Jason Christian was tackling one of his most brutal challenges yet in the shape of the Giants Head Half Marathon
Fresh from his encouraging return to racing at the Lymington Lifeboat 10K, where his comeback gathered further momentum, Jason Christian took on one of the South West’s toughest trail races by lining up in the Giants Head Half Marathon.
Based in the picturesque Dorset village of Sydling St Nicholas, the Giants Head event has earned a formidable reputation among trail runners. The half marathon is anything but a conventional 13.1-mile race, taking competitors deep into the rolling chalk downland of the Dorset countryside, across ancient ridgeways, farmland and woodland tracks before returning to the showground beneath the famous chalk Giant’s Head hillside figure.
There was a huge amount of elevation on the route
The route serves up relentless climbing and technical descents, with steep grass slopes, loose chalk tracks and uneven trails demanding concentration as well as endurance. Although advertised as a half marathon, Jason’s GPS watch measured 14.4 miles, while recording almost 2,000ft (610m) of elevation gain, underlining just how demanding the course really is.
Having shown promising signs of returning to form at Lymington, Jason produced another determined performance to negotiate the testing terrain, crossing the finish line in 2:34:11.
Jason nears the finish of his epic adventure
His run earned 75th place overall from a field of 234 finishers and, more significantly, third place in the MV50 category, a fine reward on one of the region’s most challenging trail courses.
The race was won by Alan Jones in 1:53:14, with John Pickford second in 2:00:41 and Liam Farrell completing the podium in 2:01:31. The women’s race was headed by Hannah Howard in 2:17:05, with Emily Kendall coming in as second female who in 2:19:07. They were 11th and 12th overall, with Gemma Russhard finished third female and 19th overall in 2:28:16.
Jason went over the line in 2 hours 34 minutes
Jason’s performance continues the encouraging progress shown recently. Having returned to racing at the Lymington Lifeboat 10K following a lengthy spell away from competition, he has quickly demonstrated that both his endurance and climbing strength remain firmly intact. Tackling a course as demanding as Giants Head is a significant step beyond a road 10K, making his podium finish in the MV50 category all the more satisfying.
It was a run where Jason certainly had to earn his bling
The Giants Head weekend actually began 24 hours earlier, with the event’s equally demanding marathon and popular 10K taking place on Saturday. Both races attracted strong fields of trail runners from across the South and South West, with competitors facing the same spectacular Dorset scenery, rolling hills and notoriously energy-sapping chalk climbs that have become synonymous with the Giants Head event.
Jason finished 3rd in the MV50 category
The marathon once again lived up to its reputation as one of the UK’s toughest off-road marathons, while the shorter 10K offered an equally challenging introduction to trail running, packing plenty of climbing into a relatively short distance.
Marcus Biles won the marathon in 3:24:30, with Paul Russhard taking second in 3:29:23 and Michael Harrington third in 3:34:20. Abigail Jones was first female and 7th overall in exactly 3 hours 54 minutes.
Jason steps into the role of the Cerne Abbas Giant
Daniel O’Boyle won the 10k in 42:28, with Ryan Johnstone taking second in 43:37 and Adam Wollard third in 46:29. Freya Sutcliffe was first female and 14th overall in 55:45.
For Jason, however, the weekend belonged to another important milestone in his comeback. From the fast roads of Lymington to the unforgiving hills above Sydling St Nicholas, his recent performances suggest his return to competitive racing is gathering pace, with a third-place MV50 finish at Giants Head providing further encouragement for the remainder of the summer season.