Hardmoors 110: A Journey Along the Cleveland Way

Image above of Roseberry Topping covered in sea threat, taken from Little Roseberry – Credit Ian Luker

Introduction

As I trudge through the clag heading towards Roseberry Topping I try to place exactly where I am, only to be slightly confused by a blurring of ambient light. My brain can’t quite compute what I’m seeing and as I draw closer and closer still my brain unlike the clag clears and its a post wrapped in fairly lights. I make my way down the steps from Little Roseberry and try to remember what the Hardmoors 110 has to do with Christmas.

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Not everything seems what it is on these longer races, but it definitely keeps the route interesting in the early hours. This blog is a combination of my thoughts on the Hardmoors events and my 2024 attempt at what will be my longest event by distance and most likely duration the Hardmoors 110. I’ll try and breakdown my unorthodox training, preparations, approach to the race and all the ups and downs from the weekend.

Hardmoors Races

Jon and Shirley Steele are at the heart of the operation and have impressive running resumes of their own, which includes many many ultras and where the inspiration for these tough events most likely comes from. The first Hardmoors race started in 2008 with the Hardmoors 110, which had 18 recorded finishers. Since then Hardmoors has grown its ultra events including an even tougher edition (The 200), added a trail marathon series and a selection of short races throughout the year (including night races). Across these races the Hardmoors Team supports 1,000s of runners and enables them to enjoy what the North York Moors, Cleveland way and Yorkshire Wolds has to offer.

Their aptly named marshalls “Hardshalls” are always on hand to cater to your needs and with a smile come rain or shine. One of the Hardmoors quotes is “Time to Stop Doubting and Start Believing” and is very much the ethos of the whole Hardmoors community and you only have to read a few posts on Facebook after any of there races and read the praise from runners who wasn’t sure if they could complete the race, but so thankful they tried and received the support from the Hardmoors Team to get them there.

I Joined the Hardmoors community 18 months ago and this has been nothing but a positive experience for me. From day one, everyone has been incredibly welcoming and supportive. The Facebook group has been a valuable resource, offering helpful advice, motivation, and a sense of camaraderie. It’s good to be part of such an encouraging and friendly group and place some success to the Hardmoors races and community to my return to ultrarunning after a 5 year lay off.

Training & Preparations

The short version is I’ve wanted to do the HM110 since last year, but I also wanted to enter the Ultra-Trail Snowdonia 50K or 100k and that was the week before. I also wanted to do a Backyard Ultra and more Hardmoors races, but couldn’t make it all fit to give each race the best I could. So in the end I decided to throw caution to the wind and do them all, with the list below technically being my training and preparation for HM110

• 6th Jan – Hardmoors 30 (3,400ft)
• 2nd Mar – Rasselbock Backyard Ultra (25 loops/104 miles)
• 23rd Mar – Hardmoors 55 (7,545ft)
• 28th Apr – Cuillin Ridge Traverse In A Day (~13,000ft)
• 11th May – Ultra Tour Snowdonia 50k (10,800ft)
• 18th May – Hardmoors 110 (16,500ft)

I can’t say there wasn’t some doubt creeping in as the month of May drew closer and even some good friends pointed out there wasn’t much time between one tough technical mountain race to the HM110. “Time to Stop Doubting, and Start Believing” the very ethos of the Hardmoors and very poignant for what we can achieve it we believe in ourselves. Although I’m not the fastest out there I’ve come to realise that my mental fortitude is pretty good, that or I’m just really really stubborn (thankfully my wife doesn’t read these as she has an opinion on the matter).

My reflections on the last 6 months training and racing as I sit here in June almost feeling recovered is as follows:

• This approach is great for building mental strength and solid endurance.
• little time to incorporate speed and strength work as by the time I’d recovered I’d either be racing again or should be entering my taper into the next race.
• If you want a course PB, then for me I need to specifically target a race (I tried this at the Hardmoors 55 and just didn’t have the legs for it after the BYU a few weeks earlier).

I’ve got a much quieter schedule for the second half of the year, with the hopes of recovering well and doing some strength and speed work to prepare for 2025’s races.

Race Day and Strategy

I’d recovered incredible well from last weeks race and had no niggles or bad blisters. I’d tried to keep my nutrition and fluid intake on the high side to help with the recovery. I’d still got some concerns about the latter parts of the race as we hit the hillier sections and if my legs would still have enough in the tank to get the job done. I’m still trying to find what works best for me on these longer events with regards to nutrition and went for Tailwind and SiS gels with the view of eating a small amount of snacks when I felt low throughout the day and then as I entered the night start incorporating pasta, pizza, soups alongside the tailwind and gels.

“Everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face”

So my race strategy was simply to finish the race in 35hours 59minutes or less, I did have a print out laminated with the cut off times on and with a schedule to get me around the 30 hour mark. The schedule was just for reference and to keep me honest, but must not jeopardise the completion so if I felt the pace was too strong on the day then I would pull back to not wreck my race. Drop bags needed some thought to ensure I had enough nutrition to see me through to the next one as I’d signed up as an unsupported runner.

Race Start to Scarborough CP1

The morning consisted of dragging my whole family out the house at 4:45am and travelling to Helmsley to catch the bus to Filey ahead of tracker and bib collection for a 8:00am start. I’d had a good chat with Scott Ulatowski on the back of the bus about previous races and what our expectations were for the day/s ahead. Karan Saward was amongst two other ladies having a few laughs with one being the amount of food Karan had brought with her. We’re soon arriving at Filey and picking up our bib and tracker, quick pee stop, Jon gives the pre race brief and we’re ready to go.

The sea threat swept over us as the countdown began and we’re off. I positioned myself towards the front of the pack as I didn’t know the route for the first 30 miles and didn’t want to feel I wasn’t going at my pace or queuing at a stile. I went off a little quicker than I normally would have planned the start of a long race, but it was all in the plan. I purposefully left my bottles empty of water and only the Tailwind powder inside them and carried a disposable bottle of water to quench my thirst for the first 7 miles to Scarborough. I felt comfortable at this pace, but knew it wasn’t sustainable for anymore than the first couple of hours.

I chuckled to myself as Anthony Gerundini faded out of sight with his plastic sword still firmly secured in his race pack. These first 7 miles were very runnable and were over very quick, other than one 10 metre detour before some spectators put me right. A few chats with runners around me and then suddenly we were dropping down to the first checkpoint for that quick water fill and onto the hard stuff (tarmac).

So far, so good…..

Scarborough to Ravenscar Village Hall

With a litre of water bouncing around my chest now, I felt very heavy! I’ll be honest for a few minutes I thought I might struggle to make it to the next checkpoint, never mind the rest of the 105 miles we had left. The combination of a heavier pack, the trudge along the road and a little bit of doubt creeping in. Time to start having a word with myself (much sooner than I thought it would be), thought it would be worth having a snack to perk me up while I talk through it all with myself.

A runner came past and exchanged a brief hello and we ended up running half a mile of the Scarborough front talking about UTMB and peoples opinions of it. I then realised it was Kim Cavill, I’ll be honest I only know Kim from the HM55 documentary/You Tube docu/video so knew she could move. I was enjoying the company, but the pace was just a bit too much for me now I’d got the water stocked up and “chose” to take a tactical walk. Kim went on to take 1st female with a healthy gap between her and the 2nd place female, well done and nice talking to you briefly Kim.

Thankfully the road section was short lived and I settled in nicely to running everything other than the ups, where I tried to pace myself and enjoy the scenery. The sea threat continued to blow over us with some occasional views of the cliffs and sea, but mostly for me it was sea threat. This section was quite fun as I’d not ran this section before and before I knew it I was dropping onto the HM30 route and knew I wasn’t too far away from the next checkpoint. Up to the village hall for a super quick pit stop, rubbish out, drop bag loaded into bag, water filled and out.

Current status, feeling good and only focusing on the next checkpoint, Hornblower??

Ravenscar Village Hall through Hornblower and onto Runeswick Bay

My thoughts are I should be able to settle into a nice few miles now towards Robin Hood’s Bay down the cinder track, my body and mind had other idea’s again. Not sure what it was but had another low and did a bit of running and walking for the whole cinder track. I continued to fuel and treat myself to a few wine gums and I was soon passing through the car park in Robin Hood’s Bay, there’s was plenty of crew and spectators with kind words of encouragement. At these points and supporters along the way really did give me a hit of dopamine and kept me in good spirits throughout the day.

