Yorkshireman Off-Road Marathon

Distance: 28 miles (yes, a marathon is 26.2 miles but I got lost!)

Ascent: officially 3065 ft (my watch said 3940 ft!)

Rucksack weight: 3kg
Calories burnt: 5205
Time: 6h29m

This was a tough off-road event up and down and up and down (and repeat until the finish) the Dales around Haworth. This was my slowest ever official marathon time (including those I ran as part of Ironman triathlons years ago). Still, the winner took 3h20m so this isn't your ordinary road marathon!

It started warm and sunny and we remained lucky with the weather throughout the day, apart from strong winds in places. My plan was to enjoy it and take it easy, with the goal of finishing with enough energy left in the tank in the morning for me to get out for another run if I felt like it. I had no intention of doing so, I just wanted to feel like it!

Yep, doing this with a rucksack
is warm and tiring!
(©Eileen Woodhead (woodentops.org.uk))

My legs weren't really used to these serious hills but luckily the ground underfoot was largely solid. I started out with 10 minute run/1 minute walk but towards the end I was introducing chunks of 5 minute walks. I also stuck to the ultra-runner's tip of walking the hills and running the down-hills and straights.

A colour map of the area, plus my compass, were the navigation tools. The organisers had also marked out the course but, as you'd expect, some undesirable elements seemed to have interfered with these markers in some places.

At one point I was running with a group for a short while who had done this event last year; they did an about turn when the scenery didn't look familiar and sure enough the organisers at the next checkpoint confirmed the markers had disappeared (apparently some local farmers don't approve of the event either!). So that diversion cost an extra mile or so!

On top of Harden Moor the markers had disappeared again and in my tired state found myself lost, getting cold on what was now a windy afternoon.

I came across another couple of runners who were also lost. On checking the map I thought we should be to the left of the line of pilons I could see about half a mile to my left whereas the other two thought we should be heading further east to another separate line of pilons about a mile away. . . that didn't sound right to me, so I headed further west and sure enough picked up the route from the map after descending and then ascending yet again. I never saw the other two runners after that: they could still be up there now!

A smile after 28 miles!

Eventually I came to the bottom of the 1 mile steep hill back up to the finish. I was so shattered by now I walked as fast as I could, which was probably snail's pace, in my dehydrated state to finish with a smile on my face!

I didn't really notice the rucksack and fortunately had no blisters. I only had a couple of energy gels and fueled myself with an absolutely delicious Maxim chocolate and caramel energy bar which saw me flying up and down the hills at one point with a big grin on my face . . . or was it the cakes in plentiful supply at the checkpoints!?

My legs were very tired though and I'll need to get some more steep hills into my legs to stand a chance on the dreaded Dunes Day on the MdS.