Amble

Better weather than we could have hoped for on the Amble, given all the recent rain, but still some slippery and boggy sections.

The day was somewhat marred for a number of us caught up in the collapse of  one of the runners halfway between Belmont and The Strawbury Duck.  KLM was more involved providing a bivvy bag and legging it back to the road to await the arrival of the ambulance.  Other runners were torn between not wanting to rush off seeming incompassionate and at the same time not wanting to appear as spectators.  When the paramedics arrived and it was obvious we would not be needed we continued the run hoping that the outcome would be positive from the runner's point of view.

Up to that point I was hopeful of getting close to six hours, finding a comfortable pace. I knew that TM was ahead, T'Y just behind and KLM probably racing to catch up after his humanitarian duties.  Catch up he did just after Darwen Tower and then followed some tooing and froing . I was ahead over Great Hill He overtook me by  opting for the quicker quarry route   down to White Coppice,  By this time I was running short of energy and KLM was kind enough to shepherd me to the finish with encouraging words and picking  me up off the ground when I took a second, this time heavier, fall alongside the stream almost within sight of the finish.

We were credited with 6hrs 24mins from which I could deduct about 9 mins for the stoppage giving  me a  faster time than any of the last four years.  Back in the hall TM had been back about an hour and T'Y  followed about 20 mins later with EtU a couple or more hours after that.

For most of us it was good day out.