Hardmoors Saltburn marathon 2018

This was going to be my twenty fifth Hardmoors marathon. Some of these marathons have been over 30 miles so it gets a bit confusing when there are Hardmoors 30 mile and Hardmoors Princess 30 mile events. Today I was meant to be running with Elly and Kath, but sadly Kath is injured so she was helping out in the Sports Hall which is the start and finish. Melanie was running the half and she came down separately and I was able to see her briefly before we started.

What is lovely about the Hardmoors events is that they are friendly and the marshalls out on the course play a big part in that. They are all runners who are either injured or who are volunteering to stand outside in the windy and very cold conditions. This marshall was at Lauren and Chris's party marshalling point.

The event starts with a run down a road before the descent into Valley Gardens where it is sheltered

Then onto the sea front

before the climb up on to the cliffs and these are the views back to Saltburn

At the top of our climb is the famous wind vane (this picture was taken by Melanie)

and shortly after there was an unofficial photographer (photo taken by Steven Carter)

 and the descent down towards Skinningrove where last year the wind was so strong it was nearly blowing us back up the steps. This year the wind had been behind us and not as strong

After Skinningrove there is sharp climb upwards

where the Sports Sunday photographer was positioned

and then onto the party checkpoint which was full of inflatables and music

 The views back before we left were great, the weather was cold but you could see for miles

Then it was into the wind which I could feel despite three layers on my upper body. Through Skinningove Mining Museum, Carlin Howe and out into muddy fields

Through Skelton, West Skelton and Slapewath and into Guisborough Woods. Jon, the race director, plays a cruel trick with the route at this point. You climb up to be this high above Guisborough

and then he send you down a very muddy descent

before you have a long muddy drag all the way up to High Cliff Nab. Here is the very muddy final section

and then you get another view of Guisborough

Through the woods and out on to the waterlogged moors, which were very grim in the wind and the rain last year. This year there was a bit if a cold wind, so not as bad, but bot really fun. You then start to go downhill back to the finish. You descend down into Valley Gardens and under the Saltburn Viaduct.

In the hall it was pretty cold, but there were hot showers and after that Jon presented me with my 1000 miles Hardmoors fleece - I completed the 1000 miles at Goathland in November, but it takes a while to get the fleece sorted.

A tough day out again with the cold and the mud, but it was great to have Elly's company !