There's something about navigation which I personally just don't get. It's not that it should be hard or complicated, it's just that it doesn't make sense for me when covering open ground. Legs full of nettle stings and running a couple of miles more than I needed to happened the first time I ran the Durham Dales four years ago and despite that I've still come back every year since. It's become the highpoint of my summer's running. Since that fateful day when I got lost, I've recced and ran the route far too many times and I was really looking forward to the 2011 event! 

I arrived with two other Quakers in the car, fresh with a new back pack and a pile of water. I'd made sure that I packed the full compliment of kit and had ample fuel and liquid for the 16 mile event (17 in practice)! The kit list for the event is a daunting as any: waterproofs, torch, survival blanket, knife and so on... okay well maybe I was kidding about the knife. But one day I might need to catch and skin some food if the promised hot dogs don't materialise. 

The event is well put together with a range of distances to challenge all types of walkers and runners. 16 and 30 mile events are held on the dales around Wolsingham across road, trail, heather and moor. The race begins in Wolsingham school and there's a friendly and cheerful atmosphere around the dining hall as everyone mingles and chats prior to the race. The marshals and organisers are friendly and chatty and after signing that you have the correct kit, you're good to go! Since it's inclusion on the championship the event has become packed with the white and black of the Quakers and we fielded the majority of the running field.  

At 9:00am, we all assembled near the start and off we went! The beginning of the race features a quick sprint down to the entrance of the village and a bugger of a hill. This is where most people's Durham Dales stories start. The hill is hard, long and tough! I watched as Nick Watson put his master plan into motion and sprinted up the hill; Brian Martin did the same. I resigned myself at that point to finishing behind them - barring some one turning up to flatten and tarmac the rest of the route there was no chance of catching up with Nick "half billy goat" Watson and Brian "Terminator" Martin. So I settled into a steady pace and enjoyed the run. 

An aside if you will, as much as running with veins pumping out of your head and sinew stretched is fun, it's lovely to just settle into a nice pace and enjoy the scenery.  I ran, jogged and stippled through the trail at the top of the bank and started to pick up the pace and find my legs. I arrived at the first manned checkpoint, grabbed some nuts and set off again. Following the trail there is a run along a sheep track where  the moss and heather cuts into your shins as you stride through. Watching out for boggy patches and puddles keeps your mind active and miles fly by as you dodge between the trails and the turf.  It was a good solid effort  now to the road section of the race and I arrived at Checkpoint C slightly wetter after falling over in a puddle and muddier than I probably should have been. I saw Brian and Nick in the background with Steve Snook just behind me. It was now terra firma and I set off up the slow long hill at a good pace.  

At this point, 7 miles into the race I  knew that I had a beauty of a blister on one foot, I had a thin cut on my calf and my quads burned with every step. But after reaching the top of the hill, it was all downhill for a couple of miles. Time to roll and fly down into the Quarry for the fastest part of the race. I held out a slight glimmer of hope that I would catch Brian and Nick here but after the descent stopped I slowed to a crawl. 

The hills and Quarry had taken their toll and it became very hard to work my legs onto the grassy terrain, which sapped my energy.  There's one thing which the Durham Dales offers and that's variety. The terrain changed quickly and there was little opportunity to rest on one's laurels. The final two miles, through the scary dog farm and the caravan park required more energy than usual for a couple of miles and the final sight of those magical steps up the railway line was a blessing! 

After the breeze through the village to the school I found myself at the school, content with my third place finish behind Brian and Nick who jointly won the race. All credit to both as they blasted through the course in an excellent time. The race was, as always, fun, varied and a decent challenge. Even if I know the route well enough to run without glacing at the map. 

We were treated to a hot shower, pie and peas and rice pudding at the end. Plus a cup of tea! Morale was high and there were beaming smiles as we clapped all the other finishers in.  No technical top for the pile, no medal, just a badge and pride. There's a great feeling to finishing this race and it's a bargain of an entry fee. Considering the organisation which goes into the day, it's a credit to the organisers. 

The Durham Dales still remains my favourite race and the satisfied look on people's faces as they finished shows how much people enjoyed the experience (if not the run!). For those who haven't ran it, make sure that you get your backpack on (I suggest buying a new one if you've only got a school backpack) and come down to the Wolsingham next year!