Golden Fleece 2017

I have done this event twice before in 2013 and 2014 and I enjoyed it. It does have some long straight sections which I am not a fan of, but basically that's all that I don't like about it. What I do like about it is that it is very cheap, the food at checkpoints is amazing, the stew at the end is fantastic, the route is attractive, it is pretty runnable, it's friendly and well organised.

The route

starts in South Cave to the west of Hull. Race HQ is lovely church hall next to this old church

There was no race briefing, there was no kit check because there was no kit list, it was all very laid back. We were given a card which had to be stamped at every checkpoint which were all manned bar one self clip near the end. The course wasn't marked at all, but we were given a route description and map. Also I had the route from 2014 on my Garmin and I had OS maps on my phone, so I was never in any danger of getting lost. The only new bit on the route description was an alternative way through Walkington which I thought I would try as it looked a bit shorter.

The weather was dry with little wind but there was quite a bit of low cloud so it didn't look like we would get many views.

After last Saturday's disappointing performance I thought I would start slow and see how it went - I hadn't run at all since last Saturday.

There were a couple of queues for gates before we reached the first checkpoint at Everthorpe, no food or drink at this one, but it was only about 2m after the start. A bit of road and then across some fields to North Cave

and then into the Hotham estate

and on into the village itself, passing another church

and we reached checkpoint 2 shortly after. Off into the country again which started to get very muddy (it had rained all the previous night) and then into Tindale Moor woods. In the woods there is this delightful cottage

Then there is a big of drag on quiet road to North Newbald (which is about 8m into the route) where the two routes (long and short) split. Here there is a great checkpoint with load of food

I had a bit of humus and mozzarella muffin 😀 and then started the first climb into the wolds and on to a section of the Wolds Way for a while. Then off to Newlbald Lodge where there was another great checkpoint

It was caramel slice this time 😀 Soon after we reached halfway and the sun came out which I hadn't been expecting.

These were taken shortly after halfway by Christine from Beverley AC 😀

We came to Walkington and two runners in front of me went the way I went I had in 2013 and 2014. I knew there were another three runners running together way ahead of these two so I would see what happened when the two routes merged. As it happened I came out just behind the three who had been way ahead, so the alternative route was definitely quicker. We came to Skidby where we turn west and head back to South Cave and psychologically this feels good.  There is one of the long straights here which seems to last for ever. I had forgotten about going under the railway bridge which is often waterlogged

but it wasn't too bad this year. After this though it turned into a bit of a trudge uphill through mud.

I reached the York Grounds Farm and the last manned checkpoint and I had a small section of stilton and broccoli quiche 😀 I was running now and feeling pretty good. We could even see the Humber Bridge in teh far distance shortly after this. Back onto the Wolds Way (which the Hardmoors 200 runners will be covering, I don't envy them, both sections of the Wolds Way we did today were tough) and trudging some very difficult muddy sections

and onto a lovely church at Brantingham

Into the woods at Ellereker North Wold and here the hills are much more severe. Great views though

and finally back to the Village Hall.

I had a sock casualty but apart from that everything was good, a 8min course pb and a much better performance than last week. It is a puzzle how one day things can go not so well and other days they go much better.

There was food and hot drinks at the end as well, the stew was just amazing 😀 There was also more cake. The cost of this event (£15) even with an overnight stay was cheaper than the Endurancelife event last Saturday and the checkpoints and the meal at the end were so much better today.

I am sure I will be back at some point 😀

2014 blog