In good spirits I continue onto Whitby and heard earlier that it was a Steam Punk weekend so it’s gonna be packed! Although might see some interesting sights and maybe a sign of what’s to come in the latter parts of the race. Oh yeah, forgot there’s another checkpoint before then, a little top up of water and Tailwind and I’m on my way (Hornblower). As expected, Whitby was pretty busy and I realised I didn’t have a clue were I was going, so just hoped the GPS watch was keeping me on the route and I wasn’t gonna end up on a lookout point with no way other than to backtrack. Thankfully as I crested the last footpath I saw the whale bones and was heading out of Whitby.

After the whale bones I was fairly happy with route finding for awhile as we’d stayed near Whitby last year and I’d ran this section by chance. A bit more road and a few more ups and downs and back into the sea threat we go, just then a runner came past me with his super excited support runner telling me how much this section is beautiful once we’re up on the cliffs. I’d love to have seen this section in all its beauty, but you guessed it, sea threat it is. As we dropped down onto Runeswick Bay we enjoyed a bit of sunshine as the weather lifted and opened up for us a little and if I’d have looked back it was very beautiful.

Runeswick Bay, Saltburn Bandstand onto Roseberry Topping

I’ll not lie, I was getting a bit sick of this running malarkey now, a bit of a death spiral was starting and I started to feel a little sorry for myself. It was all a bit of a blur up to the bandstand and after a short sit down at the bandstand, I pushed on and tried to focus on something positive. The positive thing I focused on was getting to Kildale and eating some Pizza or some soup or some cake (everything I hadn’t got in my bag). I ran briefly with another runner and he mentioned he also was unsupported and that there’s a supermarket en route so that might cheer us up.

For some reason I wanted chocolate milk and so I trudged up the stairs with my chocolate milk and suddenly someone shouted down. When you’ve been running 55+ miles and had only a few conversations seeing a work buddy who’d mentioned he might come and see me when I pass his house was very uplifting. He’d made me a goodie bag up with all sorts of food and treats and some juice. It was a proper boost to moral and after chatting for a few minutes we started to walk up the road and I left with my goodies running down towards the main road.

Just a few more miles and I’d be on the HM55 route and should be able to turn the brain off from constantly checking my navigation and just concentrate and reaching the next checkpoint. Ermm I thought the sea threat was bad in the day, then commeth the night time clag/sea threat or whatever it is. I’m pretty much working from memory now and only able to see a couple of metres ahead of myself, I pass a fella and his support crew struggling a bit, but no time to stop I just want pizza.

As I trudge through the clag heading towards Roseberry Topping I try to place exactly where I am, only to be slightly confused by a blurring of ambient light. My brain can’t quite compute what I’m seeing and as I draw closer and closer still my brain unlike the clag clears and its just a post wrapped in fairly lights. I make my way down the steps from Little Roseberry and try to remember what the Hardmoors 110 has to do with Christmas.

As I work my way over to Roseberry Topping (an old favourite of mine), I pass another runner and ask how they are, for Scott Ulatowski to reply and say “hi”. He’s struggling a little, but assumed we all were and Kildale would surely put us all back in good spirits. a fairly quick up and down, I’m feeling a little cold so put my coat on and push onto to Kildale. On the HM55 it comes relatively quickly, when you’ve already run 60 miles it feels a long time coming.

Roseberry Topping, Kildale and onto Clay Bank

So after passing more support crews below Captain Cook’s monument, I’m soon at Kildale (well after the up hill, winding path to the road, the lonnnnng down hill road). Time to refresh, I ask for soup and while I wait I grab a slice of pizza. I’m pretty low on energy and know I’m going to be staying for awhile and getting plenty food on board. Scott Ulatowski comes in shortly after me and thinks he’s done, he’s going to try and have a nap and see how he feels after. I encourage him to get some food on board and he’ll be good.

Karan Saward who I’d spoke to after the HM55 and on the bus to the start came in and out fairly quickly. It felt like quite a few runners were pit stopping quickly, but I just kept eating and drinking my pizza, cake and soup. The marshalls kept checking on me and I think they thought I was not going out, I must have stayed at least 30 minutes there (maybe more). but felt so good and the plan now was fast hike over bloworth crossing and once at the top of Urra Moor run down and if I had the legs and energy get my poles out for the first time and push on and that I did.

As I dropped into Clay Bank with a confident trot on one of the marshalls called out “runner”, was nice to think I was still called a runner at this point and it further added to my new found energy. What further added to my energy was a familiar face marshalling at the checkpoint a lady who had accidently bumped into a friend I was accompanying in a remote port on the Isle of Skye, “Charmian’s friend?” Yes, fancy that after a sit down and a quick chat, full of energy and good vibes I got my poles out and let’s have at it!

