Pre-race

I’d considered entering the inaugural running of this event last year but it sold out before I’d made the decision. For those unfamiliar with the event the following description is taken from the website :

“The Montane Cheviot Goat Winter Ultra will test even the most experienced ultra runner. 55 miles of the harshest winter trails, 9500 ft of lung-bursting ascent including the highest summit, The Cheviot, standing at 2,674 ft. Throw into the mix the unpredictable Northumberland weather that includes everything from deep snow, ice, gale force winds and torrential rain and you’ll be tested physically and mentally.”

It didn’t look like I’d have any snow or ice to contend with this but the organisers had sent out a warning a few days prior to the event :

“There’s been a lot of rainfall and the ground is saturated. Even with real feel temperatures of about -10 C it hasn’t been cold enough to harden up the ground, so this is going to make for slower progress. The forecast is for more rain on race day so have a think about your plan and how you’ll deal with these conditions. “

I’d managed to get out for a few reccies of the parts of the course I wasn’t familiar with but apart from that I hadn’t done a great deal of training so I was a little unsure how the race would go. I felt confident I’d get around although I knew I hadn’t done enough training to be as competitive as I would have liked. I decided to drive up on the morning of the race instead of staying the night before so I was up by 3:30 (the race started at 6am), trying to force down some breakfast I didn’t really feel like eating.

The drive up to Ingram took around an hour and once there I got registered & kit checked & then talked to Dominic Martin who was also doing the race. Before I knew it we were all at the start line, the countdown began and the race was off!!!

First Half The first couple of miles were uphill but not steep and easily runnable but I deliberately held myself back as I knew from experience that any over exuberance at this stage in the race would come back and bite me badly later in the race.

The first 10 miles was good running and went by uneventfully. I started making up a few places and the by the time I reached the 2nd checkpoint at Bleakhope it was light.

The next section over Bloodybush Edge and Cushat Law was the first really rough section and the highest ground so far. This area is boggy at the best of times but all the rain we’d have in the past couple of weeks had made it even worse and at this point the temperature dropped and the clag closed in too reducing visibility to around 10 metres.

I was glad a had reccied the next section following this as the path peters out and I needed to take a bearing to make sure I stayed on course. I could see another runner in front of me but I wasn’t convinced he had taken a good line so I stuck to my own and managed to pass him and a few other runners before dropping down to the Alwin valley.

Although there was a fair amount of climbing on the next section it was generally good running on grassy paths and tracks and I made good time, arriving at the half way point at Barrowburn after 5 hours and 35 mins.

I’d been running in drizzly rain for the past couple of hours and although I wasn’t cold it was good to get inside the event hut and sit down in a comfy chair beside a roaring open fire and have some food and a cup of tea.

This is the last point at which you could drop out of the race – there are no more road crossings and the route heads out over some of the wildest and remote terrain in the country so once you leave the checkpoint you are fully committed.

I packed the food I had in my drop bag into my race pack but didn’t change any of my clothing. Some people’s drop bags were immense, 100 litres at least and I could only imagine what they contained – maybe a folding electric bike for the next 4 miles on the road. I could have stayed there all day but after about 10 minutes I got my stuff together & headed back out.

2nd Half

I found the next 4 miles on the road tough – it wasn’t steep and easily runnable but mentally I always struggle with long road sections on these type of events. It was my least favourite part of the race and I was glad when I was back off road and onto the next climb. The next section climbs up onto the border ridge and follows the Pennine Way - it is the most wild and remote section of the race. I was now back in the clag and it had started raining more heavily – the wind driving it sideways into the side of my face. It’s also a very boggy section which made progress slow.

It seemed to take an age to get to Windy Gyle (which lived up to its name) where there was a water station and some refreshments (jelly babies provided by the marshals). I was surprisingly thirsty so I took the opportunity to have a good drink and fill up my water bottle as I knew there were no reliable water sources between here and the finish without taking a detour.

It’s around 5 miles from Windy Gyle to The Cheviot, mostly on large stone flags and mostly runnable if you have the legs for it. Unfortunately, I didn’t today which was down to my lack of training going into the race so I alternated to walking and running where I could.

