Hell Up North

Today I ventured out to a very autumnal Delamere Forest for my annual dose of killer hills, shoulder deep freezing water and bogs oozing with energy sapping stinking brown mud; yes, it's Hellrunner time again! There were plenty of hardy souls (crazed runners if you like) milling around the start area when I arrived. A whole gaggle of Elvis lookalikes were mingling with superheroes, devils, demons and even a few serious runners. At 10 am the first wave of Hellrunners charged across the start line and sped up the first of many hills. There then followed many miles of muddy forest trails and short sharp hills interspersed with ankle deep streams and gullies, as well as logs and fallen trees that had to be negotiated with care; or, if you were flying along, it was just a case of launching yourself at them and hoping for the best!
At around the halfway point the first of the seriously deep bogs had to be tackled. This waist deep mud had hidden logs, branches and areas of deeper mud to catch the unwary. A few more miles of beautiful forest trails and a short run along a shallow stream lulled the runners into a sense of false security. Because the next set of obstacles were steep hills and climbs that had everyone scrambling on hands and knees in a vain attempt to get some form of grip on the slippery slopes; and running down the hills was even more hazardous! There was to be no respite; after a mile of gentle climbing what was probably the most feared obstacle loomed into partial view through a dense stand of willows; the freezing lake. To say it was cold is a gross understatement; to say it was treacherous would be no exaggeration. The calm level surface hid undulations, dips and downright potholes that caught out many runners. But, hey, this is Hell after all, but I think it had frozen over! Many couldn't feel their legs after exiting the water but maybe that was a good thing. The cold must have gone to my head because next thing I knew I was running past a bevy of cheerleaders dressed as fairies!
A quick circuit of Black Lake and I was by the infamous Bog of Doom where I was welcomed with loud cheers from the fantastic crowd of supporters. This stream contains many hidden dangers in the form of sunken logs, dense soggy vegetation and thick glutinous mud that acts like quicksand. At one point I was being sucked back into the bog as I struggled to haul myself out of the gloopy mud. Once out of the bog it was a short mud-encrusted jog around the final field before crossing the finish line in a fabulous seventh place. A welcome hose down was kindly provided by the local fire brigade; the water felt warm in comparison to the lakes and bogs! After changing into dry clothes I purchased a coffee, most of which I spilled due to the shaking of my cold hands! I watched the fabulous drum band for a few minutes before retracing the race route to cheer on the other Hellrunners and take some photos and video. One Hell of a race!

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Hell in the Middle



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Hell in the Middle

Yesterday, Saturday 10th, despite feeling a bit under the weather, I turned up at the Trentham Estate near Stoke to run in the extreme trail event called Hell in the Middle. I have run a number of these events before in the Autumn in the lovely Delamere Forest, but this was a new venue for me; and a new time of year, there were more than a few flakes of snow falling from the grey skies as we approached the venue.
The event set-up was great with car-parking close to the start along with a good selection of cafes nearby for that essential post-race refreshment.
After only a short delay the first wave crossed the start line at ten minutes past ten. The initial route zigzagged across a grassy field, luckily it had stopped raining, but the ground was very soft. After only ten minutes we had to cross an icy-cold river; the water was easily chest-height in places. I thought I would freeze following that early dip, but my technical running gear dried out after a few miles; I pitied the poor runners in heavy fancy dress. The first of many steep climbs loomed and there was snow and hail on the ground. Every steep climb was followed by a body-jarring fast and steep descent over mud, bracken, through trees and at one point down some very slippy wooden steps; there was no respite from the relentless inclines. The one patch of level running was even across a shallow lake before a hands-on scramble up another very steep hill.
I knew I was somewhere in the top dozen runners, and my position was constantly changing as I competed with fellow Hellrunners. Another crossing of the river meant we were only a mile or two from the finish. I managed to overtake another competitor as we raced back across the field; then another who struggled over a fallen tree in the woods. A final leap down a steep embankment, and I sprinted for the finish.
My watch had stopped working so I don't know my exact finish time. Trailplus estimated the distance at about 10 miles but that has yet to be verified, it felt more like 8 (very tough) miles. I calculated that I was in 9th position, but, even though the race was chipped, the organisers thought that I abandoned the race! I have emailed them and am waiting for a reply. Nevertheless, I was very pleased with my run and celebrated with a much-needed bacon roll and cup of hot coffee.

Muddy, wet, bloody, shattered - a happy runner!

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Hellrunner

For the past few years the good people at Trailplus have organised extreme trail running events at Delamere Forest in Cheshire and named them, with some justification, Hellrunner!
Unfortunately for the two weeks leading up to this race last Saturday I had been suffering from a bad dose of manflu and hadn't done any real training since the Liverpool Marathon. Being a typical runner I was undeterred and turned up at a cold Delamere thinking that if I felt rough I could easily drop out and walk back to my car.
Over 2000 hardy souls lined up at the start and were entertained by a fabulous drum band, until the devil appeared (really!) and the race got under way. The first mile is uphill to the radio masts before a return through the start area before the hordes enter the forest proper. What follows has to be experienced to be believed; quality trail running along narrow tracks, up and down near-vertical hills, through freezing streams and interminable mud. There was even a disco situated near the first waist-deep bog.
Despite growing fatigue and cold, all this was familiar territory to experienced Hellrunners who have completed this 11ish mile course before. But the cunning guys at Trailplus played a blinder by changing the course at about 10 miles and directing the runners through Lucifer's Lake! This new obstacle was a pool of freezing water of undetermined length; I have heard estimates of between 200 metres and half a mile, I suppose it depends how long you were in it for. The bottom of this icy obstacle was unseen and uneven, runners were reduced to hanging on to small trees as they sank to their shoulders as they struggled to cross to the other side. With no feeling from the waist down I clambered up the far side and continued running.
A few miles further on the final trial, the Bog of Doom, held no fear after the death cold iciness of the Lake.
Large crowds of supporters gather here to cheer on their friends and to witness the spectacle of thousands of crazed runners ploughing through the mud.
A final run around the start area and a sprint to the end saw me finish in 56th place in a respectable time of 1 hour and 48 mins. After a hosing down by the local fire brigade (I told you runners are crazy!) I got changed and shared some very welcome mugs of coffee and bacon rolls with my friend Jane.

In the Bog of Doom
Photo courtesy of RandR Photos

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