Looking forward to a relaxing weekend at home soon came to an end for Sidmouth Running Club member Carine Silver after receiving a phone call from her sister, writes Terry Bewes.

She had two entries for the Offa’s Twisted Wye Kanter one each for her and her son, unfortunately her son had to pull out at the last minute so who better to replace him than your sister.

There are four courses on this self-navigation run, 24, 19, 15 and 12.5 miles. They had entered the 19 mile.

This is a new and exciting winter kanter with a ‘twist’ in the beautiful Wye Valley on the Wales/England border.

The event uses established long distance routes such as Offa’s Dyke, Wye Valley Walk and Gloucestershire Way as well as paths to link main routes. The twist is that in order to earn your certificate, clues need to be gathered and solved en route.

You have to have the confidence to self-navigate as there are no checkpoints and carry sufficient food and drink for your chosen mileage.

Tea and toast is provided at the start in Chepstow. Carine said it was very, very muddy and hilly and at 19 miles a couple of miles shorter than the Grizzly, but it took her two hours longer to complete.

However on their return to Chepstow there was a substantial hot meal and hospitality laid on for them and the news that they were joint fourth home on this route. Just the news she needed for the long drive home after a very tiring day.