Race Date: Saturday/Sunday 25th and 26th September 2021
This event is a weekend of trail races based around the West Yorkshire town of Saltaire and organised by It’s Grim up North Running. As is their trademark they offer a choice of race distances on each of the two days: marathon, 20 mile, half marathon, 10km or 5km – all out and back along the nearby canal towpath. These events are very low key with each individual race attracting perhaps a couple of dozen or so runners. For the 20 mile race on the Saturday Striders were represented by Sarah Percival and me. On the Sunday David Hewitt ran in the half marathon race.
As with all GRIM events there were no mile markers on the trails, very few marshals and limited water and feed stations – competitors are expected to carry their own water etc. At the end of the race there was the GRIM trademark blingy medal, chocolate bar, can of beer and free cakes and roasted potatoes.
Saltaire, which takes its name from its founder, Sir Titus Salt, and the nearby River Aire, is a UNESCO World Heritage site. It is recognised for its international influence on town planning and is considered to be an outstanding example of a mid-nineteenth century model town that demonstrates the social and economic impact of the textile industry. Salts Mill, the vast and ultra-efficient textile factory, was the first building to be completed in 1853. The entire village was then built in a classical style, inspired by the Italian Renaissance and comprised of over 800 high quality homes, two churches, a school, adult education institute, park, hospital, baths and wash house and almshouses for the elderly. Designed by local architects, Henry Lockwood and Richard Mawson, it was planned as a new community where Salt’s workforce would be healthier, happier and more productive. As a result Salts Mill was much more productive than all others in the area at the time. A lesson here for governments and businesses the world over!
The weather for the Saturday race threatened to be super warm, not ideal for a 20 mile race. Thankfully however the sun stayed behind the clouds for the duration of the race. Sarah and I raced together and we got our pacing just right, running at a consistent speed throughout. Sarah set yet another p.b. at this distance and was first female; I was 6th male. In the Sunday half marathon race Strider David Hewitt was 1st male.
For the 20 miler on Saturday 25th September:
Liam Jenkins (Abbey Runners) won the race in 2:15:22, Sarah Percival (Steel City Striders) was first female in a time of 2:55:49. Striders results were as follows:
| Pos | Name | Cat | Time |
| 6 | Dave Beech | M | 2.55.49 |
| 7 | Sarah Perival | F | 2.55.49 |
The link to the full results is here.
For the half marathon on Sunday 25th September:
Lyndsey Eastman (Kimberworth) won the half marathon in a time of 1:30:20 and was first female, David Hewitt (Steel City Striders) was the first male in 1:52:59. Striders results were as follows:
