Dusk 'til Dawn Ultra 2012 or a Tale of Five Head Torches

For some reason this mainly mad event had an appeal to the mainly mad members of Goyt Valley Striders. We entered this event in droves making the largest single group in the event by a long shot. The weather played its part resulting in competitors taking a variety of routes towards the end. To quote the event website:

"The race began at 17:42 on 27th October. 51 people finished the course before severe weather caused the race to be abandoned at 07:15am on 28th October. All those removed from the course at mile 45 onwards were advised it was for their own safety. Beyond Marathon credit them with a Daylight Finish award. Alternate routes to were offered to some participants during the event. These are detailed in the full results."

The overall route is shown below. The event centre was Castleton Youth Hostel (the new one in Lose Hill Hall) and the start was a few hundred yards away half way up the lane from Castleton to Hollins Cross.

Overview of Route

After a dash up Lose hill it goes down to Hope, along the river to Castleton and up through Cave Dale. The route then drops south to cross the A623 above Peak Forest then down the lane toward Millers Dale along the Bullock Smithy route (with Checkpoint 1 halfway along the lane). In Millers Dale it is straight across the river then up the steep south side of the dale to Priestcliffe then along the road to cross the A6 at the Waterloo pub (whose welcoming lights were to dutifully ignore). Along a track and a lane it picks up the Bullock Smithy route east of Chelmorton and follows this over the A515 to Earl Sterndale and Checkpoint 2. From Earl Sterndale it goes through someone's garden up onto the ridge above the quarries. A series of fields and lanes takes the route past the Buxton Raceway just beyond which it turns north across the firing range. A sharp left turn at Ladmanlow prevents the route from crashing into Buxton and take the runners over the A54 and eventually to the Cat & Fiddle (Checkpoint 3). It now enters true Goyt Valley Striders territory as it summits Shining Tor and drops down to Pym Chair, Windgather Rocks and Taxal Edge.

Windgather Rocks (c) Mick Wren 

In Taxal it drops down to the river then up over the Whaley - Buxton road to Shallcross. Across the fields to come out just east of Tunstead Milton on the Whaley - Chapel road the route then takes Milton Lane up to Eccles Road where it turns right towards the pike. Just after the top of Eccles Pike the route leaves the road and drops down via the paths and road to Whitehough. From Whitehough it takes the road west of Chinley then towards Chinley up to the railway footbridge. From here it's over the railway then up the appropriately named Over Hill Road to the Chinley Churn path (and Checkpoint 4). Up Chinley Churn to the 'big rock' then it's a drop down to cross the Hayfield road at the Lamb Inn and up onto the southbound Pennine Bridleway to come out on the Rushup Edge road. It's then over Rushup Edge, Mam Tor to Hollins Cross and then dropping down into Castleton village and along the road to the youth hostel and finish.

So that's the route, here's the tale of my Dusk 'til Dawn adventure. It started in way which could only get better. I had to drive up 150 miles from the South. I guess I set off too late as I arrived late. I'd not had a very substantial lunch but brought a big tupperware full of tuna and pesto pasta for my tea. I managed to find a parking place at the youth hostel and arrive at the registration just as the race briefing started. Across the briefing room from the registration desk there was a large herd of Striders resplendent in their black Goyt Valley Stranglers skeleton t-shirts made by Caz and Tony W.

Stranglers t-shirt

I had to miss the briefing (along with many route instructions and tips) as registration had decamped out into the corridor. I then went back to the car to get changed and eat but I was rapidly running out of time so didn't have much to eat. Not the best way to start an ultra. I caught the tail end of the competitors as they made their way to the start. Just as I got there I realised that I was still wearing my glasses so I ran back to the car to put in my contact lenses. I then ran back to the start and arrived with about 30 seconds to spare. Caz found me and gave me my Stranglers t-shirt which I then put on top of my other clothes.

