I like social running. Ultras and trail running certainly have a camaraderie vibe that is less often seen in road running. Perhaps that is because times have less meaning on the trail or trail runners come out for the countryside as much as the exercise?
Anyhow, a fun run on my horizon in October is the sociable and humanly empathet
ic 50K, A Run With No Witty Name, set in and around Tisbury in Wiltshire and the grounds of both Old and New Wardour Castles. ‘Tis a foine bit o’laand.
The race day itself will be a ‘recovery run’ for me. I’ll be taking it slowly after Chester marathon the week before, but I wanted to do this race to learn some more Wiltshire trails and to support the wonderful race organiser Crooked Tracks Wiltshire.
Crooked Tracks is just a great organiser, with 2 main heartfelt events per year. They are homespun, approachable, charming and professional. These are countryside days delivered with humour and passion.
A great bonus of Witty Name is the option of going out with the organiser Neil Turnbull for a recce. This proved an easy paced outing in great scenery, and finished at Messums a surprising barn-based art centre, that included the entrancing intstallation by Christopher Kurtz, shown in my lead photograph. Memorably the run included an amusing ouchy nettly encounter, which had all of us squawking. Not sure I have been so stung on a run before, but in this company we shared the experience and so we were all stung equally. A beer afterwards was a reasonable remedy and sealed a very relaxing morning.
