Sunday 9 December 2018

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.