The weather was very cool but dry (at the moment) and forecast to get much colder. The climb up Lose hill soon warmed me up. I could have done without that extra layer just then. I'd started at the back thanks to my rushing around and as I made my way through the bunch I started chatting to Karl only to realise it wasn't him! Embarrassing. I caught up with Paul H near the top and we dropped down into Hope together. On entering Hope we came across Phil just as she was sorting out a borrowed head torch after her's had failed to turn on. This was a theme to be repeated many times in the night. Although it was past sunset it was still just light enough to see at this point. I didn't turn on my head torch until approaching Castleton. Our supporters were out in Castleton with Tony in the square and Sarah B at the bottom of Cave Dale.

The next few miles we done in the company of Paul and Pete W (and his brother?). I pulled away on the decent into a dip just before the A623 and found myself on my own along the lane towards Millers Dale (apart from seeing Tony again and Checkpoint 1). We'd been provided with glow-sticks at registration. I found two en route along here so was well lit. As I approached Wheston I could see another runner in front. I immediately recognised the way the bumbag was swishing around. It was Phil. I think she was onto her third head torch by now. We ran together through Miller's Dale and over the A6. Paul and Pete had caught up by now and we were all together as we moved onto the limestone track past Chelmorton.

Somewhere near where the Bullock Smithy's Chelmorton checkpoint is sited I caught up with a runner and realised it was Dave B. He wasn't enjoying himself on the hard track. I eventually moved away and found myself alone again as I crossed the A515. Half a mile on down the track past the end of the quarries I was approaching another runner when I realised it was Peter D. He wasn't particularly chuffed with the run either. The weather had turned very cold by now. We ran together and were joined by Paul and Pete again as the route took to the fields towards Earl Sterndale. After a minor navigation error in the fields we found the road and trotted into Checkpoint 2 in the village school house where Mark W was waiting for us.

It was in Checkpoint 2 that I had my only complaint about what was a generally very well organised event, especially for the inaugural running. There was soup and tea on offer but we were pretty much left to it and things became very cramped and chaotic. I managed to lose my gloves and misplace my buff but fortunately found them again. This was probably made worse by the fact that I was freezing and tired. I put on a spare layer here (my fourth). As usual I took ages in here while Paul and the others, who arrived a couple of minutes after me, did their business and were off.

As I made my way onto the ridge above the village I was saved from a climb over the fence by Steve H who came up behind me and put me back on track to the stile. Somewhere along here we regrouped with Pete W. At least I think we did ( I was tired by then). Approaching the Buxton Raceway Steve and I took to the road rather than the parallel run through the fields. Steve received a few calls along here from Mark regarding more problems Phil was having with her head torch (her fourth of the night). She was just in front of us so we met her on the firing range. As we approached her I found her head torch in the grass. She'd accidently dropped it. Fortunately I was carrying a spare head torch so I gave her that. This one managed not to fail and the batteries just lasted until Phil finished. Ironically the head torch I was using (a Petzyl Myo) has since failed (but managed to survive this event).

I was very cold and weary by now and struggled up the climb to the Cat & Fiddle (Checkpoint 3) where I grabbed something to eat and Colin from Buxton who was out supporting us and the Buxton runners (Mark F and Simon M) kindly filled up my bottle. I didn't hang around here as it was in the open.

I'd joined up with Steve and Phil again as we set off again. Just as we took the track towards Shining Tor from the road there was a small white box in the middle of the track. A voice from the box said something (I don't remember what) as we approached. I assumed it was a walkie-talkie device and someone was in a car nearby watching us approach it but apparently it was a device, triggered by a proximity sensor, placed there by the race organisers as a little joke. There was another one in the woods after Windgather but we didn't see that one.

It was bitter as we ran over Shining Tor and down the track/paths to Windgather. After Windgather Steve and Phil decided to take an alternative route which the organiser had said was fine during a previous recce. Instead of dropping down through the woods and past the farm to Taxal, we went straight on over the field after Windgather and dropped down off Taxal Ridge past Terry's Tree to Taxal.

