If you go down in the woods today you’re in for a big surprise. If you go down in the woods today you’d better go in disguise, because today is the day 3000 runners have a party. That is exactly what we did. Paul suggested to me that I might stand in for Max, “It’s only five miles, you only have to do it once and you can walk it”. He said, I thought to myself that I can manage that.
We arrived Friday night and pitched our tent with the others, the Corsham flags were flying and we all walked down to watch the kids run, before getting some food and heading back to camp for beer and pimm’s and more food. We slowly headed off to sleep. The next morning I awoke to a cooked breakfast (thanks Tammy and Richard), Just before midday we headed down to the start line to watch the first team members set off.
So when I set off at the start it did seem a little lazy to not run so waiting for my team member to run up and hand me the wrist band I decided I am going to do this. Well the first little bit was a slight hill called the “Hill of no return “ no turning back now I thought and once I was past the church it flattened out. I am still taking it steady because I am thinking to myself I might have to do this again. I stretched my legs out through “Pace Gully” which was down hill, this is fun I thought to myself. Then I turned the corner to what they call “Little Steep” and it was, a steep but short hill (I walked) while eating a jelly baby. At the top I took a deep breath and started running again thinking this is not too bad as I passed people who were taking it steadier than me. Down through “Wasing Wood” and “Far Away Forest” and I hear music then spot a van blasting two tone music offering shot glasses of energy drink and high fives. I passed some ponds on my left and a sign for drinks ahead I soon reached the ”Cliff Bar Cafe” where I had a welcome drink and some jelly cubes. I set off down a hill and took a sharp right turn on to ”Heart Break Hill” still sucking my jelly cubes a little bit of power walking got me up to the top. Paul had said it was all down hill after this point and so it was. Past “Shot Gun City” and a “Deep Dark Swamp” and into “Heaven Paices Wood” I am more than 6k in. The path narrowed and I was in the Fairy Forest and I spotted some real Fairies in the night. Then I could hear music and see tents and the rest of the runners were still having a party. A short run pass some tents and there was the finish line. I had made it and I did do it again, and again and again. Spurred on by Paul and my team mates and lots of food and tea provided by Tammy and Richard I had run 20 miles. The more I did it the easier it seemed to get. The best bit was running at night through the woods with fairy lights and even real fairies. When we were not running we were around the campfire eating and drinking. I had a great time with a great bunch of people and would party in the woods again. So don’t be afraid to go down in the woods and party on 14th-16th June 2019.