Raceto By Barry Walker and John Robinson
It was six long months ago that we started preparing for what would be one of the toughest trials any of us had ever faced: The Stockton Tees River Rat Race - a 10 kilometre assault course along the banks of the Tees; notoriously gruelling, with daredevil obstacles at every turn – an audacious test not for the faint hearted.
Five brave students had stepped up to take part in what seemed like mission impossible. Keith Cookson, John Nolan, Stephen Neil, Harvey Kell and Sean Malclom, each paired up with a member of Rievaulx staff. Amazingly, we would be the first mixed ability team to ever take part, in the history of race.
It was this thought that spurred us on during the months of exhausting training that followed. Week in, week out, we endured preparation like none of us had ever known. We built up our stamina running, cycling and swimming for miles on end; practiced water-skills and lifesaving; and even completed specialist training in canoeing and hill-climbing. We studied the course; made sure we knew the risks and readied ourselves to be pushed to our limits.
BANG!
The sound of the starter’s pistol electrifed the first wave of two hundred runners into action. A mass of bodies burst forwards, jostling for position. Mesmerised by the moment, we somehow manage to force our legs into action and we are off, in the thick amongst the throngs and excitedly shouting words of encouragement to each other. “Come on! We can do this!"
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And pushed to the limit we were. No amount of practice could really have prepared us for the gruelling challenge that lay ahead. Yet as we stood at the start line we could only hope we’d done enough.
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Finally, we’re here: the start line. Hearts racing, adrenalin pumping, every inch of our bodies tingling with excitement, anticipation, and fear. The doubt creeps in. ‘Can we do this?’, ‘Are we prepared?’, ‘Have we taken on too much?’. And then suddenly – ‘BANG!’ The gun sounds and the crowd surges. No time for questions. No turning back. This is it. The challenge of a lifetime…
Soon, we’re in our stride and in what feels like the blink of an eye, we reach the one mile mark: the magnificent Infinity Bridge which bobs gently up and down under the strain of 400 pairs of feet.
Training can only prepare you for so much, and as we approach the 12 foot decent into the freezing cold Tees Barrage Lock – it suddenly hits us what we are about to do. We gasp as the icy water bites through our wet suits – our first of many shocks. As we scramble out of the lock, student John Nolan jokes: “My shoes are wet!”; a comic understatement that keeps our spirits high. No time to laugh though; we have to focus on the test ahead - the steel obstacles of the Tees Barrage Bridge.
By now, we’re flagging. The cross-country run follows: three hills..each one bigger than the next. How long left? Not even half way through. But then, as we reach the summit of the final hill, the boost we need – breath- taking views of the North Yorkshire Moors and the beautiful Roseberry Topping mini- mountain.
A serene moment of calm before the
Riverside Rat Race
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