Registration is available on-line at Active.com or by mailing an entry form.

“…at the end it isn’t over…”

The Trust is in the process of opening up a new trail into Westwoods from the sports field of Cox School and the race will use this as an alternative to crossing Bishop’s field as in previous years. The Trails Day project will aim to clear brush from one section of the new trail to open access and provide a view across a neighboring horse paddock. The clearance work is generally light work involving hand sawing and pruning, volunteers will just need to be dressed accordingly and wear gloves.

The meeting place will be at the entrance of Cox School on Three Mile Course, Guilford, near the red barn at 10:00 am. The the weather is really bad, details regarding postponement will be posted on this web site. No prior registration is necessary, but an advance indication of numbers participating would be helpful via: jerry(at)mrbimble(dot)com.
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Hope to see you there!

PS. No rains dates – there is no such thing as bad weather, just inappropriate clothing! Parking at the trail head is limited, please car pool if you can.

The 4th Bimbler’s Bash is scheduled to take place on Sunday April 11th, 2010 and run through Westwoods, Guilford. Registration is now open via mail or on-line at Active.com. This race is a 10k event but runners should be aware that “… at the end it isn’t over …”

Race entries will be limited to 250. Depending on how many advance entries received, race day registrations may be limited. Please check the web site for details on registrations as they are received.

The Race
The race course is an entirely off-road loop within Westwoods, Guilford made up from a series of interconnecting single track hiking trails. You should expect to negotiate lots of rocks, roots and possibly get your feet wet, plus with two rock scrambles be prepared for an adventure! Please do not bring dogs and expect them to run with you, sections of the course are too narrow. There will not be a rain date. If it is raining, expect to get wet like the rest of us!

All preregistered entries will receive a race shirt, we will attempt to have some available for race day entrants but sizes and availability will be limited. Registration will be capped at 250 entries and will close early if this number is reached before race day.

Snacks and drinks will be provided after the race and there will be one aid station on the course offering drinks.

The course will be marked with brightly colored tape and direction markers, a map of the route can be viewed here (pdf format)

Start: 9:00 am

Venue: Cox School, Three Corners Rd, Guilford

How to Register:

• Register on-line at Active.com.
• By mail using the application form available here (pdf format)
  

All proceeds from this event will be donated to the Guilford Land Conservation Trust

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What is the inspiration for the slogan? I guess you can’t get enough of a good thing!

The 4th Bimbler’s Bash is scheduled to take place on Sunday April 11th, 2010 and run through Westwoods, Guilford. Registration will open in early January 2010 via mail and on-line at Active.com, and all proceeds from the event are donated to the Guilford Land Conservation Trust. This race is promoted as a 10k event but runners should be aware that “… at the end it isn’t over …”

Race entries will be limited to 250. Depending on how many advance entries received, race day registrations may be limited. Please check the web site for details on registrations as they are received. The race will be sanctioned by the USA Track and Field Association.

The Race

The Bimblers Bash 10k is an entirely off-road loop within Westwoods, Guilford made up from a series of interconnecting single track hiking trails. You should expect to negotiate lots of rocks, roots and possibly get your feet wet, plus with two rock scrambles be prepared for an adventure! This is a true trail race and the technical nature of the terrain will mean that you will be exposed to the risk of injury. While every reasonable effort will be made to ensure your safety and enjoyment, all participants must be prepared to accept full responsibility for these risks.

The Bash course is rumored to be longer than the advertised distance, is this true? Maybe,  there are 10k’s and then there is the Bash!

A map of the course can be found here (pdf format)

For pictures from last year’s race, click here

Thank you everyone who supported the event.

Click here to view the gallery

It is late on Sunday evening and I must confess I am feeling quite tired, but also content. Today was memorable for so many reasons, all of which were centered around a few hours known to many as ‘the Bash’. This was the third year and the event has continued to grow not only in terms of the number of participants, but also reputation. The word has clearly spread. Several runners had traveled significant distances to participate, while others had brought their friends (by fair means or fowl, I’m not sure) to join in the fun.

I started the pre-race brief with a quotation that I had been given a few days ago. “Friends can be our best weapon in times of adversity, as they strengthen our resolve. One study asked people to rate the gradient of a hill, and anticipate how difficult they would find it to climb. People who rated the hill in the presence of a friend saw the slope as less steep – and the closer they felt to the friend they were with, the easier the climb appeared.” My thought was that on the basis of these words, the runners would discover that the Bash course was flat! The reality is of course, is that while there are no large hills, the constantly change of gradient is quite a challenge. Then there is the actual distance; but hey, the race shirts said it all, “… the distance isn’t significant …”!

160 starters headed out, the wait before had been chilly in the wind, but I suspect that before too long several runners were felling the heat in more ways than one. Heavy rain 2 days earlier ensured that the going under foot was good, but muddy in places. The conditions were perfect for trail running. Returning to defend their crowns, Robin Pitt and Kerry Arsenault were tipped to repeat their success. Kerry had already run the course once today as she had helped mark the route at 6 am! But within the start line up, it was evident that there were several competitors capable of giving these two a run for their money and the outcome proved just that.

From the perspective of a frustrated runner who wished he was also out there, despite what it might feel like for the runners, the 50 plus minutes before the leader reappeared passed slowly.

Guilford runner Jesse Efron was the first to appear, gliding into view with a seemingly effortless stride to cross the line in 53:41. Five minutes behind him was George Buchannan (58:46), closely followed by Charlie Iselin (59:01). Kerry Arsenault has won every Bash to date and we thought she might have a job defending her crown this year. However, she did it again, sweeping away the last couple of ladies ahead of her after the Lost Lake aid station and crossed the line in 1:05:31. It wasn’t her fast Bash time, but after nearly 12 months battling injury, it was a satisfying run.

Second behind Kerry was Megan Raymond (1:07:35), third overall female was Megan Lehmann. I wonder what the odds would be of all the top three finishers being named Megan!

Last year I was shocked to discover that a race day entrant was only 10 years old. Tyler McConnell returned with Dad Brian but our youngest competitor this year was Jacob Tratnyek who finished in an impressive time of 1:38:41.

As an added attraction we engaged the services of a piper at the finish, and the sound of the pipes drifted across the field at the finish to welcome the runners back. From the feedback, he was well received. I hope that in the coming days, we shall hear more from people who took part in today’s race. If you feel inclined to comment on the Bash, please send me a link to wherever your comments have been posted, or if you prefer send a copy that we can post on the Bimbler’s Sound web site.

Thanks to everyone who supported the race this year, especially the many volunteers who unselfishly give their time so willingly. Events like this simply couldn’t happen without their commitment.

I hope to see you all next year!

Race Director’s Report

Race Pictures

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