On the climb up the road from the river crossing my tank drained to empty. My lack of proper meals during the day finally caught up with me. Sarah and Mark were in the layby waiting for us. Paul turned up just behind us. I believe he was in front of us at the Cat & Fiddle so we must have passed him on our alternative route. Sarah had some hot Vimto which went down very well but did little to pick me up. I lost contact with Paul, Steve and Phil on the climb to Shallcross as I struggled along on my empty tank. If I was still staying in Whaley Bridge I'm not sure I would have continued at this point as I was bone tired and cold. A few of our clubmates did drop out at the Taxal crossing unable to resist the warm baths and beds just a few hundred yards away down the road.

At the bottom of the climb up to Eccles Pike I stopped and put on my final (and fifth) layer as I was getting even more cold due to going slower. I was passed by another runner as I was doing this. I then found him map reading at the top of the Eccles Pike road so we joined up and ended completing the run together. He went by the marvellous name of Madoc Batters.

For some reason I'd got it into my head that Steve B (Berry not Bull) would be at the top of the road complete with flask of hot drink.  (Possibly because he said he would be?) I was really looking forward to that.  Instead all I found was a navigationally challenged Madoc and a cold wet wind cutting through my five layers while Mr B was probably snoring under a nice cosy duvet.

When we reached the railway footbridge in Chinley, Madoc said he'd been told by the marshal at the Taxal crossing to take the bad weather route along the road. He then rang the organisers to double check and they confirmed this. So, instead of going up Chinley Churn we took to the road and dropped down to Wash then up the long drag to the Chestnut Wildlife Centre. We took the main road up to the marshal at the start of Rushup Edge. Looking at the map later, the bad weather route actually crosses the road at the Chestnut centre and takes the track parallel to the main road.

On reaching the marshal point we were greeted by Sarah and Karl (who had dropped out at Taxal) with more hot Vimto. The marshals also had samosas which went down very well. We reached this point before Paul, Steve and Phil (along with Julian B who they'd met up with at some point) who would have been out on the Pennine Bridleway. We were advise to stick to the road from here (but the other's ignored this and finished via the original route). Still feeling drained I wasn't going to argue with them so we walked and jogged along the road. I decided to take the old closed road past Blue John and Treak cliff caverns rather than the quad killing Winnats Pass down into Castleton. Madoc followed suit. In the dark and wet the shattered road was quite surreal, like a scene from a disaster movie. It took some finding in places as a section could be 20 feet above (or below) its neighbour. Eventually we reached the smoother tarmac and ran all the way into the youth hostel grounds. The slight incline up the hostel was too much for me so Madoc jogged off to finish 2 minutes in front of me. I finished in 11:12.

A cold. wet and tired Mick

The event centre was in a sort of lounge/dining/kitchen room in an annex to the main building. When I went in I was surprised that it was almost empty. There was the organiser (busily pouring tea and making jacket potatoes), our own Andy P (who'd come a marvellous 6th in 10:30), Charlie Sharpe (the winner in 8:57) and Madoc. I was amazed to learn that I was 8th finisher (albeit via the bad weather route). I'd assumed there were dozens in front of me. Julian and Paul came in (via the high route) at 11:56 closely followed by Phil and Steve.

Phil and Steve (note the bare legs)

Overall, because of the various routes taken, the results a little meaningless apart from the fact that we'd completed a tough course in gruelling circumstances. I'd been given a hard reminder lesson about the need to get nutrition right. While I'd been freezing in my five layers Paul sailed round in two layers (a Helly and a t-shirt!) and only put his jacket on at Cracken Edge and Phil went round in shorts!

You can find out what happened to various other club members on the club message board at: http://goyt.minuteboard.com/m/b/a/showtopic.html?topicid=62538&nr=29

The general consensus seems to be that while it was a 'good' experience no-one is in a rush to do it again any time soon. But then we always say that after a tough event don't we?

