Kielder Dark Sky 10K Trail Run- Saturday 7th Jan 17:00

Since moving away from Leeds, away from HPH training sessions and away from the abundance of races nearby I’ve found myself running significantly less so when I saw this race relatively close I jumped at the opportunity to sign up. It was the first time in a few months that I had actually ran 10k and also my first time running off road in the dark- so safe to say I was a little apprehensive beforehand.

The race started at Kielder castle with a 2k loop bringing you back through the start before heading out again. The route was undulating, sticking mainly to well defined paths, with a little bit of mud thrown in for fun. At around the halfway point came 2k of constant uphill which proved challenging but it was worth it for the downhill afterwards- a relatively steep single track decent made trickier as the light from my head torch barely reached the ground in front, note to self: in future get a brighter head torch. I was enjoying the race so much that when I saw the finish I still thought I had about 2k left to go.

The organisation was great with drinks and medals for the finishers, only £15, and the café staying open late for refreshments. There was a 10mile race earlier in the day with a lot of runners doing both (my brother being one of the crazy bunch, and he still manage to beat me) and also a 2k night run for kids. Kielder forest is a Dark Sky Park and so the perfect place on a clear night to see the stars, unfortunately it was cloudy on the day so just a perfect excuse to do it again next year.

Nicola