What a great way to end the year’s racing calendar!
I’ve done the Mince Pie 10 a total of 3 times now, but it never fails to amaze me just how good this brute of a 10 mile race can be. It shouldn’t be enjoyable, but somehow it is! I think it must be a host of factors that make it what it is.
For us Islanders, there’s the whole adventure of getting over to East Sussex in the first place. This made for a very, very early start on Sunday morning, as 10 of us Isle of Wight Road Runners piled onto the 7am Fishbourne ferry. Once on board, we were able to have a good natter and a laugh, anticipating the forthcoming race. On the other side of the water came an hour and a half’s drive over to Peacehaven. I totally ignored what the SatNav was trying to tell me at one point, and did a scenic mile loop of a hamlet on the edge of Hampshire. But a coffee and breakfast stop on the way, then on into the early morning light, through some wonderful villages east of Brighton, until finally we arrived at the race HQ.
Being the first runners there, we managed to take over a table and chairs in prime position in the foyer of the Peacehaven Leisure Centre, a full hour and a half before the race start. Slowly but surely the other runners started to arrive, and it quickly became apparent that Christmas fancy dress was going to be the norm, not the exception, for the race. Tinel gallore, plus Santa hats, fairy wings and even a brilliant (if slightly weird) Morph-like red suit. I donned a hat, plus a beard. I even plucked up the courage to race in my running tights that don’t usually get an airing outside daylight hours.
After a group photo with the fabulous gang of Isle of Wight Road Runners, we shivvered in the cold for a few minutes until we could get going at 11 o’clock. A nice, flat bit of road running to start us off, then a nibble of off-road running along the odd path or two, just to remind us that this was going to be multi-terrain after all. As we passed by a paddock, two horses showed us how this running lark was properly done, as they frollicked and ran along the edge of the field, excited by the sight of these slow bipeds! Suddenly we were climbing up and up, and got to leave the pleasant residential roads of Peacehaven behind us. The going under foot was mostly good, although there were plenty of sections where I was very, very glad to be wearing trail shoes. Although it’s not impossible to run this race in road shoes (and very well too, at that, as I’ll explain shortly), the extra grip I got in the trails gave me confidence with my footing. Just a pity the wind was trying to blow us sideways!
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As we approached a flock of sheep, we saw first one sheep, then a few cross the path we were ascending. With five sheep to the right of the path and about one hundred to the left of the path, I suddenly saw how this was going to go. Sheep follow one another like, well, sheep, and all of a sudden us runners had to come to a grinding halt, for fear of being caught up in a wooly stampede. It occurred to me though, that the sheep are just like us runners – all it would take is for a few runners to go the wrong way on the course, and the rest of us would follow!
Sheep-stop out of the way, and on we went, and were eventually greeted by marvellous far reaching views over the South Downs. It was a stunning sight on such a cold and crisp winter’s day. Then on, through the clay ridden paths that clogged up the shoes, and whizzing down again (down is good) and back onto tarmac for an almost relaxing run along the suburbs of Telscombe. But there was a nasty surprise for some (having run this race twice before, I knew what was coming); rounding a corner at six miles, we were confronted by a hill that has been known to make competitors swear at the sight of it. Gritting our teeth, we pushed on uphill, with the few locals out and about cheering us on, and the excellent marshals providing us with words of encouragement. I had forgotten that it was quite so steep, and I’d also forgotten that, after a brief respite along the level, it climbed up once again! Eventually we were back on the South Downs again, and the final miles went by with quite a lot of downhill thrown in. A dash through an industrial estate at the finish, and we finally crossed the finish line.
It was so cold and breezy at the finish that I simply couldn’t wait around long for my team mates, so I dashed off to the very warm and welcoming showers (past a stall handing out hot chocolate – you don’t get that at many races, do you!) The post-race goody bag was excellent, and the eponymous (I’ve longed to use that word) mince pie was very welcome indeed. I even picked up a spot prize for running the race in my Santa hat and beard. This was the furthest I’ve ever ran “bearded”. It wasn’t too bad, only occasionally leaving me eating white fluff. It was at its worst though when the wind was driving across me, blowing it into my mouth, or when I turned around to see the runners behind me or to admire the view. But the reactions it triggered were great, and I might just wear it again soon…
The run finished, my very speedy team mate, Simon McMorran picked up a thoroughly deserved prize for second place (a Christmas pudding, no less), and before we knew it we were jumping in our cars to race back for the 3pm Wightlink from Portsmouth. Sitting back on the ferry, we were able to reflect on our day out. A hard race, through the mud, in the cold and wind. We were all still smiling though, and have already put this race in our diaries for next year. Thank you, Seaford Striders!