A RECORD attendance of 137 competitors took part in the Skirrid fell race on Saturday 20th December with 19 entrants from Chepstow Harriers and three from the Monross running club.

The race saw an exciting battle between the front runners Paul Murrin and James Blore. Paul stormed up the near vertical hill to give himself a clear lead winning the race overall, and with it, the Chepstow Harriers 2014 club championship, with Paul Dodd taking the age graded title.

Monross runner Andrew Stephens claimed third prize with a time of around 32 minutes.

Whether it was the clement weather conditions, getting out of Christmas shopping, guilt from over-eating at office parties, avoidance of relatives, or just simply because they fancied a run up a hill, it was incredible to have nearly three times as many competitors for this race than last year.

After a 450m warm up trot from the pub to the start, the race director bellowed the countdown to the start and they were off – running around in circles round a muddy field to disperse the field before tackling the stiles. Soon the fields and styles ran out and it was time for runners to prove their mettle. The climb to the saddle loomed menacingly ahead with competitors faced with a decision to run, walk or crawl.

It seemed that most did a mixture of all three, apart from the likes of race winner Paul Murrin – who ran even the steepest climbs.

After friendly encouragement from marshal Rob Beves, it was "over the top" and a plunge into the dark, rocky, muddy abyss on the other side. This short technical section was a great opportunity for those with talent in matters of descent to showcase their abilities.

There followed a final, brutal, near-vertical climb to the summit. It wasn't so much hands-on-knees, as hands on the ground, grasping at clumps of grass to heave Christmas party excess up the hill.

At last, competitors reached the summit, with all the hard work done, apart from a tricky, direct, heather-bashing, mud-sliding, tree-dodging descent.

Once this had been negotiated, runners emerged bloodied and battle-hardened ready to take the final fields by storm. It was a real sprint to the finish, runners giving it as much welly as their screaming quads and calves could muster until crossing the finish line – elated, exhausted and ready for their free chips back at the Skirrid Inn.

Race director and Chepstow Harrier, Andy Creber said: "Special congratulations go to Syd Wheeler who, in his late seventies and despite his better judgement, braved the Skirrid as it was Chepstow Harriers' final club championship.

"His willingness to take on this challenge, given his reservations about the tough nature of the course, epitomises the spirit of the event.

"It doesn't matter how experienced or inexperienced, fast or slow you are, it's the being there and taking part and the great camaraderie between the runners that count.

"We are also indebted to our marshals and helpers, the owners of the Skirrid Inn and the farmers who let us use their fields. Without them, we could not run this event."

Both male and female course records were broken this year. Congratulations to overall winner, Paul Murrin from Chepstow Harriers for smashing the course in 30 minutes and 6 seconds, and to Katie Beecher who also emphatically broke the female course record in 34:42.

The prize-giving was held back at the Inn and the "free bear" advertised turned out not to be a typo as each runner received a chocolate bear.