Hardmoors Wainstones marathon 2022

 I have done this event a few times before and this particular route at least once. This was my first marathon of 2022 and my training for this event has not been as good as it should have been. A couple of twenty miles runs and a couple of hill sessions is not enough for a 28 mile and 5000 feet of climbing.

It starts and finishes at the Village Hall in Chop Gate. The start is very, very slow. Within a 100 metres of the start is a stile which is a bottleneck and it took me over 6 mins to get over it., but I did start right at the back. This is followed by what I think is the hardest climb in the event.

Finally at the top, I was able to start running and down to the first checkpoint at Scugdale I felt I was making good progress. Maybe I went a little too fast as that may be one of the reasons why I found it so hard later....

Then its west on the Clevaland Way leaving it at Scarth Gap to get onto High Lane heading to Square Corner (10 miles) which was packed with cars.

Then back onto the Claeveland Way, through the lovely Osmotherley and then up to Scarth Wood Moor and back to Scugdale.

I knew the remaining miles would be tough. A long climb up Carlton Bank, down to Lordstones. I was getting caught by people who I had passed earlier as I was getting tired and I was taking the downhills very carefully.

From Lordstones there are the three Sisters - Cringle Moor, Cold Moor and Wainstones. I really struggled climbing these, the lack of hill training and distance showed here, we were past 20 miles at this point. However, a big compensation was the views which were amazing !

Down to Claybank there is another big climb to Urra Moor. 

Once there I was walking runnable sections I was so beat. Finally a downhill to Chop Gate Village Hall when I firnally started running again.

I was the only veteran 70 mad enough to enter so I won that award that was nice and lots of people were very kind. I did my 100th marathon at Wainstones seven years ago so it was good to be back at this event.

Jon and Shirley do an amazing job at organising these events and the marshalls are so encouraging and helpful. If you can get into a Hardmoors event go for it - getting in is quite a challenge, they sell out very quickly which says everything about these events.

2019 blog

Saturn Run Remembrance Day marathon 2021

I have completed a Saturn Run marathon in Durham before. I didn't really enjoy doing laps along paths I run down very regularly. However, that one had short laps so it felt there was a lot of covering the same ground. I have also watched the last couple of Saturn runs and come round to thinking maybe I should do another one. I felt that I also needed a long run to keep my fitness up at this time of year.

There are advantages, the start is only one mile from where I live, the route is very flat, there is a very friendly atmosphere with no pressure, you can run as far as you like within 6.5 hours. And then there is the Aid station at the end of each lap. There is a comprehensive choice of sweets (and some vegan ones) and today there was watermelon. I usually love events that have watermelon at checkpoints.

There was also a number of people there who I knew which always helps. My partner Melanie was going to do the half marathon (three laps) and a friend was going to do two laps (although she ended up doing a third to reach a half marathon 😀). The weather was perfect, no wind or rain, the ground was firm and the autumn colours were just lovely. Thanks to Melanie for these photos 😀

Lap 1. There must have been a couple of hundred starters and it felt quite crowded. There were also lots of folk out on the paths for a Sunday stroll so there was a bit of dodging and weaving. Also we took it very easy and got back to the aid staion and had drinks and food.

Lap 2. At 11.00 air horns sounded around the course and we all stopped in rememberance. We felt that we weren't going any faster on this lap, but somehow we were and we got back to the aid station a bit quicker. Time for more of the food I had bought with me - sandwiches and my mountain fuel drink.

Lap 3: Melanie and I set out together and this was without any doubt our fastest lap. It felt like we were going considerably faster. At the end Melanie stopped as she did not want to aggravate the niggles that she is struggling with.

Lap 4: I knew that without Melanie this was going to be harder, so I changed my shirt and gave Melanie my waist bag that was rubbing a bit. I often find changing my shirt helps me, it just feels like a fresh start. Earlier in the event I thought I would take this lap slower, but I was still buzzing from lap 3 and it was fairly fast.

Lap 5: Melanie has stayed around and I passed her several times which always helps. This lap was meant to be where I put in some effort, but I had already put some in the previous lap and there wasn't much left in the tank. There were a couple of sections I walked which is not a good sign.

Lap 6: Changed into a long sleeved top as I thought I might be walking a bit more on this lap and that happened. Not many runners left on the course at this point and those who were left were all exchanging 'Well done' as they passed.

Some vegan snacks at the end and an impressive medal

2020 blog

Hardmoors Fryupdale marathon 30m 2021

It has been eighteen months since I did a marathon or ultra event. The last marathon distance I did was in May and since then I have only done one twenty mile training event. This showed in today's marathon.

It was an early start which we haven't been used to either. Melanie and I left home at 6.45 as the sun rose.

