Run Off The Christmas Pudding Trail Race

Sally called off from this race due to a calf strain so I headed to Melrose alone on a dry Sunday morning to park in the public car park behind the Co-Op opposite the Greenyards. I trotted across to the clubhouse to pick up my number, gazing at the walls adorned with Melrose RFC memorabilia.

At 10 I headed back across for the race briefing. Looking around the other runners, there was an overwhelming female majority and only a few younger males. Interesting field.

After the briefing we all headed for a wee walk up to the old Melrose Station platform next to the A6091 road that bypasses the town. I warmed up with a sprint along the platform gravel before lining up near the start. Off we went at a hurtle along a flat path for a kilometre or so and I quickly foud myself in around 4th position as we hit a road. Frustratingly the marshalls stopped us all to allow a bus to pass - the first three runners were already away which meant we lost ~100m between them.

The next 2km was brutally uphill and the first female in the race overtook me to gradually stretch ahead. I kept my position from the snorter behind me.

After the long climb I was happy to still be in 5th position

Not long before we left the tarmac 

Marshalls directed me off the road onto a grassy track which soon degenerated into a muddy rutted trail. My pace slowed as I worried about turning my ankle and I could hear the snorter getting closer. The track dried out and I cranked up the pace as I approached the first gate of the race - swinging through and slamming it behind me!

Onto the 'red road' - a vehicle track of reddish Eildon earth which ran along the south side of the peaks and eventually downhill to join tarmac for a while. I could just about see the first female in the distance ahead perhaps 200m away as she passed the only water station on the route, manned by some cub scouts. 

I declined their kind cups and headed left for the muddy climb up into the woodland below Eildon Hill North. This climb was really tough and I struggled to keep running. After another marshall with a camera, the route turned sharply right for a long fast descent to the old road near Eildon Mains. I could hear some approaching footsteps behind and reluctantly allowed them to catch me. 

A bloke, not the snorter came alongside and we had a brief chat. 

I slip into 6th place

More mud and gates and then some views of the Abbey through the trees told me the finish line was close. It arrived quicker than expected and I huffed my way across. 

Quite good fun and a challenging route. I'd probably do it again.

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