Sunday 15th June 2008
Race Report by Jenn O'Connor
The marathon was always going to be a tough race, with big climbs and harsh, rocky descents. I signed up for the 100km event, and lined up against elite racers Mel Spath and Maddie Horton. Mel is a tough contender, and held my wheel for most of the first of 8, 12.5km laps. I felt strong and kept a steady pace on the climbs, focusing on keeping clean lines through the rough singletrack. Punctures were the order of the day for pretty much everyone and I was not exempt. A sharp rock cut through my front tyre on the top of the course, halfway through my third lap. My tyres always have a generous dose of Stans in them, and the white liquid burst into action, sealing the wound. The cut was too severe however, and continued to split open, haemoraging Stans over everything. It did hold the tyre pressure up enough for me to get down the hill and back to the tech area, where I was able to swap the wheel out and continue without further drama. Horray for Stans!
I had a lead of about 5 minutes at that stage, and continued to churn out steady laps, finishing in just under 6 hours. Mel was 10 minutes back, the only other woman to complete the full 8 laps within the time cutoff. Of the 50 or so men doing the 100km event, only 11 made it through. Suffice it to say it was a tough race! Maddie Horton rounded out the women's podium with 7 laps.
Will Bergfelt had a storming race and was in a league of his own, winning the men's 100km event with a good 10 minutes to spare, despite a puncture stop.
Ruth successfully defended her 75km winning run, the only woman to complete the full 6 laps in her event.
The team will now head up the road to Whinlatter Forest near Keswick for the launch of the new forest centre trails with title sponsors Altura. Check out Trackside in the next couple of days for first pics of the new trails.
For full result please visit www.timelaps.co.uk
Pics:
1. The 100km women's podium (from left) Maddie Horton, Jenn O'Connor and Mel Spath.
2. Jenn leads from the front.
3. Jenn happy to finish in one piece after 6 hours of racing.
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