Gusty Godrevy 10K

The 2018 Freedom Racing Summer Sessions series kicked off with a bang with this, a fast and furious 10K across the towans and along the coastpath around Godrevy. The weather however, made it feel anything but summer. A salt-laden Atlantic gale blasted rain in off the Atlantic, making for a much tougher battle against the elements compared to last year.

The pre-race briefing was short, cancelled out by the gusty wind and pounding rain, and soon we were off across the flooded lowland behind a sand bar separating us from the open Atlantic. The first mile heads south, an energy sapping tour across the towans, quite tough on the legs early the race. In fact, it's easy to start off too fast and find yourself facing an uphill battle for the rest of the race. Eventually we descend to the beach and some flat ground. Except this flat ground isn't solid bouncy tarmac but sand, annoyingly and unpredictably loose in places, with over a mile of tough slog back to Godrevy.

The wide expanse of sand ends abruptly with a river crossing, proving tougher to negotiate for some than others, followed by a slightly technical scramble over low cliffs of barnacle-encrusted slate up onto the coast path, to encircle the attractive headland next to the famous lighthouse and pass the infamous seal viewing area. The climb up to the headland is long, but thankfully the ground is firm and solid. However, an annoying gusty crosswind sucked the air out your lungs just at a crucial time when you were doing all you could do to get as much air in.

A short loop around the headland and we're back on the return leg back to Godrevy, passing runners on their way out. From the headland though, it is all downhill, a fast sprint of adrenaline fuelled endurance, capped by some slightly awkward steps down to the finish line.