Hardmoors Wainstones marathon 2017

A mainly sunny day, but with quite a strong wind which slowed me down but also kept me cool. 26.79 miles (a bit short for a Hardmoors marathon 😉), just under 4000ft of climb with ten climbs.

Climb 1 - Out of Chop Gate and the hardest climb. It's not all marathons that you do the first mile in about 22 minutes, but at least you get the hardest climb out of the way early on.

Sometimes your attempts at taking pictures of the view don't quite work out...

James had a fantastic run today. Once we reached the top of the hill he flew off and I didn't see him again until the finish.

Once at the top, there is nice flat section with the wind behind us, so that was fun,

Photo by Dave Parker. This was followed by a lovely run down into Scugdale.

Climb 2 Carlton Bank. There is a small down section in this climb, but apart from that it is a long drag upwards, but with some great views

Then there is tricky descent down to Lordstones where we were joined by the half marathon runners. Last year, the half runners around me were about my pace, but not this year, we joined the front runners.

Climb 3 First sister (Cringle Moor) I was being passed by loads of half marathon runners, which was strange, but otherwise it was good.

Climb 4 Second sister (Cold Moor) Still being passed, but pleased to get up and over.

Climb 5 Third sister (Wainstones) I was getting a bit tired by this one. I passed the 10k tail runners. This has the most technical bit, but it is only short

Along the top of Hasty Bank and down to Clay Bank passing some of the 10k runners (which made a change from being passed by crowds of runners).

In the checkpoint I saw Eric who had sadly had to pull out because of injury.

Climb 6 Up to Urra Moor. Plodded up this this conscious that we were now approaching halfway and the worst climbs were behind us. But you always wonder how much you have left.

Once up we go down for a short while along the edge of the escarpment, looking down on the valley below. The strong wind was in our faces so once it levelled out I struggled to run for very long. Then at the next checkpoint where Dave was stationed we parted from the 10K and half runners and turn east towards Round Hill, the highest point on the moors.

Climb 7 Up to Round Hill. If this was at the start I would have run it, but after those last six climbs, there was no chance that would happen.

There were a few puddles on the route, but hardly any mud

This was followed by nice run down to Blowarth Crossing.

Climb 8 Climb up from Blowath Crossing. Again not a steep climb, but the wind was in our faces, so I walked it. Luckily I had some company - I got talking to Martin from Susses who was doing his first Hardmoors event.

Finally we got to the top and had a lovely run down to Bransdale.

Climb 9 Climb out of Bransdale. This is all on tarmac and it gets a bit steep towards the end. Pleased to get it over and there is the final checkpoint (22m) at the top.

We turned onto trail which climbed for a while and then flattened out. It started to rain a little so our waterproofs came out. We started to run and gradually Martin fell behind and I was finding I had still had some energy. I was overtaking quite a few runners and I enjoyed the descent into Tripsdale, but inevitably there was

Climb 10 Climb out of Tripsdale. Long and a slog, but there is they joy that once at the top there is nothing but downhill to the finish.

And that descent was lovely. Into the Village Hall and received my medal and tee shirt

6hr 36 min and I was very happy with that especially the last 4m when I usually have nothing left. No age category win this year - I have won my age category the other times I have done this event, but there must have been a speedier runners this year.

2016 blog

Windmill Way 2017

I hadn't done this event before, but it was held in the same area, to the west of Hull, as the enjoyable Golden Fleece. That one was organised by the scouts as was the Windmill Way so I thought I would give it a try.

The organisation was laid back. The kit list consisted of whatever clothing you thought was appropriate. The person before me at registration asked if there was a checkpoint at the windmill as there hadn't been one in previous years. 'No there isn't' was the answer although it was on the route description and on the tally card which was supposed to be clipped. Nothing was said at the briefing, so I was lucky to have heard that. There were lots of checkpoints with increasing amounts of food at them which was nice, but I did get a little nervous after the first one which just took my number and had nothing to eat or drink !

However, this was largely made up for by the finishing memento

which was lovely. Registration and Race HQ was a fairly dour building on the outskirts of Skidby

but there was plenty of parking. There were walkers as well as runners and the briefing largely consisted of telling us about a fairly small route change.

Just over the mile from the start was the famous windmill

where I didn't waste any time looking for the non-existent checkpoint. Then it was back into another part of Skidby for the second checkpoint where they just took my number. Then we were off into fields with one or two gentle climbs

followed by pretty villages such as Little Weighton

and attractive churches - this one is Rowley

The next section was tricky as the gpx route I was using didn't go the way everyone else was going, but I just trusted the two people I was running with and some yellow tape which appeared and was never used again. That got us to the route change (in order not to disturb some prize pigs apparently...). That was fine, but there was about 0.25m on a fairly busy road, followed by a long stretch on a much quieter road. There was a quite a bit of tarmac overall and the fields were also very hard from the lack or rain recently.

