Angel View Race, 27th May 2026

Thanks to Lucy Keating for this fabulous race report:

“I enthusiastically signed up for this trail race some time ago, in my quest for a nearby but new (to me) race on varied terrain. However, as race day approached, I felt somewhat under-prepared to say the least. Various factors had contributed to my lack of recent running miles, including a trip to hike some of the South West coast path, and, let me be honest, a good deal of lolling about languidly in the heat. I met up with Lynne Cornell at the start, who also felt under-prepared, though in this case for the very good reason that she is only just re-emerging after a hefty layoff with a debilitating bout of shingles, as previously reported. Thus, as we watched the enthusiastic juniors finish their races, Lynne told me she was just planning to ‘trot round’ our race, but knowing what a toughie Lynne is, I suspected she would still finish well ahead of me, and so it turned out, as she glided past me after a couple of kilometres, not to be seen again until the finish.

The race certainly lives up to its title, beginning and ending at the world-famous Angel, with great views en route. It’s a varied and challenging two-lapper, 9.2 km in length, incorporating a meadow, woodland trails, a subway, and plenty of climbing (156 metres ascent overall). I was delighted to get the chance to experience both my least favourite type of hill (long slow drag) and second least favourite (short sharp shock). The downhills were all gratefully received, of course.

Never a fan of running in the heat, I had been dismayed to see the blazing sun emerge from the clouds as the start time approached. And so, on the second lap, I felt energy drain from me with every step, as my lack of recent miles really showed, and I’m afraid I started to run with a sluggishness similar to that of a demotivated Premier League footballer ambling around a meaningless late season game, having already secured a multi-million pound galactico transfer (apart from the multi-million galactico transfer bit). Lynne, by contrast, dug in with the dogged determination of an heroic, patched-up Terry Butcher in Stockholm, 1989 (one for the youngsters), finishing first in her age category (and indeed my slightly younger category) – heaven help us when she’s back firing on all cylinders!

It was a real toughie, but I did relish the challenge and varied terrain, and will definitely enter again (hopefully better prepared). Thanks to Low Fell RC for organising an efficient and friendly event. Lynne and I both noted how few runners there were from clubs ‘north of the river’, though it’s a speedy bus ride from Monument, so here’s hoping word spreads for future years.”