Druridge Bay Beach Trail 10k
Trail races tend to be a tougher affair than those on road. The terrain varies, mud is often a feature, and a there can be a fair amount of undulation. With all that in mind, a nice calm, clear day would be a welcome leveller. Today at Druridge Bay, we did not quite get this.
I met up with Kimberley before the race, and we agreed the savage winds whipping through the country park were likely to make this an even more testing run. When I also pointed out that the south-westerly wind was going to be hitting us right in the face once we reached the beach section, she exclaimed that she’d rather not have known this in advance!
After a short briefing from a mostly inaudible man with a microphone, we set off around Ladyburn Lake. It took a while to escape the bottleneck at the start, but the first 3 km or so were a rather pleasant amble along well-maintained, gravelly trail paths, flitting in and out of woodland as wintery sunlight filtered through. I passed a woman running with a waist-mounted dog lead, hearing an excited spectator shout out “1st doggie!”
Emerging from the trees, we were treated to a few hundred metres of tarmac road, gently climbing up toward the horizon. But then came the beach. Heading down a concrete ramp, we picked our way through a concentrated mass of seaweed before hitting the sand.
Unlike the Blyth Sands experience of last month, there was no incoming tide to contend with, and the sand was flat and hard, barely yielding to our footfalls. However, the fierce headwind made up for this, and I slowed considerably on this section, only partly through choice, hoping to conserve some energy for later. The beauty of the sunlight reflecting off the sea was, despite the toil, not lost on me.
After around 2.5km of battling, a marshal signalled the welcome turn off the beach, the less fortunate half-marathon runners having to stay sand-bound for a while longer. A quick hike over a soft, steep dune later, and some rather marshy-looking land lay ahead.
After 3 weeks of complete rest from running due to injury, I had intended to not go too hard (whether I had actually succeeded at reigning myself in is another question) and at this point, I felt a slight spasm in my right hamstring. I persevered, and it seemed to behave itself for the rest of the run. After the relatively smooth terrain up to this point, a short passage saw us having to navigate some bogs, and clamber over over a couple of stiles.
Safely marshalled through the marshes, the remaining third of the race was fairly plain sailing, a mixture of very mildly undulating road and paths. With less than 2km to go, an all-too frequent recent foe returned, a double-stitch attempting to assert itself either side of my abdomen. Luckily I managed to push through it on this occasion, without having to resort to walking. Rounding a corner, the lake swam into view once more, as we funnelled left, and under the welcome sight of the red inflatable ‘Finish’.
Kimberly followed not long after, with a very impressive 4th lady finish, her spirit not dampened by the raging gales. The South Shields Slack’s were also to be found enjoying the coastal sights.
There were at least two ‘proper looking’ photographers in attendance, so photos may surface at some point…
Position | Runner | Time |
19 | Laurie Johnson | 47:37 |
32 | Kimberley Metson | 49:40 |
79 | Richard Slack | 55:24 |
128 | Marie Slack | 60:34 |