Hardmoors Roseberry Topping marathon 2018

The Hardmoors Roseberry Topping marathon is over 30 miles in length and involves two climbs of the famous hill.

I was running this one with Kath, sadly Elly could not make it. Without her we completely messed up our jumping photo, so there isn't one in this report ....

It was an 8.00 start so I was up early, collected Kath and drove down to Guisborough where the race HQ was located in the Sea Cadets Hall. It was the usual start, up the road and along to the Tees Link climb up to High Cliff Nab. It was a long muddy climb ...

I was expecting the wind to pick up once we got to the top but it wasn't bad at all and there were clear skies. The views were special

On the way over to Roseberry Topping we started to run with Emma who I last ran with at the Hardmoors 30.

It is a a bit of an awesome sight as you approach Roseberry Topping.

We went down into the dip, up the path you can see in the photo, down the other side, back up again and then down a path to the left on the photo and then back to the gate you can see in the photo. They are draining climbs and we had hardly done 10k yet...

Across to James Cook monument (with another down and up before we reached it) and then the descent into Kildale

In Kildale we discovered two runners having tea outside the tea shop to make sure the sweepers did not pass them by. I liked their style !

After leaving the village there is a long pull up a quiet tarmac road with great views from the top again

We soon left the tarmac and headed along the Cleveland Way train towards Blowarth Crossing. We did not quite go that far and we turned to cross Middle Head Top and headed towards Baysdale Moor where we had a good view of the lovely Westerdale.

The track across Great Hograh moor was a bit muddy and wet, but we took it easy.

We crossed Westerdale Moor and then crossed the stream near the lovely named Dibble Bridge

Through part of Castleton and on the way to Commondale we saw a train on the lovely Esk Valley train line (never been on it ? go, it is worth it !)

From Commondale we climb up to the final checkpoint where Jamie greeted us and took out photo (thanks Jamie).

At this point I could feel I was getting cold and the temperature was dropping so I put on my waterproof and put my head torch in my pocket for later.

After the checkpoint we found a change to the route which I hadn't expected and it probably saved us a little distance and avoided a slippery crossing of a stream and a boggy section. Somehow I doubt that Jon, the Race Director, used those reasons for the slight detour.....

It was starting to get dark quickly and the temperature was dropping. We finally reached Guisborough Woods which never seemed to get any closer. On the steep and muddy descent down to Guisborough it was finally time to put head torches on. After that it was less than a mile on road back to the Sea Cadets hut.

A lovely day on the moors and yet again we had been lucky with the weather. This was the last in the Hardmoors 26.2 series this year and I have enjoyed them all and already entered the series again for 2019. I am hooked.

That's also it for my marathons and ultras for 2018, twenty done and it feels like it has been a very good year.

2016 blog

Hardmoors Goathland marathon 2018

The weather at this event can vary. In some of the previous years if has been torrential rain and it has been cold. This year we were blessed with dry weather leading up to the event. Friday night had seen heavy rain, but that just gave a surface layer of mud, it was generally firm underneath so it was fine. The temperature was good as well, a bit of a southerly breeze but not too bad at all. Definitely the best conditions I had seen in my five visits to this event.

I was running with Kath and Elly and as usual we had a great day. We started off gently through the village to the old railway line

and down to the river where we headed towards the waterfall. As usual there were small queues at some of the early gates

Sadly there had been a landslip so we couldn't go past the waterfall so we headed up some steps back into the village emerging next to the Mallyn Spout Hotel before setting off across the moors on the usual route with some lovely views.

Just after the first checkpoint were the Sports Sunday photographers

followed by the slog up to Simon Howe and then south across the moor towards Wardle Rigg

The approach to Wardle Rigg checkpoint is often very wet , but it was fine this year and I was beginning to wonder if using waterproof socks had not been required. However later sections were a bit wet so I think I made the right decision.

Down towards the railway line the autumn colours were lovely

Across the railway line and up the climb on the other side

and on to Levisham Bottoms in the direction of the Levisham Elbow. Plenty of highland cattle around here but they showed no interest in us at all.

Another climb up to the Levisham checkpoint and then gently up past the spectacular Hole of Horcum to the next checkpoint. Down the Old Wives Way with views of Blakey Topping.

On towards Fylingdales and on to Lilla Cross and down the boggy section, which we loved, to the Ellerbeck checkpoint at 23.5 miles.

5 miles to go which would take us about an hour because of the ascent up to Simon Howe. We crossed the railway line again, no trains in sight today.

One we reached Simon Howe and the cheery marshalls there, we started the last bit across the moors to Goathland Village Hall which we made before darkness fell.

2017 blog

I do love this event. As with all Hardmoors events, the marshalls and volunteers in the Village Hall were lovely and Jon and Shirley did their usual excellent job of organising the whole thing.

Hardmoors Osmotherley marathon 2018

This Hardmoors marathon has more ascent than any of the other Hardmoors marathons. 29m  roughly and ascent of round about 5000 feet. Melanie was going to run this with me but in the last week she has developed a sore hip and so she decided it would not be sensible to run this event. Instead I had the lovely company of Elly and Kath.

It is also the last Hardmoors race from Osmotherley (the parking area has been sold and there will be nowhere else to park). However, Jon, the Race Director, has changed the Wainstones route so that it goes through the village (and has given the Wainstones route even more ascent that Osmotherley....)

The start was in the usual place up the hill and out of the village

and shortly after there are lovely views to the west

and the usual queue at the next gate

Past the radio mast and the runnable descent down to Scarth Moor

As we are a little shy, we gently tiptoed past the SportsSunday photographers hoping they wouldn't notice us

and onto the long drag up Carlton Bank

with lovely views back to the west

and towards Roseberry Topping in the east

Another climb up to Cringle Moor with a view to the west

and a view back to the west towards Carlton Bank

Down the steep descent from Cringle Moor

Up Cold Moor and then the lower path (which was unusually mud free !) to Clay Bank and then up Hasty Bank now heading west

and down the Wainstones

Off to Chop Gate (again no mud !) which is halfway, before the hardest climb of the day up Trennets.

The views to the north are lovely

Finally we made it to to the top and we had a runnable section. Again we could see Roseberry Topping in the far distance

and then Scugdale

We made it to the Lordstones checkpoint for our second visit there and were greeted by one of the Race Director's motivational signs (there was about 8.5 miles to go at this point)

Up Carlton Bank again and the a lovely run down, so much better than going in the other direction which we had done several hours earlier.

Up the dreaded steps through the woods and not far to go now

We made it back in a faster time than last year so we were happy !

Jon and Shirley do a fabulous job of organising these events. The marshalls out on the course and in the hall at the end were just as amazing as ever.

The parking is about a mile from Race HQ at the village hall and when Kath and I left the Hall (Elly had left earlier) we must have looked beat as the Ambulance Driver who had been supporting the event offered us a lift back to the car park. A ride in an ambulance to top off a lovely day !

2017 blog