Two and a Bit Marathons

Just back home from running (and a smidgen of walking) the Bullock Smithy (profile). This is officially a long distance hike (over 56 miles (90km) and 8000 ft(2400m)ascent) but like most such events the runners have taken it up as a challenge. This year it was a qualifying race in the Goyt Valley Striders club championship so we had a good club turnout of 16. Thanks for this goes largely to the tireless Philomena who organised numerous recces of the course to make sure we didn't get lost.

I've always fancied a go at these long events (see last year's post) So dutifully volunteered myself. What I then forgot to do was actually train for it. With working away from home I didn't manage to get any long weekend runs in so I was relying on a couple of club runs a week (less than 20 miles/week). Not ideal but I still reckon that with reasonable fitness, lack of a fear of distance (acquired due to lots of long distance cycling in my youth) and the right nutrition/hydration it should be possible to put in a reasonable performance.

The event rules require everyone to take a minimum kit list consisting largely of waterproofs, warm clothing, maps, spare food etc. I decided to use my new Haglof Intense rucksack. At 20 litres the walkers were thinking "How do you get all your stuff in there?" and the runners were thinking "Are you going for a week?". Compared to everyone else's bags in the club mine was heavy. This was due to me taking lots of energy foods (energy bars, Kendal mint cake, 50g energy drink powder, 2x50g recovery drink powder, stock cubes, dried banana chips, a freeze dried meal(!), nuun isotonic drink tablets and other bits and bobs) . Most others were relying on the food provided at the checkpoints but I'm glad that I didn't as, whilst it might be OK for hikers, you need high carb/calorie fodder when running as the appetite is suppressed so you have to maximise your intake. It's a difficult balancing act getting enough food and fluids on board to keep you going but not so much that you throw it all back up again. I was also very conscious that I had to keep my one working kidney properly hydrated so made sure that I always had fluid in my camelbak drinks bladder (plus nuun tablets).

So, race day arrived yesterday with some serious nerves by us Bullock Smithy virgins. I was a little excited to be finally doing a decent distance. I really do believe that the 'magical' distance of 26.2 miles has been burnt into the public's psyche by the media making anything beyond seem out of reach, but people all over are quietly ignoring that and running enormous distances and we were about to join them.

Leg 1 - Hazel Grove to Bowstones

Here are 13 of the 16: Pete, Jo, Paul, Neil, Mat, Sarah, me, Steve B, Philomena, Tracey, Steve H and Karl with Clare kneeling next to Alistair Fitz's minime. Missing are Stephen and Alistair Watts and Julian. (photo: Alistair F)


The event starts in a playing field in Hazel Grove and the start is announced with the striking of an anvil (hence the Smithy). The field (that's people not grassy area)immediately split as some went down the side streets and across the golf course whilst the rest of us took off down the main road (at much too fast a pace in the excitement) and then alongside the golf course before cutting off the corner. Both groups met up coming off the golf course and headed off towards and over Lyme Park to the first control at the Bowstones.

This is Mat and me in a Persil ad. I spent the rest of the run drooling tea down that nice white shirt. (photo: Stu)


My basic strategy was too keep things comfortable which meant walking up the hills. (Not that there was any other option in the latter half.). The downhills however were there to be taken advantage of (rocks permitting) so after topping up my camelbak I took off down towards Moorside. Immediately I could feel drops of water on the back of my legs. I'm not sure how but my camelbak was leaking and the bottom of my rucksack was full of water. My backside was soon soaking. Fortunately I'd invested in a drysac so the contents of my rucksack were still dry.

