Forest and Moors marathon 2018

We were up early for this and left home at 6.30. I had to de-ice the car before we could get going. We saw a lovely sunrise on the way down to Dalby Forest.

We arrived in plenty of time and registered (no kit check although there was a compulsory kit list). It was pretty cold waiting for the start, but it got warmer after a while.

The route is very roughly a square with the start and finish at the south east corner. Last year the signage was a bit variable, especially after the half marathon split off at 10K. This year the signage was very good, there was only one place where I thought a sign would have been useful although we knew which way to go.

After an initial climb we had a lovely downhill into Stain Dale, with the inevitable climb out

The view down Stain Dale

At the top of the climb was the Fox and Rabbit Pub and there was a lovely descent down Cross Dale to the North York Moors railway line

Here was a change in the route from last year - we missed out a hill !!! This is very unusual we are used to Race Director's adding hills not eliminating them 😏

We stuck fairly close to the railway line (no trains came along sadly) before climbing to Levisham Elbow where the half marathon runners left us.

and we had a run down some tarmac

to Levisham station where they were clearly expecting a train.

Another climb out of the valley and back to running westwards. Finally we turned north and into Cropton Forest. Last year the forest trails seemed to go on a long time, but knowing the route this year it didn't seem so bad. Finally we left the forest behind and got onto the moors

Down to the Wheeldale stepping stones

where my phone got a little hot and bothered

but Melanie's was fine

Up and over Simon Howe. It was starting to get a bit breezy with wind coming from the south and we knew the last six miles or so were going to be in a southerly direction so we tried to run as much as we could on this easterly section. Down to Ellerbeck and into the outer perimeter of Flyindales. Past Allerston High Moor to Malo Cross

Followed by probably the toughest climb up to the Bridestones

A lovely descent (we went wrong here last year but it was well signed this year) into High Stainland before the rather tough climb back to the finish. 5hr 55min so we knocked off twenty five minutes of last year's time (though we did miss out a hill this year !).

This is a lovely, cheap, low key event with fantastic scenery and it is for a good cause (mountain rescue). I am surprised it doesn't seem to sell out, but there were lots of other races on this weekend. Well recommended 😀

2017 blog

Hull marathon 2018

Road marathons are not our favourite thing to do, but Melanie was born in Hull and wanted to run across the bridge. I lived in Hull for four years and grew to love the city so we decided to enter. I had done a marathon in Hull before, but this was a different route which I was happy about.

After our rather painful experiences at the end of the Liverpool Rock and Roll road marathon, we decided to adopt a different approach this time. At Liverpool the approach was to walk until we came to a band and then run after that, but it was way too vague as a strategy. This time we decided to adopt a run to a mile marker and then walk for a minute and repeat. If felt a bit weird early on and we kept to it until we got to the Humber Bridge area which was a bit more hilly and windy.

We picked up our numbers on the day, the race started from the KCOM stadium and we we were going to get a stadium finish 😀 We came across a few people we know from previous marathons and ultras which was lovely.

We were a bit cold at the start so I was running in a long sleeve top with a tee shirt on top, gloves and shorts. Melanie was also similarly wrapped up and she was running with a backpack.

It took us about a minute to get through the start which was fine. Besides the marathon there were relay runners, some a two person team and others a four person team and they had signs on their backs indicating they were relay runners. The change over points were well organised and no problem for us going through. Overall the event was very well organised. The number of marshalls was just amazing, they were on every single road junction and they were incredibly supportive and encouraging. Lots of them were offering jelly babies, which we don't eat, but we could have eaten our body weight if we had wanted to.

After a run round the outside of the stadium we headed off to the centre of Hull, past the main hospital and the railway station. Hull is very flat which meant that the first 16m or so there were no hills. The drags started as we approached the bridge.

After coming through the centre we headed for the Humber.

Flood protection on the River Hull.

Looking towards the mouth of the Humber.

Then route headed north east through various residential street and then turned to head back to the centre a different way and through East Park.

We came back into the centre of Hull again and crossed the River Hull.

This street brought back memories for me, I used to regularly go to a pub down here and it is such a wonderful name for a street.

There were quite a few music groups on the route. We passed this group of pipers twice and the route crossed itself at about 4m and 9m

After leaving the centre we used a road through the docks which I guess the public don't usually have access to.

and then inland. There was regularly something to look at. Also there was quite a number of pieces of artwork stuck to the ground that we ran over.

Through the lovely Pickering Park.

