Having done quite a number of ultra races since I got into ‘the long stuff’ three years ago, the idea of trying a backyard ultra took hold a while ago. For those unfamiliar with the concept: the backyard ultra is a form of ultra marathon race where competitors must consecutively Read more
Non-stop along the Pennine Way from Edale to Hardraw About the race: The Montane Summer Spine Challenger South is a non-stop, 108 mile race with around 15,500 ft of ascent, along the Pennine Way from Edale to Hardraw (just north of Hawes). The non-stop nature means that the clock does Read more
Running to the North Sea with my Northern Traverse pebble Early in the morning on Monday April 8 my Northern Traverse journey came to an end in Marske, about 4 miles west of Richmond. My back had totally given up, I had the ultra runners’ lean and I slowly and Read more
Running through storm Kathleen, and some unfinished business…. This post will not end with the happy sound of my feet going over a finish line, or pictures of a medal. My first major ultra event of 2024, the Silva Northern Traverse, a non-stop race of 180 miles (in reality around Read more
Until I recced and ran the Montane Cheviot Goat last year I had never spent any time in the Cheviot hills, but in a short space of time I have come to really enjoy running in this beautiful and very remote area. With limited road access into the hills and Read more
Spine Safety Team Winter 2024 The Montane Winter Spine races take runners non-stop along the iconic Pennine Way in the middle of the British winter. There are 4 distances on offer: the Sprint (46 miles, Edale to Hebden Hey, time allowed 18 hours), the Challenger South (108 miles, Edale to Read more
A wintry jaunt across the wildest place in England. No goats seen though. The Montane Cheviot Goat is a challenging winter ultra in the Cheviot hills of Northumberland, on the border with Scotland. The event website states this is the time of year when most livestock are brought off the Read more
Up and down for 100 km through Italy, Switzerland and France I travelled to the Chamonix Valley to run the CCC race (named after the towns at the start, middle and finish: Courmayeur, Champex, Chamonix), 100km with 6156m ascent . Sometimes called the ‘little sister of the UTMB’, the CCC Read more
Another splendid Punk Panther event The Six Dales Trail, an established and signposted 38 mile walking route from Otley to Middleham, was devised in 2010 by the Otley ‘Walkers are Welcome’ group. It takes its name from the six dales that are traversed as it makes its way across the Read more
Having run a lot of Punk Panther ultras I felt it was time to enter a Hardmoors event and see a bit more of the eastern side of Yorkshire. Their Hardwolds 40 race is approximately 47 miles (I call that value for money, as I understand it most of their Read more