Mother & Daughter team tackle Mad March Hare 5km

by Susan Johnson

 

Sunday dawned very foggy and I was glad I wasn’t racing until lunchtime as I hoped the visibility would improve! It was my third race in an LBAC vest in as many weeks, since joining the club in January. I had enjoyed my training with the beginners and improvers session and I was feeling confident after the Winslow 10km and MK Festival of Running.

The Mad March Hare is organised by the PTA of Great Horwood Church of England Combined School and it’s as much a race for the school kids as any adults. It’s an out and back race, barrelling down hill for the first 2.5km before you turn round and straight back up to the start on a closed country road. My daughter Kate and I had run this before and just loved the route, support and the medals. The kids tend to go pelting out of the start for a km and then grind to a halt and it’s great to see them all squished together on the start line. It is the ultimate feel good run for all involved. It’s pretty similar to the feel of a parkrun, but with some really fab medals.

We lined up for the start and off we went dead on 12:00. As predicted everyone went full steam ahead out of the start and down the long drag down hill, I knew I was going to fast, but hoping I could hold on. I saw Kate go through the halfway point and I wasn’t too far behind. But it was time for the long slog back up the hill, which would ebb away at any PB potential!

The support on the steepest part of the course near the finish is brilliant, parents and villagers all shouting support for the runners and I knew I was running a strong race, must have been all that winter training. I finished in 31:50 on a hard course for pacing, very close to my road race PB which was on a flat, fast course. Kate finished in 26:01 which is a very good run for her given the lack of running, due to exams.

Thank you for hosting us Great Horwood and we will be back in 2017