| Early in the life of Carn Runners there was, apparently, a club trip to Tywyn in Mid-Wales to 'Race the Train'. Perhaps only one or two of present Carnies would remember that trip in the early '90's.
Carole and Barry Drew together with Ceri and Richard Harvey were the lastest of our club members to travel up to Wales for a crack at this race. They'd planned a mini-break up there in their camper van's.
The event took place on Saturday which is always good. Get the race out of the way and on with the celebrations in the evening and a leisurely Sunday morning fry up in the camper.
First to race was Carole who was entered in the 5.5 mile Dolgoch challenge race which takes place in the morning. The runners take the train to Dolgoch station for the start and the course heads back to Tywyn on off road tracks following the railway. Carole finished in just over an hour.
The Race the Train race started at 2pm and is just over 14 miles out and back across fields and tracks. The train also chuggs out and back and the aim is to beat the train back. Sounds hard and it is hard. I seem to recall Martin Eddy (he was on that original trip) saying that you needed to be a sub-90 minute half marathon runner to beat the train!
A text message from Ceri after the race said that they faced a strong head wind on the return leg and her lack of long runs started to tell around the 10 mile mark!!
They all finished though. Ceri 2:16, Barrie 2:20 and Richard 2:36.
Hopefully we'll get some good photos and a report for you all to read when the weary travellers return in the next few days.
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