Muddy Woody 17/2/13

With the course revamped to include both more stoney trail as well as a long sloppy soup section and an early plunging descent, a weakened Couriers contingent did as well as could have been expected on a mercifully bright and bracing morning in Haugh Woods. Without Luke and Eliot, who had beaten the race winner, Mike Pfeiffer just a fortnight ago at Presteigne, we saw the team prize go to Luke’s other club, Monross, who packed well in the top thirty.

Mike continued his good form from Presteigne, using both muscle and his earlier forensic analysis of the course to register an impressive 6th place out of 272 finishers. Next man was the redoubtable Max who, since discovering that it is not all about the bike, has been flying on the hills and here clinched 17th spot [1st V50] and some beer to go with the alcoholic award he had carried off from the previous day’s fell race. How this fits in with the Spartan training regime he has adopted I don’t know. The other man he coaches [apart from himself], Rich Wall,who likewise had been compelled to race twice within 24 hours, was 2nd V50 in 49th. “I’m not quite so fluent in mud as in snow, you see, the crystalline structure of snow makes it more yielding somehow, where I find mud a bit cloying…same sort of thing with beef and horse, I suppose.”

With the Herring 39th and 1st V60, having no Mr Kay to contend with, and Mark Worthing, who gave the League a miss this winter, in 61st, Couriers at least made their presence felt in this annual event which grows steadily muddier and woodier. Thanks to the Valley for another fine production.

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