Check out my full review here: https://ordinaryrunnerblog.wordpress.com/2017/11/05/tough-10k-oxfordshire-race-review/

As the winter starts to set in, it’s nice to mix up my training and take on something different. For this reason, the Tough 10k series are excellent events. 10k is a nice distance that for me doesn’t require any specific training and when you mix it up with muddy trail conditions and some challenging hills it makes for a great event.

Cancer Research organise 12 of these types of events across the country, grading them Tough, Tougher and Toughest based on the nature and hilliness of the course. This course was rated ‘Tough’, so in theory one of the easier events.

Early morning there had been huge amounts of rain after quite a few dry days so although the course wasn’t covered in deep mud it did make the surface pretty slip and wet in places. After the mass start, we had 1.5k along grassy fields with a few steep drops where caution was needed. Good to see they had extra marshals and first aiders at these points although I didn’t notice anyone take a fall here. Then we came across a sign announcing the start of the ‘Cornbury Crawl’, a 1k slow slog with an ascent of approximately 220 metres. This was the toughest hill on the course, along a muddy and slippery track requiring you to get your head down, grit your teeth and plod along as best you can. Once over the top of this hill, whilst only a 3^rd of the way through the course you at least knew the toughest part was behind you.

The rest of the race was made up of some nice rolling trails and tracks through the forest with some speedy descents down a few farm tracks. There were 2 more hills of note, announced by a ‘Calf burner’ sign at the foot of each and other motivational signs on the way up. Each one was no more that about 300 metres long but they were far steeper than the ‘Cornbury Crawl’ and required you to ignore the burn in the legs on plough on through them as best you can.

The last few kilometres were a relatively quick but slippery run through some grassy fields before the finish came back into sight.

Despite the tough hills, the long downhill sections meant that you could actually get a reasonable time for a tough trail 10k and I was surprised and pleased with a finish time of 54:35, coming home 36^th out of 215 entrants.

Overall these are really good events. Well organised and on very nice courses and with a relatively low entry fee it also gives you the opportunity to raise some money or donate towards Cancer Research UK, a cause that unfortunately will directly or indirectly affect most of us during our lifetime.

I’d also recommend checking out their Peak District run which has more challenging hills (I had to walk a few of them) but with stunning scenery and some fast and fun technical downhill sections.