Six-legged race for dog lovers who like to run
NEARLY two dozen dogs took their owners for a run on bank holiday Monday as the first cross-country canicross race was held at Talbot Valley.
Canicross involves dogs and humans attached to each other with bungee elastic taking part in events together.
The event was a cross-country run on land more often used by mountain bikers and organiser Rachel Ferbrache said she was grateful to landowner Dave Best for letting Guernsey Canicross hold it.
This was the second race held by the newly-founded group, with several dogs and their owners taking part in a round-island relay earlier in the month.
Miss Ferbrache said she set up the group after feeling guilty when she went out running and had to leave her dogs at home.
She said she had never heard of canicross before coming across it online.
The Talbot Valley run was a two-lap course of about 4.5km, she said, and after some heavy rain at the weekend – and repeated showers throughout the morning – parts of the course were a bit on the muddy side.
Runners were set off one minute apart, with some dogs clearly more interested in checking out the pond near the start line or the other competitors.
Then there were those who were so enthusiastic that the runner had a job keeping pace with them.
After the adult event there was a short race for young dog lovers around the pond.
One young dog owner looking forward to the youngsters’ event was Ines Rocha, 11, whose dad Ed had taken their border collie Pouquie on the grown-ups’ run: ‘I’ve done it at home,’ said Ines. ‘But I’ve never done a race before.
John Morris was with his collie/mountain dog cross Bobby. He said he had done the Guernsey Parkrun before and the pair had taken part in the last canicross event: ‘He loves it,’ said Mr Morris of his dog’s enthusiasm for the runs. ‘He just sets off at an unholy pace. It’s certainly helping me keep fit.’
Miss Ferbrache said she hoped to stage more events. For further information visit the group’s Facebook page.