Clay Bank, Scarth Nick onto The White Horse

Now I’ve been practicing with my new running poles for the last couple of weeks and not really sure about them, but from getting these out until nearer the end they really did come into their own. I felt so strong over this section, I’m not sure if it was good use of the poles or the fact that the three sisters felt very small after being in Wales last week, but they flew by and even the “Steps of Doom” flew by. Eddy Heals posted some stats on the sections and I was 6th fastest over for this section overall and after 80 miles felt pretty good about that looking back.

I had some real momentum over these hills and passed lots of runners along the way, a quick hi and bye to Karan Saward (which would become a theme for the next 15 miles between the both of us). The sun had started to warm things up now and I chose a spot to quickly strip down to my shorts and t-shirt and was quite enjoying the miles until the long stretches approaching the White Horse came. It’s here I shared a few miles with Karan Saward and mentioned that I believed under 30 hours was possible, tempting fate I guess, no sooner had I said that a few miles later something popped in my shoe.

So an awkward walk it is, I wasn’t too far away from the White Horse now and checked the tracker to see Karan had already made it there and also who was behind me. I thought I’d check again once passed the White Horse and walking towards Helmsley. It looked as if everyone was walking it in now, so I just tried to keep a good hiking pace. I was hoping my feet wouldn’t get any worse as although 9 miles doesn’t seem much, it’s a hell of a way on sore feet. I passed a fella sat on the grass with his support looking a little worse for ware, I just raise a hand to acknowledge them (I would see him some hours later once my Wife picked me up, bent over sideways walking to the finish with his support and possible his wife ensuring he made it safely in, some perseverance there!).

I press on and every change of path, track or road I remember there’s still a fair bit to go on tired legs and sore feet. I can’t remember to much from here, other than feeling I’d been walking for a long time and felt someone could catch me. I try a bit of running and keep looking behind me, but damn its warmmmm! The road section is out the way and up the hill I go, I don’t know what any of the route looks like as it’s been dark on the HM55 when I normally get here. I’ve got to be close now and then out of nowhere a runner passes me with their support!!! where the fffff…….g hell have they come from, I drop my head and admit defeat.

One runner doesn’t matter, what’s one place on the scheme of things…. As I cut left up toward the last two fields, I think I can see another runner. I tell myself I can’t lose another place and start running, it hurts, but I tell myself it’s a mile at most and you’re done. I run both fields and start heading down the cobble road into Helmsley and see the other runner ahead of me. I tell myself I’m going to run it in now, although she looked so strong so might put up a bit of a fight. I pass them with a well done and they ask me if I’d got a second wind and confess I think another runner is coming.

I’m sweating like a pig and continue to run across the road, around the corner and bare left up the road, this is it, with a glance behind me I contemplate walking, but push on and across the car park, with a few claps and into the hall and done! Thank fff… goodness for that, I thank the team and plonk myself down. I hear clapping and another runner is coming in, I glance over and it’s the runner I traded places with and partly why I’m still sweating. It’s at this point I notice the relay bib and realise I didn’t need to beast myself at the end, Oh well another confidence boost that after 111 miles I can put up a small fight.

I decide to lay my shirt and medal down for a quick photo and send to my wife and running friends who’d been following the tracker. I’d already got a few well done messages and tucked my phone away, rested my chin on my hands and closed my eyes. It’s at this point Jamie Gray takes the below photo, it might look like I’m in deep thought about something, I’m fast asleep.

30 hours 49 minutes and 56 seconds was my finishers time, putting me in 27th place out of 61 finishers and with a good 5 hours to spare and as always upon reflection a bloody good adventure around the North York Moors. A couple of notable mentions to Jon and Shirley, the Hardshall’s, Karan Saward for the company and for finishing under 30 hours (knew I’d calculated it right), James Gray for the photo and all the other Hardmoorian’s who let me use their images.

Reflection

• Lessons Learned
  • Would be nice to have a support crew to cheer me on next time and a choice of food earlier than Kildale, as definitely didn’t have enough variety in my pack.
  • Need to take care of my feet a little better, one change of socks possible enough if I can talc or Vaseline them to prevent the blisters I got.
  • Back to back weekend Ultra’s can be done, so dismiss the worries/questions aside next time.

Final Thoughts

Great Race, Great route, Great Directors, Great Support, Great Adventure. Be rude to not contemplate the 160 or the 200…. wouldn’t it?

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