On a very cold Saturday 3rd of December, I took part in my very first Grim Challenge race over in Aldershot. Based on the event taking place on an old army training ground, we were told to expect a lot of mud, ditches and more mud!
Logistics
The Grim Challenge comes in 3 different distances; the newly added 4 miles, 8 miles and the big one (2 laps) 16 miles. I was taking part in the classic 8 miler.
The event village had the usual food stands and a very quick check in with bag drop (if you arrived in good time). There were also nice freebies from Nature’s Way Alive Multi-vitamins for all competitors. This event was on a smaller scale to prior events I had attended with only 3 waves leaving; One for each distance. It did cause a hold up as my race started slightly late and as there were so many taking part in the 8miler, the guys and girls at the back of the queue couldn’t see or hear the warmup. Regardless, we were off.
The race starts with a freezing cold mid waist dip which is always pleasant. The water was literally frozen over but luckily for us, the 16 milers ahead of us broke it up. That set the tone for the rest of the event. The trail was challenging incorporating hills, trenches and a few army nets to duck under. It was also really muddy in areas. If you were unlucky like myself you realised this by falling into it. I embrace mud though so I got up and raced on!
It did feel good to just run, which is definitely a strong point. Whilst there were no obstacles, the terrain left you still needing to navigate the next step making sure you were setting your footing carefully. As I was on my own for this event, I did feel like I stormed through the 8 miles.
Photographs from the event need to be paid for via the site which is a shame but understandable as the event was so low in price. You can’t really complain. All winners receive a very cool looking medal and a very bright technical winners t-shirt.
My Thoughts
Going into the event believing it was a heavy hitting obstacle race left my expectations slightly underwhelmed but I don’t think that takes anything away from the event itself. Just my lack of research. This race is ideal for anyone who really enjoys trail running and is looking to make a jump into the world of OCR. Despite the slight delay in setting off, the route was challenging and the water was COLD! This did make for a great race. If you absolutely love trail running with a twist of mud and water along the way then this race is perfect for you!
Did you take part in the Grim Challenge? What were your thoughts? Have you taken part before and will you be returning next year? Let me know in the comments below.
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