Chatelherault World Championship Results

Now in it's second year (remarkably, only members of Calderglen Harriers managed to qualify again this year; I think the Kenyans were focusing on Rio), the Chatelherault World Championship was the penultimate race in our 2016 Grand Prix series. Under race conditions this would prove to be an even tougher challenge than our regular training runs round the 12km route. However due to extensive forestry work in the park and a pre-race recce to establish that it was posing too much of an obstacle to race through (fine for a training run though) I decided to reduce the course to a 7.3km route entirely on the east side of the gorge. Of course the big risk was that I would lose people but better lost than injured!

A relatively small but enthusiastic (at least those who had forgotten it was a race that night) field of Harriers lined up at 7:45 and gave me a 5 minute start to get to the only tricky junction. In no time at all Kevan Harvey came flying through followed by Iain Tomb, both setting a very fast pace. Stephen Phimister then led a steady stream of Harriers, the only mishap being a twisted ankle for Frances on the first downhill. As with Geo a few weeks ago, Frances carried on and ran it off. A true runner! 

Even within that first 2km, the finishing order was pretty much established. I had hoped to run the course in reverse and get to the top of the stairs for some photos but met Kevan and Iain before I got there so headed for the finish to record the times. All the results are here.

Despite the two significant sets of stairs to be climbed, the feedback on the route was positive and a few Harriers commented that they would definitely use this route for training on their own. My estimate of 20 steps in the first flight was called into doubt but as I said, if you are taking 2 or 3 steps at a time, there are only 20. The second flight felt like 200 though!

Well done to all who turned out on a perfect night for running the trails.

Alan