Hope Valley – Rachel

News

Another beautiful day in Herefordshire saw 5 of us at the Red Cross Hope Valley Race, which begins and ends at Woolhope Village Hall.

The event is 8.3 miles of countryside: a chunk on the lanes to begin and end, an easy first half along tracks, footpaths and fields and a tougher late section in Haugh Wood which incorporates some of the ground covered in the Muddy Woody race.

Eliot Taylor won in 52:37 with Dave Ameghino 9th, (59:05) Andrew Davies 10th (59:27) and Tom 38 (71:59).
The womens race was won by Rebecca Davies (18th) in 64:48, our own Jo Marriott was 50th (8th out of 11 women) in 75:05 and I was 66th (11th woman) in 83:41. Not bad considering I was 11th when I ran it in 2010 in 81:59 with Liza, in the rain! Crispin Marriott also ran and came in 57th in 80:11.
I enjoyed the variety, the chopping and changing terrain keeps it interesting and I have no idea where I am for most of it, as the hills and valleys fold around themselves and each corner opens up onto something different.
The organisation is very good, the hall seems new, with plenty of parking and refreshments afterwards. It now has a 4 mile ’fun run’ which Jasper Robinson ran this year – should any other members of the family want entertainment while you are out on the hills!

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