From Petra Bijsterveld…
Photo credit Kim Roden
The Welcome Way is an existing waymarked circular long distance walking route connecting Otley, Burley and Baildon, with an optional loop around Shipley Glen and Bingley. Local ultra-race organiser Punk Panther stages a running event which largely follows this route. Last year I completed a 42 mile version of the course. This year there were options to do 50 miles (6000 ft), 34 miles (4300 ft), 20 miles (2200 ft) or a half marathon. Eventually four Harriers made the start line: Gavin Lamb for the 20 miles, James Batterley and Matthew Kennedy to take on the 34 miles, and myself for the 50 miles. Sadly Jeff Green, who had been very much looking forward to venturing into the ultra world by doing the 34, had to withdraw just a few days before the race due to injury.
After flagging part of the course on Burley Moor on Friday and falling into some dangerously deep bogs and holes that were very difficult to extract yourself from the race directors made the decision to divert the course along the road and avoid that moor section for safety reasons. This meant after the climb out of Hag Farm we had to run along Moor Road and Bingley Road until we rejoined the Welcome Way just before the Weecher Reservoir. An unpleasant section but thankfully not as busy with traffic as it would have been on a weekday. And slightly shorter (my 50 mile course was 49.75 in the end; we were offered the chance to run laps on the finish field to make it up to 50 but funnily enough I didn’t feel the urge:))
After the 07:30 start we tackled the first section which goes north from Otley mainly through fields via Clifton and Askwith to arrive after a nice little downhill stretch on the road at CP1 (9 miles) at Denton. The snow was knee-deep on the fields, but at least for me, not being anywhere near the front, a good path had been trodden ahead of me. Still, it was tiring stuff and gave us all a clear sign that the legs would have to work extra hard today. But we were rewarded for our efforts with beautiful views, sunshine aplenty and blue skies. I was very much at the back of the field, but was not unduly worried about the lack of runners behind me as I know from experience that my time will generally come in the second half! I had some brief chats with a few runners I had met on earlier events and ran for quite a long way with Sarah, a runner I had spent half the Dalesway with in August, and who was doing the 34 mile version this time.
After Denton we ran to Carters Lane, crossed over the Iron Bridge and headed up Ben Rhydding Drive to descend into Burley and CP2 (14 miles). It was pleasantly warm by now, hat and gloves could even be removed and stowed away! We made our way to Hag Farm, then along the road diversion, which was tedious to say the least, but better than having a nasty experience in a bog. From Bingley Road the Welcome Way goes through a couple of fields with the very worst mud imaginable, I knew this from last year but it was still no fun, though at least it was now snowy mud rather than foul-smelling, but still knee deep, downhill, and with rocks to add to the difficulty. One of my fellow runners lost a shoe in the quagmire, she was helped to retrieve it by others. Obviously if we had been on our own I would have helped but as it was I pressed on, I was definitely in competing mode during the entire event. Minimal checkpoint stops, just a quick cup of coke, grab a snack and onwards, no faffing, no photos. That’s not to say I ran that fast! My speed is limited at the best of times and terrains, and the underfoot conditions certainly slowed all of us down. Now that the sun had warmed the ground we were no longer striding through nice crips and powdery snow, but slushy mud became the theme for the rest of the day.
We reached Shipley Glen and CP3 (mile 21). The 34 mile runners were turning for Baildon Moor here whilst the 50 mile runners headed out on the 8 mile loop. This takes you to Eldwick and Micklethwaite, crossing the canal via the Morton Swing Bridge. Back along the canal via Five Rise Locks to Bingley where you cross the main road and pick up the riverbank to Saltaire and Roberts Park, then climbing steeply back up to Shipley Glen. There was some confusion as the checkpoint marshal had sent some runners clockwise around the loop. It is of little consequence as obviously distance and elevation are the same, but the gpx goes anti-clockwise so it may have made things more complex for them, I am not sure. Anyway, I said I would rather go the way I know which is anti-clockwise and that was fine, two runners followed me (I seem to exude that air that I know what I am doing LOL). Unbeknownst to me, the strange clockwise v. anti-clockwise situation made life difficult for the Turners, who had driven out to Roberts Park trying to catch up with me! Due to tracker foibles they had missed me at the railway crossing in Burley in the morning and were now determined to find me, but couldn’t work out why there were runners going in the ‘wrong direction’. In the meantime I was running for a bit with a runner called Chris from York, he was wearing last month’s Harrogate Hustle t-shirt so that provided a nice conversation starter as I ran it as well. Just as Chris started to flag at Bingley Five Rise Locks (or maybe he was bored of my conversational abilities by then and was slowing down to lose me!) the Turners came towards me which was absolutely delightful and a total surprise to me. The three of us ran together to Roberts Park where they returned to the car and I climbed back up to Shipley Glen to return to the checkpoint.
