I entered Irwell Valley 20 Mile Race on the recommendation of a friend who’d taken part in the inaugural event in 2017.

There had been several weeks of quite poor weather with many races cancelled all over the UK due to rain & snow, however come race day the conditions were quite good. There was quite a bit of mud but you expect that with a winter trail race.

Irwell Valley is a typical trail race, consisting of 2x 10 mile laps. It’s traffic free & flat. There was a friendly atmosphere prior to the start. The course is a nice blend of trails, hard surface paths/roads & includes a very wobbly bridge.

The very nature of the course means crowd support was sparse, however the Marshalls were vocal & enthusiastic in their support. I can’t thank them enough.

Finishers were rewarded with a basic medal & goody bag containing chocolate & snacks. There was also home made flapjack, cakes, water & protein drinks.

In summary:

A great introduction for anybody taking on their first ever trail race. Flat & fast.

I definitely intend to give this another go next year.