There were some signs to point us in the right direction

but they weren't that often.

Soon after we turned off the road were running downhill through woodland

which is just my favourite running terrain. At the bottom was the Yorkshire Wolds Way which we were to come across and follow about three times. We climbed up out of the valley and there were some good views of the Humber estuary (which can hardly be seen in this photo)

On to the village of Everthorpe, which I was familiar with from the Golden Fleece

On to South Cave where there was an indoor checkpoint with cake, soup and hot drinks. I was pretty warm at this stage, so I just filled up my bottle with water and didn't stay long. At this point it started to rain, which had not been forecast, but it wasn't heavy and it was too warm to put my waterproof jacket on. On to the Wolds Way again and on to the lovely Brantingham church

More climbing and through some more lovely woods to Welton where the checkpoint had rice pudding and peaches. There was no way I was going to skip that. On to Welton Dale which was lovely

before crossing a few more fields and on to the long green lane back to Skidby and the finish. 5hrs 6min which I was pleased with - quite a bit faster than I have ever done the Golden Fleece.

There was more rice pudding and peaches at the finish together with cake. Cost of the whole event was just £10, a bargain.

Hardmoors White Horse marathon 2017

Twelve years ago I never thought I would run a marathon, I thought at 53 I would be too old to start running one. However, I soon realised there were members of my running club who were older than me who were running them successfully. So I entered my first one and ran it just before my 56th birthday in 2007.

By December 2015 I had completed 126 marathons/ultras and I decided I needed a target. I am not one who sets myself many targets (and I don't like anybody else setting me targets, but maybe I shouldn't get started on that issue here ....).

After a bit if thought I came up with trying to get to 150 marathons/ultras within ten years of my first marathon, Windermere, in May 2007. So I was aiming to get the next twenty four marathons/ultras in eighteen months. That should be achievable provided I didn't get injured. I have been lucky, I have had no injuries, so today was the day of my 150th marathon/ultra with a month to spare on my target.

I was very happy that I had managed to arrange my 150th to be the Hardmoors White Horse marathon as it is a fantastic route and I love Hardmoors events. It is a tough route with lots of climbs, but the scenery is beautiful. I had completed my 100th marathon at the Hardmoors Wainstones, so I may have started a pattern here.

I wan't expecting a good time for this event, my previous times has been 6hr 55min (2015) and 6hr 43min (2016). Also the week before the event we had been on holiday and we had clocked up 53 miles (which is about half my usual monthly miles) in one week. Not much of a taper.

The start was at the Sutton Bank Visitor Centre (the nearest we would get to the White Horse).

and I chatted with a few friends before the start at 9.00. The start is not far away

and I was ready to go

The route starts along the Cleveland Way heading north but before long we turn off and plunge down the escarpment to Gormire Lake which is usually pretty muddy. However, this last week has been very dry and today was also dry and very warm, so it was very easy to avoid the muddy sections.

The climb out of Gormire was a bit muddy in places, but nothing like it has been in the previous two years. Once back on the Cleveland Way, the views started to appear, although it was a bit hazy.

Then after about 4m we reached Sneck Yate Bank and one of Jon's motivational signs

Then on past High Paradise Farm and onto the moors. I had started at the back and I was gradually overtaking people and this went on until the end, it is funny how some races go well and others like Kielder Dark Skies two weeks ago which I didn't feel went well (although I did a faster time there).

Then soon we were turning east and down into North Moor Wood and past the lovely Arden Hall

and a climb in road to the lovely village of Hawnby and the steep climb up to Hawnby Hill. Recently, at some Hardmoors events there has been a party checkpoint and at the top of Hawnby Hill. I should have take a photo of the bunting and the many inflatables, but I just one halfway up the climb which was telling us what was to come...

The views from Hawnby Hill are amazing. 

If you have never been to Hawnby and climbed the hill, I would highly recommend it !

Down Hawnby Hill to the next checkpoint where they had honeydew melon slices, heaven !

Another climb and a run alongside Easterside Hill, which is a section I love and then another climb up Bilsdale West Moor before descending (thanks to Peter Hunt for this one)

to the checkpoint where Gillian and Eric were volunteering. It was great to see them 😃Then its back to the southern Hornby, before the horrible road climb out on Murton Bank. I really don't enjoy this climb, it seem to go on and on.

Finally I reached the checkpoint at the top (thanks to Vicky Maidens for this one)

and it was lovely to see Sara volunteering there ! Jon had mentioned that there was to be diversion as he hadn't got permission for us to run through Deep Gill Wood so we had a smoother run and avoided this from previous years

which was a bit of relief. Generally the route was much more runnable this year being so dry. Via some lovely woods 

and on to Rievalux Abbey

If there had been an ice cream van in the car park we passed with no queue, I would have stopped, but there wasn't.

