Borders League Trac Môn

This would be the last race of 2025. The Borders League fixture close to home. It would be on the Anglesey race track (which normally accommodates motorised vehicles), near Aberffraw, organised by the Cybi Striders. 

Neil has got the race bug, and was going to come with me. So we drove up together. The track has good facilities: lots of parking, and there is a café. We even saw showers. I went to the loo, and then we went to find the other Eryri Harriers. And I did a little warmup. Soon we were asked to go to the start. Neil was surprised that so, so many people had appeared, often having travelled quite far, to run only 5 miles. 

Kevin starts us

We started. The route was one loop around part of the course, and then around the full course twice. I don't think this is very large racetrack. But I never have been to one before.

The route goes a bit up and down, so you can't run at one consistent speed. But I noticed I wasn't going at my usual borders league speed (if I have such a thing). But that was ok. I was here, and I was avoiding one set of penalty points for the club. And I did not want to run a PB anyway. Doing alright would be enough!

Approaching the finish

I cruised along until I only had half a circuit to go. Then I sped up a bit, and tried to pick off as many women as I could. Quite a few! And when I knew the finish was close I did the final sprint, just to make sure that none of these women could overtake me in the last few meters. Success!

The first thing I saw after the finish was Neil. They congratulated me. The second thing I saw was richie. That must mean he had finished before me! Again! I really need to go and beat him sometime. There will be chances in the new year!

I then went to cheer on the other harriers. And everybody else finishing. But after awhile I figured I needed to hand in my token. Before I got there, though, I was intercepted by the rest of the club for a group picture. And then I could go and find one of the sisters who was registering my position.

Nia, our chair, and Anna, with whom I had done the handover, were there too. Nia wanted to have a little chat about how we as committee members would work together. That was fairly quickly done. Then I went looking for Neil.

He was having a cup of tea in the cafe. I said I would check out the showers. They were open! It was nice to get that sweat off me. Normally I do that at home, but today we wanted to tag on a little tourist trip at the end. That’s nicer in civilian clothes, feeling clean. And when I was done we left. 

The next morning the results were in. I had been slower than ever. Oh well! And Anna, who is four months pregnant (this is not a secret), had come third! What a woman. And that stellar result meant she had clinched the club road championship. Well-deserved. Soon I will be involved in organising the event where she will get that prize. I might have another chance next year!