High Peak Marathon Race Report - March 2010

This year's race took place over the 5-6 March. The course is approximately 42 miles long over the beautiful, but hilly, Peak District and follows a circular course around the River Derwent Watershed. The race is made more 'special' because it starts at 11pm, ensuring that most of the race takes place in darkness. For understandable safety reasons runners have to enter in teams of 4 and are required to carry a significant degree of equipment, including a tent and a sleeping bag.

Undoubtedly this was a tough race, although the more experienced competitors commented on how kind the conditions were this year. To put conditions into perspective, we were running on snow for approximately 30 miles, this snow varied between a soft thin layer to lethally slippery compacted ice to waist deep drifts covered in a fragile crust. Visibility varied between 20 miles and 20 feet, with sun, rain, snow and darkness adding to the mix.

Preparation proved to be a crucial contributor to success or failure. In this event navigation is crucial, with the first 7-8 hours of the race taking place in darkness and the added complication of mist, fog and cloud Our team made 2 practice runs on about 75% of the route, which proved invaluable. However, even with this preparation we probably lost an hour due to navigational errors in thick mist.

Our team was made up of Duncan Sutcliffe, Richard Sowden, Mat Bailey and Richard Wilkes. We completed the race in a time of 13hrs 50 mins and we achieved our goal of finishing in good spirits and able to stand! Of the 55 teams that entered only 46 made it to the start and only 35 to the end, our team came 30th.

If anyone fancies entering next year then be aware that the race is over subscribed and entrants must satisfy organisers of their experience. Priorities go to teams that have run the race before so this could be your opportunity. Although you don't need to be mega fit to complete the race you need stamina and at least 2 of the team need to be competent navigators. You should also make time to practice on the route. If you want to win the race then start training now, the quality of the competition was almost a who's who of fell running, with numerous professional and sponsored athletes competing. People who had completed the Bob Graham Round were nothing special and Sir Ranulph Fiennes was looked upon as just another runner!

For more info on the event go to http://highpeakclub.union.shef.ac.uk/hpm/

Duncan Sutcliffe

White Peak Marathon 22nd May 2010

Oh My God! I don't half pick 'em! What was being run only to support one of my friends around her first marathon turned out to be a tortuous event for all of us with PWs (personal worst) galore!

The training for all had gone well enough after a dodgy start with the very cold and snowy weather in December, January and February. But at last we got some pleasant weather to train in, that is until a few days before. The forecast was for the hottest temperatures of the year (and probably the last of the summer sun?!!!) up to 26 degrees even in the Peak District. The pre-race chat about race day was not how fast we'd run but the fact that all our training was no match for the weather - we hadn't been able to do a warm weather acclimatisation course!

Needless to say 17 of us set out like lemmings to our deaths determined to finish (yes Sue, even me!). The course wends it way UP the Tissington Trail (according to Stuart, "it's only gentle as it's an old railway route and steam engines can't climb steep!) to a man sat on a chair in the middle of nowhere on the High Peak Trail at 11 miles (near Parsley Hay), more up until approx 19 miles then 3 significant downhills and back along the canal to the finish. There was beautiful scenery and for that we were grateful during our walking breaks (or should that be running breaks during the walk???!!!!), supportive pedestrians and absolutely brilliant marshalls who all went out of their way to obtain extra water and sponges. Even the old marathon hacks were put out by the weather on this race/run/jog/walk/crawl. Stuart said his PW the previous year was surpassed in style this year because he didn't have me nagging him to run! However, with the exception of 2, one of whom pulled out after 19 miles and one other who exhausted himself and curled up under a bush only to be found by Sue, Teri and Nick who rescued him and obtained some emergency help, everyone finished, even if a couple of us did wobble later and require the services of the medically trained within our group!

But the star of the day was Amanda who, on her first marathon probably ran more of the race than all the rest of us put together - there's some grit and determination in that girl - and finished with a smile on her face. Her only disappointment was that she couldn't eat her fish and chips afterwards! Hats off to you, Amanda - you were superb!

Seriously though, if you do fancy entering this marathon, give it a go. It is usually raining and cool and a testing course as the uphills are not so much steep but they are relentless and the downhills are so steep they hurt but it is well organised and the marshalls are cheerful and supportive.

Thank you once again Joggers for your support in what was unanimously agreed as the toughest conditions any of us have raced in.

Julie Bott