ERR Wytham Woods June Motavation Report by Toby Goss
On a warm, slightly damp Thursday evening towards the end of June, around 40 Eynsham Roadrunners climbed the hills to the chalet in the centre of the wonderful surrounds of Wytham Woods, to take part in the club’s own Motavation 4 mile race (as the real thing, due to Covid, had to be called off).
I’m sure I speak for everyone when I say what a pleasure it was to see friends from the club again; some I hadn’t seen for a number of months, if not a year. There was a lot of catching up to do! The race was very well organised, with runners split into two groups to comply with current Covid regulations; one for those running at a slightly slower pace, and one for those running a bit faster, setting off two minutes apart to keep us separate. I set off in the faster group, and was almost immediately dropped, so decided to form my own group of one! I really didn’t mind, as it was so enjoyable to be running in almost normal race conditions, and especially in such a picturesque location. The marshals were all very encouraging and cheerful, and the course was a good mix of flat, up and downhill. I especially liked the finish being located a little further on down the hill from the chalet, as it gave me the chance to recover from climbing the hill from the car park and look a bit more impressive with my finish! Ian and Marisa were on hand with their expert timing skills, and everyone stayed to encourage the finishers. Then it was a leisurely walk back down to the village, and the chance to have a good catchup with a few friends at the same time. Overall, it was a thoroughly enjoyable evening, and I’d certainly support a similar event in the near future. My heartfelt thanks and gratitude goes to everyone who helped to put the race on, and volunteered their services on the day.
