Newburgh 4.23 (!) Miles

I made my normal journey again to Fife for this one. It's junction 9 on the M90 to Perth, so a bit further up.
When I arrived I walked down to look at the silvery Tay, rippling in the breeze. There were paths in both directions and it resembled a canal run. Not the usual hills by all accounts.
Looking at last years photos it seemed to start and finish on a road, but the runners were all covered in mud?
I asked what shoes to wear at registration while parting with my £3! Defo road as its bone dry I was told.
7.30pm arrives and we are off - along the river bank for 200mtr, then we hit a trail going in the opposite direction, it becomes very narrow, so we are all in single file (it stayed that way the whole way round for me anyway). We hit a small stretch of road then round a big field (I mean big, long sides were probably close to a mile each).
Definitely should have worn trail shoes as the tractor ruts we were running on were dried in hard mud and with my glass ankles, I had gone half over a few times.
Anyway, once round the large field, its back the way we came. I had run behind a young girl since the start, it was either staying with her or trying to pass on uneven ground. I did pass her twice when the opportunity arose, but she overtook me again, so I just stayed where I was. The last part of the trail was narrow and all over grown with some plants that look like rhubarb with giant leaves covering most of the ground. Look where you are going again boy! But once clear of that I was able to sprint away from anyone that was close by for a 31.28 time in 35 place out of about 80.
All in all.. just ideal. Over 4 miles in a warm night, leg and the rest of me all still functioning.
It's often the same faces you see at these races. Lots of good young runners, no wonder when they are racing most weeks! And a strong team of vet 60's and 70's who have probably been doing them all their lives. Get out racing, somewhere! There's nothing like it!
George

Well done to George on continuing to present the "Public Face of the Harriers" in the Far East.
Alan