4th March 2007
Travelling south on the Virgin train between Macclesfield and Stoke you can spy Bosley Cloud, a pleasant looking hill rising gently out of the Cheshire Plain, away on the left hand side. A less expensive and altogether more satisfying way to get to grips with the Cloud involves running the annual hill race from Congleton.
The showers began before we’d pinned out numbers on and by the time we reached the start the wind and rain was whipping at our arms and legs. There was a delay while horses were cleared from the track. We huddled together and one guy announced that he’d last run the race in 1982 – I couldn’t help noticing that he was wearing racing flats – I didn’t see him again.
One thing was certain: mud was forecast.
We headed out along the bridleway and under the impressive viaduct. The going was good and after a half a mile Simon Bailey was already beginning to disappear out in front. I tucked in behind Malcolm and enjoyed a rare bit of shelter. Cutting back into the woods we quickly reached the first section of cross-country mud. It was leg sapping stuff and all the while the Cloud loomed ahead as a reminder that there was still plenty to do. I lost contact with Malcolm. Tom, always the mud specialist, came skipping by.
We were supposed to be running the clockwise route but by the time we were running up the steps (that we should have later run down) it was clear that we’d gone wrong somewhere. Eventually it seemed that we did some parts of each route perhaps adding to the overall distance although in the mud and rain this was the least of our problems.
The steps took it out of me and I could feel my legs stiffening perhaps due to the cold or a hangover from Saturday’s relays. The path up to the summit rocks was tricky and we weaved through puddles and slippery stones while the wind roared around us. Passing the trig point we turned into the horizontal rain before thankfully escaping into the woods for a swift descent. Dodging down through the trees the life returned to my legs. As we ran across the fields to Bridestones I regained the places lost on the way up although Tom remained some distance ahead.
Running back round towards the cloud the wind was finally behind us and with the steady downhill gradient it was possible to increase the speed. I pounded along and gradually Tom and others came back into view. I caught them just before the mud, which much to Tom’s delight was even deeper than the last lot. Sure enough the Auld Enemy grinned as he worked his past while I floundered around in his wake once again.
The mud was finally kicked off our shoes on the hard track back to the finish. This time I managed to creep away from Tom but was swiftly overtaken by a Liverpool Harrier who I had sheltered behind me all the way from the top. Soaked to the skin we made our way back to the warm leisure centre.
Not much later as we munched large chunks of extremely fine cake Graham remarked that race conditions had been “near perfect”. Indeed.
The conditions can appreciated by studying these photos of Ian Smallwood (one of our most durable runners):
1. Post-mud, pre-cloud:
http://racephotos.topcities.com/Cloud_Large/A_062.jpg
2. Post-mud, post-cloud:
http://racephotos.topcities.com/Cloud_Large/D_034.jpg
4 malcolm fowler (231) 00:59:36 M40
7 rob downs (53) 01:01:02 M40
8 tom mcguff (217) 01:01:23 M50
28 graham taylor (163) 01:04:53 M40
45 tony hulme (95) 01:08:25 M55
50 ian smallwood (221) 01:09:29 M40
52 mike cooper (177) 01:09:44 M40
64 jane clarke (312) 01:10:58 F
76 gavin mendham (227) 01:12:30 M55
79 ray noble (36) 01:12:41
112 sally gilliver (342) 01:15:37 F45
114 kim simpson (346) 01:15:55 F
144 don bullough (43) 01:19:21 M50
176 kate sutton (339) 01:22:57 F40
251 trevor faulkner (134) 01:34:21 M60
329 Finishers
Full results at http://www.congleton-harriers.co.uk/
Photos at http://racephotos.topcities.com/