Over the Odda trail race – Hawksworth

2nd Simon Pass 41:13
30th Paul Disney 53:44

Simon Pass reports…

Great to do a Saturday morning race. And a fantastic day at that. Nearly didn’t make it as at 9am found myself in Nick Trinder’s vetinary surgery with his hand down my dog’s throat. The dog was duly brought back to life and no charge rendered so a big thank you there and I made the quick dash up Hollins Hill.

I am not sure the people of Hawksworth village quite knew what had hit them. Busy was an understatement. Not sure how many entered (200 plus I think) but there were numerous other people there, be it organisers, marshalls or fun runners and their parents. The race was based at the local primary school and we had full use of good facilities.

I had tried to reccie this earlier in the week albeit somewhat unsuccessfully due to my 12 year old son who accompanied me having a massive stez. If I had gone round the course I might have had second thoughts about running it.

The course consists of 2 loops, one south of the village towards Baildon, down a crazy descent, a run along a treacherous boggy woodland trail, then a long pull up back over the main road, up and up until the Odda itself (apparently this is the name of the ridge overlooking what was High Royds hospital) and then another treacherous descent down the gorse covered Odda. As tough a three miles as you will get in a local race I think. It was only after this, 3 miles in, that you got to stretch your legs and do some running. A descent grassy but boggy section, some woods rounds High Royds hospital, and then a final mile uphill on a woodland trail before a fast descent to the village and the finish in the school grounds. All that plus at least 15 stiles or gates meant that you knew you had been in a race.

Numerous marshalls and the course taped and flagged all the way round so only an idiot could go wrong. I did. Twice!But only lost a little bit so no harm done.

A fancy waterbottle for each finisher. Cakes and tea and sausage butties for those who hadn’t left their money in the car some distance away. (me). For a new race I have to say the organisation was superb so well done to Emma Stoney and her Baildon colleagues. A very challenging but enjoyable course. Think I saw just one other Strider there. Paul Disney who I had not met before so well done to him for getting round. A race I would definitely recommended for next year.

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