This 12k race is a two lap, multi terrain, 94% flat course (except for a few steps and one slight incline) held on roadside paths and trails along the River Avon, the Bristol to Bath Railway path and transverse through the open countryside with beautiful surroundings of the Avon Valley.
About the race
When: – Sunday, 21 May 2017 @ 10.15am
Where: – Stothert & Pitt RFC, Bristol Road, Corston, Bath, BA2 9DJ
Cost: – £17.00 (12k race)
Organisers website: – aspirerunningevents.co.uk
Can I transfer? You can transfer to another event and swap your entry with another runner (check dates of last transfers).
It’s a trail run, do I have to wear trail shoes? The running organisers advise that road shoes are fine, however, if the course becomes muddy, trail shoes are recommended. When I ran this course we’d had heavy rainfall in the days leading up to the race but it was not too muddy. I did feel that trail shoes would have been beneficial to me but I did run it in road shoes.
Corston is a small village close to the River Avon, with a population of 494. The All Saints Church dates from the 12th century and is a grade II listed building.
Race Aces
There are options for running 6k and Canicross at this event. If you’re new to trail running, the 6k would be a perfect distance for a taster.
Nice flat, scenic route with fairly stable terrain.
The day of the race, a little runner lost their teddy bear and after an email shot to the runners the teddy was reunited with it’s owner.
Free race photos are available so look out for the photographers (unlike me who never sees them until it’s too late – no cute race photos of me).
Race Unlaces
The course is open to the public and the advice from organisers is that you may need to watch out for fishing poles from anglers fishing along the riverside as well as other members of the public that may be on the course.
I’m not a fan of 2 lap courses, you go right back past the finish line before doing another lap on this route.
While the terrain is mostly even, there were a few areas with large tree branches underfoot so I feel that trail shoes would be beneficial.
This event is not chip timed.
There are some narrow parts on this course which is frustrating if you’re behind a slower runner and there’s no passing points.
My Race Stats:
Time: 1:20:50 | Pace: 10:51 | Mile splits: 10:05, 10:37, 9:39, 10:15, 10:08, 11:05, 10:12, 8:45
Position: 71/97 | Gender position: 18/30
Total runners: 97 | Fastest Male: 49:45 | Fastest Female: 57:40 | Slowest Runner: 1:44:25
Organisers’ Social Media Information
Instagram: @aspirerunningevents | Twitter: @AspireRunning | Facebook: Aspire Running Event
Distances from Major Cities
London: 2hr 24min ~ 116 miles | Birmingham: 1hr 53min ~ 96 miles | Bristol: 28min ~ 9 miles | Cardiff: 1hr 13min ~ 53 miles | Exeter: 1hr 46min ~ 101 miles
Overall star rating:
Conclusion
This was a lovely small race and my first ever trail run; this event made me want to do more trail runs. The views are really pretty but might be difficult to get a PB if you happen to get caught up behind a slower runner on one of the more narrow parts of the course.
As mentioned previously, I don’t enjoy 2 lap courses, there’s nothing worse than running right past the finish line and knowing that you’ve got halfway and need to run the same route again but you can downgrade to the 6k if you weren’t keen on the double lap.
When I ran this race I didn’t have any trail shoes as I was pretty new to running but the recommendation was that road shoes would suffice. Personally, I think they would have been a better addition to my race especially on the more difficult to navigate terrain areas.
Is there anything for spectators to do? The Rugby Clubhouse is open for food and drinks during the race for spectators and runners so you can enjoy some snacks while you’re watching the finishers, the second lappers and the cute Canicross runners.
I think the race was good value for money, the medal was average but the route was spectacular, as long as you don’t run into any pedestrians!
Would I run this race again? Yes absolutely, but I’d do it in trail shoes next time.
Please note that the above opinions on the race are my own and based upon my own running skill level (I would consider myself to be an average runner) and while I’ve made every effort to ensure anything contained within this post is accurate, please check the race organiser’s website for full information.
If there’s any more information about the race that you’d like to add or ask, please leave a comment below
