With it being the Round Norfolk Relay this weekend, it is an event which I have only taken part in once.
That being in 1997 and for the North Norfolk Beach Runners after agreeing to run for them the previous year. Bearing in mind up to that point I had not put my competition shoes on since 1994.
I am pretty sure the first ever RNR was something which Bob Hancock, Ian Vaughan Arbuckle and arguably their best ever all-round athlete Peter Duhig came up with during a discussion about the formation of the Ryston Runners during 1986.
Initially a time trial by the club during the summer of 1987 followed by invitations to other clubs during the next few years prior to it being the major running event it now is today.
Going back to my one and only participation, just one week before, my fourth son Craig was born and to say it had been a week of sleepless nights is an understatement.
I had been pencilled in for what was the 20-mile leg from Gillingham to Scole, but in truth and apart from not really having trained with any real intent for a couple of years, deep down I was actually wondering why I had agreed to do this. Also taking into account that when doing so at the time the new addition to what was the Featherby household was not on the radar.
So when Graham Davison called me up just five days before the race to say there had been a club meeting that evening which questioned whether it was right to include me in their team as I was only a second claim member, just as I was about to do a cartwheel across the living room floor, Graham then said: “However, as you were promised a place last year, it has been agreed that you should be part of this year’s team.”
Whilst I was trying to say to Graham that it was fine and I will sit this one out, he just wasn’t having it.
Come the day and apart from having had only a few hours sleep the night before, plus I didn’t get away from Sportlink until 7.30pm that evening, it was home for a bowl of pasta and feet up for an hour before leaving and making my way to the start of my leg in time for the baton change over which was going to be around 11pm.
My good mate Keith Edwards rode beside me on the bike which had been kitted out with one of those cyclo computers by Graham so as to tell us the distance and hold pace. “Is it accurate?” I asked Graham beforehand for which he assured me it was.
With this in mind, it was agreed with Keith to hold 5 mins 30 secs pace but whilst we were running along in the dark, I kept saying it felt too easy. However, we stuck to the plan whilst gradually clawing back quite a few places after seeing lights in the distance of what was the support vehicles of other teams. It was also now when I really started to enjoy it especially when hearing shouts of ‘great run mate, keep it going,’ when catching and passing other athletes.
As the miles ticked off, Keith kept telling me how far we had to go whereby I said “let’s pick the pace up then” as we neared what I thought was the end. “Just up this hill and you are there,” he said. However, we weren’t there as Graham’s cyclo computer clearly was not accurate or calibrated correctly because all we could see was darkness and the road ahead as we went through what said 20 miles on the gadget. Then just half a mile ahead there was a right turn which took you down into Scole for the next handover point.
I honestly can’t remember what time I ran for the leg, but 1 hour 55 mins sticks in my mind and at least 10 mins slower than I had ran for 20 miles in the past. If I remember rightly, the official distance was also 19.9 miles.
Nevertheless, and despite not really wanting to do it in the first place, it was a brilliant experience.
This of course brings me on to saying a very big thank you to Graham (Davison) and everyone from the North Norfolk Beach Runners who back then gave me the opportunity to take part in what is ‘The Round Norfolk Relay.’
All the very best to all clubs and runners taking part this weekend whilst not forgetting all the hard-working organisers, officials, and volunteers too.
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