What a find !! Even the sun shone all the way round!! I would recommend this to any ultra beginner as a great introduction. 90% off road, flat (undulating in parts but not hilly), 7 refreshment stops on a circular route, a very well organised low key event. Navigation is via a well detailed route book around a course that circumnavigates coventry 5 miles out, everyone starts at different times so its great to run your own race and focus on the things you need to. Times vary from 6 hours to 17 hours (for walkers) might get a bit boggy if heavy rain but otherwise good runnable tracks, footpaths towpaths and even a golf course!! At the finish, refreshments and a hot meal - All for £10.
The start is in a village called Meriden and follows a well defined path 'The Coventry Way' through fields and onto 4 miles of disused railway track before crossing a picturesque golf course (watch out for those balls!). After meandering across more fields and villages, there is a 4 mile section down a towpath next to the Coventry Canal which leads across an undulating section of farm tracks, through a forest and back to Meridan.
What makes this a great starter event is its low key nature - being able to start at your own time - a well defined route book and a very runnable course with enough variety to keep things interesting. Very slick, very friendly - well worth a visit.
