416 |
Peter Heath |
M60 |
30 |
281 |
03:41:07 |
The full race results can be found here: https://racedirector.co.uk/results/north-downs-run-2021/ndr-27-06-2021