Leg 2 - Bowstones to Chinley Churn

Leg 2 was very familiar as it went through our club run territory up to Chinley Churn. I opted for the suggested route down through Furness Vale rather than my alternate via Buxworth which is a bit more fiddly. Pete W was very kindly dispensing jelly beans near the top and Stu was there again with his camera on the Big Rock. (photo: Stu)



Leg 3 - Chinley Churn to Edale Cross


That's me in the foreground near the tree, leaving the Chinely churn checkpoint.(photo: Stu)

Leg 3 included a drinks station immediately after Chinley Churn at Peep o' Day. I passed a runner approaching the drinks station and everyone there seemed to know him. They said that he was first in his age category to which I replied "What about me?" not knowing this guy was in his late sixties. He took off before me as I was filling my camelback and I passed him again on the way to Edale Cross. The next time I saw him was at the finish when he'd beaten me by a few minutes. I've no idea where he passed me.

From Peep o' Day it was a drop down to a stream then a real drag over a rocky path up to Edale Cross (where apparently a competitor spent nine and half hours wandering round lost until the mountain rescue found him).

Leg 4 - Edale Cross to Edale

From Edale Cross it was down Jacob's Ladder where I passed Jo (Julian's partner) in her bright pink top, then along past Barber Booth to Edale. Steve H was leaving just as I approached the checkpoint. As I turned in to the checkpoint Julian was stood there. My immediate thought was "Wow, I must be doing better than I thought" (Julian was last year's winner), then "He must take it easy in the first half then burn them off in the second". No such luck. Apparently they had done a hundred mile event in the Pyrenees the previous weekend and were just treating this as a steady jog (only to beat me by half an hour). I spent the next 15 miles watching that pink top disappearing over the hill in front of me.

It was at Edale that I started taking my hot drink down the road rather than waiting to drink it at the checkpoint. (This was after taking a rice pudding and fruit salad at the checkpoint). Whilst this obviously saved time compared to waiting, it cost me time in that all the checkpoints were before very runnable flat or downhill sections which I ended up walking. I'm now on the lookout for a lightweight cup with a top so I can run with it. I found that sweet tea was eventually the only thing that I didn't mind drinking in the latter stages of the run.

Leg 5 - Edale to Castleton

This leg was quite poignant for me as it was the route of my first walk in the hills (albeit in reverse) as a kid from the flatlands of Doncaster. It left a big impression on me and was probably the beginning of my love affair with hills and mountains.

Anyway, after walking along the road with my hot stock cube drink(another five minutes lost) it was up the path to Hollins Cross then down the other side to Castleton. As I approached Castleton both my calf muscles started cramping badly so I had to stop. I walked ten yards then started running again. The cramp had disappeared and didn't reappear the whole way round. Maybe the stock cube worked. I arrived at the Castleton checkpoint in time to see Julian and Jo leave.

Leg 6 - Castleton to Peak Forest

A quick jog through the tourists in Castleton and it was up Cave Dale (which appeared to be full of Polish people for some reason). Past a few frisky cows then it was over the top (after a much needed pitstop) and down to Peak Forest. The field was very thinly spread out by now. I could occasionally see someone in front of me and someone was chasing me a couple of minutes behind. Once again the two J's were leaving as I approached the checkpoint.

Leg 7 - Peak Forest to Millers Dale

A cup of tea and a banana later and I was on the (not completely safe) walk up the A623 road to the bend where the path took off towards Wheston. The pink top disappeared over the top stile. As I reached the high point I could see the runner ahead of me being held up by a road full of sheep. I've since found out who it was as he mentioned it in his blog. Over half a dozen stiles later I was onto the road to Wheston. The next few miles were probably the lowest for me as I began to feel a bit whoozy. It had me worried for a while. I'm very conscious of my dodgy kidney and am always on the lookout for any 'episodes' which might indicate it going bad. So, I did a systems check to see what was up. Pulse OK, still breathing, temperature OK, no trembling. Can't be too serious so I put it down to having just done 25 miles. I was then at the Millers Dale checkpoint.

