Snowdon Race 23 July 2005

10 miles, 3250 feet, 1 hour 25 mins 45 secs, 76/465

Results

Not really my style this race, but with it being televised and being a bit of an event, I decided to have a go. Despite the forecast, the weather was set fair - quite warm and some sun. I started slowly as usual and struggled on the uphill. Its runnable nearly all the way, so there's no relenting for the 5 miles up and I was disappointed to get to the top outside the first 100 in over 58 minutes. However, I really enjoyed the downhill. There seemed to be quite a lot of runners who weren't used to rough paths and I managed to pick up about 30 places to finish 76th by covering the 5 miles down in a much more competitive time of 27 mins 25 secs. Need to practice those uphills!

Kentmere Fell Race, 17 July 2005

11.9 miles, 3300 feet, 1hour 47.31 mins, 20/200

Another hot race, but at least there was only an hour and three quarters of it this time. After feeling pretty washed out all week, I actually performed much better than I had anticipated and paced it about right, overtaking throughout the race. One more blood blister gained to make it 5 toes out of 10.

> Results

Wasdale Fell Race, 9 July 2005

20.58 miles, 9000 feet, 4hrs 57 mins, 40/238. Results

A tough race as all who tried it will verify. On the hottest day of the year in the Lakes so far, 238 set off and only 133 completed the race. All went okay for me until Pillar when the exertions of the past month caught up with me and my toes started to make me wince with pain. I lost sight of the few runners in front and tried a lower route under the path to Sail Pass which was a mistake and lost me a bit of time. I fared okay on the traverse up to Beck Head and on to Gable, but then things started to go awry. My toes jabbed with pain at each step down the Breast Track and instead of overtaking the two in front as I would have expected on this sort of ground I struggled to stay with them. From then on was an unremitting slog in the heat and I just couldn't manage more than a shuffle. The heat and the two 24 hour runs over the last month just reduced me to a sorrowful pace and my poor toes which were black before the race couldn't take any more on the downhills. I lost it going up Scafell Pike and instead of being able to enjoy the last run off, it was a trial of pain with my toes and I was overtaken by 3 more runners coming down. Still I finished in under 5 hours and given my lethargy of the previous week was quite pleased with that in the conditions. 25% of the starters were timed out! Cramp struck with avengence at the finish and I struggled to get my shoes back on due to the cramp. I was supposed to be supporting Gary on a BG attempt later that evening so was not looking forward to the pleasures of Yewbarrow to Gable in the dark in my decrepit state. Fortunately Gary had given up much earlier so I was not subjected to a night of pain after the days' exertions. What joy is fell running1

Glen Etive Round, 25/6 June 2005

57 miles, 30,400 feet, 30 hours 20 mins, solo unsupported on sight

Hill challenges come in many different forms but there can’t be many more all round trials of character than the round of Glen Etive which I circumnavigated on 25/26 June 2005. The bare statistics fail to tell the tale of a truly brutal but magnificent round of:

• 16 Munros
• 3 Corbetts
• a Marilyn
• and numerous other tops

that surround one of Scotland’s finest glens. The round was completed solo, without support and on sight, with just one road crossing where I had pitched the tent in a fine position next to the river. I have rarely been on a long outing of such continuous steep and difficult ground, so that a journal documenting this seemed appropriate as a record of this wild adventure.

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