Going into the sixth year of the race I was saying to people it is getting easier as I learn what I am doing - famous last words! Murphy's law came to mine as a multitude of small things went wrong. The race(s) is getting more popular with a new record of numbers running; 128 between the two (Baby 65, Kinder 63). So the baby is growing into an adolescent. It was just manic in the 30 minutes from 0950 to 1020, people need to turn up earlier to help ease the pressure at kit check and registration. The pressure lead to mistakes at registration and it took hours after the race, including a number of phone calls to make sure everybody is home safe and sort out the final results-sheet.
It is about 1105 when I get back to the scout hut and the winner in the Baby is due about about 1215, so very little time to get the start list finalised and push the relevant info out to the marshals. The baby is not a particular long race and once the leader arrives back the flood gates really open as the front runners arrive in very quickly afterwards and then an hour later the leaders of the kinder start to arrive. It is then pretty manic at race HQ for about two and a half hours until all the baby's are home and the kinder begins to tail off.
I marshalled on the Kinder Trog this year and noticed the use of the wrist straps, which is a great way of ensuring the organiser has a physical way of determining everybody is home safe. I will probably look into that for next year.
I had two people on CP4 as it is still relatively early in the race, so the runners would still be fairly packed and that is one of the three CPs where numbers are recorded. The marshal's were commenting that they almost needed three there as they were so busy with recording numbers and giving directions. That is a bit disappointing as I put a lot of work into creating the detailed route description on this blog (a lot of races would not have anything like that), but it would appear a lot of people did not take the time to get to know it. I have been very lucky with the weather over the last six years but there has got to be a horror year coming, I shudder to think what will happen to some of the runners in that situation.
Three years ago I bought a large first aid box and it went from then to this year unopened. Five people needed attention this year, so it was finally opened. It was packed with every type of bandage you could imagine but totally devoid of cleaning materials, so some more purchases needed before next year.
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Baby 2,1,3 Last year Josh Williams caught us by surprise in the baby coming home in 1:12:55, but then this year Harry Holmes comes home a minute earlier. |
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| Baby 1,2,3 |
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| Kinder 2,1,3 |
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| Kinder 1. |
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| Kinder in all its glory |
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| Kinder 1 at Red Brook |
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| Peak District Foundation Donation |
Race Permissions
That was my third and final year of my second batch of three year permissions from from Natural England so for next year I will need to work with the NT again to obtain the permissions to continue the race. Hopefully the regulations have not changed.
Finances
Hayfield scouts £70 for Hall booking
Kinder Mountain Rescue £70
Hayfield Paris Council £100 for the finish field and parking (it really is an excellent venue to finish a race)
£400 to the NT as without them it just would not happen.
Then loads of food for the runners and liquid "thank-you" for the excellent group of volunteers.
All going going well I will see you next year.
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