RW Race Report - Black Death Run 9

Runners looking for a new personal best often target races over an unusual distance. A nine-miler might seem like a good choice, then, to chalk up a new fast time but if you’d entered the Black Death Run 9 hoping to zoom around, the first hill should have crushed any hopes of cruising home.

This race in Combe Sydenham Country Park is billed as the toughest nine-mile cross-country race in the country, and with good reason.

The hilly route on woodland tracks tests even the hardiest of runners – with many commenting that the descents are no easier than the climbs – while the lack of mile markers and zig-zag course added another dimension of toughness as competitors passed close by in the other direction. Some of the runners were rewarded with a glimpse of a white deer crossing the course though.

All those hills, coupled with stunning scenery, add up to a perfect cross-country adventure but the fun didn’t begin and end with the race. A samba band created a party mood at the start and live music, a bouncy castle, cream teas and beer helped to revive tired but satisfied runners at the finish.