Foxtrail Race Series 2018 #1

When I ran the Edinburgh to North Berwick race in May 2017, Roger P had told me about the Winter running series that took place near Dunbar. He had raved about it being a great way to get through the winter. This year, I looked into it and found a usable website for entering. For all six races, it would cost £100 but looking at the dates I knew I couldn't commit to them all. So I selected three that were suitable and entered them individually.

In the run up to the race, the Foxtrail website stubbornly refused to update the 'Route - TBC' page to the extent that I contacted the admins on the Wednesday to ask them for more route detail. It was duly emailed out to participants that day. Examining the map, it looked like a flat route, mixing field boundaries with established tracks. There was one section of a loop around a park in Dunbar, which I wondered about - how would they handle cross-traffic runners here?

On the Saturday the forecast was mild but very windy with the remnants of Hurricane Oscar passing west of the British Isles blowing strong Swesterlies in. Shorts and T-shirt was selected, no more. I drove to Foxlake, and parked up on the grass. After registering to collect my number, I bumped into Nigel M who was on his own way to register. He was carrying a bottle of champagne.

After he'd registered, we sat in my car to chat and get ready. It turned out, he was good friends with the owner of Foxlake, and as it was his birthday today, he thought he'd bring a gift. A 9am, we headed towards the start line for a wee warm up organised by one of the Foxlake staff. All good fun.

Nigel introduced me to his cousin Jez who was also running. We gathered at the start line under an inflatable banner and at 09:15 we were off. Immediately I realised it was going to be a tough old race in the wind as we battled around the shore of the lake in the long grass. I got into my stride and powered past some slower runners and quickly was in more space. The route twisted and turned through some woodland for the first km, quite technical. Ahead I spotted Roger P and noticed I was gaining on him. After 2km I was level with him, and then passed him with ease around 3km. This was looking good.

The course was now more open, following tracks and field boundaries heading east towards Dunbar. The wind was off our starboard quarter which made things slightly easier until we headed due south across a field. The wind was battering to the extent I might've been faster walking. Over a bridge and then left into a park.

After the bridge, Sandy Wallace had positioned himself for action shots

I saw Nigel's cousin ahead and to my surprise was slowly gaining on him too. I passed him and said hello. After a wee circuit of the park, it was back to the bridge and for the next few hundred metres, the worst part of the course. It was basically running into the oncoming back runners, and all the Cani-cross competitors. When this was through a ploughed field boundary, in a gale, it was tough going to not run into someone or a dog. I'm sure the route planner could have adjusted that. 

Anyway, it was out to the estuary now and some coastal running after a wee jaunt through a plantation. It was around now I started to fade, probably 9km in, and when a long-legged Cani-cross pair overtook me, it knocked me back. Looking over my shoulder I could see Nigel gaining, perhaps 100m back. 

The route crossed another bridge, where the owner of Foxlake (can't remember his name), was marshalling. I wished him Happy Birthday to his delight and carried on, then hearing more laughter seconds later when Nigel passed through. The track became very narrow at this point, only a foot wide and typically I managed to roll my chocolate ankle. 

I was slowing up badly now, and 500metres out from the finish, I heard Nigel shout "You're a tough bastard to catch!!" He caught me on the final corner, with 200m to go and we ran in together. Not holding hands!

Looking at watches, we were both under one hour which we were pleased with. I was really impressed by Nigel's race management and pace. The race itself was well organised. The route was varied but well marked. The only downside being the section  mentioned above. 

58m58s 22/215