23rd March 2025
Edale Skyline is a 34km AL (Advanced Long) fell race with around 1300m of climbing, it’s organised by Dark Peak Fell Runners and this year was the first race in the English Fell Championships.
The week leading to the race had been glorious weather, but on the night before there was heavy rain and the mountain weather report suggested that the cloud level for Kinder Scout would be around 250-300m, this meant that the race would be mostly taking place above the cloud-line, or in the clag as fell runners like to call it. On the morning of the race this definitely proved true, I caught the tram into Sheffield with the many sleekly attired Sheffield Half Marathon runners, I must’ve been an odd sight in my scruffy fell gear, and muddy shoes! Things did not have an auspicious start, the train to Edale had been cancelled! Luckily I had planned in enough time to get the tram home and get a last moment lift to the race (I do drive but decided trying to park with so little time left might be problematic).
I queued for kit check and registration and got in just before the 10.15 cut off! It was then time to jog to the race start, this would have to do for a warm-up, not ideal, but the best I was going to get.
The race starts in the field at the base of Ringing Rodger, the route zig-zags up a steep climb and then runs anti-clockwise via a well worn path. The section over Brown Knoll is flagged and the route overall wasn’t particularly boggy at any point though it was very muddy and very technical in places as well as very steep! The route then continues to the great ridge via Mam-Nick, but skips Man Tor, it takes in Lose Hill and Win Hill before heading up Crookstone Hill to eventually descend back down Ringing Rodger.
The race started fast, I was mid-pack and quickly found myself in a bottleneck at the first style, I felt like I lost quite a lot of time here, but little could be done other than starting very close to the front. The climb up Ringing Rodger (approx. 300m) was a slow and steady affair, but runnable in places, though the top was a proper hands and feet scramble. Eventually we got onto a narrow well defined single trail, the ground was very muddy and slippery, but not boggy. Overtaking was challenging due to the narrowness of the trail, and many rocky obstacles. There were a lot of steep smaller climbs and stream crossings to navigate and at check-point 3 the first dib station. This was the first opportunity to go wrong and a lot of the runners in front did (and missed the checkpoint), fortunately I didn’t as it turned out most of them had to run back a long way to get the checkpoint and were timed out as a result!
Over Brown Knoll the trail became flagstones, this was probably better than wading though miles of bogs, and gave me the chance to run at speed, but it was here that I noticed something a bit wrong, it felt like my legs were taking a real bashing from the stones, far more so than I would’ve expected at this distance (approx. 10 miles).
Along this section the low visibility became very apparent. I could see no runners ahead or behind me and couldn’t hear anything, and even though I knew this section of the route well enough it was a relief when I caught up to some runners ahead.
Eventually we dropped down to Mam Nick and the first water station. I re-filled my bottle but couldn’t squeeze it back into my pack so had to carry it. Fuel wise I had around six gels in total for this race which felt about right for me, I perhaps had slightly less water than I should probably having something around 1.5 litres in total.
From Mam Nick the route lead around Mam Tor and onto the Great Ridge. I took the climb up to Lose Hill nice and easy ready for a fast run down the other side, but cramp struck on the descent. By the time I got to the Roman Road in Hope I was a hobbling mess. I walked and tried to rest my cramping calves as best I could before the brutal climb up Win Hill, eventually I was able to summon a jog, but I was losing places rapidly until I reached the base of Win Hill. This is no ordinary route up Win Hill, it takes the most direct route which makes Parkin Clough seem like a gentle gradient! After dragging myself up by grabbing onto handfuls of heather for around 300m I finally reached the top (time for more cramp). It was then a fast out and back to Win Hill summit, I surprised myself by being able to summon up some running and even got a bit of speed up managing to overtake a few fellow struggling runners.
After Win Hill the climb up Crookstone Hill was a cruel affair of cramps and cursing and sporadic running, again the trail became quite technical and muddy and just seemed to go up and up, before suddenly coming to Ringing Rodger and the final descent.
I really wanted to run fast, I knew that I could run this section fast I’d trained on it a couple of times, but my calves failed me. Every hundred meters or so I had to stop and stretch out my calf muscles and the final sprint was a gritted teeth, stiff-legged hobble!
The relief on finishing was huge and the pie and peas at the end very much appreciated! Much of this might sound like a moan, but in truth I loved this race. The route was amazing, it was excellently marshalled and supported, and it was great to run with some of the best fell runners in the country. I suffered and the last 10k was pretty much a fight every step of the way, but I learned that I can keep going and even enjoy myself despite struggling. I think I hadn’t given myself enough rest from my last long fell race and my legs were still recovering, so another lesson learned!
I was the only strider (I think) and finished 178th (21st in age category) in 3.50:56. The race was won by Ben Rothey of Ilkley Harriers AC in 2.36:01 and Elle Twentyman of Rugby and Northampton AC in 3.01:19.
Strider Result
178th Darrell Porter in 3:50:56
Full results
https://www.sportident.co.uk/results/FRA-English/2025/EdaleSkyline/index.html