22nd April 2023

The inaugural running of this race was a deliberately low key affair, with only around 50 competitors, made up of runners, walkers, and relay teams. It was Lee and Sarah’s first time as race directors, so this allowed them the opportunity to iron out any technical issues, whilst inconveniencing as few people as possible. However, my only complaint was that there weren’t enough spoons! #ultramarathonnonsense

The route followed the way-marked Sheffield Country Walk but had been rerouted slightly to avoid some of the road sections. It had also been extended to follow as much of the Sheffield Boundary as possible. It’s definitely a race of two halves, with almost all of the 5905 ft of ascent coming in the second half – but what a second half it was! The climb up out of Totley, through Upper Padley, Burbage, and Stanage Edge was stunning. All in all, it was a lovely day out, the weather was kind, the route was interesting, and the company was excellent. I’ll definitely be signing up for this next year.

Also, a good tip for any aspiring ultra runners – find yourself a hard-as-nails Scottish lass to run with. She’ll definitely keep you moving when all you want to do is have a little lie down!