Lakeland Trails, 2023

Prior to July 2023 I hadn’t run a step in the Lake District. I had visited once about 20 years ago and thought it was beautiful. Having taken up running the idea of venturing there for a race had often crossed my mind.

Forward to July 2023 I was about to break that duck and see what the lakes had to offer by taking on the Lakeland Trails Ultra 100Km.

I chose to camp at Ambleside Football Club which offers camping associated with the Lakeland Trails event, and also is a general campsite when the football team aren’t using the ground!). Great little site, basic but excellent value. It’s also about 14 feet from the start line (OK I exaggerate, but it’s right next door!)

My first experience of the lakes was wet, VERY wet! So wet in fact that on the Friday morning of the event (it started just after midnight on Friday night) I had to go buy a newer, more waterproof, tent!!! Not a great start.

I spent Friday getting ready; fuelling well (My go to pre race meal is a pizza and it always works sits really well!!), hydrating, preparing my pack and my kit, and taking a lot more notice of the prep for my feet. Now I’m normally a light taper of my feet and I also use 2Toms powder to reduce friction. I have pretty good results from this, but there’s normally a blister or two after long ultra’s. This time, given the night start I used the evening time to up my taping regime. I taped most toes, the achilles and the side of my big toe. That in combination with 2Toms resulted in me completing the race with no blisters to worry about, no hotspots and generally being comfortable from start to finish. A clear sign that a bit more care and attention for my feet would be wise.

The race itself starts at 00:01 Saturday morning and heads out from Ambleside towards Troutbeck, then Kentmere, Haweswater, Bampton, Askham, Howtown, Martindale, Glenridding, Patterdale, Grasmere, Little Langdale and then back to Ambleside.

It’s fair to say that the Lakes are hilly, over the course of the race there was 11,591 feet of elevation gain. Some of the climbs are pretty tough, some gradual, but all are stunning. The sight of Haweswater just before dawn after a heck of a climb is one that will stay with me forever, it was indescribably beautiful.

As the day went on it was clear that things were going quite well. Checkpoint volunteers were keeping us up to speed on position and generally ‘top ten’ was the update. ‘Wow’ was my usual response given that I have only done Race To The King 3 weeks earlier and the route was truly gnarly.

Weather wise, whilst my tent had practically been washed away the day before, the sun was out and things were heating up. Rain was forecast, but didn’t look like it was going to happen soon. As things got hotter I found the streams criss-crossing the route were perfectly useful to keep cool. constant ‘hat dipping’ felt sooo nice 😃.

One of the great things about Lakeland Trails is the mix of race events staggered over the Saturday that make use of the same tracks etc. This meant that as the final few miles approached we started meeting others doing 55/23/14 Km events. Seeing so many people all taking on different routes, battling different distances and all racing their own race was fabulous. Sharing encouragement and well wishes was lovely and having spent a lot of the day running with just one other new running buddy, it was good to be surrounded by a growing group of runners.

One little treat was the loop near Little Langdale. This loop seemed to go on for ever. There was a marshal at the start of the loop who said ‘head over towards the white farmhouse, its about 10Km and you’ll come back to me, when I’ll then send you off home’. However, that loop seemed to last so long we started to doubt if we were ever going to see that marshal again!

As 15 hours approached the final descent into Ambleside was on the horizon. Me and Tavi (who I had run 67 Km with) absolutely bombed it with everything we had left, having agreed to cross the line together to celebrate the fact we had supported each other through every step of those 67Km.

To my surprise Tavi and I finished 7th and 8th. I was truly amazed to have finished this high up the finishers list. Maybe I have a real ability to nail these hilly events. Maybe my miles running The Arc in January have built a hill running capacity I simply hadn’t realised!!!

I absolutely loved the race, the Lakes are beyond description and being able to run around these trails is a real privilege. I have been lucky enough to find running as a way of keeping fit and healthy, and as a result I have the amazing luck to find myself being able to run around places like this.

Will I be back? absolutely. The Lakes have so much to explore. I might already have signed up to a little race in 2024 that might just explore a bit more of the Lake District – but more of that another time 😉.

RACE DATA (From my Strava)

Distance: 64 miles

Elevation gain: 11,591 feet

Calories burnt: 8,518

Pace: 14:05 minutes/mile