Then up to Baildon Moor, by now almost 30 miles in, so I got my poles out for this climb up and they stayed out until the finish, taking some of the load of the legs and helping me to stay upright on the mud which seemed to increase in slipperiness. Down from the trig point, on to Hollins Hall golf club and then to Esholt and through the woods to Guiseley. I was climbing out of the woods and remembering how the next section, the disused railway line to Yeadon, had been my low point last year. That 1 mile stretch of tarmac looks so flat and runnable but it is actually very marginally uphill, quite deceptive. And it comes at a bad time. Tired, but still so far away from the finish. Anyway, just as was garnering my mental strength who do I see coming running towards me but Jeff Green! So lovely to see him and so kind to come out on his bike looking for me. We ran together and chatted and before I knew it we were at Yeadon where Jeff returned to his bike and I pressed on turning north towards West Carlton and the Chevin. Another checkpoint at Surprise View and then 12 miles (and a fair bit of up and down) to go on the loop out to Bramhope, Arthington and Pool Bank before reaching Otley. This is not part of the official Welcome Way but has been added to create the 50 mile route. I asked the checkpoint marshal how far ahead I was of any others and I managed to ascertain that the only other F50 was half an hour behind me, so my position as potential F50 winner, barring any incident and if the trackers were correct, was feeling fairly safe. That gladdened the heart and I cracked on with a spring in my step. I had reccied this additional section recently, especially as I knew it would be dark at some point during it. I ran east along the Chevin, down and then a long climb up and after some fields reached Bramhope where there is quite a long road section which I ran at a good pace (strangely enough Strava doesn’t quite agree and tells me it was an ultra shuffle but I tell you I was motoring along!) The light was fading, it had become noticeably breezier and colder and started snowing. Hat and gloves and mittens back on, buff back round my neck, but not so cold that I needed to stop and put on more layers though I was carrying plenty, just in case! More fields until I was above Arthington where I descended, coming out by the church and reaching the final checkpoint at the village hall where I turned my head torch on. Another ‘fast’ stretch along the road until I turned left at the railway viaduct for more paths and fields, in one of them a large flock of sheep decided to follow me en masse! It was quite a sight (and sound), all those shiny eyes reflected by the light of my head torch in the dark. Down to Pool Bank New Road via Staircase Lane, a bit messy and rocky in the dark, and then the long steep climb up the Avenue des Hirondelles, the one with the big stone gate at the bottom. When I reccied it I said to my friend, I bet I will be crying here, about 47 miles in, but when it came to it yesterday I was about as far from crying as I could be. Almost deliriously happy! There is something very special about being on your own in the dark in an ultra. Though I might have been crying if I didn’t know the way. The final stretch goes from the corner at the top of Old Pool Bank through some very muddy fields, quagmire is the right description, back to Otley.
With just under a mile to go to the finish I saw a light ahead of me. A head torch with a runner attached, albeit a runner who was walking. This was on a short bit of flat road, obviously someone who was tired. As I got closer I saw it was a woman. The only woman ahead of me in fact (there were four women in the race). Game on! I said ‘come on, let’s run’, but then I regretted it and thought maybe I should have just sped past, she might not even have seen I was a woman? She said despondently ‘oh, I got lost so many times…..’ But I was already off. This was no time for friendly chatting, or going over the finish line together like I have done in my last two ultras (with runners I had spent about 30 miles of the race with). This was time for winning if it was in my grasp. But I knew she had to be a much faster runner having been quite a long way ahead. And all she had to do was follow my light now. I ran with all the remaining speed that I could summon from my legs and lungs, through muddy fields, over stiles, praying not to stumble now, finally hit the Otley streets and belted down to the Cricket Club not daring to look back as I was sure she had to be be right on my heels. She wasn’t though, she was a minute behind, and I was delighted to finish as first lady. We became instant friends over tea and pasta which we were treated to by the ever-wonderful Punk Panther team.
Having dropped 2nd lady Ewa off at her guest house at Chevin End (Punk Panther’s Ryk suggested that would be suitable compensation for snatching the win away from her :)) I had enough energy left to drive straight on to the ultra-chat in Bar T’at where I met up with lots of Harriers including Matthew Kennedy who had finished 5th overall and 1st M50 in the 34 mile version. James and Gavin came 4th in the 34 and 20 miles respectively. A lovely end to a brilliant day out.
20 miles
(1 2:54:12 Adam Stirk)
4 3:10:57 Gavin Lamb
56 ran
34 miles
(1 4:28:45 Michael Harris)
4 5:36:52 James Batterley
5 5:39:45 Matthew Kennedy 1st M50
44 finished
50 miles
(1 8:42:38 Marcus Williams)
6 12:18:06 Petra Bijsterveld 1st F
11 finished