Hardmoors White Horse marathon 2016

My third marathon/ultra this year. This one was supposed to be my fourth, but I did not start the Dark Skies Kielder marathon as I had a bad back and was unable to run. I also lost about two weeks of training so I wasn't expecting very much from this event.

Last year it rained heavily until about halfway and it was pretty muddy. It was also fairly windy This year it was glorious sunshine and very little wind. Melanie, who ran it with me last year, is currently injured so she did not come down with me.

It is a fantastic route, it has a bit of everything - great views, a lake, woods, mud, a ruined abbey and some lovely streams to cross. Today I got to see it in all its glory.

There seemed to be slightly fewer runners than you normally get in a Hardmoors marathon and I guess some of them are tapering for the Hardmoors 110/160 which isn't too far away.

We started about 9.07 and I hung back a bit as I didn't expect to be going fast. I hung back a bit too much and I was slightly held up on the descent to Gormire Lake. The descent was very muddy, so that was good - it wouldn't have been good to take a tumble at this stage. We went round the lake

which again was pretty muddy and then started the long climb back up the escarpment. When we got up there were some amazing views and we could see snow on the hills in the distance. 

It had been cold at the start, but the climb up from the lake had certainly warmed me up and my waterproof, hat and gloves had all come off on the climb. We followed the Cleveland Way to High Paradise Farm

The Farm now has a cafe, we must go there some time. The first checkpoint organised by Anthony was just past the farm. Then it was  small gentle incline through the woods and onto the moors with more spectacular views to the west

I soon turned off the Cleveland Way and the same marshall as last year was at that point. We laughed about how different it was this year. Last year it was raining heavily and we tuned into a strong wind and the next bit wasn't pleasant. This year it was just beautiful and I soon started to descent into the lovely Throrodale

The it was on into the woods you can see in the distance and past the farm cottages and Arden Hall

Emily was looking after the second checkpoint and it was good to see her again. Soon after I got chatting to a fellow 100 marathon club member who was just recovering from flu and didn't have much energy. I was also overtaking and being overtaken by Dee, Jo and another runner from York. We came into the beautiful village from Hawnby and the started the sharp climb of Hawnby Hill

Then a steep descent down, cross a stream

and a long drag up Bilsdale West Moor and down the other side and back into the lower part of Hawnby - the approach to Hawnby was again very muddy. Then a long steep road climb up to the checkpoint at 18.5m. Like last year there was a Strider there, it was good to see Rachel.

Shortly after we got on to the private land and started a long descent to the valley. The muddy ascent on the other side wasn't as muddy as last year. However, the next section which last year was a mass of branches across the path was pretty similar to last year

We descended on muddy paths to the River Rye

and onto Rievaulx

before a road section and back onto the Cleveland Way

I was struggling at this point, just lack of fitness, so it was mainly walking on the many long inclines. I walked into the last checkpoint

past the lovely lakes and over stepping stones

and onto Flassen Dale

followed by the long drag up to Cold Kirby

Progress was again fairly slow on the last couple of miles. I could see I was going to be about 10 minutes faster than last year, so that was pleasing (although the wind had quite an effect last year). I came into the finish 6hr 43min after starting and was surprised to hear that I might have won my age category (I may have been the only person in my age category !). This was confirmed in a few minutes and I was awarded by trophy by Jon

It had a lovely route and I had really enjoyed it. Jon and Shirley had done a great job organising it and all the helpers and marshals had been wonderful. If you have never done a Hardmoors event, I can't recommend them highly enough !

2015 blog

Belvoir Challenge 26.4m 2016

This was my sixth time running this event. They vary the course, but this was the third time I had run this particular route. However, the last time I ran it was 2013 so I could not picture the exact route. I find having different routes appealing, you never know what is coming next.

We were both expecting lots of mud as this is fairly normal for this event. However, there was very little and you could mostly avoid it. There was a bit of a breeze in the second third, but nothing very strong. Plenty of gates and stiles, especially on the 16m route that Melanie did. As usual the start and finish was in Harby and all proceeds went to the local primary school.

This year they had chip timing so the start moved back from the road into a field so everyone crossed crossed detection device. It also finished there which meant that the route was a little longer than in previous years. There was less parking this year, so we got there about an hour and half before the start. Melanie and I were starting at the same time and we would follow the same route for the first 4m

I had my new gaiters on to stop any grit getting into my shoes and they to worked well. We climbed up the escarpment for the first time and ran alongside fields and on farm tracks - the vast majority of this route was off road with just the odd short road section. To our surprise the sun was coming out through the clouds and we were warming up quickly - it had only been about 2 degrees when we started. 

After Melanie and I parted, I went through the first of many pretty villages. This church was in Goadby Marwood

The next village, Scalford, contained the first checkpoint which was laden with cakes and sandwiches

A bit of a climb out of the village, along attractive paths across fields

through Waltham on the Wolds. 

Shortly after this I caught up with Darren and we chatted a away for a while before I pushed on a bit to the next checkpoint at Croxton Kerrial

There is a lovely descent down the escarpment after the village and it usually ends in a very muddy field. This year it was fine

Then on Harleston where there was blossom on the trees

I was starting to tire at this point which was disappointing as there was still 10m to go. I had been eating cheese sandwiches and maybe I needed a sugar boost. The third checkpoint had as much food and drink as the first two

This was followed by the long pull up to Belvoir Castle

Another climb up the escarpment and into the woods whether I started to catch some of the 16m walkers. However, there didn't seem to be so many of them this year. Then I arrived at the last checkpoint and it like a party. There must have been about twenty walkers there chatting away. Apparently they had cheese biscuits and stilton on offer, but it was so busy I didn't spot it

The last four miles and pretty easy, more paths through the woods with lovely views to the north and then a lovely downhill into Stathern and then across fields towards Harby. This section normally has a pond where you cannot avoid wet feet, but it basically wasn't there this year it was so dry. I made it back in just under five hours thirty minutes which was pleasing. As usual, there was soup and roll followed by bread and butter pudding and custard waiting for me at the finish - there are lots of opportunities to eat at this event !

Melanie enjoyed her run though she was a bit frustrated by some of the queues at some of the stiles, ten minutes at one stile ! She had time to go back to the hotel in Melton Mowbray, shower, change, have some coffee before returning to pick me up in Harby.

Photos

2013 blog

Hardmoors Saltburn marathon 2016

I last did this event in 2013 when it was held in August. I managed to win my age category that time, but I haven't won my age category in a Hardmoors event since, so I had no hope that my return to this event would result in a trophy (spoiler - I didn't win this time either). This was the first time the event had been held in winter, so I knew it would be tougher than in 2013, but I had it in my mind that it was one of the easier Hardmoors events. This meant that I underestimated it.

I had a copy of Melanie's route from the 2014 event to follow and this seemed to work pretty well apart from an extra hill that Jon had thrown in since then !

I arrived at about 7.50 and had plenty of time to relax, register and get ready for the 9.00 start. I also met up with Sara, who I ran with on the Hardmoors 60 and was marshalling with Kerry at the second Skinningrove checkpoint and Garth who I first met many years ago at a Fetch mile event in Leeds. I also had time to browse the pop up Ultra Runners store and chat to the Striders who were running the marathon.

Melanie was doing the half and going on to a retreat so she arrived as Jon's briefing was taking place and had time to come down to the start to see me off which was lovely.

I started slowly and comfortably and we went down into Valley Gardens and along a muddy path beside the stream I had not covered before. Along the prom, stopping for a quick photo

The sun was out at this point, there wasn't too much wind, it was all lovely. A climb out on to the cliffs and the chance to look back.

The cliffs rise gently upwards and on the way there was one of SportsSunday photographers

Then down on to the beach before Skinningrove

There is a steep climb out of Skinningrove and I think this is where we had the first snow coming down. It didn't seem to last too long and we were soon back to sunshine and this is how it went all day. The Cleveland Way just keeps going up for a while and this section was extremely muddy. Just as we got to the top we turned 

and headed via a few fields to the road we ran down on the Loftus Poultry run. Then down across fields to Skinningrove and Sara, Kerry and John's checkpoint. I stopped for a brief chat and then started the steep climb to Carlin Howe where Jonathan from the Striders was waiting to cheer us on. Up and out of Carlin Howe and soon after the half marathon runners started to overtake us.

