Croome Capability Canter 2022

On Sunday 27th November I joined some of my running club and a few hundred others in running a 10k(ish) course around Croome Park in Worcestershire.

Croome Court is a Neo-Palladian mansion and gardens designed by the 18th Century landscape architect Lancelot 'Capability' Brown. (So called because he would tell his clients that their grounds had 'capability' for improvement!). I feel ashamed that I'm a National Trust member and haven't been there before, it's not far from me so I will have to go back and visit when I'm not covered in mud!

The run was organised by the Black Pear Joggers group, based in Worcester, and has been voted one of the top ten off-road races by Runners World Magazine. It is run on a mixture of tarmac, gravel, grass and MUD!!

It was unseasonably warm on Sunday so I wore a t-shirt and leggings - I did wear my long ones just because it was likely to be muddy. My shoes of choice were Altra Lone Peak trail and were definitely up to the challenge, I confidently strode through even the muddiest parts. I took a complete change of clothes just in case I fell over (spoiler: I didn't!). My feet got very wet so I was glad to change into clean and dry trousers, socks and shoes afterwards. I think Jo was glad too as we were in her car!

We arrived at 8:20 for a 9:00 start, we had been asked to car share if possible as parking is limited so the 6 of us went in two cars. They had marshals directing parking very efficiently and we parked easily. There was a queue for the toilet block (even the men!) but they did also open up another set of toilets in the main building which helped. Registration was a quick and easy process- we joined one of 4 queues depending on surnames and collected numbers, they had a huge tray of safety pins to attach your number and provided pens to write your emergency contact on the back.

We met by the church at 8:50 for the briefing and were taken down a steep grass bank to the start. We were amused and rather incredulous when we realised that the route then started back up that hill and past the church! It was a good way start it though, a nice wide one so no tripping each other up and by the time we got to the top of the bank again the field had spread out in time to get onto the narrower path without jostling.

The route was beautiful, a great mix of terrain, down a hill on tarmac before winding through fields and woods on gravel paths or grass and then along the lakeshore on a very muddy wet path. It wasn't too hilly either, just the hill right at the start and at the end but otherwise pretty flat. I was taking it reasonably easy, I had felt a niggle in my hip so didn't want to aggravate it. The marshals were very enthusiastic with encouragement, one even had some speakers set up (I forget what music was playing but it was good!). There were humorous signs - such as 'shoe washing service ahead' just before a bog, and 'all this for a banana'. There was a real sense of community and I enjoyed chatting to fellow runners as we tackled the mud.

I'd taken it easy for the first half and was feeling strong so I thought I'd step it up a bit at the halfway point, remembering the words of Sharon, my pilates instructor, I stood up tall and began striding past other runners. I did a negative split and my last km was my fastest! I had let the rest of my group get ahead but just at the bottom of the last hill I saw two flashes of orange halfway up so I put on a spurt and caught them up, finishing just seconds after them! Waiting there was a lovely medal and a table of water, fruit and chocolate (I finished too late for the promised banana though, they'd all gone!).

I definitely agree with Runners World that it is a great off-road race, well organised, friendly marshals and volunteers and a fabulous route. Well done and thank you Black Pear Joggers!