KVK Race Report

Not for the faint-hearted, this race was possibly one of my favourites, which makes me think: if I could just work on my fear of exposed ridges, sky-running could be an excellent new endeavour for me. Jokes aside, the race was well within my comfort zone of distance-to-edge-and-therefore-distance-to-large-cliff – I love mountains and coastlines but I’m not sure I want to die on them (or falling off them). Anyway, let’s rewind a little to before the race because I nearly didn’t go!

After a week or so of feeling rough (got Peter’s cold, of course), the 3+ hour drive to St Agnes was much deliberated until Peter convinced me to go down for the night and just see how I felt in the morning. Despite residual tiredness and a still-blocked nose, I turned up to the race ready after a very chilled morning (who doesn’t love an 11am race start?) for a fun day out with no expectations. After a fairly easy drive along narrow country lanes, the hedgerows opened out to the expanse of Perranporth Airfield and the grey, cloudy skies hanging low above it. The race village was already buzzing, the parked cars extended along way down road away from the start (I should have arrived earlier), and the queue for registration was far, far longer than the queue for the portaloos. A central festival-style tent with deck chairs provided the ideal place to attach the two large (almost A4 sized) numbers to my front and back (note to self: attaching the number sideways on the back looks like it would be significantly easier and less annoying).

Standing under the open-sided canvas to avoid some of the cold wind, another lone runner turned to chat. I love pre-race conversations – the mutual confession of searching for a mandatory kit list and finding none but packing full kit anyway (just in case); the discussion of course intel and the technicality of descents; a comparison of strategy and goals; and finding out where others have travelled from, what races they have done recently, and what’s in the calendar for the rest of the year. As the start drew near, we were ushered into the starting pen lined with Salomon flags and crisscrossed overhead by colourful bunting.

A short race brief, the sound of the horn, and we were off – running across the grass toward the first descent with the sound of cheering and cowbells fading out behind us. Trying not to get carried I way, I settled into a steady pace as the runners quickly strung out down the first steep tarmac descent. The race out the front was rapid – elite runners vying for podium finishes and running hard from the start, you could just about see them battling it out, already in the distance.

After the first descent came the first big climb – the long ascent to St Agnes Beacon. Half-way up ‘Rocky Lane’, the race took a left turn onto a short trail, around the edge of the village and out onto a rocky track up to the top. Steep, single-track gravel descents ensued as the trail snaked between rocky outcrops and gorse. A few short road sections and a couple of fields (and very narrow stone styles) later and we were heading back up to the Beacon for round two (of four). Heading back down the other side again, a slight and unexpected slip of my foot on loose stone resulted in some very painful splinters of gorse and a reminder to myself not to grab sharp bushes. After several more fast but fun technical descents, I made it to the set of steep, uneven granite steps back down to Trevaunance Cove.

Following the outwards route back toward the airfield we met some of the lead runners barrelling down the narrow paths and I sighed in relied when the track widened out at the top of the first section of the climb back up. Another descent – this one wide but steeper and even more rock-strewn and gravelly – and the route split to finish the first figure of eight with an ascent of the Blue Hills (an uphill climb involving huge, uneven steps – 93 of them according to another runner) and an undulating stretch of coastal path with a stunning view of the azure Atlantic Ocean. After crossing back over the air strip, and running through the race village, the second lap ensued (and identical but slower loop of stunning trails and crazy ascent and descent).

Upon finishing the race (in under 3 hours!!), and collecting my blue finishers cowbell, I obviously called Peter absolutely buzzing that not only had I finished (trust me, I wasn’t sure I would), but I had obliterated my goal of 3-3 ½ hours I set when I first signed up. Almost a week later, the hills are a distant memory and I recall no pain, such is the nature of these events and probably the only reason I go back!

Takeaways

• The quads felt pretty bullet proof, but the hamstrings still need work.
• I need to practice descending stairs at anything more than a staccato walk.
• There really was no need for me to carry as much as I did, the fleece was completely unnecessary.
• I’m pretty proud of how I committed to the race and went out hard despite being ill all week (am I allowed to say that in public?).
• Oh, and did I mention all the course records?! What an inspiration to see all those amazing athletes out the front absolutely smashing it!

Race Review (4.8/5⭐️)

The race was honestly amazing – well organised, the route was brilliant, the atmosphere was amazing. I think the only small thing I would have changed would be some kind of bag drop but I think most people just left bags under the tent canopy. I had so much fun and if I didn’t have such a big list of races to try, I would almost definitely be back again next year!