Let me tell you, you've not lived if you have never run a long distancetrack event! Persuaded to support a fellow long distance runner putting on a12hr and 6hr track race for charity at her local K2 Leisure Centre in Crawley, West Sussex, Tewkesbury runners Angie Sadler and Phillip Howells opted for the shorter(!) option and duly set off at 6am on Saturday 31st March for this new experience in ultra-marathons as part of their preparation for the 56 miles Comrades Marathon in S Africa in June. By the time of the start at 10am (there was a huge 20 runner entry) the 12hr runners (another 25 starters) were already 3hrs into their run, so early signs of fatigue were already evident in several competitors - reminding us of the joy of what was to come!Running a timed event for distance on a track, rather than the more usual distance event for time, is quite a different experience. It is actually quite complex since you need a recorder for each lap for each runner; so the 'crowd' of spectators was more than half made up of some 20 recorders who sat opposite the start/finish line alongside the track, huddled against a cold and biting wind despite it being a sunny day. You have to make sure you and the recorder are known to each other and then ensure you acknowledge each and every lap done so your correct distance is recorded - made really challenging as runners lap others, as well as for most of us, getting multiple-lapped by the leaders.
It was very windy day, so we had the additional pleasure of a head-wind each half lap, ie. every minute or so for those of us averaging around 2 minutes or so for each 400m lap. In contrast to the recorders, who remained well wrapped-up all day, the faster runners soon had to remove the over-clothing we started in as we became very warm with the effort. In case you think it is boring to run around a track dozens of times, the organiser was at great pains to point out that we changed direction at halfway, so you can imagine the excitement and anticipation rising as the 3 hour mark (6 for the 12 hour-ers) approached and then arrived, with a few minutes of confusion as runners were suddenly 'racing' in two directions, with the competitors coming back at those yet to turn not sure whether they should run inside or outside the runners they were now facing!
However, traditional order (running single file along the first white line on the outside of the first lane to allow you or others faster to pass on the inside) was soon restored and concentration on the job in hand restored. At least the headwind was now on the opposite straight for a change! In fact, these events are quite good fun. There is a great sense of camaraderie and most people know each other, so it is something of a big social occasion with lots of banter and encouragement to keep you going - and you are all in similar pain after a few hours, no matter how fast you are running!
Both Tewkesbury runners had strong finishes, a testament to good current fitness, with Angie recording a very impressive 3rd overall (and of course first lady) with 43mls 1,575yds (some 175 laps) and Phillip recording 37mls 297yds (about 149 laps) for 10th place in what was his 50th marathon/ultra-marathon distance race.
Apart from heavy legs (running on a completely flat and 'giving' track surface is much more demanding than on road and actually means you usually run slower over longer distances) and shoes covered in red dust from the track surface, both runners were more than satisfied with the experience - anyone want to join us for the 12hr next year??