Running - Trail race (Hoofstones) 1:12:10 [5] 13.01 km (5:33 / km) +411m 4:47 / km
(injured) shoes: Xtalon 212 (blk/red)
FIRST!!! My first fell race victory.
After coming 4th last year due to 2nd place getting lost I had resolved to take my own bearing and ignore everyone else.
Getting up to the trig, route largely obvious and I was hanging off the back of the second group, about a minute behind the first group, think I was in about 15th ish. About an inch of snow on the ground which meant it was faster conditions than last year, where it was just mud. It was technically a couple of degrees colder than Trigger at 2ish, so wore the thermashall, but was a bit toasty since there was no wind at all. There was also no vis, which turned out to my advantage...
Got to the trig and then there was a bit of a trod to Wolf Stones, then everyone seemed to diverge. Decided the couple of guys I could see weren't really on the right line and so went off on my own. Hard going through the heathery snow, but again faster than last year since a lot of the water had a layer of ice over it - there were ominous creaks and I went through a few times - not as badly as a few people I saw with bleeding shins at the end.
Got to a fence and was overtaken by a few people who had clearly been following me - neither had their map or compass out - one of them said "is this the right way?". Hmm. They overtook me and then started going too far left; I went slightly right and saw a large post looming out of the fog, which I vaguely remembered from the checkpoint on the way out. As I got a bit closer, I saw the marshall and gave him my number. "Well done mate", he said, "you're the first one through". I did a double-take. What had happened to everyone else?! Started running down the flagged section and saw people over to my right, who then saw me and started running towards me to get back to the CP... one guy overtook me and I did my best to stay with him, but he was too quick down the hill... went as hard as I [safely] could for my first 2nd place finish... then spoke to the guy at the end, "wow, lots of people missed that checkpoint didn't they?" "Errm... what?" turns out he'd missed it too -> victory!!