Stubbington Green Runners

After the success of last year’s Christmas handicap, we return to Solent Breezes for another 10kish handicap run ending with some essential mince pie and mulled wine carbo-loading! Like last year, the run starts and finishes at the junction between Hook Park Road and Cowes Lane (just outside Nick Kimber’s house in Warsash), but this time we go anti-clockwise (or run backwards if you prefer!). So it’s a circular, flat course along road, gravel tracks and through fields and woods around the Solent Breezes and Warsash Common areas. The route will probably be muddy and slippery in places with tree roots set as traps throughout the woods and a swimming pool arranged on the sea front!  The aim, as usual, is to finish as close as possible to 1130. After the fantastic turnout last year, Christmas fancy dress is a must for this fun run – Santas, elves, fairies and reindeers are all welcome!  Prizes will be presented to the winning male and female and for best male and female fancy dress. £1 to enter on the day which will cover the mulled wine and mince pies which, once again by kind permission, will be on Nick and Helen Kimber’s driveway!
The detailed route is described below. Don’t forget your recce and absolutely no watches, GPS or other skulduggery on the day!

1. Start at the junction of Hook Park Road and Cowes Road heading east along Hook Park Road (which soon becomes a gravel track) toward Hook village.
2. At the next path / track junction on the left, turn left and then run slightly downhill for about 30m. If you start going steeply downhill you’ve gone too far and have moved into ‘lost lonely, billy-no-mates’ runner category.
3. Turn left at the wooden gate kissing gate into Hook with Warsash Nature Reserve. From the main track take the narrower track on the right which takes you on a winding route through the woods.
4. Eventually the narrow path bear left and emerges from the woods and onto a main track to your right. Pass through the gate and onto the wide path toward a road passing ‘Bridge House’ on yr left. Turn right at the track / road junction (Newtown Road).
5. Run along Newtown Road for about 400m then turn left onto the footpath at the edge of Warsash Maritime College, (when you’re on the footpath the college fence will be on yr right).
6. Follow the footpath slightly downhill as it winds around the college boundary. When you reach a wooden barrier, go straight along the waterside path heading towards the sea (Chris Hall please don’t keep going on to the Isle of Wight!).
7. When you arrive at the beach run eastwards along the beach path for about ¾ mile towards Solent Breezes caravan site. After running through a field (mind the horses – they eat runners you know!) run along a short stretch of cliff (about 2m high!) then back onto the pebbly beach seaward side of Solent Breezes.
8.  Run (not walk) up the steps to ‘Breezes Bar ‘, run to the right of the bar then turn right at the road. Follow the road eastwards passing in front of a crescent of caravans on the sea front (boats on your right), up a slight hill to a footpath which joins onto Chilling fields.
9.  Turn right onto the path on the cliff top and keep running eastwards to the end of Chilling Fields.
10. As you come to the end of Chilling Fields bear right slightly to take yourself back on the beach then immediately bear left towards a small wooden bridge which will almost certainly be underwater! I did say that this was a Biathlon event didn’t I?!
11. Run over or swim past the wooden bridge then turn sharp left onto an uphill footpath heading inland.
12. Run up this path which soon joins a wider track (also coming from the beach). Keep going for about 500m until you come to a T junction. Turn left and follow this main track as it first curves right and then left back towards Chilling Fields.
13. Run along the track; pass through a V shaped crossing to the left of a gate then along the track with a pond to the right, woods to the left.
14. At the next T junction turn right and follow the track around the north edge of Chilling Fields eventually coming to a gate.
15. At the gate go straight on and exit Chilling fields. Follow the track past Chilling Barn then sharp right towards a road (Chilling Road).
16. Turn left at Chilling Road and run westwards. Where the road bears left into Solent Breezes Caravan Park, keep going straight on to a gravel track and follow this for about 200m.
17. When you come to a sharp left hand bend, turn right and pass through a kissing gate onto a wide path.
18. Just after you’ve run past a green post box and White House on your right, turn right toward a sty and 5 bar gate. Vault over the gate performing a triple somersault with half pike, land on the footpath which runs round the edge of a field (keep the wire fence to your right).
19. Once you’ve run around the field you’ll reach a sty on your right, hop over the sty and then 3 more before coming back to the main track that you started with, (Hook Park Road).
20. Turn left at Hook Park Road Head and head westwards along the track until you reach the Hook Park Road / Cowes Lane junction and the finish.  A kindly club member will record your time.
21. Grab a mulled wine and mince pie to keep yourself warm and cheer the rest of the runners home. Fingers crossed for the closest time to the 1130 finish!

Any questions contact Tim Sullivan (tim.sullivan@sky.com) or Nick Kimber (nick@hookpark.co.uk)