Sedgefield Serpentine – August 2024
by Amanda Taylor
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| The first time I ran The Sedgefield Serpentine was in 2014 when the race was 6.5 mile, it started and finished on the cricket field in Sedgefield and you got a bacon or sausage sarnie and a pint of milk at the end. There have been one or two changes since then and it’s now a 10k (ish), starting over the road in Hardwick Park then keeping to the original circular route out towards Bishop Middleham on an undulating, scenic run through fields, woods and a golf course, finishing back in the park up at Rapunzel’s Tower. Yesterday was the 6th time I’d ran this race, one of those being unofficial as I’d shown up late because North East Races had published a 10:30 start time instead of 10am so the officials wouldn’t let me run. I did it anyway then went back to show them NE Races duff information so they gave me my medal (but not a goody bag). Yesterday, myself and 7 other Crook runners were all there bright and early with plenty time for a little warm up and quick chat before the lengthy briefing outlining the many potential hazards on the route like tree roots, low hanging branches, livestock and golf balls to name but a few – if I wasn’t nervous before, I am now – it’s a minefield out there! We were off at 10 o’clock sharp, starting where the parkrun does outside the visitor centre before leaving the park on a narrow, field-edge footpath out towards Bishop Middleham. I knew Geoff would go off steady (his steady is my ‘way too fast’) so I planned to stay as close as I could until I couldn’t keep up any longer. This happened about 2.5 mile in when he turned round, saw me then shifted up a gear, this was when the gap gradually got bigger though I still had him in my sights ’til around 4.5 miles when we went through the woods and I got confused about which path I should be taking. I tripped on a tree root, stumbled and very nearly went down, managed to save myself but knocked myself off kilter a bit and a Hunwick Harrier who I’d been trying to hold off came past me. At this point I’d completely lost Geoff…..or he’d lost me. My 5th mile was terribly slow so I was thankful I’d gone off as quick as I did, I was also thankful I hadn’t witnessed Geoff’s fall as by this point he must have had well over 2 minutes on me. When it gets to this stage in a race I’m usually gaga and don’t really see much of what’s happening around me, I just need to get to the finish so I ploughed on with my head down and was relieved to get back into the park knowing the finish was in sight. I reached the tower in a time of 50:51. I’d checked my previous time on Run Britain Rankings from 2022 and it was 57:03 so I thought I’d taken quite a chunk off until I realised the new course was a good bit shorter at 5.93 miles but still… All went smoothly and the lovely Sedgefield Harriers lot did a grand job of organising the 130 or so runners, though they probably could have used a couple of extra marshals through the woodland area where, apparently, a few runners had taken wrong turns, realised then switched back but no real complaints, I’m sure everyone thoroughly enjoyed the race as much as I did. I mentioned Geoff took a tumble but he wasn’t the only one, Rich managed to fall over and lose his specs at which point, George saw his opportunity to storm home before his grandad. Kate styled her fall out with a sideways roll, arms in air then still managed to jump up, dust herself down and get back in an incredible time. We were lucky to have Nurse Rose on hand to look after the walking wounded, I can tell you. We all received a wooden medal and a goody bag but sadly no bacon sarnie. Alex 42:20 Kate 42:44 2nd female 1st Senior Chris D 44:40 Geoff 49:27 Amanda T 50:51 1st FV50 George R 55:21 Richard J 56:13 Clare R 61:39 Well done to all. Amanda T |
