However, this year I weakened and entered the marathon again. Melanie stayed strong and entered the half.
The reason it is so tough are the hills. There are ten of them on the marathon and the total ascent appears to be somewhere between 4500 and 5000 ft depending on which website you use.
Hill 1 The race starts (and finishes, it is basically a circular route) at Chop Gate Village Hall and parking was easy in the field next to the Village Hall. Melanie came in her own car for her start which was an hour after the marathon. It was good to see her and other Striders before I started.
I have done the first hill in several races. In the Hardmmors Osmotherley and the Osmotherley Phoenix it comes in the middle of these events. I prefer to do it at the start and get it out of the way, I think its probably the steepest of the ones on today's route.
It does mean that I did 23min for the first mile which is one way to start a marathon.
Soon after I reached the top I caught up with Rebecca from my club who was running her second marathon and her first Hardmoors one. She had been on her hen night the previous evening and had done a 10K race that day so she was out for a day out. I also was also looking for a day out so we agreed to run together. Thanks to David for this photo
We descended into Scugdale
and ran along a quiet country road.
Hill 2 This one is the long drang up to Carlton Bank which I did recently with Kath and Sara on the Lyke Wake Challenge. By coincidence we passed Roy one of the organisers of that event at the bottom of the climb. As we got close to the top we saw some paragliders who were enjoying the wind and the fantastic views
At the bottom of Carlton Bank near Lordstones cafe we came across Eric and Gillian who were doing the half (the half route had missed out Carlton Bank) and I learnt that Melanie was ahead of them so I knew I wouldn't see her.
Hill 3 Cringle Moor which the first of the trio known as the three sisters. This seemed to pass very quickly and we were rewarded by the great view from the lookout. The weather was warm, overcast with a cooling breeze so just perfect for running. We descended carefully and soon we climbing the second sister.
Hill 4 This is the easiest of the three sisters and there is very little rest at the top before you are on the way down.
Hill 5 The Wainstones and again the climb seemed to pass quickly. We were surrounded by half marathon runners and a group of three marathon runners so there was plenty of chatter. The final part of the climb requires about twenty yards of negotiating the wainstones themselves
There is lovely flat section at the top of this hill. Melanie had been through this before us
Then it was down to the road at Clay Bank and the checkpoint where they had watermelon !! :-) Watermelon is my favourite checkpoint food on a warm day.
Hill 6 As we left the checkpoint a sign said we weren't even halfway yet, which was a little disheartening. However I felt that we would be over the worst once we climbed up on to Carr Ridge.
Flip was marshalling up there and we turned south, left the Cleveland Way and ran along the edge of the escarpment.
Hill 7 At Medd Crag there was a checkpoint where the half marathon runners continued south and we went east and up a long drag to Round Hill, the highest point on the North York Moors. We rejoined the Cleveland Way and ran down to Blowarth Crossing.
Hill 8 The long drag up towards Ouse Gill Head. We turned down into Bransdale just as we stated to descend. There had been five sweepers close by and one of them came up and chatted. The descent into Bransdale is lovely and we stayed at the checkpoint a few minutes, tried not to let this sign put us off
and chatted to the marshalls and the sweepers. We then had a section on a quiet road in Bransdale, past its lovely old church.
Hill 9 Inevitably there is a climb out of Bransdale. I had forgotten how steep and long this was. It was on tarmac and at the top we came across the last checkpoint where again we chatted with the marshalls and the sweepers before starting on a track across the moors in the general direction of the finish.
Hill 10 I had remembered a dip into and out of a valley before the finish, but again I had forgotten how far down we had to go and climb out. We were mixing with the sweepers here and enjoying the chat.
Once we were out of that valley we quickly came across David and Mark who were directing us downhill to the finish
Thanks for David for this last photo. It was thena lovely descent to the finish. Rebecca was determined to get under 8hrs so we ran along the road just before the finish
As we enetered the hall Jason who had just finished his 100th marathon was just leaving. There was time to congratulate him briefly before we got to the desk to record our time.
I had barely put my running vest down before Jon called me up for a presentation. I thought I had seen four other v60 entrants on the entry list for the marathon. I was so surprised I asked whether they were sure. They were. It is not often you come in last and win something. There is a lesson here, when you get over 60 enter a Hardmoors event, hardly anybody else of that age does ! This my fifth age category 'win' at a Hardmoors event. Thanks to David for the photo
Another advatage of coming in last is that the volunteers press you to take home some of the food that is left over.
I think I will do this one again ;-)
