Sutton Gates Run 2019
26th June
7-9 mile run (8.4 for me)
Think this is my first ever evening race!
I've been intrigued by the format for a couple of years, and couldn't wait to enter this year. The crux of the race is that you have to visit all size main gates in Sutton Park, in any order, then get back to the start.
Thanks to Mols, I've been doing a fair bit of walking in the park recently, so I know the Four Oaks (NE) end of the park quite well. The SW part of the park is a little less familiar, I tend to mainly venture there for Parkrun purposes and not much else.
I turned up at 17:30, the earliest start time, and they weren't quite ready with the electronic system. Needing to get back for a feed, they let me start anyway, and I could just write down the numbers (or in my case, take photos of the numbers) of the checkpoints. I decided to go anti clockwise, although was a bit perturbed that the man who started 1 min before me decided to go the opposite way.
Progress to Hartopp and then Four Oaks was pretty textbook, and I think I made good time to Streetly gate (no 3 on the map below). From here I wasn't really sure of the best route. I could leave the park and use the roads, or make my way through the golf course, or go up to Jamboree. I ended up doing the latter, which was probably a mistake as Jamboree is fairly high, and not directly on route. From Jamboree I headed to a footbridge for a quick route to Banners Gate, but was scuppered by the fact it had been removed! It took a fair bit of wiggling to get back and round to Banners gate, very unfortunate - I should have recce'd this section in hindsight.
At Banners Gate I decided to leave the park to get to Boldmere Gate - Monmouth drive felt very long! I then stayed inside the park to get to Wyndley Gate which was a good decision as the checkpoint was much inside the park, before heading back to the start. As I approached the finish line I noticed the man who had started a minute before me come the opposite way. We finished together which meant that I must've been quicker - but we hadn't seen each other on the way around. In fact, until I was near Boldmere Gate I didn't really see anyone who looked like they were racing.
Looking at the results I was pleased to come third and I feel another year I could easily make up time by correcting my route between Streetly and Banners. I noticed a fair few people had gone around the outside of the park for the entirety. Possibly faster but it is so much more interesting running the trails inside the park I think.
A great event and I will be back! Pretty cool to get a certificate too :)
Standings
Age category: 3/4 75%
Gender category: 3/10 30%
Overall category: 20/43 ?%
7-9 mile run (8.4 for me)
Think this is my first ever evening race!
I've been intrigued by the format for a couple of years, and couldn't wait to enter this year. The crux of the race is that you have to visit all size main gates in Sutton Park, in any order, then get back to the start.
Thanks to Mols, I've been doing a fair bit of walking in the park recently, so I know the Four Oaks (NE) end of the park quite well. The SW part of the park is a little less familiar, I tend to mainly venture there for Parkrun purposes and not much else.
I turned up at 17:30, the earliest start time, and they weren't quite ready with the electronic system. Needing to get back for a feed, they let me start anyway, and I could just write down the numbers (or in my case, take photos of the numbers) of the checkpoints. I decided to go anti clockwise, although was a bit perturbed that the man who started 1 min before me decided to go the opposite way.
Progress to Hartopp and then Four Oaks was pretty textbook, and I think I made good time to Streetly gate (no 3 on the map below). From here I wasn't really sure of the best route. I could leave the park and use the roads, or make my way through the golf course, or go up to Jamboree. I ended up doing the latter, which was probably a mistake as Jamboree is fairly high, and not directly on route. From Jamboree I headed to a footbridge for a quick route to Banners Gate, but was scuppered by the fact it had been removed! It took a fair bit of wiggling to get back and round to Banners gate, very unfortunate - I should have recce'd this section in hindsight.
Looking at the results I was pleased to come third and I feel another year I could easily make up time by correcting my route between Streetly and Banners. I noticed a fair few people had gone around the outside of the park for the entirety. Possibly faster but it is so much more interesting running the trails inside the park I think.
A great event and I will be back! Pretty cool to get a certificate too :)
Standings
Age category: 3/4 75%
Gender category: 3/10 30%
Overall category: 20/43 ?%
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