Beaconsfield 5 Mile Trail Run 2019
This is a tough little run. Last year, the route was wet and muddy and I fell on my arse in a puddle. This year, it was hot and dry and just as challenging.
Running completely off road around the Hall Barn Estate in Beaconsfield this race quickly sells out with strong representation from local running and tri clubs filling out the six hundred and something strong roster.
With registration open from 8:00 and limited parking for a race start at 10:00, I made sure I arrived reasonably early – at 9:15 I snagged the last but one space on the road leading down to the rugby club hosting registration. I think anyone later would have been looking for places in Beaconsfield town which may have complicated things a little.
Registration was smooth and painless with plenty of helpers handing out chip timed numbers and safety pins. There were additional toilets laid on but a healthy queue for those both inside and outside, and a few people jiggling anxiously as the start approached. Given the glorious weather, the runners had spilled out onto the rugby pitches chatting before heading over to the start with about ten/fifteen minutes to go.
So while I’m talking about the start… It is narrow (not much more than a single track road) and the timing vehicle takes up a chunk of it. There is also between about the first and second k a rough field (which is part of the fun) but there are a couple of beaten down channels, with long grass and stinging nettles everywhere else. Given this and a couple of other early bottlenecks, I’m always amazed every year to see people pushing right to the front who you know are going to be going backwards fairly shortly. I’m not the fastest runner and I try to gauge where I should be in the start queue so I’m surrounded by people of similar capacity. I don’t always get it exactly right, but I’ll never understand why people who must know they’ll be walking hills in the first k push right up.
Having said that, the first half a k is fast and downhill tarmac as you head over the motorway before doubling back and heading back up hill on the rough grass. You can get a good fast start, but there were three spots this year where I found myself walking a couple of paces just because of the queue of people in front of me (and I didn’t fancy risking the nettles outside the main path)
The race was started with minimum fuss – although I’d seen a PA being tested I wasn’t aware of anything announced. One moment we were queuing, then you could see the tell-tale bobbing heads in front as the leaders got on their way.
Nearly all the rest of the run is on grass or gravel, but as the pack spreads out it becomes easier to find a rhythm. The terrain never stops being a challenge despite this – from running in deep and narrow grooves or short sharp hills that are almost (but not quite) enough to break you. There is one stretch of cinder track for about half a k around the six k mark, and from there on in the roadway is more forgiving.
Marshals were plentiful (it looked like a lot of them had run their way to their stations) and everyone was engaged and encouraging. Although we’d been warned there was no water on the route one of the marshals had stashed a few cups on the monument he was directing people from in case of heat related issues. We also benefitted from several cameramen grabbing decent photos from multiple points on the route which were made freely available afterwards.
Running in, you reverse the last half a k – so fight uphill then have just enough flatter road to recover for a sprint finish before being presented with a banana and a unique double sided medal in an unusual gold and enamelled finish.
Its exactly the fierce sort of run I need at this point in the year. I don’t think it’s ever going to be an easy one if most of your running is on the road, but it’s brilliantly enjoyable.