Showing impeccable timing as the clocks turned back and we turned our thoughts to winter training, Flyers hosted the first Winter Cross-Country League race of the season on Castle Meadow last Sunday, with almost 500 senior runners and 130 juniors enjoying bright sunshine and our usual testing, undulating, iconic courses.
Where else can you run through the moat beneath the walls of a medieval castle (twice!)? Being tested by the twisting muddy paths around the Mere, the short, steep climbs that set thighs burning and lonelier tracks out in the fields are what draw so many runners from our friends and rivals to Fram each October and this year’s turnout showed the event’s as popular as ever.
Castle Meadow resembled a medieval jousting field, with a colourful array of gazebos forming the backdrop to a variety of bright club vests as a near-record field got away on the stroke of 11.00am after the junior races. Runners were soon to be seen silhouetted against the bright October sky, filing their way along far crests before emerging again from the woodland surrounding the Mere and working their way up the soft soil of the castle moat itself.
This year 48 Flyers took part in the senior race, an encouragingly good number given the call on members to mark and marshal. With impressive runs all down the field, we hope that this has set us up well for the remaining league fixtures. Next stop, the sandy heath course over at Woodbridge next month. See you all there!
Graham Wigley – Chairman