By the time I had done the out and back to the summit of Cheviot it had turned dark so it was time to turn on my head torch again. Unfortunately, the mist was reflecting the list straight back at me so all I could really see was the ground directly in front of me for a couple of feet. This made the next descent tricky and slow as its quite step in places and rough. I caught up to two of the lads who I had been running with earlier and we ran the next section together. The next section entailed the grimmest part of the race – Comb Fell. It is the boggiest part of the Cheviots at the best of times and seldom frequented.

When I say bogs I don’t mean a little mud, I mean vast swaths of peat hags and standing water that will such you in up to your waist and only spit you out once someone has dragged you out (assuming they don’t get sucked in themselves) and goes on for a good few miles. It’s a bit like playing Russian Roulette – you never know how far into the bog your next step is going to take you and some parts were only passable by shimmying along the fence. Think of the Dead Marshes of Mordor from the Lord of the Rings and you won’t go far wrong.

It was even more miserable in the dark and seemed to go on forever but we finally made it through and up the climb to the summit of Hedgehope. This was a big mental milestone for me as now all of the roughest ground and miles were behind me – it was the final run into the finish. Unfortunately, on the descent I missed a turn off and ended up going down the wrong fence line. It was a real schoolboy error and I was angry with myself once I realised what I had done. I’ve no excuse for it other than tiredness and lack of concentration.

The fence isn’t even marked on the 1:50,000 map we’d been given at the start of the event (it is on the 1:25,000) and I learnt afterwards that quite a few other people had made the same mistake. A few of them were following behind me and I called back up to let them know. They decided to retrace their steps back up Hedgehope but I decided to try and keep my elevation and traversed some rougher ground to pick up the path again.

The last section was uneventful in comparison other that the battery on my Garmin watch dying after 13 and a half hours. I finally crossed the finish line in 13 hours and 34 minutes in 28th place (out of 154 finishers). 26 people retired from the race and 70 people who had signed up didn’t start it. In retrospect I’m happy with this, although I’d like to go back next year & run it more competitively with more training behind me this time.

I had a cup of tea and some soup prepared by the event team in the Ingram Café and had a quick chat with Steve Moretti who was helping in the race organisation. I didn’t realise at the time but Ishmael Burdeau also ran a fantastic race, finishing in 14:24

My Strava track of the race is here : https://www.strava.com/activities/1995179053

Afterthoughts

I’ve had a number of people asking me how anyone can run such distances over such terrain.

When I first started running again I would typically run between 4-5 miles and I found it inconceivable how anyone could run the 26.2 miles of a marathon never mind an ultra. You obviously have to build up but I don’t see why more people could complete such an event given the right training and mental preparation (and you obviously need to have a love of the great outdoors).

The following are the main factors you will need to consider:

Terrain: Most ultra’s are in mountainous areas and it’s not just the climbing that need to be considered – descending is far tougher on the body especially your quads (thighs) . Even on flattish terrain you may encounter knee deep bogs, boulder fields, scree, tussocky grass & heather and generally uneven ground which saps your energy and is difficult to make fast progress over. Navigation : this is a major reason that puts people off running in the fells. GPS watches and smartphones are useful tools and some races are marked but it’s no substitute for a map and compass – technology can and will fail (batteries die or may not work in extreme cold, you may not be able to operate your phone with wet hands etc).

Weather: You are potentially going to have to endure have to endure gale force winds, blizzards, snow, ice, clag (fog) and extreme heat.. One thing that catches a lot of people out is how quickly the weather in mountainous areas can change, especially as you gain height. Be prepared and always check the mountain weather forecast before you head out.

Nutrition : Your body needs to be fuelled and hydration can also be a problem especially in the summer months– water is heavy to carry so look for water sources (fast flowing streams) along your route.

Safety : Given the terrain you are more likely to get an injury than when running on roads, a twisted ankle being the most common. Carrying a first aid kit and knowing your escape options are ways to mitigate this – again re-enforcing you map reading skills. If you need off the mountain back to a road then your GPX track on your smartwatch isn’t going to help you. There is also safety in numbers, and make sure when you head out into the hills you always tell someone your route.

Mental toughness : Possibly the biggest factor of all. It can be immensely challenging to start an event knowing that you are going to be on your feet for the next 24 hours or more so you need to develop coping strategies. Whilst all this may sound intimidating it’s really just a case of getting out there and building up your experience. For me there is nothing more exhilarating than running in the fells – why not give it a try?