Carding Mill Canter

The early week forecast of horrendous downpours over the Long Mynd became a more accurate prediction of sun and spring warmth. Warm-up was considerably reduced by the safety rigmarole – we were obliged to collect a running number, a numbered card to hand in at the corralled start (so they knew precisely how many actually set off) and an elastic band to discard in a(n empty) dustbin halfway round: (when, just off the Burway, we passed a youngster flying a drone, I thought surveillance had reached new, excessive levels!). The 5 mile race starts with 500m on the road, then up Cow Ridge, around and down into Carding Mill valley again, up the other side, then three more steep climbs with the golf course to your right, before a steep descent into the valley over soggy, slippery ground, across the stream and a final 1000m along a rough stony path to the finish, crossing the stream twice more. Tim Werrett of Mercia won in 42.45. Mick, not one to give up on this course (20 times now?), scraped under the hour (59.59) in 58th place (and 10th MV55, proof of the strength of that veteran class). I came in a couple of minutes later (61.48) in 71st, and first of the three pensioners running. Tom didn’t like the steep hills (neither up, nor down!) and was grateful to cross the line in 74.42, with a number of the field of 114 (counted out and back in) still behind him.