NORTHERN TRAVERSE 2024

300Km across Fell, Dale and Moor

There’s a lot to be said about the physical benefits of running.  I have certainly developed physically in the 7 years I have been running and am fitter for it, but the big thing I have really learnt is how much it helps your mental capability.  No race has taught me this more than the Northern Traverse. 

Oh, and best grab a coffee. This might take some time. Maybe put your feet up too. A long race requires a long write up!!

Let’s start with some numbers:

The Northern Traverse is:

• around 300Km long

• around 30,000 ft of elevation gain

• has 7 pit stops.

• has a total cut-off of 111.5 hours.

We will cut to the chase straight away – I completed the course in 2024 taking 76 hours 59 minutes in the process. 

Summary Data:

Based on my Garmin and my memory this is the summary details of the race for me:

• Distance Travelled: 190.57 miles.
• Calories Burnt:22,536
• Elevation Gain:32,352 ft
• Pairs of Shoes: 2
• Time Slept:3 hours 10 minutes (plus two micro naps!)

So, to the race.  There is no denying that the race route is iconic, initiated as a route from Coast to Coast by Alfred Wainwright in 1973 this route takes you through the Lake District, Yorkshire Dales and North Yorkshire Moors.  Some of the most amazing scenery in the country, And some of the hilliest too in the Lakes!  Whilst the Northern Traverse follows it closely there are a few little variations to the classic Coast to Coast route, but it’s pretty much as Wainwright mapped it out.

The first 100Km was the Lakes.  Here I had a fair few challenges.  This is the hilliest section so it’s important to not totally blow your legs up early and fail to get past Shap at the 100Km mark.  Secondly, I had the joy of the local named storm (Kathleen).  She rolled in on Saturday shortly after the race started and hung around until Sunday afternoon battering the route with 70+mph gusts on high ground and rain that defied gravity.  It was tough.  People were being blown around; some were pinned against rocks the wind was so fierce.

For safety the organisers re-routed the path over lower ground rather than taking on Kidsty Pike.  A good safety decision, but a tough diversion with more mud and wet conditions than you can imagine!!

At Patterdale (Major stop 1 at  70Km) I passed up on the option to sleep as I thought it too early – and cracked on via the diversion to Shap.  Here whilst sitting down eating chilli and chips was my first mental hurdle.  Shap was the finish for the 100Km Lakes Traverse competitors.  Sitting their refuelling whilst runners turned up celebrating finishing was tough.  I had 200Km to go and these lot were done.  Sometimes I question my choices.

Shap offered no sleeping options (nor drop bag) so no point in hanging around.  Heading out with a few others we headed to Kirkby Stephen and took on the rest of the first full night.  In this part of the country the darkness is truly dark you are often so remote from civilisation that the only lights are the ones on your head.  The only sound that of your feet on the path, or in this case the rain on your head and the sloshing of your feet through the near permanent flooded paths.

Kirkby Stephen was my first point of getting some sleep.  It was about 125 Km in and about 24 hours into the race.  I grabbed my drop bag, changed, cleaned and dried feet etc and ate some food – no memory as to what it was but pretty sure it included more chips!

Tents had been setup in the sports hall of the school, and I managed to find a quiet corner for a good sleep.  2.5 hours later I headed back to the aid station hall to get a bit more food, prep the feet and head out.  I wanted to go over Nine Standards in the daylight – not because I knew it was a good idea, but others having experienced it before suggested this was a good plan.  It’s a boggy section of the route and easier to traverse if you have a better view of the way ahead. 

I left Kirkby Stephen having arrived with a fellow runner Chris (Parr), who I thought was taking a longer sleep, turned out he had carried on and we met up again a little way down the route near Reeth.

Leaving on my own I quickly caught another couple of runners (Marcus and Jimmy) Jimmy was adept at getting through bogs without finding himself knee deep and that made the crossing of Nine Standards so much quicker and easier.  I really appreciated his confidence in navigation and following in his footprints certainly helped me.  Approaching Reeth we found Chris again, totally out on his feet.  Thankfully he was able to carry on a little more and rest at Reeth and eventually Richmond.  Chris made it to the finish line too, having injured himself last year.  Really pleased that his second try was successful.

Richmond was another bag drop point and some scramble eggs on toast and a coffee topped the fuel tank up nicely.  On the way into Richmond I had moved ahead of Jimmy and Marcus as I was in my own little zone, a place I often find myself in these long races.  A place of safety and a place of comfort, me and my thoughts.  I lock in a rhythm and just move.

With Richmond done, shoes swapped, feet treated again I made the move towards Loadstones the penultimate main stop and the last chance to access my drop bag.

I don’t recall much of this.  I know I arrived towards the end of the afternoon having ploughed on alone through the full 50Km or so of dales and moors.  I was just following a rhythm and pushing through.  I was starting to suffer with sore feet at this point.  The water had not caused me to get any maceration/trench foot due to the waterproof socks and Trench cream, but a few blisters had started to form and I could tell that even swapping to a larger pair of shoes wasn’t solving this  I needed bigger but I would have to manage with what I had!

Lordstones was a great spot, the team here were brilliant.  I decided to sleep first and grabbed 45 minutes in a tent to refresh things.  45 minutes done and Lasagne was on the menu – the most amazing lasagne ever, though after 220/230 Km I would have eaten a wellington boot I think!!

