So far this year, I have entered four races; the Lakeland Trails Hawkshead Challenge (10 miles), the Derwentwater Dawdle (23 miles), the Tyne Trail Ultra (45 miles) and the Ultimate Trails 100 (60 miles). I've got another couple of long ones in my sights, too - but why?
Well, I certainly don't enter races because I'm competitive and think that I might win. There isn't a chance of me coming anywhere near the front, I won't even win the over 60s category. To be quite frank, I'm happy if I don't finish last. For me, races are not about competition, fast times or any of that stuff. So what am I after?
The first thing I look for is that the race takes place somewhere beautiful. Three of the four I've booked up are in the Lake District and the other is in Northumberland. I'm really not interested in signing up to spend a day running around a track or somewhere that doesn't look stunning.
Another thing that strikes a chord with me is the social aspect of running. For someone who generally enjoys solitary runs in the hills, there is something pretty special about running a route with a lot of other people, even if most of them disappear into the distance within the first few miles. I'll have a few friends running the Hawkshead race and the Dawdle, it's always good to enjoy the buildup with people and then have them wait around to cheer me on when I arrive at the end!
One of the fantastic things about running ultra marathons is the time you spend on the trail chatting to people. After twenty miles on rough ground and in grim weather you can strike up a real camaraderie with a complete stranger. Try this story for example.
Another positive thing about running ultras is that someone does a lot of the logistics for you. I could decide to set out for a 35 mile run in the Lake District, but I'd have to carry all of my own food and water. With races, you get regular checkpoints with food and water provided. There is nothing quite like stopping for ten minutes and having someone pour you a cup of tea and provide you with industrial quantities of flapjack. Another important aspect is safety; this is especially important in winter. When you are out on the hills after dark, in cold weather, it's comforting to know that the race organisers are checking your position via GPS. I just wouldn't go to some of the places that races go, without knowing that there was some sort of backup.
However, in the final analysis, I enter races because I enjoy them. From the queasy feeling in the morning as you lace up your shoes and check your kit, through the alternating exhilaration and exhaustion of covering a long distance in wonderful country, to the endorphin rush of crossing the finish line; there is just nothing like it. Yes, some races provide medals (I never know what to do with them) or t-shirts (far more useful) and one even provided fish and chips and beer at the finish line, but this isn't why I race. I race because it's fun - even for a back of the field runner.
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| If you could race here, why wouldn't you? |
Well, I certainly don't enter races because I'm competitive and think that I might win. There isn't a chance of me coming anywhere near the front, I won't even win the over 60s category. To be quite frank, I'm happy if I don't finish last. For me, races are not about competition, fast times or any of that stuff. So what am I after?
The first thing I look for is that the race takes place somewhere beautiful. Three of the four I've booked up are in the Lake District and the other is in Northumberland. I'm really not interested in signing up to spend a day running around a track or somewhere that doesn't look stunning.
Another thing that strikes a chord with me is the social aspect of running. For someone who generally enjoys solitary runs in the hills, there is something pretty special about running a route with a lot of other people, even if most of them disappear into the distance within the first few miles. I'll have a few friends running the Hawkshead race and the Dawdle, it's always good to enjoy the buildup with people and then have them wait around to cheer me on when I arrive at the end!
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| Running down Langdale; 30 miles done, 8 to go. |
One of the fantastic things about running ultra marathons is the time you spend on the trail chatting to people. After twenty miles on rough ground and in grim weather you can strike up a real camaraderie with a complete stranger. Try this story for example.
Another positive thing about running ultras is that someone does a lot of the logistics for you. I could decide to set out for a 35 mile run in the Lake District, but I'd have to carry all of my own food and water. With races, you get regular checkpoints with food and water provided. There is nothing quite like stopping for ten minutes and having someone pour you a cup of tea and provide you with industrial quantities of flapjack. Another important aspect is safety; this is especially important in winter. When you are out on the hills after dark, in cold weather, it's comforting to know that the race organisers are checking your position via GPS. I just wouldn't go to some of the places that races go, without knowing that there was some sort of backup.
However, in the final analysis, I enter races because I enjoy them. From the queasy feeling in the morning as you lace up your shoes and check your kit, through the alternating exhilaration and exhaustion of covering a long distance in wonderful country, to the endorphin rush of crossing the finish line; there is just nothing like it. Yes, some races provide medals (I never know what to do with them) or t-shirts (far more useful) and one even provided fish and chips and beer at the finish line, but this isn't why I race. I race because it's fun - even for a back of the field runner.
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