From Kate Archer…
The route follows the coastal section of the Cleveland Way, starting at Guisborough and passing through Saltburn, Runswick Bay, Staithes, Whitby, Robin Hoods Bay, Ravenscar and Scarborough before finishing at Filey. Having run the Hardmoors 55 earlier in the year which follows the inland section of the Cleveland Way, I was keen to finish the trail (there is also the option of the Hardmoors 110 which Petra completed earlier this year and is the full Cleveland Way – perhaps one for another year).
The weather forecast was for rain, and it proved accurate. We started in heavy rain which continued all day, turning quite stormy on the cliff tops in the evening. After the event, I saw a Facebook post that said the wettest place in North Yorkshire had been Ravenscar with over a month’s rainfall in a day!
Of all the ultras I have run, this was probably one of the least enjoyable. The Hardmoors races are fantastic, and the route is probably beautiful on another day. But the constant battering from the weather, slipping around in mud and feeling a little bit cold most of the day was tough. The drop out rate was almost 50%, and I’m not surprised.
I was pleased to finish in 12 hours 8 mins, in 6th place overall (of 89 finishers) and 2nd F.