Angie Sadler and Phillip Howells competed in the multi-terrain Otmoor Challenge (based on a local fete in the picturesque Oxfordshire village of Horton-cum-Studley) on Saturday 2nd June as part of their final preparations for the 56 mile Comrades Marathon in S Africa on June 17th.
A 13.5 mile jaunt around the lovely Otmoor nature reserve, it was held on a typically flaming June hot day which made appreciation of the countryside all the more rewarding. Angie was the defending ladies champion and was well in the lead in the ladies competition this year when she and half a dozen male runners were sent off course by some half a mile due to a moved arrow (a shame, because this is a well organised event with an enthusiastic following, but even the best organisation cannot cope with kids playing what they see as a huge joke!) so she eventually had to be satisfied with 5th placed lady and 2nd lady over 40 in a time of 1-42-48 and a position of 62nd from a field of nearly 300.
Phillip finished in 1-49-20 with 93rd place. Both felt that the outing was a good workout for the big challenge in less than two weeks time.
We have also just had the result of the Marlborough Downs 33 mile Challenge which Angie Sadler, Michelle Laws and Phillip Howells ran on Saturday 20th May. We all took it fairly steady and just as more 'on our feet' preparation for Comrades than as a serious race, but we all finished with respectable times - Angie and Michelle in 60th and 61st places respectively in 6hrs 37mins 58secs and Phillip in 64th place with a time of 6-46-57. It was held on a sunny, windy day with occasional showers and took us across historic and stunningly beautiful countryside, including passing the famous white horses cut into the hillsides and passing through the 2,500 BC stone circle at Avebury (much older than Stonehenge and the most important bronze age temple in Europe).