Just a short post to pave the way for longer posts in future I hope on the fun that will be involved in a multi-stage trail run in Sheffield (my home town) on 25 June, called the
Round Sheffield Run.
It's an intriguing idea - inspired I gather by cycling races which have timed sections. So you run 21k in 11 timed sections, across a 24k route. The transitions between sections are done at whatever pace you like (I guess most people walk them).
This rather cleverly allows the run sections to be through nice parks/valleys etc. And any necessary road crossings are part of the transitions.
It alters the mentality of how you approach the run - rather than plodding on and on, you can take different approaches to different sections as you see fit.
It's billed as a nice way to work up to a half-marathon distance, if you've not done one before. And my partner Paula will be running it in with me - they have both individual and team entries. You start each section together and the team time is measured when the second person crosses. This will be her longest outing to date, which is nice.
It's particularly exciting for me since the first section is in the valley I used to run (or try to run in) when I was 16 and had a brief burst of running (before settling into non-running for next 30 years). And even better - one of the later sections goes down the bastard of an uphill cross-country route which my school used to send us out on (which I and most of my classmates routinely walked up).
Even better, one of the sponsors is Thornbridge Brewery (Sheffield based) - so the ending in Endcliffe Park is a kind of food/beer festival too.
What could possibly go wrong?
Sheffield Stage Coach