I remembered quite a bit of the route from the 2013 event although we had been going in the opposite direction in 2013. This nearly led to my downfall. I came to a road crossing where Dennis (marshalling) and David (running) were chatting. I remembered the route from 2013 went straight across so that was what I did. I didn't check my watch and got about twenty yards into the next field before Denis and David had seen what I had done and called me back. I am glad they were there !

I walked up the next hill with David who was not feeling well and at the top of the hill he took the half marathon route back to Saltburn. The marathon runners rejoined the Cleveland Way and into a heavy snow flurry. This stopped just as suddenly as it started as we started the descent into Slapewath

Guisborough Woods had quite a covering as can be seen. As we came out of the Slapewath motorcycle woods, I was expecting to keep along the bottom of the woods as Melanie had done. But no, we followed the Cleveland Way and went up for quite a while before descending back down again and following muddy forest trails before we hit the familiar route across fields that leads to the long climb up to High Cliff Nab. I had always done this descent very early in other races. Doing it at 18m in was pretty tough and the first third was very muddy. There was no view from High Cliff Nab as the cloud was down which was a shame. We then then ran along more muddy forest road through the woods. Jo caught me up at this point, I had passed her at a checkpoint, and we chatted before she headed off and this is how it went for the rest of the event, I would spend less time in the checkpoints and then she would catch me and go on.

We came out of the woods together and on to the boggy moor (my feet got very wet here) and reached the turning point where two marshalls were waiting with tangerines and a camera (thanks to Joel Tiffney for this one. 

The tangerines tasted so good ! Then it was on to the busy road crossing where I photobombed a marshall and the two runners ahead (thanks to Hippie Lee Nixon for this one)

The next section down to Booseberry was really muddy, there was often no way round you just had to dive into it and get mud everywhere. Jo caught me again as we came to Flip's checkpoint in Skelton and with about 2m to go I couldn't keep up with her, but I could see her and I tried to keep her in view. As I turned into the Race HQ at the Leisure Centre a car full of Striders went by and gave me lots of cheers which was lovely. I had calculated at Booseberry I might just get a sub 7 hour finish and I reckoned I had just about done it, but we must have started a little late and I came in with 6hr 38min which was pleasing. I missed the age category by just ten minutes, but I wasn't too disappointed, it was good to have finished.

It is great to have showers at the end of this event. Overall the event was great, well organised by Jon and Shirley with very friendly and supportive marshalls who must have been very cold.

Things I learned from this event. 

1) Make sure you bring the right hat, I brought an old one of mine which I had given to Melanie (who had been looking for it !) so I had to wear a buff to keep my ears warm. 

2) Get some running gaiters, I had to stop three times to get stones and grit out of my shoes. It isn't easy to bend down and fiddle with your shoes when you are stiff near the end of a race. 

3) Make sure you bring socks to change into, I thought I had.

There was a new design for the tee shirt and medal this year

Photos

Wilmot Wander 32m 2016

I had a place in this run round Derby in 2015. It is held on a Sunday and on the Friday I had to cancel because of an incident at work. I emailed the organiser to let him know as participants were leaving in pairs in two minute intervals and I thought it would be useful for him to know I wouldn't be starting.

I hadn't expected any response, but two weeks later a letter arrived and enclosed was a cheque refunding my entry fee ! I was astonished, that had never happened before and it left me with a feeling that I would enter the event again and so I entered for 2016 in the autumn of 2015. They were taking entries on the day so I could have left it until closer to the event. Melanie had some training to do so I would be going down to do this on my own.

I have been given a map with the route on but it hadn't copied particularly well. I found a plan of a route on the web that looked pretty good and I downloaded that to my phone and Garmin, so I was hoping that with those three aids I should be able to get round. I wasn't expecting the route to be marked.

