Hardmoors Saltburn marathon 2017

I was running this one with Sara

(this photograph was taken on the cliff tops between Saltburn and Skinningrove, not long after the start).

"Enjoy and don't die" were the final words at the race briefing from Jon Steele, the race director. Good words on a day when the weather forecast was awful.

The winds were forecast to be very strong and they certainly were. The route follows the coastal cliff tops for a while before heading inland towards Guisborough Woods. Then it is up onto the moors before heading back to Saltburn.

The start through Valley Gardens, which is well sheltered, was fine and not as muddy as I expected. Once we hit the coast and had climbed up the cliffs it was very different. 

Here there was occasional heavy sleet/rain showers, but it was the wind which seemed to be largely in our faces that made it tough.

The steps down to the beach at Skinningrove was amazing I felt like I was being blown back up again.

Then there was the inevitable climb out of Skinningrove.

We ran along the cliff tops a bit longer than last year (to avoid part of the Cleveland Way that goes through someone's garden) and there were some great views

I had hoped that with the wind behind us and moving away from the coast the next section, back through Skinningrove, past Brotton and North Skelton and on to Skelton Green would be easier. It was for a while, but the fields were muddy and at some point the rain became relentless. At Skelton Green, 12m, the half marathoners, turned for home (though they still had 3m to go ;-)).

After that we were back on the Cleveland Way to Slapewath and both Sara and I noticed that the weather turned distinctly colder. The rain also turned to sleet then snow at times. Down to Slapewath via very muddy steps and back up into Guisborough Woods where the snow was beginning to lie.

We descended down again to the bottom of the woods and ran towards the bottom of the climb to High Cliff Nab. One of the marshalls there asked if we were cold. I said I was fine, but I hadn't quite appreciated what was to come soon.

The climb up to High Cliff Nab was the muddiest I have ever seen and it was great to see the two encouraging marshalls cheering us on from the top

All the marshalls did an awesome job, at least us runners were moving but they had to just stand there in awful weather.

We continued on, mainly upwards through the woods on muddy and increasingly boggy trails. Finally we emerged on the moor which I had expected to be a bit boggy. It was worse than I expected and the wind and the snow and the hailstones were in our faces. It was a bit grim at this stage. We also seemed to be on the moors for much longer than I remembered. I wished I had put on another layer at this point, but the thought of stopping and taking it out of my bag and taking things off in that wind, well it wasn't going to happen. It was a big relief to get to the A171 and get off the moors. After that there was still plenty of mud and wind, but we were more sheltered.

It was only when I got into the Hall at the finish that I realised how cold I was. I sat down and found I couldn't undo my gaiters. Luckily Lorna could see I was struggling and came over to give me a hand. I got into the shower as soon as I could and that really helped.

I am struggling to remember a long event which I have run where the weather was worse than this. Would I do it again ? Yesterday, I would have said no, but today, well I am thinking about it .....