From Kate Archer…
This weekend saw the inaugural running of the Fellsman Dart. The course follows the second half of the Fellsman route, the slightly easier half but still 30 miles with over 4,000ft of climb.
The full Fellsman had started at about 8:30am and we were starting at 1pm. The day began with a bit of time spent on coaches (from the finish to Ingleton where we were registered, and then to the start at Redshaw) and a bit of waiting around (I think the organisers were worried about getting us there on time with all the other events on at the weekend). On the start line we were informed that the leader of the Fellsman, a woman, was only one checkpoint behind, so the challenge was not to be overtaken.
Aside from a minor navigation error early on where I found myself on the wrong side of a wall and so lost a handful of places, the race went well. I caught up with the leading group before the climb up to Buckden Pike (though I didn’t realise we were in the lead at this point), and we ran together for a while. I pulled ahead on the descent and when I reached the checkpoint at the bottom of Great Whernside I was told I was in first place. Surely some mistake! I looked back and couldn’t see anyone behind. There were still 10 miles or so to go, but with the thought that I could actually win a race, I just ran as fast as my depleting energy would allow. I stopped at the remaining checkpoints only to have my tally punched, so missed out on all the fabulous catering the Fellsman has to offer. I finished in 5:11, and what a feeling to cross a finish line first!
I think only three or four of us made it back before the first runner in the Fellsman, Anna Llewellyn. She had run the second half quicker than all of us running the Dart. It was the first time that a woman has won the race, and in a record time of 10:18, so very exciting to be there to cheer her in!