Bent Clees Challenge 22 miles 8th Aug 2009

The challenge started in finding Stanton Lacy Village Hall following my Sat Nav as the Village Hall wasn't actually in Stanton Lacy....I should have followed the directions sent! Once we had arrived and parked we encountered the offer of a bacon bap, cup of tea and loads of friendly runners and marshals, it looked good so far. The sun was shining so we ditched waterproofs and extra layers as it was going to be a hot rain free day.

Everyone seemed to be carrying very little and it soon became apparent that some people knew the course back to front and others that didn't were fast enough to keep up with them. We gathered outside ready for the off about an hour after the walkers had left (as long as I catch and over take the walkers I'm happy but experience has shown quite often they catch up and overtake you back again! So it was to be).

We all started to the sound of a horn that initially didn't want to work and quickly fell in to a steady jog ...I had a feeling it was going to get a lot tougher. The first half of the course navigated pretty well and we reached the half way point without too many diversions except for Annie electrocuting herself on a fence! After climbing up to the Navigational relay Station and to another clip point we set off with confidence. The front runners crossed our path, they were probably about 3 miles a head of us, not encumbered by maps and instructions, however very helpful and pointed us in the right direction. Through the woods and looking for a metal gate that didn't open bearing right across a meadow....however much we went up and down the trail we couldn't find it. The group of walkers we passed on the hill were now walking past us. After a while we decided to follow them and found them meandering a cross a meadow having gone through a WOODEN GATE that wouldn't open.

1. Lesson 1 never assume the instructions are spot on....the countryside has a habit of changing over night!

2. Lesson 2 always assume the walkers know the way!

Overtaking said walkers we headed off with renewed confidence and traveled at a reasonable speed through a country estate. 'Turn slightly left on to an unclassified road' After doing this and climbing up I had the feeling this wasn't right. It was more of a 'turn' than a 'slightly turn'. Worst fears confirmed, looking below there were the same walkers. (Those of you who have read my report on The Starkholme Stagger will find it all too familiar!) we casually carried on but slightly descending to meet them further on..a few hearty words and the inevitable jokes off went went to the next check point and refreshments.

3. Lesson 3 slightly turn left/right does not mean turn left/right!

The next stage would take us up to the last hill before the final few miles back to the Village Hall. Easy...Not. Lovely run down the hill where we over shot the path and nearly headed off along the Shropshire Way. Time to get the map out but not in time to encounter one of the walkers..who is now known as stomping man. Once we were on the right track and feeling au fait with the route we were over taken by a lovely young couple who were running....having learnt the difference between slightly and turn we could rather smugly help them on course, but not before they'd run down hill a bit and had to come back up. All of us set off across a bog closely followed by stomping man. The bog was disgusting and seemed to have a purple skum on the top, unfortunately going through it was unavoidable (my shoes stank when extracted out my bag later on!). We had now lost stomping man and gained the young couple 4 heads being better than 2.

This was to be the most frustrating time of the whole run. 2 miles from home, 5 fields to cross, 1 mistake. We were lost, after heading down confidently to the wrong road we had to them climb all the way back up again, even looking at the map it made no sense. after about 20 mins we found a gap in the hedge with numerous footprints telling us we weren't the only ones to have gone wrong. Thanks to a miss direction by myself and another field to climb back up one of our new friends found the correct style and we were off.

Last check point and one more field, again making a slight detour to the wrong isolated tree (there were several!?) Across cornfields and finally on the homeward straight. A very welcome cold can of cider in my hand and a plate of chili, swapping stories of the adventure with fellow survivors. I can't speak for Annie but I'll be back to conquer The Bent Clees Challenge next year. Please don't change the course.....
Thanks to all the organisers and marshals

http://www.ludlowrunners.org/