13 March 2008, 11:47 am
Duchy 20
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Steve Marks' amusing account of the Duchy Experience ...
"The Duchy 20! Sounds like a group about to be transported! No, it's a race apparently. Quite a long one too.  At least it isn't the Chiltern Hundreds.
Those nice people at CAC have invited us all to a nice party on the eve. The grandchildren want to come. Is it a Pasta Parcel party? Funny party though. They have a chap with a hand held CCTV camera filming us all and another chap who has speared someones Chihuahua. Checking how much pasta we are packing away? New reality TV show perhaps? Tonight Matthew I am going to be Haile Gebrselassie.

Sunday morning arrives and a mad dash to get the porridge down in the regimental 4 hours before the start. They'll have to delay the start if I haven't finished by 6.30. Get to the PV and assemble all Carnies for a group photo.

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 Damn. Lost the front crown last night on a toffee eclair. Stand at the back and they won't notice the Magwitch grin. Bugger! Dave Mounter stands in front of me. Where's Rory when you need him!

Try to get a signal for the Garmin and I end up two miles shy of Goonhilly before I succeed. Thats about 20 yards short of Steve Wherry's warm up run!
Steve Philips and I are going round together. We give Wendy our energy boosters for half way. Steve has two Topic bars! Squirrels not marathons come to mind.

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Off we go and we do a better job of stopping the traffic than any eco warrior. Feeling pretty good for the first six miles until Steve relates his motorcycle accident. He must have more plates than a Greek restaurant. North Cliffs manage to part the eyebrows and the Coombe turn is welcome. Smile for the cameras and gobble down the banana and wait for the hill.
Steves knees relive their previous torture and its "keep him talking" and he'll forget the pain. Trouble is listening to me is more painful. Meet Barrie at the Guinness trust loop and stop for a social chat. Off we go again. Steve is virtually like the cartoon character crawling through the desert when Carol shouts out, "Well Done Steve, looking good". I've lost a tooth so it can't be me. Even the Medusa would have sympathised with Steve at that point. Were you in Hellraiser Carol?

I've promised to get the poor chap round and I've virtually destroyed him. I know he'll never catch me now so I clear off as quick as possible, find Wendy at the 16 mark and ask her to go back for Steve and tell him I can't stop as I've been selected as Dwain Chambers Stunt Piddler.

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Rory - camera-shy again!!

Crack on to the finish to be greeted by the Carn jurors. I now know that Well Done really means You Took Your Time and Pleased With That? means Thank God You're In My Age Group.
Back to the finish line to see if Steve has made it and if he is in any condition to chase me. Stand in front of me Wendy.

A big Well Done to Karen and Dave for the completing the marathon. Well done Brydie and Dave Scott for fabulous times. Those six bowls of pasta worked Brydie. Well done Juliet for getting back to form and  Carol and Judy (below) go from strength to strength.

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Thanks to all the support we got along the way it really does make a big difference. Thanks Wendy for looking after me and still looking at me fondly despite the missing tooth. Thanks to CAC and all involved in a well organised and well marshalled race and keep the pasta party going.


Can't wait for Sunday and Bath! Thought it needed a plug."

Steve Marks

Thanks for the great pics Wendy, Steve - you still haven't explained what happened at the Barbers!

 

Future Events
December 2008
20 December CARN XMAS HANDICAP '08
21 December Winter Trelissick 10K
22 December Angarrack and Hayle Christmas Lights Run
31 December Cardew Canter
January 2009
18 January Blaythorne 10
25 January Braunton 10
February 2009
1 February Mount's Bay 10K
15 February Plymouth Hoe 10
March 2009
1 March Bideford Half Marathon
29 March An Resek Hellys
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Address: Carn Runners, Blaythorne Club, Pendarves Road, Camborne
Tel: 01209 717460 Mail: barriecardew@btconnect.com Web: www.carnrunners.co.uk
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