On past this lovely garden

and plodding now to the final checkpoint, where Lorna and Adrian welcomed me. I managed to run a bit more after this then I normally do, but I stopped at these stepping stones

to soak my buff and squeeze the water down my neck and rinse my face.

Before we climbed out of this section, we came across this lovely building

I can't remember whether it was there last year. We climbed out of the valley and wind has developed into more than a light breeze and it was kicking up lots of dust and I had to put my sunglasses back on - I have never had a problem with dust before at a Hardmoors event !

I didn't stop at an extra checkpoint at Cold Kirby as there was less than 2 miles to go and I could see I was going to get a course pb. And I did  I came in with something around 6hrs 16min, a 27min course pb.

So overall, it was a lovely event and I will be back next year. There are to be no targets for a while, just carrying on doing events that I enjoy 😃

2016 blog

Dark Skies 2017

My tenth running event round Kielder and my first one in the dark. I was due to run this last year but I had to miss it because of injury. Last year storm Katie hit the area during the race and everybody got very wet and battered by the wind, so in the end I wasn't too disappointed to miss it.

This year the weather forecast was excellent, clear skies to see the stars and little wind.

I drove up in the afternoon after taking it very easy at Durham parkrun in the morning as the tail runner. I got there pretty early as I wanted to park at the event rather than a mile away and have to wait for shuttle buses before and after the race. I stopped to take this photo shortly before the scout camp where Race HQ was located

There was loads of people I knew at the event, clubmates, 

old work colleagues and Hardmoors runners.

I checked out where the start was 

which turned out to be right next to the main buildings. There seemed to be lots of entrants, over 300 ?

The Lakeside Way around Kielder is not quite marathon length so we were sent round the grounds of the scout camp 

before turning to do a clockwise loop of Kielder Water. Later we had a short out and cak section presumably to add ore distance. I started off very steadily as I had been having one or two issues with both my knees and my right hip. The aim was to get round without having any issues - I was lucky my body behaved itself. 

We reached the bridge over Lewis Burn fairly quickly

and the climb up the other side had the same lovely view near the top

Very soon it was getting quite dark for taking photos but I managed one last one

There was an official photographer at the viaduct

I seemed to be running quite steadily. I was walking the hills as I usually do at Kielder. I finally got my head torch out just before checkpoint 2, an hour and half after the start (the race started at 5.30). I realised I hadn't checked the fit pretty rapidly and I had to fiddle around in the dark trying to sort it. The stars started to come out slowly and I seemed to be making steady progress and passing quite a few runners. I thought that maybe I would come in under 5 hours which is what I have done on eight of the previous nine times I have run round Kielder.

We finally reached the dam and there was a little breeze in our faces here, but nothing to slow us down. It seemed noticeably colder on the south side of Kielder - I had a long sleeved base layer, tee shirt and thin gloves, capri shorts and calf guards on at this point - it was my top half which was feeling the cold. Looking at the temperature later, it must have been zero or below at this point. At about 20m, just about the start of Bull Crag, I put on my running jacket, but I couldn't get it to zip up which was frustrating, but it still had a beneficial effect and I also put on my new Inov8 mittens on top of my thin gloves. These mittens were a purchased after suffering with cold hands up on the moors at Saltburn. They worked well although it is harder to do things with mittens.

I ran as much as I could round Bull Crag, though passing fewer people. Finally I approached Leaplish which is where the October Kielder marathon finishes. I just wished I was finished at this point and I think I was a bit low at the checkpoint at Leaplish. I also knew now I wasn't going to be under 5 hours. The checkpoint staff told me there was just 1.8m to go and that helped quite a bit and I ran most of that back to the finish, past the fairy lights which had been put up to direct back to the finish.

The route had been superbly marked with flags and reflective tags and occasional signs so I am sure people who hadn't run it before should have been able to find their way. I had paid for a meal at the end and it was vegetable curry (very nice) cake and tea. I was surprised how hungry I was.

I had thought of sleeping in the car and had everything ready for that, but the shuttle bus coming and going and the cold made me think I would drive as far as I could. As it turned out, that was all the way and I got home at 1.00 am which turned rapidly into 2.00 am as the clocks went forward.

Would I do it again ? Not sure, I have a habit of stopping doing the same event more than ten times (parkruns excluded). I have run the Great North Run and the Windermere marathon ten times, but then stopped, so maybe I need a break from Kielder. Although it was good to see the stars, I think I would have preferred to run round during the day and had the views.

Finally another photo from the organisers from the start