Trail race race (Highdown Hike) 28:18 [5] 6.5 km (4:21 / km) +140m 3:56 / km
Was a bit surprised to see fellow FF CW at the start as he hasn't been at anything since this race last year, when he beat me. He went off fast so I just ignored him as I was more interested in finding out how much fatigue from the Cotswold Way walk was still in my legs. Not too much, it seemed. Route was a bit different to last year, with laps of the football field at the bottom but no uphill finish this time, thank goodness. I caught Chris when he tripped going up the steep second hill but he powered away again, then I noticed the lad who'd given me such a hard time when I led the F5 junior race last year ahead of me but tying up. I pushed a bit harder as the gradient lessened, passed him comfortably, then some others and then CW. I thought he'd hang on to me but he didn't and I had a bit of sprint for the last bit anyway. Nice to beat him. Thought we were going to be running in a massive thunderstorm at the start as there was serious lightning and thunder over Littlehampton, but there were just a couple of spots of rain in the end.