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…
The Dales High Way (DHW) is a Punk Panther (PP) ultra event along the long distance walking route of the same name, which roughly runs parallel to the Settle and Carlisle Railway. 90 miles and 14,600 ft of ascent take you from Saltaire to Appleby-in-Westmorland via Skipton, Settle, Dent and Read more…
Some thoughts on speed work, training volume, and results on the road….. Ultra running is fun, right? No emphasis on pace, mile splits, Strava segments. You can run slowly, you can walk the hills. Well, if you get really tired you can even walk the flats too and still no Read more…
With all to play for in mile 49….. The Welcome Way is an existing way-marked circular long distance walking route here in West Yorkshire, connecting Otley, Burley in Wharfedale and Baildon, with an optional loop around Shipley Glen and Bingley. Not only is it local to me, the route actually Read more…
Dewsbury: another crack at a 10k PB In December I wrote a post about breaking 50 minutes for the 10k after running 49:32 at Ribble Valley. The Dewsbury 10k, always held on the first Sunday in February, offered a good opportunity to try and shave a few more seconds off. Read more…
North Leeds Greenway Ultra Another month, another Punk Panther event! I began 2023, on New Year’s Day, with the North Leeds Greenway Ultramarathon, a 34 mile/3600 ft circuit of North Leeds from Otley. Starting off with the steep climb up the Chevin to Surprise View (650 ft ascent in the Read more…
The Christmas Cracker is a handicap race and is the final race of the year for Otley based endurance event organiser Punk Panther. One of the run directors sets off first on a 32 mile / 3700 ft route and each runner is given a handicap based on times achieved Read more…
Looking back at a fantastic year It was my intention to open this blog with the first race of 2023 but I am eager to make a start with this new project 😊. As 2022 is rapidly drawing to a close it would be nice to review some of my Read more…