Cold Christmas 50k – 26th January 2020

This was a fun race! It was our first attempt at self-navigation and running at the same time, which could have ended very badly… Thankfully we only got a bit lost now and then, but this generally happens when races are clearly marked!

It was an early wake-up call for Sunday morning with registration opening at 6.15am at High Easter in Essex. A point-to-point race, the start line was actually in Hertfordshire at a lovely little village called Cold Christmas, which we were bussed to en mass at 7am. Our metaphorical journey over the course of the day, from winter to spring, would also mark our quick progression from 5k runners to elite ultra-marathon runners! Not bad for January. The race title itself had initially stood out as a bit of an oddity when we booked and we only realised what it meant when we overheard a conversation on the bus! It’s actually a neat idea.

This race was a great example of a local running club putting on something really interesting. The route was mostly off-road, using bridleways and various parks, with three checkpoints staffed by some very helpful volunteers. We were lucky with the weather in the end and it didn’t rain until we finished, but warm cups of tea at the checkpoints definitely helped keep morale up as it was still cold.

The narrative instructions made for an interesting challenge; especially when the brain stopped working later on. In general they were very good and appropriately descriptive, but there were some moments where the acronyms blurred and brain fade occurred. I’ll be honest and admit I had to re-read certain sections multiple times! Thankfully my running buddy was better able to run and read and I was generally only called upon when in dire straits.

It also provided a great challenge in terms of elevation. Nearly 450 metres is certainly not to be sniffed at. Especially with the race mostly occurring in Essex of all places! I’ve generally struggled to find some good hills to train on so it does come as a surprise to find a race profile like this. Although over 50km the regular ups and downs do add up, so there wasn’t necessarily a small number of massive hills out there. The terrain itself was extremely muddy, which matches anecdotal tales I’ve heard from other runners competing in similar trail runs in the area. Pack your grippy trail shoes! You have been warned.

Often after races like this, certain things stick in the mind. A picture or image of a moment that stays long after any muscular pain or weariness has disappeared. A derelict and haunted church just outside Cold Christmas, a wheezing pug barking at interlopers, amused golfers pointing dazed runners to the right path and curious Henry Moore sculptures littering the landscape. I definitely have some happy memories and a good training race under the belt to take into the rest of 2020.