Sweating it out for the last MTRS in the series - Boconnoc 5
The final round in the 2017/18 Cornish Multi-Terrain Race Series, the Boconnoc 5 is one of my personal favourites, encompassing a circuit of the picturesque Boconnoc Estate. A beating hot sun blazed down on the series of rolling partially forested grassy hills of the estate, promising a warm race but also a dry one underfoot.
The start of the race is fast, as runners fly across tarmac down to a bridge across the river and one of the lowest parts of the estate. A gentle rise on tarmac, followed by an exciting trek along a forest track and through a small stream, and then the climbing starts. Indeed, the climbing goes on for some time. A gravelly track climbs up through the forest to one of the highest parts of the estate at a fairly gentle but ever so long climb.
Rather inconveniently, a misinformed lady was trying to herd some goats along the track, but the goats understandably thought it would be much more fun joining in the race. A frantic episode followed, as the lady branded runners as ignorant and rude, while most runners cursed her ignorance as they sweated their way up the hill.
The route was cut slightly short this year due to some access issues, so the water station and 3 mile marker were reached ahead of schedule. A brief nice fast downhill section of tarmac follows, before runners divert off into the woods on a rough track. The next mile is my personal favourite: an exciting run along an undulating track, comprising more downs than ups, clinging to the steep hillside with fine views across the rest of the estate. This really is a nice place to run.
The race has a sting in the tail though, and that is a short but very steep gravelly climb just after mile 4. Completed exhausted by this point, I found myself walking, before breaking back into a jog higher up. I was trying to save some energy for the final half mile sprint back to the finish line and pushed as hard as I could. A mean little kick uphill leads to the finish.
A fine race but I was completely fatigued after completing 4 races in less than 1 week, so this wasn't as enjoyable as it should have been. A week of rest now before Turkey Trot...