Exe to Axe race report

Distance: 21.08 miles (advertised ~ 20.3 miles)
Terrain: coastal trail, promenade, path and road and a little beach
Ascent/descent: +4715'/-4640' (advertised +/-4000')
Time: 03:26:08
Pace: 7:04 (fastest), 16:20 (slowest), 9:48 (average)
Position: tbc

What happens when you take young children on holiday to the seaside in Britain? Correct, it rains. Well to be clearer, it p****s it down, with lots of gusting wind for good measure. Ah the stereotyped famous British beach holiday and so it was for little Eilidh's first bash at the coast.


Brian and Eilidh (strapped to chest) enjoying Sidmouth beach

We drove down to Exmouth on Friday to make a holiday weekend of the Exe to Axe race in reasonable, if slightly overcast weather. It took us 7 hours to get there (should've been 4) due to traffic jams and the insatiable appetite of our daughter for milk. We stayed on a lovely farm just outside Exmouth run by an English-Danish couple called Rose and Palle - the farm is called Quentance. Eilidh saw her first dogs and her first horses and was suitably curious.

Saturday was awful weather wise but like true Brits, even though my wife is an Aussie, we strapped on full waterproof clothing and went out to enjoy ourselves. We visited Budleigh where we stayed for 10 minutes then Sidmouth where we strolled along the promenade and visited various cafes. We then visited Beer where we tried to buy some beer from a pub called the Old Barrel or something like that but they wouldn't serve us with a child younger than 5 years old. Don't understand why so we left the town promptly thinking miserable gits.

Anyway, you're not reading this to be regailed with tales of family holidays, exciting as they may be, but tales of racing and running based derring-do. So on with it.


Arial photo showing route of race from Exmouth to Seaton

The race is one of the most southern fell races run under FRA regs and although you might not expect it, it is bloomin' hilly. There is well over 4000' of ascent and descent along the 21ish mile race route as it winds its way along, down and up the cliffs that make up the UNESCO World Heritage 'Jurassic Coast' (http://www.jurassiccoast.com/), with most of it in the second half, in a series of pretty violent climbs and drops. Serious quad and calf spasm inducing stuff.


Race elevation profile

Luckily the bad travelling, awful weather and lack of beer provision experienced on Friday and Saturday dissapated into joyous blue, sunny skies and perfect racing conditions on the Sunday. I was ready with windproof and even had gloves packed in the bum bag at Exmouth for kick off at 10am but, having sweated about a litre within the first few miles decided to strip the windproof off and tie it around my waist.


On Exmouth beach at the start with the coastal path cliffs behind

There are a number of curious features en route. The first is a huge, really ugly caravan park perched on the cliffs next to a short promontory, which happens to be occupied by a Royal Marine firing range. Not sure why you'd want to have your holiday occupied by the crack of gun fire and shouts of exasperated instructors but it is clearly popular - there are hundreds of caravans - and this time lots of cracking gunfire as we passed by.

The next are two sections where you run along seaside resort town promenades dodging bewildered looking grannies and kids. The first, Budleigh Salterton is smaller whilst the second, Sidmouth is larger and where the serious ascents and descents begin. As the elevation profile above shows these get progressively more and more steep until you really are just pumping your way down and up roughly cut muddy steps - no running possible, just grim determination and the hope your calf or quad doesn't spasm uncontrollably. There are always some fatalities you pass by en route, wincing and grabbing their legs. Mine nearly succumbed after the last serious climb out of Branscombe towards Beer.

I found out this year that I had taken a short cut accidentally last year by following people. I ran the proper route this year, again completely by accident by falling the person in front at the top of the cliffs above Beer because the actual route it very unclear. Anyway, my aim for the race was to get sub 03:20:00 based on what I thought was the course from last year. I failed to do this but ran an extra mile odd and still managed to beat my time so I'm pretty happy. There were loads of people who quite innocently took the short cut so the positions in the race, when they are released won't mean much. It would be good if the organisers could marshall the place where people go wrong as it seems to be a prolific and persistent problem due to a lack of signposting above Beer.


Final sprint along Seaton promenade

The temperature was 13C ambient but was definitelt no jacket 18C weather in the sun making the beach ending at Seaton absolutely glorious.


Enjoying the sun at Seaton apres race (course cliffs behind)

Our little daughter even got to see the sea without any rain at all! Hurrah.


Eilidh McIntosh - happy beach girl

Writing this a day later my legs definitely feel it. I can walk up and down OK but there's stiffness abounds. I'll try a wee recovery run tomorrow but am wondering whether to buy some Skins shorts to see if they help prevent post-race soreness. Marco and John from the WHWR seem to swear by them.