The Leith Hill Half
Not the toughest, but tough enough!
Dorking - Westcott - Leith Hill
11am, Sunday 8 March 2009 (TBC)
Including the Wife Carrying Race
The Leith Hill HalfNot the toughest, but tough enough!Dorking - Westcott - Leith Hill 11am, Sunday 8 March 2009 (TBC) Including the Wife Carrying Race |
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Including 1836 feet of total ascent and 1836 feet of total descent (GPS measurement)
Perfectly timed for your race preparations for the London Marathon (which will seem easy after this!)
Race supported by Dorking and Mole Valley Athletics Club
Brilliant 3-D fly-through (Good Run Guide)
The Leith Hill Half Marathon is based at the Priory School, Dorking. The run starts on the Nower (courtesy of Surrey Wildlife Trust), proceeds along footpaths and bridleways to the picturesque village of Westcott, and then turns left to climb up the rural byway of Wolvens Track to the Plough Pub at Coldharbour, before making a righ-hand turn to scale the last few hunded metres of ascent to the top of Leith Hill, the highest point in southeastern England (and with views of distant London and the South Downs on a clear day). Apparently there is no higher ground between Leith Hill and the Urals. The route returns along the same track, back to the finish.
Hot food will be provided in the school cafeteria at the end of the race.
*Why is this race online entry only? The online entry fee is included in the race entry fee. The race is online entry only so that the organisers can keep control of race numbers, and to streamline race administration. |
Race overview 2008 The inaugural Leith Hill Half Marathon was run on Sunday 9th March, headquartered at The Priory School, Dorking, and starting from The Nower. A total of 240 runners from all over the UK and abroad started out on the challenging route, which commenced with a lung-burning ascent of the Greensand ridge to gain views over Dorking and towards Leith Hill, and which then ran to Westcott and - via Coldharbour - to Leith Hill, southern England's highest point. Runners were treated to magnificent views out over the Weald towards the South Downs, before commencing their descent along the same route, back to the Nower. First runner home in a fantastically fast time (and new course record) of 1 hour, 23 minutes and 58 second was Chris Beecham (38) of Highgate Harriers, followed only 61 seconds later by David Chapman (27) of Milton Keynes. Andy Ward (36) of Hern Hill Harriers finished thrid in 1:27:20 and Roger Barr (31) of Thames Turbo was fourth in 1:28:13. First local boy home was Fraser Dawson of Dorking and Mole Valley Athletics Club, in 1:29:04, followed by Epsom's Steve Winder in 1:29:30. First lady home (again setting the course record) was Kath Phillips (29) of Ranelagh Harriers, in 1:43:05. The last finisher came home in three hours and 25 minutes, testimony to the challenging nature of the course. The race was organised to benefit a number of charities, including the Down's Syndrome Association, Rianna's Fund, National Trust and Surrey Wildlife Trust, and will have raised over £1000. Thanks to everyone who helped out at the race, and we'll hopefully see you again next year!
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Some of the kind things the runners said about the race (with thanks to Runner's World)
The best trail run I've ever done (and I've done a few). This is an outstanding event. The organisation made you think it had been going for a decade, but in fact it was the inaugural race! The course is very tough - only elite runners who can do a half marathon in 1:09 would expect to run every yard of it. Expect lung bursting walks, death-defying downhill plunges and MUD. A superb race, the most fun I've had in years. I'll be back.
Wonderful views, sandy underfoot, friendly and challenging!
Excellent . Local, well organised, great scenery, eccentric but fun, great goodies
Very challenging but scenery and route makes this a very enjoyable run. The breakfast afterwards was most welcome. One of the best organised races II have done in a while. Excellent memorabilia. distance markers are missing but who needs them
Two and half hours went very quick!
Apart from a loud hailer being very helpful at the start this is a truly British race - mad dogs and all that. Stunning scenery, fantastic weather and great group spirit of all participants - well done rob and generally everyone !! See you next time
Great Race - Dr Rob has done it again! Would recommend this to anyone who has a penchant for challenges! Absolutely great race - brilliant atmosphere, great organisation, fanstastic scenery. Be warned however, that there is a long slow climb out (for at least a couple of miles), and a killer hill at about 12!
Exremely friendly and supportive marshalls. Excellent setup and good food after the race
Brilliant organisation, great route - my favourite race so far. Tough but fun, with great organisation and a really good atmoshphere - and A FULL ENGLISH BREAKFST AFTER THE RACE FOR ALL COMPETITORS. you can't argue with that!
Nicely challenging course, beautiful scenery, friendly marshalls, plenty of goodies to eat along the way and a great atmosphere. Technical t-shirt and the cooked brekkie were a nice bonus at the end. I'll definitely be back...
Good race, top organisation, tough course - but we were warned!
A beautiful route that's so absorbing you don't feel the (much anticipated) pain! - Until the next day! It was great!
Steep didn't begin to describe some of the climbs! Excellent spirit and support among the runners; helped on the climbs.
From the perspective of a first time Half-Marathoner, this was the type of race that makes you want to come back for more punishment. As one of the youngest racers there, I was overwhelmed by how friendly the whole thing was: already looking forward to next year...
Brilliant race providing a great mix of scenery, challenge, fun, spirit and feel good!
Tip top race, loads of supportive marshalls. Love the quirkyness of the Trionium race. Tough course.
A challenging but friendly mixed terrain half marathon with some nice touches. What a fun event with a small field of 230 runners and a friendly atmosphere. As it is an out and back course the slower and faster runners shout encouragement to each other as they pass. The organiser Dr. Rob adds some wonderfully eccentric touches including a wife carrying race and singing the national anthem at the start. The terrain is mixed, mud, sand and a little bit of road and quite hilly. The marshalls were friendly and encouraging. The water stops included jelly babies and maltesers. At the end you get a bright yellow T shirt (with your name included in a list on the back) and a clear plastic paperweight featuring four runners in 3D; beats a medal. There are showers available after and you even get a cooked breakfast. Can't wait until next year. Well done to all involved.
Over too soon! Dr Rob et al must again be congratulated for another classic in the making. Although not as tough as the Munro (what is?) it was a schizophrenic affair needing good discipline – which I obviously lacked! You might have thought that, as it was mostly downhill for the second half, once you hit the tower it was easy. We who know Dr Rob’s fetish for things vertical should not be fooled and the final climb to the Temple was murder! I have always thought that I was “vertically challenged” because I’m short, but this gave new meaning to the term! The rain the day before was a pity - thanks to the detailed route on the website I had done most of the course beforehand and this was amongst the muddiest I have seen it, which meant much weaving between puddled ruts. Overall though a winner. The 80 or so that didn’t turn up should be kicking themselves, and I hope they, like me, will be there next year.
Steep. Muddy. Rough. Good fun if the weather's with you. Thoroughly enjoyable - an instant success! This was a fantastic event - a tough and challenging yet scenic course, excellent organisation, friendly atmosphere and to top it off a free post race cooked breakfast for all! This event must surely become an regular fixture after such a successful debut. A hearty thanks to everyone involved.
13 miles of X-country. Brilliant! This has to be the best half-marathon I've ever done, and the slowest time! Over 6 miles going up on the way out, meant an exhilarating six mile downhill section with loads of nice soft mud and sand. Trail running at its finest!
A 'cheeky' little number - great camaraderie
Great race, excellent organisation, tough but much more fun than a standard half marathon.. The time passed surprisingly quickly and I will definitely do it again.
Excellent fun. Luckily the maltesers were larger than the hail stones. Lovely marshalls and fellow runners, course was a b*stard but so very scenic. Good chance of a negative split, very good tshirt, saved me buying a fluoro one.Thanks! Fabulous organisation and perfect if you like hills! I don't!!
Hard, hilly, lot of fun
Not for the faint hearted. The uphills were murder, the down were just glorious. The mud made it all the more fun and the marshals were incredibly friendly. Fantastic race and I would do it again, with a bit more hill training beforehand this time!
Another classic. Another Dr Rob race on the calander is always a good thing. This one is no different. Another amazing race utilizing the best of the Surrey countryside. I had a ball. Many thanks to the fab marshalls (yummy mars bar and maltesers) the Thames Turbo lady who kept me company all the way back, the lovely Andy for laughing at me at the top and all the front runners for their cheery waves, support and encouragement (the true genius of the Dr Rob races)
Great course, great views and great atmosphere. Would definitely do again. Very Friendly Race. Nice tee shirt (though the 'small' would dwarf most women runners I know! Would have been nice to see some vets and team prizes. Prizes only for first man and woman. Could have done without the national anthem at the start! But overall one of the most enjoyable half marathons I've done.
Wonderful run through the hills, very friendly crowd and organizers.Superb trail-running with a terrific scenic high point in a very friendly atmosphere.
I never knew running up hill in the mud could be so much fun! A brilliant race and great breakfast at the end. Superb!
A fine run up one of the best hills in Surrey. Hard work but worth it.lear the sweat from youverything that an off road should have in it - hills, muds, views (when you clear the sweat from your eyes). One or two more marshalls and this could become a must-run fixture for the season. All things considered - excellent value.
Hard Run , Friendly , But Fab Organisation & Free Full English Breakfast Made It Worthwhile. This was my first cross country. It was hard very hilly in places but a great view from the top made it worth it. Friendly & organisation excellent.
A fantastic inaugural Leith Hill Half and I hope the first of many It was tough going at times but this was to be expected, the organisation was great - especially for the first running of the event and the atmosphere and camaraderie amongst fellow runners was great. The glass memento and T-shirt are better than the tinny old medals that are often dished out. As for all those people griping about the entry fee, running is free, therefore, any event you enter is in effect expensive, I would far prefer to pay £25 for this event than plod along on the FLM which just doesn't do it for me - like so many things in life, you get what you pay for!
'The Sadist' Dr Rob does it again!!! Terrific race - wish I was a bit fitter as I knew I needed to go slow on frst half! MUST be the best half-way point to any half-marathon in the UK. That last hill was an absolute killer. Smashing momento and t-shrt and the cooked breakfast was absolute genious. Well done to all the marshalls, and Dr Rob in particular - oh, and LOVE the National Anthem at the start!!!
Tough but thouroughly enjoyable, beautiful scenery, nice downhill finish, great tshhirt, and nice momento (which I have just noted due to the wording "1st Leith Hill Half Marathon" you could bragg to relatives you actually won!!!) Crazy race - mostly uphill in 1st half and fast desents in second. Fantastic challenge and great organisation
A beautiful setting for a pretty tough race. Watch out for the last hill!!
Fantastic race. Counted this as a training run rather than a race in preparation for FLM. 13 miles of uphill/downhill and uneven ground I'm sure counts for more. Very well organised, good atmosphere and beautiful views of Surrey. It is a bit pricey compared to other races but you get a very good techy T-shirt, lovely paper weight, lunch included and a proportion of money to charity so overall makes a good day out. The marshalls and other competitors that pass on the there/back make it a very friendly and supportive race. Same again next year please Rob
For anyone who has done the Tanners 30 over the Surrey Hills (first Sunday in July, see the LDWA website), you know what to expect. For every up there's a down - a long trudge up to the turning point on Leith Hill and its glorious views and then the predominantly downhill return back to Dorking with the final killer hill towards The Nower. Marshals in all the right places, I didn't get lost. Well organised from this punter's standpoint.
Hilly run with interest all the way and good food at the end. Well organised and very friendly. Excellent.
Knackering but worth it. Love the trophy! Thank you to the excellent marshalls. Shame about the hailstones!!
Awesome! The organisation for this race was second to none in my experience. Dr Rob and his team have gone to considerable lengths with videos of the route, how to get there, a good detailed map of the course and marshalling before the race to find the school and help with parking. Booking in took 45 seconds and I was out getting ready to warm up. This race can be best described as "challenging" but that is what I expect when I go to a Trionium race, pure mud and hill. Marshalls were brilliant and due to the nature of the course , yellow arrows and chevron tape were more than sufficient. Thanks to the St John's Ambulance our unsung heros and heroines for their time and effort. I am sitting here wearing my run t-shirt (with name on back) with a huge grin on my face with my paper weight trophy glinting in the sun, pride and place on the mantel piece.Thank you all, I just loved this race...see there again next year.
Organised by Conferio Ltd
1 East Street, Epsom, Surrey, KT17 1BB, UK
Tel (+44) 1372 840969 Fax (+44) 1372 743838