Wet And Windy Woldsman

A group of five athletes from Beverley Athletic Club took part in the event last weekend.

The Woldsman starts and finishes at Driffield Show Ground and follows a scenic but testing route through Sledmere, Wharram Percy, Thixendale, Givendale, Huggate and Wetwang. The event demands stamina, determination and navigation skills as competitors run or walk through the countryside plotting their route between checkpoints with map and compass.

Mike Blamires has taken part in this event before but it was the first time for .

They ran the first 28 miles together but they were forced to walk the rest of the way when she developed a knee problem. They arrived back at Driffield just after 9 o’clock in the evening having taken 13 hours and 4 minutes to cover the 50-mile course.

Blamires described it as “a great day out.” He is training for the Grand Union Canal Race on 2 June when he will attempt to complete the 145 mile course in less than 45 hours.

Brian Richardson and Gordon Kitchen teamed up to tackle the tough terrain together. Although Richardson had completed the Woldsman before, it was Kitchen’s first time beyond marathon distance. They decided to aim for an even pace and speed walked the whole distance apart from a few downhill jogs. They both found the event tough due to very wet conditions underfoot and a very cold north-easterly wind which sapped their strength during the gruelling section over the hills after Millington and on the return into Driffield. They arrived back at Driffield at 11 p.m. after 15 hours on their feet.

In 2010 walked the full 50-mile distance in 17 hours but the cold conditions this year forced him to retire at Huggate Wold after completing 36.5 miles.

The Woldsman is organised by the East Yorkshire Branch of the Long Distance Walkers Association. Results have not yet been published but it is thought that the first competitors to finish were much slower than expected due to weather conditions.

Beverley Athletic Club finishing times:
Mike Blamires and Lucy Stamford 13 hours 4 minutes
Brian Richardson and Gordon Kitchen 15 hours

Reported by | Photos by Andreas Mayer



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