Report on Self Transcendence 2 Mile "Joy Day Race" in Essex on January 16th 2005
The January "Joy Day" gathering was held in Castle Hedingham, a beautiful corner of rural Essex. Only half a dozen of us were actually fit to race - numerous winter ailments and niggles keeping several regulars on the sidelines. In fact, the marshals outnumbered the runners!
I have to say a big thank you to Steve & Dave from Cambridge and their helpers who spent hours looking for a suitable course then measuring it with a Jones Counter to get the precise 2 miles needed for the event.
It was a cold and crisp morning - beautiful pre-dawn colours in the sky and no sound but for birdsong and the patter of runners' feet on a mixture of road, trail and muddy field.
Shane (pictured - though that photo is not from this race!) led from the off and came home first in 11.49 - an impressive time on an undulating multi-terrain course. Roger was on his tail for a short while but could not keep up in the second mile - he came in second with a gap of 23 seconds. It says something about Shane's celtic metabolism that he was in shorts and vest while the other runners were wrapped up in thermals and hats! Steve was third - Nurari crossing the line at the same time in a dramatic sprint finish. Then the marshals explained she had another lap of the church to complete, so it wasn't such a close finish after all! Still, Nurari was first lady with 15.37. Next home was Ramita from London, then Helena from Cambridge. When it came to prizegiving, one of the runners proposed that the awards should all go to the marshals who had selflessly shivered in the gloom so that we runners could enjoy our morning race - all present agreed, so the pineapples and mangoes went to the hardy souls who had braved the elements to make the race possible.
I hope we go back to Castle Hedingham and use this course again, as it boasted some of the finest views and "olde worlde" village scenes you could hope to find in England.
Well done Cambridge!
I have to say a big thank you to Steve & Dave from Cambridge and their helpers who spent hours looking for a suitable course then measuring it with a Jones Counter to get the precise 2 miles needed for the event.
It was a cold and crisp morning - beautiful pre-dawn colours in the sky and no sound but for birdsong and the patter of runners' feet on a mixture of road, trail and muddy field.
Shane (pictured - though that photo is not from this race!) led from the off and came home first in 11.49 - an impressive time on an undulating multi-terrain course. Roger was on his tail for a short while but could not keep up in the second mile - he came in second with a gap of 23 seconds. It says something about Shane's celtic metabolism that he was in shorts and vest while the other runners were wrapped up in thermals and hats! Steve was third - Nurari crossing the line at the same time in a dramatic sprint finish. Then the marshals explained she had another lap of the church to complete, so it wasn't such a close finish after all! Still, Nurari was first lady with 15.37. Next home was Ramita from London, then Helena from Cambridge. When it came to prizegiving, one of the runners proposed that the awards should all go to the marshals who had selflessly shivered in the gloom so that we runners could enjoy our morning race - all present agreed, so the pineapples and mangoes went to the hardy souls who had braved the elements to make the race possible.
I hope we go back to Castle Hedingham and use this course again, as it boasted some of the finest views and "olde worlde" village scenes you could hope to find in England.
Well done Cambridge!
