The Hardwick X-Steam, organised by Bearbrook Running Club, is a race I’ve been meaning to do for years except I never remember to enter it until after the fact. I didn’t forget this year though. The race is a 6 mile cross-country affair mostly around fields. The main features of the course are hinted at in the name of the race – X-Stream: cross stream. (The name can also be read as ‘Extreme’ which makes the name doubly clever and impressive. Oh yes.) There are three water crossings on the hilly 6 mile course which means it’s both cold, muddy and all together exciting.

Being reasonably local there were quite a few people from my club in attendance (the race is also part of our clubs Off-road Championships so that’s another reason people came). All of us (but for a few of the guys who were going to be challenging for the top spots) grouped together at the start, waiting for the gun. At the bang, the crowd moved off quite fast, all trying to get past the muddy area by the first gate which would become a quagmire after 280 people had passed through it. I definitely set off too fast, trying to get in front of a lot of the crowd. I always do and don’t know why because it’s invariably a move that comes back to haunt me later.
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