Written by Peter Elms - http://www.peterruns.com
46 of us ran two loops of a 15 mile course out of Croydon last Sunday.
When most people think of Croydon they probably think of things they don't like.
There's a lot of Croydonphobia out there.
Those who looked beyond their prejudice were rewarded with some single (ish) track trail (The Vanguard Way), and a real sense of escaping London.
It feels good to escape London.
You start and finish in Sandilands, on a village green, by a cricket pitch. A lap round the boundary of the pitch is a part of the course.
It's Croydon's 'little piece of England'.
I live in London and this race was near to me.
There's something about going for an adventure close to home, escaping London but staying in it.
It was like playing in Croydon's back garden, a garden that hadn't been looked after because Croydon rented the property couldn't be bothered to do the weeding.
I'd run it again.
It was well organised and reasonably fast, with enough uphill to bring on the occasional walk. I bonked after 24 miles and plodded in, losing sight of the sub 4:30 I was looking for (by quite a bit).
But who cares?
I've got a soft spot for the Croydon Ultra.