Tommy Run, 5th November 2023

Another coastal race report from Lynne Cornell:

“A lovely, interesting (!) race today at Seaham. Sorry no photo of me next to Tommy!!!

It was several months ago that I was in Seaham and I was then extolling the virtues of the ‘Tommy’ statue in Seaham to a friend. She said she would love to go and see it, so when I heard about the Tommy Run organised by Wild Deer she was up for a visit and a run.

The day soon arrived and we were off on our travels to Seaham. The forecast I had picked from the BBC of cool and breezy but DRY conditions (as opposed to hers from another source-wet and windy) were present as we collected our race numbers from just beside the Tommy statue. The race director warned of stones and slippery seaweed on the section next to the beach and then we were off.

The race starts right next to Tommy and we headed south along the tarmac path past Seaham harbour dock with quite a stiff breeze behind us. The path then becomes a track until Nose’s Point, at which point we were told it was a run around a field! The field was actually a mud bath for about a mile-lots of sliding and falling over. Trail shoes would have been ideal at this point.

Eventually the mud bath returned to a track and then a tarmac path as we headed back (into the wind) towards Tommy, then along North Road to Seaham Hall Beach Car Park where the path goes steeply downhill (including steps) to the path alongside the beach. This is where the rocks and seaweed from the recent storms were still in place and we found ourselves running through gravel with larger stones and seaweed thrown into the mix.

Finally back up a lovely steep slope (lovely due to no seaweed and rocks!) and back along a short section of North Road to the finish where a wooden medal and a luminous green long sleeved top were waiting for all finishers. Oh yes and a drink and a chocolate bar – finally a happy husband after recent goodie bags! A really lovely run organised by Wild Deer.”

Well done to Lynne on finishing 3rd in her age category!