Wild at heart by Turboglot
hen I arrived at the Run in the Wild 10K at Cricket St Thomas Wildlife Park near Chard, I was pleased to hear that the attraction had got rid of its biggest and most dangerous animals since the previous year's race.
Who wants to run a course with leopards and cheetahs stalking ominously beside them? The animals that we were told had been left behind -flamingos, llamas, wallabies and deer -seemed exciting enough, in my opinion. As I warmed up, I spied some lemurs in the treetops, basking in the sunshine and taking little interest in the gathering of Lycra-clad humans down below.
The race was set in 1,000 acres of rugged parkland, hugging both sides of the beautiful Axe Valley. It began with a quick downhill before skirting the edge of Swan Down Lake and shooting up a steep hill on the other side. Despite making my habitual pledge to set off slowly, I got overexcited and found myself hurtling down the first hill at the front of the pack. The uphill stretch that followed put an abrupt end to my short-lived glory, and as other runners began to fly past me I realised that this would be the pattern for the remainder of the race: I would whizz past others on the descents, only to be hauled back again on the inclines.
The problem was, there were a lot of inclines - and all of them steep. I found myself walking at least four times, although it became apparent that this was the best method to adopt: on one occasion I actually overtook a participant who was valiantly determined to keep running. His arms might have been pumping, but he was going nowhere - I felt as though I should apologise to him as I strolled by.
I later discovered that the clue to the nature of this course had been in the name of the estate all along. The 'cricket' of Cricket St Thomas doesn't refer to the sport; it comes from the Anglo-Saxon word 'cruc', meaning 'hill'.
The blessing was that what goes up must, of course, eventually come down - and this is especially true when the start and finish are in the same place. So, after each steep rise came a steep fall, and at every crest came a silver lining: here, the views across the parkland were at their best - rolling, green hills dotted with runners along the tracks and pathways ahead.
It was a glorious summer's day, with the temperature hovering around 20C. Relief from the heat was found in the wooded section between the three and five kilometre markers. Was it here that the tamarind monkeys lived 'free-range' in the trees? I wondered, peering into the undergrowth. Disappointingly, I could see nothing but impenetrable thicket.
As I approached the finish, I was prepared to pay the price for my early exuberance, and watch helplessly as streams of runners who were better at pacing themselves pass me for the last time. Instead, a downward slope and firm, dry ground meant that I was thrilled to be able to stay strong and I even began to gear up for a kick for home.
However, 500m from the end my plans for a grandstand finish were dashed as the route took us first through a small stream and then - one final sting in the tail - up a short but very sharp incline to the finish.
My powers of observation may be on the wane, or maybe it was a result of the exhaustion from all those hills, but apart from the lemurs at the start, I didn't see a single exotic animal en route; sheep and cows were the only creatures prepared to showcase themselves. At one point, a rustle in the bushes had me startled, and I wondered what manner of beast was about to come crashing towards me through the undergrowth. Alas, it was just another runner avoiding the queue for the loos.
I have since found out that the park has been renamed Cricket St Thomas Lakes and Gardens in response to cutting back on the wildlife - however, the race has yet to undergo a similar rebranding. The organisers may want to address this at their earliest convenience, otherwise runners expecting to be surrounded by bounding wallabies may find the scarcity of wildlife a disappointment.
This is definitely not a PB course, and the announcer at the start insinuated as much by referring to it as 'a farmer's 10K', which apparently meant 'give or take a bit'. On the bright side, organisation was slick, there were plenty of post-race amenities, and a recent look renovation of the gardens meant the route passed through one of the most picturesque settings in Somerset - and all without the risk of being eaten alive before the finish line.
About the Author
Pavel has been writing articles about sports for nearly 5 years. Come visit his latest website over at http://www.titleistdtsolo.com/ which helps people find the best golf balls Titleist HVC Tour and information they are looking when playing golf.
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