SheRACES Trail series: Peak District race directors report
From Debs White - Race Director
100% Finish Rate
Sitting back at my desk on Tuesday morning, I have so many beautiful memories of small moments from Saturday but the one key fact that keeps making me smile, and that I know that I, and the rest of the extensive team involved, are incredibly proud of is that 100% finish rate!
It’s virtually unheard of in ultra running; in fact, I don’t think I’ve ever personally come across it before. Something always goes wrong, someone overcooks it by going out too quickly and then can’t keep moving, someone else twists an ankle or has an old injury that’s playing up, someone else just doesn’t have the mindset or heart for it on that particular day. I’ve no doubt that all of these things happened on Saturday, but the biggest difference is that every single one of you chose to keep moving forward – no matter what, and that is simply amazing and makes me beam like a Cheshire cat! Saturday was an exceptional demonstration that women, from all backgrounds, all ages and all shapes and sizes, belong on the trails! Simply fantastic running!
Photo Credit: Tanya Raab Photography
The day was full of lovely surprises… watching friends take podium places was a highlight for me too, as I know how hard they have trained for events and it’s fabulous to see those hours on the trails being rewarded. Watching woman after woman being embraced at the finish line by partners, children, parents and friends. Hearing lots of comments like “I didn’t know if I could actually do it’’ or “I’ve never run that distance before; that’s the hardest thing I’ve ever completed” and seeing so many of those happy tears of relief that it was all over but also that joy of the finish line and that sense of satisfaction!
I have to be honest and say it was also highly entertaining to see so many men, looking after the children, the dogs, the half-drunk cans of Coke and half-eaten bananas with 5 coats over their arms, waving home-made banners saying “You’ve got this, mum!” Don’t get me wrong, I’m not at all suggesting that this is unusual behaviour for Dads, it was just such a contrast to most finish lines.
Photo Credit: Tanya Raab Photography
These events do not simply just happen, though, and my thanks have to go to Shane from Ourea Events for putting together the team and the resources that he did to plan this event. Thanks also to Sophie, from SheRACES, for shouting from the rooftops for a woman’s place to be on the start line. I had an exceptional team to work with to put this event on, with women being in all the leading roles – but we also would not have been able to deliver it without the men on our event team too. A heartfelt thank you goes to everyone involved.
So whether it was your first trail race, or the longest distance you had ever run; your first ultra, or your 20th; your first podium or age category win; whether you took 2 and a half hours or 13 hours – you are part of the 100% finish rate and personally, I could not be prouder!
Thanks to all of our Event Team
SheRACES Team
Sophie Power
Catering Team
Catheryn Lowe
Tammy Ruvino
Course Operations Team
Kate Worthington (Course Operations Manager)
Andrew Sellar
Andy Hastie
Becky Angell
Benjamin Voke
Chris Whiteside
Claire Farmer
Clive Robinson
Don Bullough
Izzy Reuber
Joanne Hollinshead
Keith Montgomery
Laura Inglis
Libby Worthington
Neil Middleton
Neil Stephenson
Patricia Patterson
Robyn Cassidy
Ross Worthington
Sarah Francis
Sarian Harcombe
Scott White
Sean O'Keeffe
Susan Hird
Valerie O'Donnell
Wendy Godfrey
Event Village
Caroline Bluemel
Claire France
Vicky Green
Media Team
Becky Wright
Elisabeth Holmes
Katie Harris
Lindsay Cook
Suze Eyles
Tanya Raab
Medical Team
Bex Bonham
Caitlin Green
Jenny Mullan
Ourea Management
Charlie Williamson
Debs White
Jen Edson
Lorna McBride
Marie Cheng
Olivia Jackson
Shane Ohly
Sue Dowker
Race Control
Dave Howarth
Response Team
Abbi Forsyth
Nikki Archer
Site Crew
Sophie Rickett
Vicky McConnell
Support Point Team
Anna Watkinson-Powell
Janet Hill
Linda Cairns
Sally Fawcett
Sarah Howell
Technical Services Team
Ian Cowie
