Race Date: Wednesday 13th November 2024

Hathersage night race is held annually from the Outside shop in Hathersage, and runs up to Stanage edge via North Lees and Stanage plantation, along the edge and then straight back down into Hathersage. All in all the route is about 8km with 300m of climbing, oh and it’s at night.

Arriving at in Hathersage a bit too early (these races never play very nice with public transport times) I managed to bag a nice low race number 3, it felt like a bit too much pressure, I’d bumped into fellow strider Sarah Thorne on the train, so we had plenty of time to discuss the likely perils of the route and kit choices, before the hoards arrived.

We stashed our gear in the climbing room of the Outside shop and were able to use the toilets in the café, though the café was not open. At just before 7 we had a race briefing, the ground conditions were described as excellent, but visibility on Stanage not so great. It was then onto a short walk to the race start on Baulk Lane.

The start was cramped, but Sarah and I managed to push to quite close to the front with minimal use of elbows. In short order we were off, I wished good luck to a few other Striders that saw running (Warren Brown) and then we plunged into the dark. Racing with a headtorch is definitely a different experience, everything focusses on that small circle of light in front and perhaps the runner in front of that. The start was flat (ish) and headed out fast, but after no time we were climbing. I slowed up only for Sarah to glide past me. It was a long climb, 300m in one steep go, I half walked half ran it.

Once on top I expected to be able to make up a bit of time, I was so very wrong. We were plunged into a thick gloomy fog, only able to see about two metres ahead. Warren had given the sage advice that you should hold your headtorch in your hand, but for some reason taking it off my head just seemed like too much faff, luckily they runner I was following had done just that so I could see a little better. The gloom made navigation very difficult, I know the Edge quite well, but I found myself meandering all over, occasionally spotting the little red guide lights that the marshals had put out. I was even lured near to the edge itself by a couple of well-lit French climbers who I mistook for marshals. Eventually the drop off came into sight and so the descent began.

Initially the fog made the technical descending hard going, but I soon found my rhythm and started to pass runners who were making more sensible life choices. Eventually I saw Sarah up ahead as she turned into the last field before the road section. Running like a loonie down very steep hills is my best running and I was able to close in. The final road descent is very steep and quite slick with one treacherous cattle grid, I caught Sarah at the grid and was able to overtake shortly after, all that road running was hammering my feet, but I knew there wasn’t much left and after rounding a corner the finish was suddenly there, with Sarah a few seconds behind.

It’s a brilliant race, challenging, but well marshalled with plenty of route signs, highly recommended for anyone who enjoys the trails or fells and wants to try something a bit different! The race was won by Tom Saville of Dark Peak Fell Runners in 36.46 and Sarah Thorne of Steel City Striders in 41.41 (well done Sarah!). Also Well done to Josie Hill who got 1^st FV40!

Over all there were 163 runners and 10 Striders(listed as striders), results below: