Antonine Trail Race 10k 2017

The ATRX is a 10k trail race in Croy, not far from Glasgow, ran by a bunch of the most friendly and supportive people you could hope to meet. This is a low-key, local race, financially transparent (full breakdown of where the entry fee goes was published on their facebook page), with a focus on helping out local charities, and giving something back to the community. It's also, by all accounts, a bugger of a route, haha, with some tough hills and great views in a 10k trail route around Croy Hill, using bits of the Antonine Way. They do a longer race later in the year, which I'd volunteered at for the first time in 2016, so I had no hesitation putting my name forward for a spot of marshalling for this shorter midweek evening race, too.


It's a long round-trip from Edinburgh, but I left work a little early to avoid the worst of the traffic, and made it with loads of time to spare. Great to catch up with Race Director James and the rest of his awesome core team, (including a hug from Andy who'd just had a run, which I suspect counts as my FIRST sweaty runner hug this year!!) and to chat to friends arriving to register, many of whom I've probably not seen for several months... I felt a pang of 'why haven't I been volunteering as much, lately?', I must admit. (That's a loaded question.)

Due to my ongoing knee injury, I'd asked to be stationed within easy walking distance of the start, mainly because I didn't want to have to march up some hill or something, and the lads had put me super close - a road crossing close to the start which is actually around 3.2k into the 10k route. Perfect! For the runner, it's the first of two road crossings. I met up with Sharon (who happens to run a gym literally 200 metres from my front door), and once the race set off, we went to our spot and waited. The 140 runners passed through without issue - our role was, of course, to stop the runners not the traffic, and every single runner that we had to tell to wait did so without complaint, even when they could see their competition powering away ahead of them and would have maybe risked the gap in traffic had they been on their own. No egos, in trail racing - and certainly none at the ATRX. It was a real pleasure, marshalling them safely across the road with encouraging shouts: "Hooooooold, hoooold.... okay, GO! GO GO GO!!! You're doing great!" and when the sweep team went through, we headed back across to the finish line to wait for the first finishers.

Davie and Laura were there, and were about to head along to the hill at around maybe 9.7km (rough guess), to cheer people on, so I joined them, and Sharon and her friend were also headed the same way. Our marshalling duties were over, but we still had space for a bit of encouragement... And oh my, we put some real effort in! Once the front runners started to arrive, powering up this last hill before the finish, we started to cheer them on. Some we knew by name, others we cheered equally as loudly, and before long we were screaming support at every single runner who appeared on the hill. "You've GOT THIS, you can do it, PUSH TO THE FINISH!" "Great run, well done!!!" "CMON, GO GO GO!" "You're doing brilliantly!" "Looking great, keep it going!" "Push through, REEL 'EM IN!" and so on. If you've never had Davie Mooney shouting at you during a race, you've never lived, haha...! Laura would chant "LET'S GO RUNNERS, LET'S GO!" and Sharon and her friend offered high fives from both sides of the path and further shouts of encouragement. The five of us became somewhat of a mini wall of sound, especially when someone was walking on the hill, and through our cheers and shouts started to run again: "YAAAAASSSSSS!!!!!" - my throat cracked and broke, and I laughed with the guys "I don't think these runners understand how painful supporting is...." hehe. Thanks so much to Steve Macintyre for this picture below. :)


Headed back to the finish for the last few runners, hearing about the new course records, and seeing friends with smiles on their faces and their awesome 'medal' (rocks from the trail they've just ran on, with the race logo painted on) and after the goodbyes and a slow walk back down the road to the station carpark, I headed home with a huge smile on my face, and a throat red raw. I didn't get home until after 10:30pm, I screwed up my macros in my eating plan due to not having had any dinner and relying on the banana and flapjack in the goody bag RD James had kindly given me, and I couldn't speak properly for two full days afterwards... Totally worth it. I will most definitely be back next year.

Within a day or two, I'd volunteered for two more events (including Vogrie parkrun next week, for the first time), and reminded myself that missing certain races this year was potentially akin to cutting my nose off to spite my face. And race volunteering doesn't have to involve the expense of weekends away, travel and hotels. I can look closer to home, and remind myself why I do this. For the runne- nah, just kidding. It's for me. For the boost I get from seeing runners doing well, from raising a smile, from telling them: 'I'm here for you. I believe in you.' and watch them repay that belief by crossing the finish line. And the adrenaline burst I get from screaming "You've GOT THIS!" at someone 95% of the way through their race, pushing themselves up a steep hill. It's the motivation I get from the runners, to give me that extra push the next morning in the gym. It's the inspiration I get to be more, to do more. It's spending time with wonderful, like-minded people, instead of sat home staring at the Internet. And it's the free bright pink race buff I was given afterwards, lol. Yep. It's all about me. :)