Five Stilton Striders (Rob, Simon, Dan, Michael, Stuart) and three soon to be Stilton Striders made it to the annual Woodhouse Mayday Challenge. This 13.5 mile multi-terrain event is put on effortlessly each year by the village and is one of the friendliest, most enjoyable, scenic and laid back races on the running calendar.
The race started by Charnwood’s legendary Town Crier, it’s a large field of runners but for those who know the course it’s better to reel yourself in at the start and sit back as the first climb comes in the first mile up Deans Lane (highest road in Leicestershire?). From there it’s to Beacon Hill and a long descent before even more descent through lower Broombriggs and back into Woodhouse Eaves.
Up next is the much despised Golf course (Boo, hiss) which thankfully goes away quickly and the pull which is cardiac hill. Sharp stitch stops me at mile six, thankfully get going again for the descent down to Newtown Linford gates in Bradgate Park and a long tarmac section through the park to Swithland gates. Taking it steadier through Bradgate was a good idea as the last few miles can be very tiring but I manage to kick on quite nicely through Swithland and past Rabbit Bridge, last two miles feel laboured but i`m back and it’s a course PB and first Strider (“you run excellently when you’re not messing about!”) Actually we all did well some excellent results, special mention to Stuart Gregory who knocked something like 30 mins off last year’s time.
Hopefully get even more Striders over to the 2016 event