Race Date: Thursday 7th September 2023

Just a stone’s throw up the road from The Higham Hurtle is the long established (more than 20 years!) Spencer’s Dash. This annual 3 race series (May, July, September) is accurately described by the organisers as:

“Down a bit, up a bit, down a bit, up a bit, down a bit, up t’ finish”.

The course takes a lot of left turns, mainly on roads for a total distance of about 3.8 miles. There is a small, slightly uphill trail section, somewhere in the middle. The roads are open to traffic but there are a number of wide paths available and marshals on hand to guide runners safely around corners on to the correct path. It’s a 1 lap course, for which my strava showed a total elevation gain of about 105m. The end is approaching when you see the M1 Motorway bridge ahead, though there’s still quite a bit of climbing to be done.

Race HQ is based at the Barugh Green Club, Higham Common Road, S75 1LD. The race starts about a 100m away, just past the traffic lights/crossroads. The finish is just around the corner on the pavement.

All 3 races need to be completed to qualify for any of the prizes. Three Striders made it on the final day (pictured). Well done team! It was rather warm for a September evening – the hottest day of the year at that point!

Overall results can be seen at:  Spencer’s Dash – Barnsley Athletic Club (barnsleyac.co.uk)

This is a nice, fairly flat (no scrambles, stiles or similar) race, so some reasonable times can be achieved, when temperatures allow. I hope to be back next year to try and improve on my time as a mid run muscle issue curtailed this run