Another perfect running night, sunny with a breeze to keep the midgies away. 99 runners set off without a red ballon in sight for the steep climb up from Jamie Wright's Well. The race demands full body cover, map, compass and whistle, they would be better with snorkle and flippers or perhaps snow shoes to get you over the swampy bits.
The route is a backward P, after the initial climb you undulate over three unamed tops before a tussocky boggy traverse to Cort Ma Law itself. An abrupt left turn, if you see the markers, for a flattish run across a swamp to the top of Lecket Hill.
From Lecket another left turn to follow a fence line into a gulley, for once managed to overtake a few and stay upright at the same time . The climb out the gulley, another left turn, is time for a rest cum walk over some more tussocks until you rejoin the outward route, by this time you are blowing bigstyle but can't afford to ease up or risk losing a place or two.
The run back takes you over the first two tops trying to regain some composure for the final drop back to the start and waiting photographer. Finished in 64:09, a PB, the years first, by about 14 seconds.
The swampy bits toughen it up a bit to make up for the lack big climbs but conditions pretty dry this year made for easier going.
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