Heading out of Lordstones the rest had done me the world of good, and I again just slipped into the rhythm and ploughed across the moors heading for the final stop in Glaisdale.  At this point, I won’t lie, I was motoring on pure determination, I kept a good pace but could tell you precious little of the journey to Glaisdale, with one key exception.  Around the Lion Inn I was caught in some incredibly thick fog.  This, combined with the dark, tiredness and lack of familiarity with the area meant I struggled.  The route on the GPX took me along a road and then off over some moorland to then join the road again.  The conditions were against me and as I left the road the fog dropped and within minutes, I had a bout 2m visibility.  I couldn’t see the path ahead and I couldn’t see the path behind.  I felt totally lost.  I was surrounded by bushed and streams as well as bogs.  Using my poles I found sections of bog that ate 1m or more of my pole length.  Treading on these would have been an issue.  I got to the point where I actually thought I might have to wait it out until daylight as I was going around in circles.  It was 10pm at this point and daylight was a comfortable 7-8 hours away!  I kept trying things and eventually got annoyed.  I shouted at a bush and hit it with my stick.  I would like to apologise to the bush, it wasn’t their fault!  Anyway, it got my mind straight, and I found a way to reach the road again.  I checked the map and worked out a way to skirt around this section on the road and carry on.  I was a little worried that the dense fog (so dense now I couldn’t see my feet) meant that any cars might not see me and the rain on my hood meant I couldn’t hear any either.  So, I carried on carefully and made it through and then descended out of the fog, eventually reaching Glaisdale.

All the support teams were great, but Glaisdale had to be my favourite.  I was there alone, no other runners, but we had a great chat and they fed and fuelled me well.  No drop bag so I couldn’t change much of my kit, so once fuelled I said my thanks and goodbyes and headed out of the final checkpoint for the final 20 miles or so to Robin Hoods Bay.

Then things went a bit tough.  The duration of the event and exposure had meant that I wasn’t quite feeling the cold as much as I should. and my watch froze as it had got cold.  I didn’t realise the reason straight off and ambled along trying to solve the problem.  I ambled some way it seems, and race control called to advise I was off route!!  They also suggested warming my watch up.  I followed the route back (using my phone) and popped my watch in my pocket for 10 minutes.  Thankfully it sprung back to life (without losing any data), and I could carry on.

Then problem 2 hit.  Though I had started out full of energy I hit a complete exhaustion wall.  I found myself ‘waking up’ whilst walking along a footpath, not knowing where I was.  It happened 2 maybe 3 times and I realised that I was going to need another rest to get to the end.  Thankfully a park bench was about 25 metres down the path.  I stopped, set a 10-minute alarm and laid my head in my hands.  I woke after 60 seconds.  I tried again, another 60 seconds.  This was not working.  But I thought I would move on and see how things went.  To my surprise those 2 minutes were like the full factory reset I needed.  I was able to get back into my rhythm, keep a good pace and push out some steady miles until I hit the coast path.

Never before have I been so excited about seeing the North Sea.    It honed into view on my way into Hawsker and the relief was measurable.  It was emotional too.  This had been such an unachievable target, such a push further than ever before and now I was on the verge of finishing it.

At Hawsker Matt Hampson, a competitor that unfortunately had to pull out, was looking out for runners and coming out to give support.  Such a nice chap and the extra support and conversation was very welcome.  He left as I entered the Holiday Park in Hawsker and took the final steps onto the path along the cliff tops to Robin Hoods Bay.

Then the rain came, again!

The coast path was a mud custard, slipping and sliding everywhere.  Day walkers clearly caught out by the weather and conditions were emerging from mud puddles looking like the creature from the deep!

At this point, the enormity of the event hit me, and a few tears were shed on those final couple of miles.  I don’t mind admitting that!

Then I was there, the drop down to Robin Hoods Bay.  I had my poles folded, breathed in deep and fully sent it into the finish line – about a mile downhill, steep slopes, tourists everywhere, visitors to this beautiful little place looking bewildered by these filthy (and a little bit smelly!) grown adults ploughing down the hill to the slipway!  I turn corner after corner until I found that final turn and saw the end.  My wife and two youngest children there to greet me.  Even now, writing this brings a tear to my eye.  This was a monster; this was a ridiculous thing to do.  But I had finished, I had taken on that 300Km and won.  I had shown my family that there really is no limit to what you want to achieve, no matter what it may be, you can do it.  Hard work, determination and sheer bloody mindedness goes a long way to proving that the human body and mins can do so much.

I would like to say thanks to all those people that helped organise and support this event.  The teams at the support points were amongst the most amazing I have ever seen.  Catering was unbelievable for a race.  with some of the best Lasagne and Chocolate Brownie I have ever tasted.

I also want to thank all the other runners I met along the way, Chris Parr, Nick Summers, Henrick, Marcus, Jimmy, Oliver, Crystal and Rich, Matt and so many I simply cannot recall names of.  This event was massive an whilst I ran a lot on my own, the times spent with others was amazing.  We all share a common goal of pushing ourselves to achieve the unimaginable and we all did our best on that day, no matter what the outcome.

Finally, but possibly most importantly, I want to thank my family for supporting these crazy endeavours, putting up with the training and the endless talk about running, kit, fuelling, hiking etc, but also for having most of them there at the end of the event.  Events like this make memories that will never fade and will live on, in me and others for years to come.

And what has this taught me?  Well in simple terms I truly believe that the limits we set are there to be challenge and overcome.  I will continue to go out there and challenge my limits and ability to overcome them for as long as I am able to.  We are all so much more capable of achieving great things than we know, and we allow ourselves to believe.  Believe differently, get out there and disprove those limits.

Nick