Minster2Minster take 4 27/08/2016

After competing the previous evening I did not sleep well, I was worried that I would miss my alarm. My Fitbit vibrated at 4 am and bleary eyed I got out of bed. I forgot to take my alarm clock with me that I had set for ten past four as insurance against my Fitbit not waking me.( I found out later that had gone off waking Billy). Sorry. I got my breakfast and got dressed. checked my kit and got ready to leave, went to the loo one last time and went to collect Helen ( I had invited Helen who is a Bedale and Aiskew runner because she has entered the Round Ripon Ultra and I thought it would be good training, she had to wear a Ripon Runner vest though. Thanks Hayley for providing that) The moon was still up, it was dark "Oh where did summer go?" it was just after 5 am and I was setting off for the now annual Ripon Runners fun run, a social run from Ripon Cathedral along the River Ure to York Minster, the Minster2Minster Marathon, its about 30 miles. Organiser Matt has learnt a lot from Jon Steele and his Hardmoors races and bonus miles.

It was foggy driving to Ripon, patchy bands of fog, It promised to be a nice day once it burnt off.
We arrived in Ripon and parked in Marygate carpark £2 all day. Maggie, Phil and Robin had just arrived too. I paid to park and we set off to the all night loo at the top car park. Oh no! it was locked. Gutted, I was relying on that. I hoped the court house loos were open as it was nearly 6 am, the iron gates were open, it was looking good, but no! the doors were locked. Jane was already at the front of the cathedral. Soon more runners arrived I was expecting 17 plus me. The 6 am group was going, in 2013 there was just me. Matt who turned his idea into a club run arrived with Michael to see us off. Michael and Susan the wife of one of our group would be supporting us with water and our bags at pre arranged points. Hilary and Julie arrived on their bikes, they would be riding the route with us, Hilary had done this for the last 2 years and the group of cyclists, like runners was growing every year.

Soon all of us were gathered. we had a group photo before setting off. Martin, Hayley, Phil, Tony, Mel, Robin, Simon, Jane, Jane, John, Jackie, Sam, Maggie, Chris, Clare, Helen, Angela and myself
The first stage to Boroughbridge was mainly road and 8 miles of good running. The group was of differing abilities so we regrouped regularly to keep the group together. It was still misty and mysterious as we ran through Bluebell Wood (what I called it as a child) and there was a chicken, no! it was not a chicken it was a cockerel. A cockeral stood in the middle of the road, totally unphased by 18 runners in burgundy vests running past at 06:30, It then proceeded to attempt to join us, chasing Mel. Hmm Mel seems to have an animal attraction

M2M 2014

As we ran down the Newby Hall exit road a beautiful owl, probably a barn owl looking at its colouring, flew towards us, landed in a tree looked and flew off to the left. It really was a beautiful morning.

As we turned of the exit road we were confronted with a stunning sight, a misty sun peaking around the trees.

We had to stop and admire it.

We ran around the wood, though the farm and into Skelton on Ure, We ran through the village mainly in single file as we ran along the road in the mist, with calls of car from the front and back as the world was awakening.
I passed along the line running with different people and making sure that no one was left behind. Helen and Angela, our guests had settled into the group well. As we got to Boroughbridge I got myself back to the front to make sure that everyone went the right way, to the car park with the loos. Now these were locked last year, but fingers and legs crossed I hoped they were open. As I approached I wasn't too hopeful, I tried the door expecting it not to move, but it opened. Yey! we had loos, I was not the only happy person as a queue formed.

8 miles down and the first support stop. I was keen to keep everyone moving, not allowing muscles to stiffen. Hilary and Julie were already there, as were Susan and Michael. We got drinks and snacks, and some people changed trainers as the group was about to split and some were to run on the road. We discussed wearing long sleeves and leggings for the undergrowth, I decided to risk it as I had been told it had been strimmed, the others followed my example.

Right, time to go, we were on a tight schedule to meet the runners who were doing the last 10 miles at Newton on Ouse. The group split into two with Simon leading the road group. My group set off for the riverside. We ran on the flood defences for a while and I took the opportunity to show the others what Giant Hogeed looks like to try and prevent anyone getting chemical burns from contact with the invasive Giant Hogweed. It looked as if the statuesque plant was dying off leaving its skeletal frame looming above the other invasive plant Himalayan Balsam. The path was well away from them at this point.

After the flood defence we went down the lane, the way into the field was not too clear, I clarified with Tony that this was the last field before the river before dodging the new growth of Hogweed, pointing it out as I passed and entering the corn field. There is a public right of way here but the crop goes right up to the impregnable wall of riverside foliage. For the four years that I have done this run the path here has not been clear. We worked our way single file through the field to the fence at the other side. the stile is inaccessible so we had to cross the barbed wire fence

the path was very feint

After crossing the fence we had a couple of fields that were runable before being faced by a crop of oats that had been flattened in the rains and now covered the path, We walked through high stepping until we were out of that field, Our legs were scratched and our feet soaked in the morning dew. The rest of the route was mainly overgrown and we had sections where it was really tricky avoiding the Hogweed, getting nettled and scratched and hoping that's all it was

We crossed the foot bridge and the metal bridge, there were areas where the ground was different depths under an even cover of flattened grass. At last we made it to the four narrow fields, the sides of the path were so overgrown that I was not certain when we emerged if we had crossed 3 or 4 fields, i asked John if this was the right field, he thought it was too and there was a bigger fence against the next field. We turned away from the river, half way up the field we met a lady walking her dogs, she said the path was in the next field. We crossed to the next field where Hayley and Martin were waiting and ran through the caravan site to the pub, where the other group, the cyclists and Michael and Susan were waiting. Another 5 miles done, but very slowly.

