It's almost the start of spring...
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| Almost warm spring Sunshine through the woods |
Which means that the trail season and half marathon season is almost properly under way and the marathon season has also kicked off.
The galleries for the Ultra X Spring Race Trail and the REP Grand National Trail Run are now live and online here:
http://sspimg.com/Ultra-X-Spring-Trail-Series-2022-Gallery
http://sspimg.com/REP-Findon-Grand-National-2022
In a week where covid case numbers continue to increase to record levels and hospitalisations and deaths also continue to grow back to record levels, we understandably have some hesitancy about going out and doing events. Friends are reporting going ill with covid after attending weddings, people are returning from parties with it, school children are going down with it for the second time as things lead up to the Easter break, but I have yet to know of anyone who has caught covid whilst at a 100% outdoors event.
Which makes it interesting to learn that Chris Evans' "RunFest" has been cancelled https://www.runfestrun.co.uk/ - and directly citing participant caution. We're watching events and participants and trying to work out who's attending. Overall numbers at events are lower than we had in 2019 leading up to Covid, and it does seem that those who are joining in at races are the more regular runners, club members, and those who have always done the race seem to be who we are seeing - rather than the more impulsive/give it a go types. Having said that - Cambridge Half Marathon was very well attended - and we are of course hoping that Southampton Half/Full and 10k will also be up there in terms of people who have entered attending on the day.
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| Look - there's lost of space for everyone on the trails ! |
One impact of covid seems to have been longer-term planning. where people used to enter races about 6 months ahead, we're seeing people entering closer and closer to the event itself. This of course proves to be a bit of a problem for the event - because they are not getting the cashflow to actually book the facilities and equipment and know they will be able to pay for enough staff to work at the event, so the events get cancelled.
I don't blame anyone for taking a shorter term planning view on their leisure activities - it inherently makes sense - the challenge for the industry is how to make events capable of facilitating later entry curves - or teaching event organisers better marketing techniques to get their early entries back !
ANyway, here's some photos of people enjoying running and some other things.
First up - the Ultra X Spring race day - 50km, 100km and the shorter half marathon option
Race images were uploaded and live on the day available to runners in their own customised gallery using pic2go technology.
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| Oh to have a knee lift like that even on a 5k run - let alone 50k |
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| a day for waving in the woods |
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| all good now that the snow had gone |
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| absolutely thumbs up ! Good times ! |
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| Always good to have a wave hello in the woods |
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| It's sunny, its runny, it's a trail run... |
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| winner of the Hungary games |
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| championship all smiles from the winner |
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| The joy and surprise of finishing ! |
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| no number, no photo, away you go. |
And then we also had on the Sunday the lovely Grand National Trail run - over at Findon near Worthing, organised by
Raw Energy Pursuits under their Raw Running brand - somewhere around a 10k course with a lovely village green to finish in. Raising money for the local school Parents Association.
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| The race start and finish nestles in the valley |
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| Cissbury Ring fort looked majestic in the sun |
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| here you are ! |
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| Always good to see a Tuff Fitty |
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| It got quite busy at times |
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| Warm enough for tounges out |
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| you'd have a face like this if you trod on your own feet all the time |
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| big waves on the way |
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| and off towards the East over the hills |
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| Back up the last hill along the path from the distance |
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| All going well up the harder hill |
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| Team thumbs up |
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| good pace up the final hill |
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| Top team of four all waving somehow |
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| Ran the whole way sideways ! |
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| Chilling |
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| clearly not impressed with the choice |
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| getting ahead up the first hill |
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| Lovely views back across the route |
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| The dog clearly shared the sentiment of the Tshirt |
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| Still waving and thumbs up at 9k |
so, we have a bit of an Easter break as well this weekend, and are looking forwards to seeing you at the REP Bluebell 10k, the 7Oaks Triathlon, and the Southampton Marathon/Half/10k on the 24th of April...
Here's a list for your longer term planning - I hope it helps pick those races with great memories and free photos to help remember them by !
until next time,
keep safe from Covid and enjoy the best of the spring weather (and don't forget the sunscreen!)
Anthony
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