It is odd that I made a decision to attend the running of this race on the 1st September 2024. I had not attended any of the previous races even though I had an intimate relationship with the route. That was the fact that I had set the record in 1986, a full 38 years earlier. When you set a record it appears a temporal thing. You are running at a good standard and the next year is seemingly not far away. You anticipate being able to extend that record again, and again. However, life intervenes and I never ran the race again. I did well because Steve, a friend of mine, also had a desire to win. We shadowed each other over the Long Mynd, down and up Ragleth and beyond. Three more steep climbs and descents remained in the Stretton Skyline Race.

The split

We ran Caer Caradoc and its hillfort, then the Lawley and then back across the A49 to climb back up the Long Mynd. It was here that the denouement occurred. Steve, confident he knew the route better than me, decided on a new line. I demurred and we split, aware that we would come together again in less than a mile. We did, almost. The left turn was down Mott Road, a wild rocky descent. When I hit it, I turned and saw Steve some way behind me. I powered down to finish the 19 miles on my own. I felt good that day, just on my 40th birthday and after a summer of ideal training.

Stretton Skyline Race

Many suggested that the record would never be broken and it took a long time. The new winner was Dan O’Connor, an extremely fit and pleasant young man. He eclipsed my record by 5 minutes. Seeing him finish so strongly was impressive. The next runner was 15 minutes behind him. I was asked to hand the prizes to the various winners. The runners seemed pleased that I attended and witnessed the new record. For Ann, who also ran this race in 1986, it was a joyous event. Prior to the race, we ran much of the route over two days. We were shocked at how rocky and dangerous it was underfoot. However, we did still run it albeit very slowly. The joy of being in the hills never leaves us.