WORDS: DR LOW SMITH
After having caught a (very early) pre-booked race bus from the finish to the start, I wandered around the start village with my husband and race buddy, Mark, sharing a collective sigh of relief with fellow runners that we weren’t about to contend with either the blistering hot temperatures of the preceding week or the deluge of last year’s inaugural race (chalk paths are notoriously slippery when wet). In fact, rarely have I seen a group so happy about temperatures in the teens and a bit of light drizzle.
Runners (and walkers) start in waves at 15-minute intervals based on predicted finished times, with the only proviso being that if you are racing for the win, you need to be in the first group. Not only does the staggered start reduce the initial crowding on the trails, it also reduces the queue for the loo at the start. We started in the second wave, meaning a relaxed first few kilometres as muscles warmed up and everyone settled into their own pace. There was a long way to go.