First race of 2020!
Race bib
Getting the race bib was hassle free. Though Gertjan said he had signed us up at the first race, there was a confusion around how to sign up or how much it costs for the classement. We had to forego the first sign up, and pay again for each race rather than the common upfront payment for the entire classement. Not a big problem, just an unnecessary confusion around “sign up” procedure.
Flag off and weather
Flag off was punctual at 1130 am. It was a mass start, next to the athletics track at the field of the AV Archeus club at Winterswijk, east of the Netherlands. When we arrived at the parking lot, the weather condition was unusually cold, given the warmer winter earlier in the week. Though it was a 6 degree, it felt like 3 degree with the strong wind (ZW3). Most of the participants warmed up at the track for a good 15min, and yeah, that does the trick well. It kept me warm. But even then, i dressed up like an Eskimo for this race!
The route
It was a one loop of 5km. No water station. Obstacles include logs (at least 15 of them) as hurdles, zig zags route around the field before entering the woods, soft grass fields, single track trail paths, hard road surfaces (without tarmac). There are very little corners once you enter the woods, which was good for the run momentum. I am not quite sure if i enjoyed the logs though. I hardly jump over them, i looked for alternative bypasses, and a lot of the time, slowed down at these “hurdles”. Well, i guess it is a cross isn’t it. Meant to be all mud and challenge. The route was very well marked with left and right arrows, and alternative directions closed out with ribbons.
Finished!
Was happy to finish with a 3rd placing for the 40+ category. I wasn’t expecting anything. Cross and trail is not my forte.
meysrunningjourney.com 