I was looking forward to the soup at Millers Dale, expecting a nice thick minestrone with lots of noodles, but was presented with a very incipid looking sample. The tea was nice though. After my funny spell I decided to take my time over this stop so I took a seat. As I sat down in popped Philomena. "Paul's right behind and Clare's going to pack in as she's been vomiting" says Phil. Sure enough Paul came in, took a drink then was off. Phil soon followed him after offering to wait for me but I still had my lovely soup to drink so I told her to get going. I spent the next ten miles watching Phil's white top disappearing into the distance (the pink top had long since gone).

Miller's Dale was the half way point. I reached it in 6 hours so I reckoned I'd be pushed to break 12 hours.

Leg 8 - Millers Dale to (near) Chelmorton

After a quick drop down into the bottom of Millers Dale (cup of tea in hand) it was a long walk up the road (ignoring the suggested route which goes off up a track). Straight over the A6, a couple of fields then it was along a fairly straight set of green tracks and lanes, part way along which was the Chelmorton checkpoint (a trailer and tent).

Leg 9 - Chelmorton to Earl Sterndale

Continuing along the green tracks I had to step aside for a landrover coming th other way. It wasn't until it was past that I realised it was Rick, Clare's partner. I kicked myself for not recognising him earlier so I could tell him Clare has packed at Miller's Dale. As it turned out Clare continued to Chelmorton having phoned Rick to meet her there. She'd run from Edale vomiting and feeling crap all the way to Chelmorton. At one point the fruit salad from Edale made a reappearance with a cherry coming out through her nostril!

Over the A515 then up over the ridge towards Earl Sterndale. At the end of the lane there was a path across a field which cut off a large corner but I'd been warned by Phil that the cows were especially frisky and could be dangerous. So, I went the long way round only to lear n later that Phil had been running with a dairy farmer who took her over the field.

The route was then along a set of lanes to Earl Sterndale. Halfway along here I had my only navigational doubt. I suddenly got the feeling that I'd bypassed Earl Sterndale and was heading back towards the main road. I had to drag my memory of the map of this area and reasoned that there wasn't such a road so I kept going and eventually came to Earl Sterndale to see Phil leaving the checkpoint with a stranger. This turned out to be Mark, the club secretary, who had come to help pace some of the members. He ended up running the next 20 miles to the finish.

Leg 10 - Earl Sterndale to Brand Top

I'd been carrying a freeze dried meal (Fish with potatoes and parsley sauce) with me. I decided to have it at Earl Sterndale so I opened it up put in the required amount of boiling in then seal it up to let it rehydrate. I took it up the road with me intending to eat it on the uphill section below Chrome Hill. I tried but I don't think I'd put enough water in it. The fish pieces were very chewy so I ended up spitting them out as I walked along. I decided to seal it up again and add more water at the next checkpoint. The rest of this leg was through hill billy country. The farms look very poor, all littered with broken down vehicles and in desperate need of repair. Not one of the better cared for areas of the Peak District. Going past one such place, which the owner had apparently been renovating for 10 years although it looked as if he'd just started, the dog was barking madly. The owner must have wondered what was going on as runners and hikers kept his dog barking for the next 20 hours. It was at this point that it started getting dark. I got to Brand Top before getting out my head torch.

Leg 11 - Brand Top to Cumberland Cottage

At the checkpoint I topped up my freeze dried meal hoping to resurrect it after the failed attempt at Earl Sterndale. I grabbed the usual cup of sweet tea and wandered off, headtorch on, down the track towards the Dove Head road while the meal hydrated. Once onto the lane I stayed on the tarmac choosing the road rather than the faint path up to Hilltop. The meal was now more like a soup and the fish hadn't improved. I eventually gave it up as a bad job and dumped the contents on the side of the road no doubt making some fox or other critter happy then dropped the packet in the bin next to the bus shelter on the Axe Edge road (A53). As I dropped down towards Knotbury a police car came towards me clearly checking me out but it didn't stop. Five minutes later I saw it go up the turning before the Knotbury turning with it's blue lights flashing. I soon find out where it was possibly heading. Dropping down the track after Knotbury towards the Three Shire Heads I could see some very bright lights in a field and hear what sounded light a drunken party going on. According to a write up by one of the Stockport Harriers they got lost here and ended up talking to these revellers.

