Harriers Run Wild

Last weekend saw the Hermitage Harriers take on a completely new type of challenge. A group brave Harriers took on the notoriously challenging Wolf Run at Stanford Hall near Lutterworth.

Wolf Run is a 10k event which includes lots of mud, lakes and natural and man-made obstacles. The event is not a race, since it isn’t timed, but considers itself to be a physical and mental challenge designed to 're-create the feeling of running in natural terrain'.

Five Harriers joined forces to take on this challenge: Craig Cooper, Dawn Gregory, Tracey Sims, Rob Wells and Katie Wright. The team, named ‘The Dirty Donkeys’, set off at 10.10am and quickly got stuck into the tough course - with a river crossing less than 50 metres from the starting line!

The Dirty Donkeys undertook the Wolf Run with a game plan - to thoroughly enjoy themselves, work their way around the course using teamwork and to live up to their team name. They achieved all three aims, finishing together, covered in mud and with huge smiles on their faces.

Training for the event started back in February when Dawn and Craig decided to enter the event and invite other Harriers to join them. The road to the race was far from smooth with both Craig and Dawn picking up knee injuries, Tracy suffering plantar fasciitis and Rob’s training being more focussed on completing his first marathon at Windermere in May. Despite this, all five members made the start line and the group supported each other around in a respectable time of around 2 and a half hours.

Dawn Gregory said that it was "probably the most fun experience of [her] life", sentiments echoed by her teammate Tracey Sims who claimed that Wolf Run was a "brilliant event" and that her fellow Harriers were "fantastic". It seems then, that the extreme challenge may become an annual event. Especially, with other Harriers already expressing an interest in joining the team!

Elsewhere this week, Paul Gregory took on the Notts 10 mile road race and, after an amazing performance, set a new, 10 mile vet40 club record with his time of 59 minutes and 23 seconds. The result gave him 5th place in his age category and 32nd place overall on the night.

The coming weekend looks set to be another busy one for the Hermitage Harriers with many members taking part in the Beacon Solstice Run this Friday and Prestwold 10k on Sunday