Run West Berks Review

Thinking of trying out the Run West Berks Series in 2020? Why not read the review by a member of the Hungerford Hares before signing up.

Chieveley Chase

A real classic British cross county course and the heavy rain the night before made the conditions very muddy and the small stream that we had to cross turned into a river.

Even the marshal brought her rubber ring out just in case.

The 5.7 mile course is mainly farm tracks and fields with some gentle hills.

Geoff Anderson, Richard Hewitt, June Frith and myself took on the challenge and enjoyed our day out.

Ollie Johnson Memorial Kintbury 5

This 5 mile race is mainly road and farm tracks.
Starting in the sports centre there is a slow climb up out of the village.
Once at the top you have reached the highest point and then it’s downhill for a few miles.
There is one point on the course where it overlaps with the Harey 8.
A small climb back up into the village before heading back into the sports centre.
The Hares who ran this year were June Frith, Claire Digweed, Victoria Chidsey and Myself

Hungerford Harey 8

This is an 8 mile classic British cross country course with some great views over the West Berkshire countryside and only one small hill.

The weather on the day was great for spectators and marshals but for the runners a little on the warm side!

I was lucky to be able to run, this being my club’s run. I took it slow due to the weather and opted to pace my running buddy, as this was her first race after injury.

Great feedback from all my old club runners I managed to persuade to come over from Newbury and take part.

Very quick thinking by Geoff who had to modify the course with seconds to spare due to a farmer deciding to cut hay in the field we were meant to run though, this only shorted the course by a matter of 100m but in that heat no one was going to break the course record anyway.

Four Hares ran, Robin Gregory, Maurice Barletta, Vivienne Ravenhill and myself

The Gibbet Challenge

This 10k course is the last in the series and has some spectacular views from the top of the gibbet but at the cost of the hill you have to climb TWICE!!

Leaving Inkpen on the road there is a steady climb for around 3 km to the edge of the ridgeway then you continue climbing up to the gibbet then a very steep decent down to Wrights farm over on the other side of the ridgeway. You then ascend back up to the gibbet which is around 1 km and quite steep. Once over the ridge it’s all downhill along the road back to the finish.

This year Vivienne Ravenhill and myself took on the Gibbet

Only 13 men and 8 woman managed to complete the Run West Berkshire series (and only one hare!)