The forecast didn't look great, light rain on the walk over from the hotel and then heavy rain by the time I started. This was forecast to last for four hours before returning to light rain until my estimated finish time. After that it would clear up !

I checked in about 40 minutes before my start time and picked up what looked a better copy of the map and a written route description. I bumped into Simon, a 100 marathon club member I have seen at many events and later Paul, someone I had got to know via the fetcheveryone website. I started with them and Paul had done this route several times and it was useful to hang on to them and get through the first tricky bit of navigation. After that it soon became clear that I couldn't keep up (I had been struggling to chat to them and run) so off they went. We were now in pleasant undulating countryside and we soon entered what is or used to be a private estate, complete with lake and stately home.

Overall it was a fairly scenic route.

The course was unmarked (apart from one short 100 meter section which had three signs , a bit random) and you had to keep your wits about you not to make a mistake, there were lots of twists and turns and choices to make. I didn't do this to a standard I was happy with. In total I made three errors, but luckily none of them were serious. After about 8.5 miles, I knew I had to make a left turn but I made it too early. The path I had taken seemed to be going the wrong way so I headed across a field in what I thought was the correct direction. The runners behind me also took this path and called me back and said they thought the path I had originally chosen was the correct way. I followed them for about 100 meters and then I was convinced this wasn't right. Also walkers in the event behind us were looking at their maps, always a sign that something wasn't right. I called back the two runners I had been following and we went went back along the field to get back to the right path. They apologised for calling me back but the error was mine, I had turned left too early.

The second error was emerging from a field and turning right on to a road soon after 14 miles. There was a spectator there (one of very, very few, the heavy rain had arrived a few miles earlier). I should have turned left off the road almost immediately, but in my head I was at a different place on the map and I continued along the road. After about 100 meters I knew I was wrong from the bread crumb line I was following on my Garmin (the line wasn't there anymore, big clue !), but I didn't know what I had done wrong. Luckily the spectator was driving by in her car and she stopped and told me exactly what path I should have taken. That saved me considerable time, but I was still a bit disappointed with myself. I had had some difficulty with changing map pages in the rain and they hadn't gone in the map case properly so where I was on the map wasn't visible. If I had taken a bit longer to get the map case sorted when changing pages this probably would not have happened.

About a mile later I came to a new housing estate being built. Clearly the path which used to be straight on had gone. Do I go left or right ? Paths, both ways. I chose left and then spotted a hole in the fence. If I followed that line through the estate I would be running parallel to the original path. Fine in theory but my line ended up in a cul-de-sac so I had to backtrack and go further along. Slightly frustrating but I didn't lose much time here. Overall I have calculated I covered an extra 0.75 miles with my errors which wasn't to bad, it could have been a lot worse.

The rain finally stopped after 20 miles and the rest of the day was warmer. This was a relief, I had been starting to get a little cold. I also had been struggling with what felt like a crease in my sock which was making it a bit painful to run. I stopped a couple of times to try and take my shoe off to sort the problem but my hands were too cold to undo my laces which were also covered in mud. I had to resort to just trying to pull up my socks but that seemed to only help for a short time.

I have briefly mentioned the mud so far, but it formed a lasting part of my experience at this event. There was lots of it and it was often very slippery and boggy. Lots of people fell over and I almost went when running downhill. Early on I cursed not bringing waterproof socks, but my feet soon got used to getting wet regularly. It was particularly bad when approaching a stile or a gate and there were quite a few of those. One runner I spoke to afterwards who had done the event over fifteen times said it was the worst underfoot conditions he could remember.

One hairy bit was crossing the A38 at 21.5 miles. At this point the A38 is dual carriageway, traffic flying by at 70 mph + and crash barriers in the central reservation to clamber over.

I was stuck in the central reservation for longer than I was comfortable with.

My training for this event had been poor. It had been six weeks since my last marathon (and I had walked a fair amount of that one) and no more than one 10 mile run since. Not good enough, so I knew I would run out of steam at some point. But that point was 24 miles which wasn't too bad.