So, past the Three Shire Heads then a jog/walk up to the steel steps onto the A54. No navigational problems thanks to Philomena's recce. Over the road then onto the rocky path down and a careful trot down to Cumberland Cottage. I found a fleece hat on this track (which I later found out belonged to our club secretary Mark!). Paul H fell here a few minutes in front of me thankfully without too much damage.

Leg 12 - Cumberland Cottage to Walker Barn

As fascinating as the deep discussion over the merits of various heavy metal bands by the scouts in Cumberland Cottage was (to me a Northern Soul fan) I'd rather they devoted more than a grunt or two to helping me with refreshments. Helping myself to a cup of tea I departed to find a pair of runners entering the cottage. They must have found the cottage just as welcoming as they came right back out and passed me as I drank my cup of tea. I finished my tea as we hit the road. They were just in front of me. One was clearly struggling and the other was obviously keen to get going. It's a sign of the great distance involved that I thought with only a half marathon left to go I'd cracked it. I got my head down and passed them as I took the road route round to Walker Barn. This was proven to be faster than the lane over the top by Paul H on one of our recces. It's also mentally a lot easier at this stage in the race. Wlaker Barn proved to be my only navigational error. I hadn't noticed that there were two lanes off the main road and, attracted by a very brightly lit house down the first one, I headed for that. It didn't look right when I reached it and, on looking across a field, I saw the real control.

Leg 13 - Walker Barn to Whitely Green

Another cup of tea and banana later I was off down the road. It's almost all downhill from here I told myself. Another runner entered as I left and he was on my heels as we went down the main road towards Rainow. Off the main road I managed to loose him on entering the field that cut off the corner in Rainow. Over the last real hill to speak of it was down into Bollington. At this point my headtorch started flashing which is the low batery indication. I used some new Kodak heavy duty batteries but these proved to be very short lived. I'll not be using those again. Fortunately I'd brought along a spare Petzyl Zipka headtorch so I was OK. Expecting to get hassle from revellers leaving the pub in Bollington, as Al did one year, I was relieved to have a very quiet run through the village. Onto the canal it was heads down until the Whitely Green control. I somehow caught them by suprise. At first they thought I was two runners then they hadn't got the kettle on. I ended up taking their cup of tea.

Leg 14 - Whitely Green

How many bridges do they want to build over the bloody Middlewood Way? Rather than count the bridges to the point where I needed to abandon the Way I'd memorised the exit point ('Miners Arms' sign post and steps after the bridge). There seemed to be dozens of bridges and I ended up thinking I was going to find myself at the A6 road but eventually the right bridge turned up and I was off onto the last few roads to the finish. Thank goodness I'd recced this section. I steady shuffle saw me through to Towers Road. Was it only 12 hours ago that we were here rushing away from the start? Towers Road is endless but it helped that I could see another runner in front of me. As I approached I could see that he was running backwards. "I'm knackered" he declared as I passed him. "Me too" I thought although I was getting a bit of a second wind at this point. The run up Macclesfield Road felt good. As I reached the finish there was a group of blokes on the roadside. They clapped as I approached and formed a tunnel for me to run through. "What service" I thought but it appears that they were a group of drunks on their way home. I bumped into Mark W and Pete D just outside the Scout HQ gates. They were on their way home. Pete had finished in just over 11 hours and Mark had supported other runners from the club for over 20 miles. I waltzed into the finish, feeling like I'd got loads more miles in my legs, in a time of 12:37. (Those legs refused to work the next day!)

All in all I'd really enjoyed the run. I'd learnt a lot both about myself and about how to tackle a really long run. So, next year a sub 12 is on the cards. Just got to get the knee sorted out and find a giant feeder cup so that I can run with my cup of tea.