The adidas Thunder Run is a 24 hour trail relay race around a 10km course in South Derbyshire. There must be one member of your team on the course throughout the 24 hours. The winner is the team that has run the most laps over the time period. Around 2000 run in total. Most run in a team but some run solo.
What was the course like?
Varied! It was a really good course that was quite challenging and hilly. The terrain changes from grass to stoney track to woodland. The first half was more difficult as there were a lot of uphill sections. Around the 7km mark there was a great bit in the wood where you had to wind in and out and back on yourself – which took quite a lot of concentration as there were tree roots everywhere. Another good section was around quarter of the way through and at 9km where the route pops out back along the campsite – so you got lots of support and cheers.
How were the toilets, water stations and facilities in general?
Great. The portaloos were really clean and loo paper was in good supply. They had tankers filled with fresh water and there was an ok selection of food stalls. We brought all our own food though. They even set up a big screen to watch the Olympics.
How did your race go?
I was more nervous than what I thought I’d be. You have to stand in a pen and wait for the runner in front of you to cross the line and hand you the baton. You also have to remember to pace yourself as you have to do the route five times, not just once! So we all decided to try and run around the one hour mark for each lap.
Overall I loved the race. The first lap was good as I felt fresh and got to know the course. The second I cruised it a little slower as I knew what was in store. The third I was dreading as it was around 1am but it was hilarious as you just can’t see further than your torchlight and all you can hear is the grunts behind you of other runners – a little scary in the woods!
The fourth lap around 6am was hard. My legs felt like lead and I was knackered through no sleep. I fell over quite hard in the woods section on lap four as I was so tired so that hurt a bit! My final lap was also very hard as I was the last to run so everyone else had finished except me. But it was ok – I still managed to get under the hour, and was helped along by a couple of funny guys which helped lift my mood.
How was it for the team?
Great – we all enjoyed it. Three out of the five of us fell over! But we all managed to do our laps without any major issues.
Would you do it again?
Definitely! It’s a great atmosphere and really nice running as a team rather than just for yourself.
Good points
- Great atmosphere
- Something a little different
- Team spirit
- Great course
Bad points
- Food could have been a bit better
- They could give solo people a different name badge so they get more cheers. You can tell who they are by the end but would be better for them at the start.
For more info visit: www.TR24.co.uk
Kate Lee, Sportsister
The Women’s Sports Magazine
