The 2020 Off Road Series kicked off this morning with only a trio of Westies turning out at Holmsley for the first event of the year, The Maverick New Forest 17K.  Presumably the cost of this event, the Swanage 10K tomorrow and the popularity of parkrun all combined to dent the Westie presence.

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A quick word on the event, it is not too hilly and a nice enough course, especially if you like mud and being over ankle deep in water.  Along the way the course replicates a significant portion of Brock’ parkrun, including the clockwise routes last two hills.  Ironically after battling for years when I was on the old New Forest Marathon committee to change the route so that we didn’t cross the A35 on the level, this one does just that and weirdly the crossing was un-marshalled when I reached it.  (In fairness I'd rather rely on my judgement on that type of road than look to a marshal.) Overall the course was well signed and clear, but arguably skinny on marshals.  So in précis a decent event, but perhaps hard to understand what you get for the price tag over and above what a lot of other events provide for less.  Unless that is, as David Child pointed out, that the bottle of beer they give each finisher is really good stuff.

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The first Westie home was Vicky Rutter in 1.28.30 which means she has put down an early marker for the Ladies ORS series and secured 50 points.  In the men’s table David Child (1.28.30) took the 50 points and extended his ever present run in the ORS to 14.  For the twelve consecutive time I was the last man home, but at least this time my 2.05.54 earned me a whopping 49 points.  However, as the football cliché goes, the table won’t lie at the end of the season.

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There is now a gap until the next ORS event in May (the Harewood Forest 10K), but for the mudlarks amongst us a couple of trail runs I would highlight are:

• the Tyrrell Trail on 22nd February (an event where there is usually a smattering of Westies and where we are defending the team prize), and

• the Winchester General Trail 10K on 4th April (which some of the usual off road suspects have entered already).

 

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By Clive Grewcock