Report by the intrepid Clive Lamb on his recent 10 mile night run over Exmoor.  For more information on this race please visit http://www.wildrunning.co.uk/

Saturday 1st March I arrived at South Brent village hall, Dartmoor for a 6pm briefing with around 150 other trail runners with various levels of equipment! Feelings of apprehension were surfacing having never run off road in the dark before. Some of my kit was brand new and somewhat cobbled together whilst my fellow runners looked like they might be attempting the Spine rather than a little jaunt across the ‘moor’. Oh I also forgot to mention that the first 5 miles would be uphill…….

It was a mass start at dusk, torches on, with 5 mile entrants (Mild Run) and 10 mile entrants (Wild Run) side by side – and a dog called Parsley. The race itself was started by Adharanand Finn who wrote ‘Running with the Kenyans’.
I try to hold back on the steep tarmac section immediately as we set off and quickly realised, after about a minute that this was going to be tough with at least another 50 minutes of the uphill section.

The first trail section was littered with loose fist sized rocks and we slowed down to a single file jog. As the pace picked up the first casualty went down in front of me having been hit by the unseen low hanging branch. Another runner went to his assistance and I adjusted my light to check for any other obstacles and moved on.

As we laboured on uphill I hooked up with a suitable pacemaker (my usual race trick) and started passing other runners. I was feeling strong and the Mild Runners were starting to veer off to complete their course.

Despite the course being marked with fluorescent alpine poles on moorland sections, things started to get confusing with a split in runners. Some going for a more difficult uphill route and others taking a slightly easier path. I went for the harder route only to realise the runners I was following were coming back down having made the wrong decision!!

Once we were back on the right path we entered the ‘moor’ proper. This is where the fluro markers were invaluable as they were the only features in the boggy terrain. It took all your focus, balance and strength to stay upright!

By this point I was feeling really good and had passed a few runners who had taken me at an early stage, I had also stopped thinking about the shin deep ruts of mud! The last kilometre or so was down country lanes and then it was the finish line! I stopped to clap a few people over the line and then went to join the party in the village hall – live music, home baking and masseurs!!

Results were really pleasing, 16th overall, and third in my age group with a time of 1 hour 36 mins. Just need to decide where to do my first trail half marathon !

You will be pleased to know that Parsley the dog also completed the course but had to join his owner slightly later than anticipated. Parsley got lost during the race but made it back on his own and turned up at the local pub where him and his owner were reunited!