So more refreshments and trainer changing, I decided to give the next off road section a miss as last year it was very overgrown, we would do the next section by road. By now the faster runners who had set off at 7 am would be hot on our trail. We set off for Great Ouseburn by road, we were more strung out and we had Julie and Hilary for company, and Michael drove slowly alongside. The roads were getting busier and there were lots of cyclists and the occasional runner out enjoying the lovely sunshine. As our soggy squelchy feet dried out we approached a path through the fields, John said that was the way they normally went with Matt's group, I said we always went by road but he could go that way if he liked. 3 went that way and I ran to the back of the group to run with Maggie for a while, as we approached the village hall in Great Ouseburn they were already playing in the park. We regrouped and set off for the church. Hayley and Martin were only running road and they were going to split off, but I said they could stay with us a while and go a different route avoiding the main road a bit longer. 

At the t junction Hayley and Martin split off and the rest of us headed for the golf course. Our dry feet were soon soaked again as we ran beside the fairways and waited while golfers played there shots. Tony got stung by a wasp, Jane came to the rescue with some Antisan. We left the golf course by Aldwark bridge, meeting back up with Hayley and Martin. Susan and Michael were there, as were Hilary and Julie. Jono was also there, that meant the fast runners were even closer. after refreshments we were joined by Autumn and set off again.

We ran towards the toll booth, trying to stay together to create the least disturbance possible.

All smiles, This time last year Sam was struggling but this year on her first M2M she was running strong.

Martin looking strong on his firs M2M too.

The next stretch was four miles of long winding road with the sun beating down and reflecting back off the tarmac.

We kept up regular regroups and I ran at the front middle and back of the group. We arrived at Linton on Ouse and Jono drove past, a little further along the road, the first of the fast group Doug, James and Dave caught and passed us. I was running with Maggie. We soon arrived in Newton on Ouse to cheers, we had our refreshments as the rest of the fast group arrived.
Joined now by Chris, Linda, Fiona and David we left first. we went back down the road to the public footpath, again it was overgrown, Helen and I picked up sticks to be weed whackers, more nettle stings as wee passed along the public footpath through peoples gardens, the houses were large with manicured lawns and landings for boats. One had a tennis court, We stayed close to the river now, past Beningborough Hall and the water tower and pump house.

Shortly after the water tower, I regrouped the runners, the path splits and instinct leads you to the gate and the well walked path, instead we had to stick to the riverside on a feint path. I still had my weed whacked as in previous years there has been overgrown sections on this bit. Soon the fast group caught up again and we were strung out along the path, which was clearer than in the past.

We let them pass and the rest of the 6 am group tagged along except Maggie. Maggie was finding the pace tough, I dropped back and ran with her, Matt and Claire kept running ahead a couple of hundred yards and then running back another couple of hundred yards, their garmin tracks must be a series of loops that last few miles and they must have run about 40 miles. Maggie had a good run walk system and the miles were passing

We emerged out onto the cycle path near Overton and other runners had come back to meet us and run us to the support cars. We refueled and rehydrated and set off, this time Maggie ran with John and they ran the cycle path which was a bit easier underfoot the rest of us ran up on the flood defence, around the river, under the York ring road and the Minster came into view, It didn't get closer for ages, we almost ran away from it a while before getting to the cycle path. I wondered if Maggie had gone past as I ran with Martin, we ran past the school Guy Fawkes went to, and I turned back to make sure everyone was with us, the 7 am group were all ahead, I soon saw Maggie was behind not ahead as I thought and I ran with her Matt and Claire. We could see the green rail bridge and Matt pointed out the grey paint of Lendall Bridge through the arches of the rail Bridge. The end was in sight, there was the ice cream van, then Matt pointed out the pub that we were going to afterwards, through the arch of the rail bridge and we could see the others at the end of the path. Some came back to meet us, and Maggie ran ahead to huge cheers and applause for completing the 30 mile run to celebrate her 60th year.

It started to rain, but we didn't care.

Once together we ran as a group through the tragic to the doors of the Minster. Total strangers stopped to clap and cheer us in. And watched as we gathered on the steps with the cyclists and support crew for photos.

All the first timers gathered together. Great achievement guys, almost 30 miles in under 8 hours, 7 for the faster group. My Garmin logged 6:48:57 moving time. The smiles say it all.

Then we all collected our bags from the support vehicles and made our way round to Marygate to the pub

With our guest runners Angela

   and Helen, both wearing borrowed RR vests.

The pub, The Bay Horse, was full on a wet Saturday afternoon. The loos were full of wet sweaty runners freshening up. Matt had arranged a room upstairs, some of us used that to get changed as we waited for our food. Trying to help the pub, a few of us had given Matt our choices, food came up, 2 dishes at a time, people claimed them, but other meals didn't arrive. It turned out that we needed to pay for the ordered meals before they were made, so we went and paid, and eventually everyone was fed. The food was lovely, portions big. 

At twenty past four we all walked to the bus that Jane had organised, It was burgundy, very apt. Some cyclists rode back

k to Ripon having a 68 mile round trip, others put their bikes in the luggage compartment under the bus and got the bus back.

Helen and I arrived back in Bedale just over 12 hours after leaving for our little adventure.

Thanks to all the runners, cyclists and support crew for another fantastic day out.