The Cambridge Boundary Run took place on 16th March on a lovely sunny but cold day for spectators. Grantham Running Club members Caroline Davis and Ros Sadler bumped into each other at the start line at the University of Cambridge sports centre.
They set off to the boundary which began with some of the trail sections which is a feature of this run, then ran through Grantchester, headed over to Trumpington by the Royal Papworth hospital and through a small wood. The route continued through Cambridge to the 13.1 mile finish at Cherry Hinton Hall Park.
This was where Ros completed her race, achieving a faster time than last year’s race of 2:15:49. After the event Ros commented that the good conditions and a nice route made it an enjoyable run.
Caroline continued past the halfway point to pick up the River Cam. It was quiet on the river with just a paddle boarder and a rowing boat. After the Cam she ran through the beautiful village of Milton, heading over the A14 and towards the west of Cambridge. After a section of field edges and running beside the motocross, runners hit a couple of cheeky hills, followed by a return to the road past the Cambridge American Cemetery and Memorial.
At the 24-mile point there was another hill to contend with. After reaching the top, the route dropped into Coton and the final stretch – with one last flyover to take in before heading back to the sports centre. Caroline crossed the line in 4:20:22, taking off 1 hour and 10 minutes from this year’s Belvoir Challenge time (although quite different terrain).
The race is one to recommend if for those who would like to mix up their trail and road running with some very pleasant scenery thrown in.