11th June 2024
Checking the SCS Facebook feed for something a little bit different, this Memorial Run looked like a worthy cause for a Tuesday evening run.
Location Hooton Lodge Farm, Thrybergh, Rotherham
Terrain: Trails, featuring: wide and narrow gravel tracks, undulating muddy woodland paths (with the usual trip hazards), ploughed fields, narrow grassland tracks (with tall grass and nettles) and numerous muddy puddles. There were also a number of short sharp ascents and descents to manage. Probably spot on for BMX riders?
Strava had this event at a little under 5km with a vertical elevation just over 60m.
The course starts on a gravel track and follows the River Don around a wide open field (which incorporates a large caravan park) to an impressive weir. The route then heads up into the woods (via a number of short ramps), to run along side a ploughed arable field (tricky terrain) to ultimately return back into the woods. The route then follows a number of paths which generally traverse the hillside before emerging back into the open field/floodplain, ending with a long straight run to the finish (which was also the start point). As with many evenings this year, it was cool and damp and felt like rain was always a possibility.
This year’s event was again put on by The Rotherham Running Club who organised last year’s inaugural run. The event is in the memory of Steve “Mini” Beckitt, who sadly passed away after a short battle with cancer last April. The event is a fundraiser for The Rotherham Hospice which was a charity close to Steve’s heart and the one that supported him throughout his unexpected short illness. The Hospice still supports his family.
A suggested donation of £5 was collected at the start. Online donations can also be made.
This year a 2 mile walk was added as an option. This started ahead of the main run. It is expected that next year’s event will be a full-on timed race (rather than this turn up/donate and run). There is also a bar on site for a well deserved post race drink (if needed).
The route was very well marked with yellow arrows showing the route at every key junction. Also, big yellow “X’s” helped show where the route didn’t go. Supportive marshals were positioned at every key junction. Thanks all for pointing us all in the right direction and pointing out the local hazards!
Sadly for me, as is so often the case, the treads on my shoes are gravel magnets so I ended up carrying this cargo (pictured) around the entire route. Note to self. Different off road shoes needed, next time.
From Martin Downham (sole SCS representative)
no results – names not taken and the event was not timed.
