Whats that comming over the hill...? by nigeruns

A thought suddenly jogs into my mind, while I run through a densely wooded part of the 'Shuffle' course. It is the thought that Halesowen athletic club are renowned for organising events for the discerning hard man of running. They are events that give fun runners nose bleeds, and make mountain goats complain of vertigo.

The Halesowen '10' was one such classic, with its two monstrous climbs as it meandered and raced over the Clent hills. Well that was until one day when a man called Jackson strolled into town. Not only did he beat the lead cyclist home, and in doing so committed a frowned upon act, by reliving the race organiser of hard cash for breaking the course record. If that was hard to swallow, it was then topped by the local constabulary deeming it inappropriate to have runners on the Halesowen bypass, as it would hold up all Sunday drivers and caravaners....!

Following a lengthy committee meeting over a glass or two at a local hostelry, the Halesowen Hillock was conceived. Born from the '10', it fitted well into the then trend towards multi terrain racing. The course still designed with the hard man of running in mind, but with the cunning tactic of adding stiles, as it would slow the likes of Jackson down, and keeping the course record and the race organiser's stash of cash for breaking it intact.

So today, in this third incarnation of a classic, could the Uffmoor shuffle really carry on the legacy of the '10' and Hillock......? It was a day when the hard men of running, showed how hard they truly were, by sobbing into 'Brilo pads' at the now shorter distance, and the removal of the lung busting assents, as this event now shuffled into the 10km comfort zone.  A distance that is sustainable by any standard of runner, and a distance to attract a larger field. Though on a sunny bank holiday in May, it did fail to live up to expectation, as numbers were slightly down compared to last years Hillock figures - One nil to the Hillock.

But this is a race to run, and not about stats.  The question is, can the shuffle be as challenging as previous events staged......?

For those who have run the Hillock before, then the start and the finish with its sting in the tail, were all too familiar.  It was the middle ground that would tell the true story.

Run over a hefty undulating loop around Uffmoor wood provided a rollercoaster ride of rise's and dips, requiring concentration and thought where planting your foot on the solidly rutted track. This could be an event with two faces. On the one hand like today, it could benefit from global warming for the solidly baked surface, and then on the other hand the course could be equally as testing if ankle deep in mud, given the inclement weather, making it a truly gruesome multi terrain in the sense of the wood ....so given that, yes the legacy remains.

The one true constant about the events Halesowen stage, is in the organisation and presentation. It is friendly, no razzmatazz - it is pure running as running should be. Diligent marshalling, and the presentation of an event that is unquestionable testing gives you that great sensation of satisfaction, and a sense of achievement when complete. You can walk away, or shuffle from this one, knowing and feeling that you have run a gritty 10km.  

I failed to hear a bad word about the event. Though I did hear the old swear word as the course elevated, and that's good as these are early days for the Shuffle. But once word spreads, it will truly become a classic and carry on in the shadow of the '10' and Hillock. (Nige - 17/5/2007) www.reason2run.co.uk