Brilliant, great value event with various scenic views and different terrain. Great atmosphere at the start with music being played and as there aren't many runners, fewer than 300, it's nice milling about at the start.

Yes it's quite tough and hilly (and some boggy muddy bits due to rain on previous days!), but that's to be expected! Quite a few stiles and VERY narrow openings to go through. One particular hair-raising moment was being confronted by bulls, cows and calves! There are just enough arrow signs to get you round so it's difficult to get lost. There are friendly marshals at various points as well, especially keeping us safe on roads. My watch measured just over 17 miles in total so I didn't realise I was close to the finish line so maybe near the end there could be a mile or km marker. 3 water stations manned by friendly cadet volunteers. The event is cupless which is great, so remember to bring your own collapsible cups or bottles. I wore a hydration event and carried one 500ml bottle which the volunteers refilled at each water station. The last water station had energy gels. I don't believe there are toilets on course so I saw people having to dart off-course to use nature's toilet!

There was a hose at the finish which we could use to rinse our muddy legs and shoes. Comprehensive info and instructions were provided closer to the day. I think this was on the website and Facebook rather than by email. Great medal and buff provided. Might have been an ale that was also provided but I gave mine away as I don't drink. The cafe serves hot food and drinks and is cash-only.

I'll more than likely do this again next year as it was such a great event! 

I always try to support races local to me and they don't come much more local than this, being just 1.5 miles away from where I live.  This meant a bit of a lie-in and later departure than usual on race day, which meant the day started off very well! 

This year's race was a new incarnation of a race that has run in the area for a few years, formerly known as the Rugby Rover.  It is run mostly on tracks and paths around the Derwent Valley in Derbyshire. Registration was easy and well-organised at the Belper Meadows Sports Club.  Pre-race information was released on the website and Facebok pages, but not by email, meaning that you had to go an look for it.  There was little in the way of a pre-race briefing, but the field seemed to be mostly made up of experienced runners and I knew the area well, so that didn't bother me.  The race started on a lane a little away from the registration area and made its way along a track before the first climb up a number of fields.  There were a couple of hold-ups here as participants had to wait to get across the first two of numerous styles on the course. From here a short stretch of road brings you to Shining Cliff Woods - there were plenty of marshalls around doing an excellent job of stopping traffic at the road crossings, meaning runners didn't have to break stride.  After a couple of miles through the woods, the path decended through farmland and we found ourselves ankle-deep in mud. Anecdotally, I hear one runner had to retire after losing a shoe in the boggy ground, but that has not been confirmed!  The middle part of the route is the most scenic, a fabulous descent across fields to the Chevin Golf Club near Duffield gave some absolutely fantastic views, before a(nother) climb up onto the Chevin and the final descent back into Belper.  The route totals just over 17 miles in length, but with over 1800 feet of ascent, it is not to be taken lightly.  I had a fabulous morning though, the great thing about trail races is that people talk to each other, walk the steep uphills and generally have less of a focus on the clock.  This is a cracking event and I will definitely be back next year! If you like your trail races, I would very much recommend this one.