Brean Down Challenge 10k
I recently ran the Brean Down Challenge 10k race for the fourth time. I would say that aside from my 100k ultra marathon, it has to be the hardest race I’ve run yet. Despite running it on three previous occasions I still seem to always underestimate it.
This was a week after the Bristol half marathon, I still hadn’t shaken off my cough and cold and I had a night shift to work on the same day. I didn’t really know what to expect this time around after finishing 5th & 6th overall the last two times I ran it. I was hoping to go a couple of places better but at the same time I was aware that I had my sub 1hr30 half marathon attempt the following week at Burnham so I was unsure as to whether to race it properly or not.
The Down in the background is bigger than it looks!
As per usual with me, once on the start line I decided I was going to go for it! The start of this race is flat for the first 100m then you go up a single track road up to the Down. Its not the biggest of hills but it certainly gets steep from about half way up and seems to go on forever!
Once at the top I knew I was more or less with the front runners so I tried to keep a steady pace as for me, that first hill would be so much easier if it were a mile or so into the race but even after doing a warm up beforehand, you just aren’t ready for it and it takes a couple of minutes to recover.
So once my breathing had calmed down and my jelly legs had gone I set about trying to catch a few of the people that passed me at the top of the hill. The other thing that makes this race difficult is that the 5k runners start at the same time so its difficult to know who of the frontrunners are doing the 5k and who’s doing the 10k.
The “undulating” terrain as the event organisers like to describe it as continues most of the way round and I found myself not flying up the hills as easily as I normally would. It could have been me still not feeling 100% or it could have been Bristol half marathon still in my legs, either way, I was struggling a bit.
After you’ve navigated the treacherously uneven and horrible descent down to the fort its relatively flat other than one more steep but short climb back to the gravel road which takes you back to the top of the first hill. Its at this point that you really appreciate just how steep that road is and you have be very careful descending, which I often do too fast as I’m far too over confident at going down hills!
At the bottom its a sprint for the finish line, or for those of us crazy enough to be doing the 10k its merely the turnaround point to go do it all again, ugh!
Pretty cool medal!
That first hill for a second time is an absolute killer! I’d worked out that I was in 4th place, I initially thought I was 3rd but counting the people ahead of me that didn’t stop at 5k proved me wrong. I knew I didn’t have it in me to stay with and pass the guy in 3rd so just over half way up the hill I stopped and walked. I wanted to keep running but knew I would pay for it further down the line if I did. At the top of the hill I was passed and dropped down to 5th place.
From there on out I was determined to make sure I didn’t lose anymore places but it was tough getting going again. Luckily there was enough distance between me and 6th place that I didn’t have to worry and while I tried to push on along the final flatter stages of the race I just didn’t have much left in me. I did manage to speed past a lady at the finish who was doing the 5k but it was pretty pointless.
So it was a repeat of my performance at the Santa Scramble version of this race last December when I finished 5th overall. It was a slower time than my most recent race here but overall I was happy given I was in-between half marathons and wasn’t anywhere near 100%.
What made the day even better though was seeing my friend Sonia (@girlikesrunning) finish 1st lady in her first time doing this event which is an incredible achievement. Her husband Tyler, who isn’t even that into running, also posted a really decent time too.
Sonia and I after the race
So to sum up, it was another tough event that I maybe shouldn’t have done in the middle of two half marathons but its also good to test yourself and the medal was pretty damn cool too! Aspire Running Events organisation and marshalling were great as always and I may do the Santa Scramble again this December. Although I may have to do some training up there to truly conquer that first bloody hill!
