RYE ANCIENT TRAILS 30K

Lydia Willgress looks back, through rose-tinted sun specs, at a race she did at the end of last summer. Roll on sunny run days!

The ancient trails you will tread today have been trod before you by Romans, Saxons, Viking and Normans; by kings and queens, by soldiers and smugglers, by poets, painters and pirates… many of whom still haunt the place, so be careful!”

So began Rye Ancient Trails 30K, a multi-terrain race-meets-steeplechase. Starting outside a 16th century inn with a rallying speech from the town crier, the picturesque route heads inland and shows off the best of East Sussex county, linking the old Norman churches of Rye, Iden, Beckley, Northiam and Peasmarsh.

I joined last year’s edition, which fell on one of the hottest weekends of the year with temperatures climbing above 30°C.While it began with a short stint on the road, soon I could only hear the steady rhythm of other runners’ footsteps as we followed footpaths around fields and sought shade when we could in the woods.

Unless you’re at the front of the pack, it can take a while to get through the first couple of miles thanks to a series of stiles causing hold ups. But soon enough, the route begins to open up with quiet country lanes, orchards and quaint villages to distract you from the very real up and down.

This wouldn’t be such a great race without the help of volunteers. From the additional water stations to the shouts of encouragement, the children handing out sweets to the homemade bread-and-butter pudding, it felt like it represented all the best bits of a local race event.

The final 10K remain up there with my favourite bit of any race. Not only was it shaded, but it was downhill (apart from one killer bit near the end). The final section takes you back into Rye via the surrounding fields until you pop out to gather your medal. I can confirm that, while the ghosts stayed away, I certainly won’t.

The next edition will take place on September 8, 2024 with prices starting from £30. Discover more about the race at nice-work.org.uk.