Chichester Challenge 40km, Hampshire

As with so many times in this year of challenges I'm going from one extreme to another. Yesterday was a warm summer afternoon with 250 runners doing a flat 7 mile course - today is an cool fresh early start with 20 or so other runners on a very hilly challenging trail run.

The chichester Challenge also incorporates a number of other challenges which make it a bigger event, including 15km, 25km and 40km walks, 30km and 55km bike rides and the 40km run which I hoped to complete as my first real all out trail run.

Its at this point I have to say at the begining of this year of challenges my ankles where so not that strong, so much so that I was capable of twisiting one playing table tennis. Hence the build up in my training and events to incorporate trail events later in the year.

With so few runners (mad people) attempting this event it makes for a much more sociable opportunity for a quick chat before the race started. Similarly throughout the event all the runners where very encouraging and at times groups ran together.

The difference with this type of event to your main stream half marathon with hundreds of runners is the course it self. By this I mean that you are given a map and directions and only then see a marshall if you successfully make it to one of the five checkpoints where you get your map stamped to confirm you have taken the appropriate route and completed the full 40km. As such your reliance on the map and the small yellow signs with black arrows is particularly high. As such I found this a great way of not worrying about the very tired legs I had from climbing the hills as I wanted to ensure I did not get lost.

The course it self was a variety of nice smooth trails right through to the particularly harsh section through teh woods on completly uneven ground - which gave me the confidence in my ankles to go on for bigger challenges.

As it was I made it round the course crossing the line seconds after someone who had a stop watch and confirmed that I had therefore completed my first 25 mile trail run in just under 3hrs 30 mins which I was very happy with.

Thanks to xxx and xxx who gave me great encouragement and helped me to get such a great time in attempting to keep up with them for so long. Thanks for the encouraging words about the Burgess hill run in two weeks time "Its much much harder than this course" OK then.

The event was accompanied by a few refrecshment tents and stalls. The atmosphere at the finish was very good with the Lord Mayor Ray Brown going round and congratulatng and talking to everyone. Plus a regularly at the event Graham who works for the local branch of the Royal British Legion and did a sterling job. Similarly thanks to the Announcer who added to teh atmosphere with gestures like a free Ice cream to one of the youngsters who unfortunatley did'nt quite complete all the check points on the bike ride.

A wonderful event which I'm surprised has not got more runners taking part in.

Only downside was after the very hot sunny morning the rain started to take over shortly after I finished. Hopefully did'nt put to much of a dampner on the event.