At that point I had just reached the canal.

Following a canal towpath for 3 miles sounds fine, but the towpath has a bit of muddy nightmare, very hard to run on, I was slipping everywhere and I just had so little energy left in my legs.

It was a relief to get to the checkpoint at the end of that section. I asked how far the finish I was told that it was 5 miles and that it was all flat on tarmac bicycle paths. That should have sounded like bliss, no more mud ! But there was nothing left in my legs and I only seemed to be able to run a few yards at a time. Power walking seemed fine so I resorted to that and made reasonable time back to the finish.

There was soup, bread, cake and biscuits awaiting in the Scout Hut at the finish.. The five checkpoints on that way round had had squash, water, hot drinks and biscuits, so I had had enough biscuits. The soup, bread and cheese were just lovely. There was a certificate to all finishers. Most of the entrants appeared to be fairly local and I only came across one person who had not done the event before which shows that those who have done it once like to do it again. Too soon for me to say whether I would do it again.

I made my way back to my hotel and treated myself

The route (corrected to remove my errors) is on Fetcheveryone

Photos

Hardmoors Roseberry Topping marathon 2015

The day before this event, Saturday, it started to snow in the North East. The forecast was for a hard frost overnight, so it looked this was going to be a challenging run. It had been 29.3m last year and Jon had added a bit more on so we were almost going to Blowarth Crossing before leaving the Cleveland Way. At least there was very little wind this year and it was sunny for most of the first half.

Melanie was doing the half marathon and as I was getting up at 5.00 for an 8.00 start, we decided to take separate cars so that she could have a bit of extra time in bed and she wouldn't have to hang around for me at the finish.

At the pre-race briefing Jon said that there would be safety diversion on the first descent from Roseberry Topping. We would be going down the same way as we went up the second time, that is going down the steps on the north side. I don't think it made very much difference to the distance covered.

We set off soon after 8.00 and after a short section along the bottom of Guisborough Woods we started the muddy  and snowy ascent up to Highcliffe Nab.

On reaching that we had a fantastic view of cloud inversions to the south. These inversions were there all day, it was amazing.

We crossed to Roseberry Topping which looked amazing in this weather.

The descent down Little Roseberry and up Roseberry Topping wasn't too bad although the rocky steps were just a little slippy. The descent down the north side was more slippy on the steps, but that way down at least there was some grass either side which you could use. I took it very easy. It became very muddy towards the bottom. When we finally reached the checkpoint, we turned around and made our way back up again the same way and then down the west side. Whilst going down and up other runners were very encouraging and we were encouraging them, one of the things that makes trail running so enjoyable.

As I was climbing back up Little Roseberry, Melanie was coming down a path about twenty yards from mine and we managed to shout a few words to each other and she snapped this picture of me (look closely !).

I carried on to Gribdale and then it was the climb up to James Cook monument.

It was just beautiful weather, cold but much less slippy now. We came to the 'Striders' checkpoint where the routes separated and it was lovely to see Anna, Denise and Phil.

Down to Kildale and up the other side following the Cleveland Way to Tidy Brown Hill (this was the additional section). Finally at Burton Howe, not far from Blowarth Crossing, we made the turn back to last year's route. This section was fine underfoot, but one we got to Skinner Howe Cross Road that all changed. This was part of the Eskdale Eureka route which we had been run last weekend and it was a proper fell running path, wet, rocky, uneven, partly covered in heather and muddy. Far too technical for me to run given I was running out of energy at this stage (about 18m). On to the very familar Esk Valley Path that Melanie and I walked last Easter and this was muddy as well. On to tarmac at Castleside and the undulating track to Commondale.

Then the final mainly uphill 5m (with another 1.5m or so of very technical path) to Guisborough Woods which never seem to be getting closer, before the final muddy descent through the woods to the finish. I just made it back before dark.

I was very tired when I got back and quite shivery. I got changed and headed home as soon as I could. Melanie really enjoyed her 15m run

2013 blog : Lisrun: Hardmoors Roseberry Topping marathon 2014