We came to a dual carriageway which we were to come back on and it was good to see the faster runners go apparently effortlessly by. There was a definite drag up at this point. At this point Melanie was in pain from various parts of her legs so we changed our strategy a bit and walked some of the hills when we came to them.

We came to the bridge and went south which felt good. There was a good reason for this, we had quite a breeze behind us, so coming back north into a strong breeze was pretty tough and we decided that as we didn't care about the time and Melanie was finding it a bit easier to walk, we walked until we got halfway over when the drag upwards finished.

Back down the dual carriageway was easier and then we turned off and went into the Costello stadium where a bit bizarrely, there was a 100m sprint section on the track. I haven'y encountered this before but it was a welcome distraction to see a few people going for it. We were way to beat to try !

A few more residential streets and then half way round the stadium and them into it and another half lap to the finish. A nice touch to finish in an impressive stadium.

Bananas, flapjack and water at the end. A slightly bizarre collection of things in the goody bag...

Overall we enjoyed this one more than Liverpool. It could be a fast route if it wasn't for the bumps on and around the Humber Bridge. It did not affect us but those looking for a personal best it may not be the perfect route. 

Hopefully Melanie will get over her injuries quickly, she is hopeful !

Hardmoors Princess 31m 2018

This was an event I have done four times before, but I missed out last year because of a bad back. I do enjoy the route in the summer. I have done the Hardmoors 30 (which is basically the same, but not always the same direction) several times as well, but the weather and the lack of slippery mud makes it more fun that the 30.

I was running this with Melanie and it was great to see so many people I know running this one.

There were a lot of tutus on display at this one, more than I had seen before. 

The race started with the usual road descent to the Cleveland Way and then following the Way south towards Hayburn Wyke. There was some incentive to do this reasonably quickly as there was the possibility of being held by a marshall whilst a farmer moved some cattle. There is diversion on the Way in place before Hayburn Wyke, because of a landslip I think, but it was well signposted and it went across fields, along quiet road and through woods.

Then back on to the Cleveland Way above the beach at Hayburn Wyke

I think the event a little longer but not by very much. Then there is a long drag up the Cinder Track back to Ravenscar. I think this may have been the first year I have ran all of this section of the Cinder Track. I walked a bit on the road back to the Village Hall. It was getting quite warm, but there was a cooling breeze from the west. The road section was the first bit where there was no shade.

We stopped for a bit longer than usual at the checkpoint and then back to the Cinder Track for the gentle descent to Robin Hood's Bay. There is a slight rise towards the end but we were feeling fine at the Robin Hood's Bay checkpoint where they had ice to add to our drinks 😅😅

We walked the drag on the Cinder Track out of Robin Hood's Bay

We reached 15m at 2h 55min. We knew we would slow down on the Cleveland Way after Whitby, but it was looking good - my best time at this event was 6hr 45min. I slowed a little on the descent into Whitby.

Two views from the viaduct at Whitby

Crossing the Swing Bridge

This picture doesn't really show the crowds in Whitby, it felt busier than this.

We bought an ice cream each at the bottom of the Whitby steps. This didn't work out for me, my stomach did not feel good afterwards, but it didn't last for more than about an hour. On past the lovely lighthouse.

It was slow progress back to Robin Hood's Bay, I was getting very tired and we didn't run much. Finally got there and got more ice in our drinks and on to the last four to five miles which has some significant climbs. The climb out of Robin Hood's Bay was when I became really aware of my lack of energy. I was having to pause climbing the hill whichever never usually happens (except I did notice it at Elsecar, though I was fine the following day at Rosedale). I used one pause to take this photo over the Bay towards Ravenscar.

On towards Boggle Hole

Another very slow climb out and down into Stoupe Back and yet another slow climb out. My heart was racing on these climbs and pausing seemed to help keep the rate down. Across the cliffs - walked these as I had nothing left and then onto the final big climb at Ravenscar. This seemed a little easier, probably because there were no steps. Melanie fancied a proper coffee so she went on ahead to the National Trust shop in Ravenscar and bought two take away coffees and walked to the finish in the Village Hall with them. I am sure you can imagine some of the comments she got as she crossed the line !

It took me a little while to feel normal back in the Hall. The chips and the drinks helped. 

I am not sure what happened today. It could well have been the heat and not being hydrated enough before and during the event, but I will pay a visit to the GP just to get checked out. 

We finished in about 7hr 15min so a much slowed second half !!

2016 blog