Race Date: Saturday 28th September 2024

What a difference a year makes!

Dig deep is a race weekend that’s been going for many years. A few years ago it was going to fold until it was taken over and ran its first weekend as a newish event in 2023.

Dig deep race weekend usually happens during a weekend in September. It offers races at 50 miles, 30 miles, raced on a Saturday. Then a half marathon and 10k, raced on the Sunday (although because of routing problems the 10k had to be cancelled this year and you could bump yourself up to doing a half at no extra cost).

On the race website the introduction is short but to the point;

‘Whether this is your first trail race or you’re a seasoned ultra runner, Dig Deep offers a distance for everyone. All based a stone’s throw from the city of Sheffield and taking in some of the best running the Peak District has to offer.’

I took part in the 50 mile and will be talking about that distance, however there is a large part of the 50 and 30 that overlap.

In the 50 mile you get 9 check points, yes that’s 9 checkpoints! These are full of goodies, sweets, savouries even sponsored race nutrition (this year it was Naak). You had a choice of T-shirt and finishers wooden medal, or not if you wanted to plant a tree.

There was a great race village with a number of sport company gazebos including one of our own, Matt from My Race Kit North, with kit and nutrition as well as hosting try ons for VJ running shoes.

There was food and a bar, along with the normal amenities, camping and a chance for a sports massage.

Right, let’s get this bit out of the way, as some of you may know (if you read my report a year ago) I did take part in last year’s Dig Deep 50 and yes it was during the hottest day of the year, which made for some interesting stories and some moaning. This year’s event had nothing happen out of the ordinary, there was lots of conversation about the comparisons, throughout the whole day. But this year’s event was dry, cool and to be honest pretty perfect conditions.

So, apologies in advance, this report is hopefully going to inform you of some lovely parts of the race (in my opinion) and some lovely people but will probably be way less epic!

My first memorable and enjoyable part (for me) was running up the side of Win Hill via Parkin Clough. There was a brilliant aid station at the bottom, fully stocked with sweet and savoury. The volunteers offered to fill bottles, empty rubbish, they tried to get me to eat everything and anything!

Then it was up Win Hill. I love this route up because of its challenge. It’s steep, very. It’s often slippy, very! It has a number of parts when you think you’re near the top, then you’re not. And it can be busy with other people. You are clambering up through pretty dense forest with a river running to your left flowing pretty quickly. Then suddenly you reach a metal gate and you look up to see, more! But you also can see the summit as the forest thins and makes way for beautiful, purple heather. After this it’s another shorter slog up in the open to the famous Win Hill trig. One there you’re met with a 360 degree views of the Ladybower, the Peak district, Lose Hill and Mam Tor just to name a few.

Another memorable part was climbing Jacobs’s ladder. I had looked forward to all the climbs in the race because;

• I love ascending, the challenge of climbing quickly (for me), feeling the burn but not trashing the legs, reaching the summit and looking back at what you have achieved.
• I have been using poles for ascending for about a year now and I love them, they let me climb more ascents because they save energy, it’s a win, win for me!
• What goes up must come down! I love that feeling of being 5 again, bombing down a hill (maybe with a bit of caution these days) the wind whistling past you as you feel free and a bit out-of-control!

Climbing Jacob’s ladder was memorable this year as I have no memory of climbing it last year! That’s a lot of climbing to do without even remembering it (I think the hot weather had cooked my brain by then last year!). Jacob’s ladder had a lot of people walking up and down it, lots of big groups, all ages and it was lovely to see all those people making the most of a beautiful September Saturday in the Peaks. Sadly ruined by some bloke in silly socks and with pink poles (me) huffing his way up the side of it!

Turning along the Pennine way it was great to look back over the moorland of Kinder and think how far we had already come (about 20 miles may be?).

At this point, a little shout out to fellow Tuesday night headtorch strider, Rob Hale and his partner, for the chance meeting along the paving slabs along the Pennine way. The little handful of jelly babies came at the perfect moment!

Once along the slabs you make a left and leave the Pennine way to weave up a steep hill. The route then winds its way along towards the back of Mam Tor, then climbing up to run along Great Ridge up Lose Hill and back down towards Hope village. Making a right turn towards Castleton just after The Cheshire Cheese pub (almost stopped for a quick half!) then you reach an aid station in Castleton.

Then my favourite part of the race, running up Cave Dale. I love it, the mystical overhanging entrance then the high cliff sides with rock debris all over the path. You feel like you’re in a film set. Funnelled along a winding path with huge cliff sides on either side, you are guided upwards with a trickle of water underfoot making the route a little bit ‘spicy’! (even better running it at night with a head torch, but that’s for the Tuesday group!). Eventually the rocky path makes way to a grassy trod and you head out again overlooking the vista of the peaks, you can see where you’ve been and where you’re heading to, Shatton, Hathersage, then Higger Tor and Lady Cannings.

As I came up from the Leadmill Bridge (near Hathersage), over the train line and towards the aid station at Whim plantation I met another Super Tuesday night strider! Josie Hill! She had been all over the place looking to cheer runners on.  I was met with super smiles from Josie and her daughter and super fizzy jelly sweets! They came at the perfect time! Cheers Josie that little bit of encouragement really helped!

I was on the home straight, back up behind Carl Walk down the valley and back up the other side!

2 things were driving me now, the finish line was close (obviously) but I also knew Jim and Laura Rangeley were manning the last aid station at the bottom of Lady Cannings plantation. Definately something to pick up pace for! I could hear them cheering before I could even see them! It was lovely to see their smiles and hear their encouragement. I had a mile to go so I didn’t have much of the food and drink that was on offer! I felt really bad but they didn’t mind, but that’s because they are brill!

Then a short run across Ringinglow Road and to the finish.

It was wonderful to finish the race in the light, to have a lot more people in the village and experience some of that finishing chat and race de-brief. I’d done what I set out to do;

1. Finish the race in under the time it took me last time (done).
2. To finish the race and feel like I was competitive and ran hard (done).
3. To possibly finish in a competitive position (done).

The race is lots of fun and I recommend it to anyone! I heard talk there is a possibility there may be a 100mile version next year that would be the reason I come back. Good set up, well managed, aid stations were brill! All together a great day out!

Results for 50 miles

Total runners for 50 miles – 49

Female top 3