This was my seventh attempt at this race, and having lost a few days training recently due to injury, I was not very confident of a good time. Indeed, during my warm up, the offending foot injury indicated that it still had not improved. Anyway, the weather was a little cool and overcast, so not bad all in all, and I decided to chance it. I tend not to be over cautious! A similar field to the last time I ran here, with over 300 finishers, but not much in the way of prizes, as it was a fund raiser for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust. On finishing, a small KitKat and Penguin bar were to be the reward for completing the course. I was spurred on by this, as you would expect. Complaining did not seem appropriate under the circumstances. No other NYMAC runners were to be seen. This is mainly a cross country race with some tracks/roads thrown in, and many fields well populated with sheep. Unfortunately this had resulted in a surfeit of sheep related waste materials underfoot. My usual trainer drying area in the airing cupboard at home was immediately placed out of bounds by she who must be obeyed, due to the all-pervading unpleasant odour. On this occasion, it was a fairly uneventful race, and I finished in just over 46 minutes. Not fast, of course, but not too bad under the circumstances. No idea who won, as results have not been posted yet. Anyway, to more interesting things: I relate an incident from a previous race here. Sheep, of course, are animals which can provide both amusement and annoyance in equal measure, as they are prone to do. At one point a breakaway group ran across the track in front of runners, forcing them to slow down, and causing some appalling language in front of the ladies. They then proceeded on a lower path closer to the river, and out of sight. Unfortunately, they reappeared later, coming back without warning onto the main track, and again impeding the group of runners in front of me. I cannot begin to describe the very poor behaviour of some people, clearly not country folk. Following the race, we took advantage of the half price offer to enter the gardens of Newby Hall and availed ourselves of the lunchtime fare at the restaurant. All in all, a pleasant day out despite the rather uninspiring weather.
Martin Luxton