Kendal 10K Trail Race

On Scout Scar after the race

Waking up to single figure temperatures and wall to wall sunshine, I knew it was going to be perfect running conditions.

However, I still had to go through the usual pre-race ritual of deciding what to wear. Having gone through the options in my head, I crawled out of my sleeping bag, opened the door and stuck my nose out of the van. As I took a breath and the cool air rushed down my airway, the decision was made, I was definitely wearing a T-shirt under my running vest!

My challenge that day was to complete the Kendal Mountain Festival 10km Trail run. This is a classic trail run with varied running, amazing views and a great atmosphere. The route heads out of Kendal town centre and up a steep road before heading out off-road on to Scout Scar. A sharp turn right along the escarpment gives some amazing views across the Lyth Valley. The run then heads across Kendal golf course before descending cobbled streets back in to Kendal.

After registering, warming up and a few pre-race chats with fellow competitors, it was time to line up at the start. As I looked around, I saw Lou Roberts from Ambleside Athletics Club stood nearby. I knew Lou was running well this year and questioned whether or not I would be able to keep up with her. No other fell runners caught my eye, but I was surrounded by a lot of fit looking women and could see that the competition would be tough. A few minutes later we were off, I saw a friend of mine,Kasia, who I had persuaded to run, sprint off out in front. I was impressed but didn’t follow her lead as my fell running experiences had taught me to pace myself; especially when there is a steep hill just round the corner.

As Lou pulled alongside me and continued at a steady pace, I knew to try and stick with her. We overtook my friend in front as the hill got the better of her. Gill Mead from Chester Triathlon club over took us and the race was set. As the hill continued upwards, Lou pulled away from me and overtook Gill. Unable to go with her,

I psychologically dipped and felt my pace slow

Crossing the finish line

After regaining my composure I picked up speed and pushed on. As we left the road and ran out onto Scout Scar, I felt the warm sunshine on my face and looked across the escarpment to the Langdale mountain range beyond.

Covered in a pristine layer of snow that had fallen the night before, I felt privileged to be in such a beautiful place and witness such amazing views.It reminded me of why I enjoyed running in wild places with such inspiring company.

Suddenly aware that my race head had briefly left me, I refocused and dug in. It was mainly downhill from now on and I knew that suited my running style better. As I left the escarpment and turned to cross the golf course, I could feel a women breathing down my neck. Currently in third position and having come third the year before, I was determined not to lose my position. I pushed up the final hill and started the final descent.

As the lady behind, Rachel Hill, pulled alongside me, I pulled away again. However, as we hit the slippery cobbled streets, she managed to edge ahead of me. I tried to catch up but this was to no avail and she ended up crossing the line a good ten seconds ahead of me.

Even though, I had narrowly missed out on third place behind Lou and Gill, I was happy with my performance that day. After putting on my super warm Craghoppers Compresslite jacket, I enjoyed cheering fellow competitors on as they sprinted down Kendal high street before crossing the line.

No matter how fast or slow fellow runners ran that day, everyone had a smile on their face at the end and chatted merrily about their experience before heading off for some post-race refreshments. After saying our goodbyes, Mike and I headed up to Scout Scar to enjoy the views that I didn’t have the opportunity to fully take in during the race.

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