By December 2015 I had completed 126 marathons/ultras and I decided I needed a target. I am not one who sets myself many targets (and I don't like anybody else setting me targets, but maybe I shouldn't get started on that issue here ....).
After a bit if thought I came up with trying to get to 150 marathons/ultras within ten years of my first marathon, Windermere, in May 2007. So I was aiming to get the next twenty four marathons/ultras in eighteen months. That should be achievable provided I didn't get injured. I have been lucky, I have had no injuries, so today was the day of my 150th marathon/ultra with a month to spare on my target.
I was very happy that I had managed to arrange my 150th to be the Hardmoors White Horse marathon as it is a fantastic route and I love Hardmoors events. It is a tough route with lots of climbs, but the scenery is beautiful. I had completed my 100th marathon at the Hardmoors Wainstones, so I may have started a pattern here.
I wan't expecting a good time for this event, my previous times has been 6hr 55min (2015) and 6hr 43min (2016). Also the week before the event we had been on holiday and we had clocked up 53 miles (which is about half my usual monthly miles) in one week. Not much of a taper.
The start was at the Sutton Bank Visitor Centre (the nearest we would get to the White Horse).
and I chatted with a few friends before the start at 9.00. The start is not far away
and I was ready to go
The route starts along the Cleveland Way heading north but before long we turn off and plunge down the escarpment to Gormire Lake which is usually pretty muddy. However, this last week has been very dry and today was also dry and very warm, so it was very easy to avoid the muddy sections.
The climb out of Gormire was a bit muddy in places, but nothing like it has been in the previous two years. Once back on the Cleveland Way, the views started to appear, although it was a bit hazy.
Then after about 4m we reached Sneck Yate Bank and one of Jon's motivational signs
Then on past High Paradise Farm and onto the moors. I had started at the back and I was gradually overtaking people and this went on until the end, it is funny how some races go well and others like Kielder Dark Skies two weeks ago which I didn't feel went well (although I did a faster time there).
Then soon we were turning east and down into North Moor Wood and past the lovely Arden Hall
and a climb in road to the lovely village of Hawnby and the steep climb up to Hawnby Hill. Recently, at some Hardmoors events there has been a party checkpoint and at the top of Hawnby Hill. I should have take a photo of the bunting and the many inflatables, but I just one halfway up the climb which was telling us what was to come...
The views from Hawnby Hill are amazing.
If you have never been to Hawnby and climbed the hill, I would highly recommend it !
Down Hawnby Hill to the next checkpoint where they had honeydew melon slices, heaven !
Another climb and a run alongside Easterside Hill, which is a section I love and then another climb up Bilsdale West Moor before descending (thanks to Peter Hunt for this one)
to the checkpoint where Gillian and Eric were volunteering. It was great to see them 😃Then its back to the southern Hornby, before the horrible road climb out on Murton Bank. I really don't enjoy this climb, it seem to go on and on.
Finally I reached the checkpoint at the top (thanks to Vicky Maidens for this one)
and it was lovely to see Sara volunteering there ! Jon had mentioned that there was to be diversion as he hadn't got permission for us to run through Deep Gill Wood so we had a smoother run and avoided this from previous years
which was a bit of relief. Generally the route was much more runnable this year being so dry. Via some lovely woods
and on to Rievalux Abbey
If there had been an ice cream van in the car park we passed with no queue, I would have stopped, but there wasn't.
On past this lovely garden
and plodding now to the final checkpoint, where Lorna and Adrian welcomed me. I managed to run a bit more after this then I normally do, but I stopped at these stepping stones
to soak my buff and squeeze the water down my neck and rinse my face.
Before we climbed out of this section, we came across this lovely building
I can't remember whether it was there last year. We climbed out of the valley and wind has developed into more than a light breeze and it was kicking up lots of dust and I had to put my sunglasses back on - I have never had a problem with dust before at a Hardmoors event !
I didn't stop at an extra checkpoint at Cold Kirby as there was less than 2 miles to go and I could see I was going to get a course pb. And I did I came in with something around 6hrs 16min, a 27min course pb.
So overall, it was a lovely event and I will be back next year. There are to be no targets for a while, just carrying on doing events that I enjoy 😃
