Wuthering Hike race report

Distance: 31.58 miles (advertised 32 miles)
Terrain: everything you can imagine
Ascent/descent: +4538'/-4655' (advertised +/-4400')
Time: 05:24:11
Pace: 7:31 (fastest), 16:10 (slowest), 10:15 (average)
Position: 55/259

My first ultra race of the season was the Wuthering Hike, held in 'Bronte' country across the moors from Haworth in Yorkshire on Saturday 15th March. It was great fun although the terrain was much more varied than I'd thought - everything from hard rocky trail through boggy trail to road. Debbie M-C is right in her blog about the race that choosing the right trainer for this kind of race ain't easy. Glad to see that the race was an effective christening for her far too new and clean looking trail shoes. Bog glorious bog ... nothing quite like it ... tra la la la la ...


Map of route with start at top right in Haworth

I had travelled up on the Friday with my wife, Kirstin, and our daughter Eilidh to stay over in a self-catering cottage to make a weekend of the race - combining family tourism with running. It got even more family oriented with my mum and dad travelling down from Glasgow to witness the strange and sweaty world of ultra running at the finishing line. Actually they only came down with the bribe of seeing their grand-daughter. I'm pretty much irrelevant now ;-)

Marco and Debbie were sleeping in bunkbeds in the local youth hostel but popped up to say hello on Friday night. It was great to finally meet these two prolific bloggers and WHWR'ers in person - my wife calls them web friends and probably had a suspicion I was just making them up. But no, they actually exist! And they are nice!

On race day I met up with Colm McCoy, an acquaintance from some races last year (we ran most of the HP40 together), and also met up with WHWR'ers Phil and Hugh (nice to meet you both!). My wife was dead surprised when at the finish line Hugh enquired after her health. Dead nice - Hugh she much appreciated the concern and I think will now read my blogs to see what I'm saying about her. :-)


Marco and me before the race (photo from Debs - thanks)

The race began in reasonable overcast weather up the steeply cobbled main street of Haworth before winding out of town onto the moor above Withins Farm. I ran with Marco for a bit until he peeled away, then ran with Hugh for a bit, then just behind Kate Jenkins and her dog then onto a succession of various folk - loads of whom had either just completed a Bob Graham or were doing one this year. I reckon I'll try for my BG next year. The start of the race was suuuper humid and had everyone stripping off layers to prevent sweaty dehydration. By mile 13 though the weather had begun to turn and as I completed the main moorland section and turned onto the first main road section the wind began to blow and rain began to fall. Blood draining from fingers and ears I had to stop to put on buff and windshirt. A few folk caught me up but this eventually turned out for the good as the southern reaches of the course had some pretty tricky navigation through towns.

The highest point of the course was the 121' Stoodley Pike monument (below) above Todmorden (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoodley_Pike), a good couple of hundred metre climb up. Not much of a view unfortunately - just lots of cloud. Boo!


Stoodley Pike

After a boggy descent off the Pike the last 12 miles had a pretty seriously quad destroying road descent into Hebden Bridge then back up again - a few hundred metres down then a few hundred back up. Good opportunity for eating and drinking on the ups though. My calves felt like they might spasm a few times en route but that's to be expected as this is the longest I've run in one go so far this race, and also the most ascent. I find the first few long, steep up and down races always beat my calves up.

I managed to stave off some eager runners behind me in the last 3 miles and even take over about 5 or 6 runners in the last 1-2 miles. I probably could have run the whole thing a little faster but I'm happy with my performance and like most of these events, half the reason for doing them is the craic en route, the other half being the countryside and the post race beers!


The marvellous post-race welcoming committee of the McIntosh ladies!

On with the Exe To Axe in a few weeks time (20 miles, 4000' ascent) then the Highland Fling. Hoorah, ultra season has begun!


Brian with fixed exhausted smile at finish