The start and finish were at the Yorkshire Cycling Hub in Fryupdale (what a wonderful name). The route was already nearly 30 miles but Jon, the route organiser, thought it would be fun to send us up the zigzags of the mountain biking route on the site. To compensate we were going to take a short cut to the finish - a net gain of distance, but he said that we would get the extra distance over with early in the race.....

I started last as I knew I was going to find it tough. However, I found that I was running well and started to slowly overtake other runners. We ran down the valley and then started gently climbing out

The photo below has not come out well, but if you click on it you can see the runners in front zig zagging up the top. It was a big climb out of the valley and up onto the moors

The view from the top looking back towards the start on the hill in the distance

Over the moors, on past the Lion Inn and on to the old railway line towards Blowarth Crossing. Here the views are looking into Farndale

A descent into the lovely Westerdale and onto a section of the Hardmoors Rosedale marathon route. Most of the route was using the Esk Valley Walk which is a lovely path starting in Castleton, doing a loop to the south and then following the valley to Whitby. Highly recommended !

Soon after Castleton I was in a group of about eight or nine and they weren't sure of the way and so I was leading them, hoping I didn't make  a mistake. We ended up in the Moors National Park Centre and went past this guy

Then a big 1.5 mile climb on tarmac up to Danby Beacon where Melanie was waiting for me. 

The bottom of my left foot was sore so I changed shoes and socks applied vaseline, had some tea and sandwiches and generally had a bit of a rest. The rest of the group were long gone by the time I started again

This is where my lack of good consistent training hit me hard. I was walking much more and sometimes on the flats and downhills.... not good

My ankle was also getting sore - I had gone over it a couple of times earlier, but each time it had been fine immediately after. I met Melanie in Glaisdale and I was struggling with it. I didn't stay long there as I could feel myself getting stiffer and I was hoping it would ease as I walked up the long ascent on Glaisdale Rigg. That drag upwards seemed never ending. At one point I could see the finish in the valley but had further to climb...

Finally we turned down into the valley and it is some descent. I remember it from two years ago but I was hoping it would be easier because of the drier conditions. It wasn't. If you want a combination of grass, mud, steepness and rocks it is perfect ! I took it very carefully.

A bit of tarmac to the Cycle Hub and a steep climb up to the finish line

I was the only veteran 70 in the field and so by finishing I won a plaque !

It was good to see so many people I know. Hardmoors marathon/ultra number 51 and overall total now 205. Although the last nine miles were hard, I am glad I entered the event. It is a beautiful route. The next challenge is not to let the fitness I have gained here deteriorate, I don't want the next one to be as hard as this one !

Golden Fleece 27m 2020

Melanie and I went into this event quite differently. Melanie was concerned about some niggles that she had from last week's mud fest at Belvoir. I felt fine and Melanie said she might be slow.

I do like this event, it is low key, friendly, there is lovely wolds scenery, lots of food at the checkpoints and lovely vegetable stew at the end. We thought that there might be as much mud as there was at Belvoir, but we could not have been more wrong, the paths and field edges were on the whole very firm. There was a bit of a breeze in our faces in the last quarter but nothing very strong. The sun even came out for a while.

The start was in South Cave as usual a

and this event usually starts on time at 8.30. There was just one announcement at the start, please don't run on the daffodils at the first corner and that was it, we were off. The first seven miles are pretty flat and we went though a number of pretty villages such as North Cave

and into the Park next to Hotham Hall where we came across this sign

and into Hotham itself

This followed by farm tracks before some woods

and then on to the 7m checkpoint where the short and long routes part. There is always lots of food at this one and they even have vegan food set aside

This is where the wolds properly start and there are plenty of climbs and descents

Shortly before the next checkpoint we were overtaken by a two groups, one of four and one of three. They were still at the checkpoint when we left and the group of three soon caught us up again. It became clear that they had no idea where they were or where they were going - there were no runners in sight in front. They did have a route description but seemed not to have much confidence in it. This event has no markings at all. The group of four were the same and we found they were waiting for us at junctions to check they were going the right way. This continued all the way the the next checkpoint.

Again we were the first to leave and the next bit through Walkington is complicated so they followed us closely and when some one else who knew the route overtook them they tagged along. They then disappeared into the distance, but we heard later they made a few mistakes and had to backtrack. It seemed a bit strange to us to just rely on other runners.

Once we got to Skidby at about twenty miles, my legs felt that they had nothing left. Melanie was managing her niggles very well and was definitely in a better place than me. She could have gone on, but sadly we had not put the route on our watches because I was very familiar with the route and Melanie was expected to be the one who struggled - Melanie hasn't done the route as many times as me and was less confident she knew where to go.

We went on to the lovely Brantingham

The last few miles are quite up and down, but there are some good views

before we got a view of South Cave and finish

We ran through a plantation of some crop which we could not figure out what it was

before passing the grand looking hotel near the finish

I enjoyed it, but less than Melanie who was surprised she felt as good as she did. Will we be back again next year ? Probably 😀

2019 blog