102 Hill Challenge – Castle Eden Dene

(Inspired by Gary McBean’s and Karl Edwards’ 17 Hill Challenge)

So before getting into this blog post that’s been five, nearly six years in the making for me, I’d just like to touch upon how much I like everything about this challenge. Since the day I was first taken around Castle Eden Dene for a training run, to being introduced to the 17 Hill Challenge and then to top it off the route description being a photocopy of Karl Edwards’ drawing from memory with pen and paper. The pleasure of this route is taken by the days you spend learning the route and especially completing the full 17 hill route. See a little more about how the challenge was created below.

---

17 Hill Challenge (17 Hills, 11.2 miles, 2,733ft Ascent)

Castle Eden Dene has long been a favourite training venue for Hartlepool Burn Road Harriers.  Ken Maughan and Phil Gorman first introduced me to this spectacular nature reserve back in 1984 when I joined the club.  It was a regular Thursday night training session throughout the summer months when we all used to meet at the now defunct Grayfields track.  I have trained in there with lots of people ever since although not as much as I would like, now that I live out of town.

Many club runners have benefited from the hill sessions that are available, you can go in for 30 minutes or up to 3 hrs without covering too much of the same ground.  It is invaluable training for cross-country races, 10k, up to the marathon distance.

One particular competitive training partner a certain Gary McBean suggested about 15 years ago that we should see how many hills we could do in one session.  We then did a few recces of this, that and the other and came up with approx 15/16 hills.  The Dene’s paths have changed over the years due to erosion and the loss of some wooden bridges so the original route is no longer an option.  The good thing about this, it means we get to add an extra hill that we somehow missed out the first time, there are now 17 hills to contend with.   

This is purely a Hill session and it means that you run up and back down most of the hills, due to the geography within the Dene.  The challenge is mentally demanding as well as physically, but mainly character building, you can attempt this on your own, in twos or a group. I hope some of you will want to do it again to improve on your times.

I would suggest you recce the route in two halves to make yourself familiar with it before your attempt.  I envisage the challenge to take between 2 and 3 hours depending on how fit the contender is.

Written by Karl Edwards.

---

Nailing the Route down

So from Karl’s drawing, I used this to do my own recce’s and ultimately map it out with some more modern mapping tools to get the exact distance, elevation gain and ensure I stayed true to the route as much as possible. I’d ask some of the longer standing members for confirmation on some of the hills such at Hill No.5 and how far you go up the track (you go all the way to the gate, the Strava segment has this hill rep too short). So even if it is on strava, you might not have actually covered the route as intended.

All this considered I wanted to stay true to the original route Karl drew as much as possible and believe the route is still possible albeit in some places caution should be used to navigate fallen trees and landslips.

The Double! (34 Hills, 22.4 miles, 5,466ft Ascent)

So back in 2020, when I was still day dreaming about making a comeback to running and had already joined the club, I was looking for a challenge or maybe a race to give me the motivation to keep up with the training this time. This is were the 17 Hill challenge came in and wondered if anyone had ever completed a double, I couldn’t find anything or anyone who knew that this had been attempted so thought I’d get fit and give it a go. Thought is a great thing, ultimately my motivation waned and Covid 19 and gave me an easy route to drink more than I’ve ever drank before and play computers games like I was a teenager again.

Meanwhile Steven Walker isn’t racing and turns his sights on what challenges he can complete while we’re restricted by the various lockdowns. He goes out one morning and storms round the route twice in 3 hours and 58 mins!! Absolute cracking effort that and all for charity! So time moves on and I don’t make a comeback until 2022 and thankfully I’ve kept at it and continue to increase the difficulty level (mainly increasing distance or elevation gain). and nearly two years into this revival I once again turn my sights to the 17 Hill Challenge.

Now never say never, but I aint running a 3 hours 58 minutes Double, but what if as originally planned I try to do something that hasn’t been done before and make it 3, 4, 5 or 6 times around the route. Well 6 times round, covering ~67 miles and over a 100 hills made it not only an ultra challenge, but a bit of a monster. So I did a few recce’s to make sure I’d nailed the route and on the back of the success of the Everesting in September I pencilled it in for November 2023.

102 Hill Challenge (102 Hills, 67.4 miles, 16,398ft Ascent)

First Attempt 04.11.2023

I’d pencilled this in for around this date as a bit of fun and to test the waters on the attempt. Going into it I foolishly started to believe I’d be able to turn up after not running for a month and “just tick it off”. Due to this being a Autumn/Winter attempt I’d either have to start in the dark or finish in the dark, therefore I chose to start in the dark at midnight in the hope of finishing around dusk.

The reality was I struggled to drag myself out of bed at 11:30, to ultimately start off next to the church in Castle Eden at 00:50. I’ll not lie running alone at 01:00 in the pitch black, in the heavily forested dene isn’t my kind of Saturday night/morning, but initially felt good to be out and running. This soon changed 1.5 miles in as a calf knot I’d been nursing tightened up, long story short I’m pretty fed up with it so it’s either going to twang and I’m done or it’ll ease off.

Ease off it kind of did and ultimately it feels much better today (the Monday after) while I type this, but while I was running it was a constant niggle through the attempt. To condense some of the 6 hours of darkness into a few words, it was dark, wet, muddy, dark and I might have been a little jumpy at a couple of shadows in the bushes. Also quite a few yellow demon looking eyes in the trees, thankfully just deer trying to forage for food, while some numpty is running around the forest at 1am with his headlamp on.

Ultimately I tired into the daytime, from lack of sleep and probably as the adrenaline wore off. I started to struggle with the hills into my 3rd lap and sat down on Hill No.5 to eat a little more and ultimately I fall asleep for a few minutes. This is when I decided it’s game over and I would finish the lap and look to reschedule once I got another gap in 2024. Reality hits again as I struggled through Hills 6 and half of 7 to slowly walk and work my way out of the dene via Hill No.17 and into the car.

Conclusion of this attempt

Not enough gap and training between last ultra, maybe do the night legs with others to remove the stress factor of running alone in the middle of a dark wood or start later and finish in the night. Give the attempt the respect it’s due, the numbers aren’t that high considering what I’ve already done this year but nonetheless it’s a toughie. lastly schedule it for around the summer solstice, starting early’ish maybe 04:00 with a view of finishing at around 22:00.

Second Attempt 02.08.2025

Here we go again as I find myself with a little too much time on my hands before my next race in October. I’d been looking at the gap in my race calendar in August for some time now and mentioned to Club Mate Nick Braun I might go for it, he was up for supporting a loop, so I pencilled it in and left it at that. I wasn’t planning on making this any bigger than it needed to be, but as the date drew closer I thought it would be nice to have a few more supporters around me to take the pain out of those lonely hill reps, so I’ve put the invite out on our club facebook page.

With a couple of takers, I’ve made a chat group and sent out the proposed schedule with an open invitation for runners to support me wherever they like. I just hope I can peel myself out of bed at 2:00am to get to Castle Eden Dene for a 2:30am start.

Preparation

So very little running since World’s Toughest Mudder, mainly rested up and rightly or wrongly assume I have the distance in my legs, just wonder how I’ll get on with the hills as I’ve not done any strength or hill work for some time now. So just be trying to keep a steady pace and keep fueling. Food plan for the day will be bowl of porridge as soon as I wake up, first couple of loops I’ll carry gels and then look to try and eat some real food as the sun comes up and then most likely just whatever I can stomach into the latter parts of this challenge.

Start and Loop 1

I woke up before the 1:30 a.m. alarm after a restless night with just 3–4 hours of sleep. Porridge didn’t appeal, so I went with a chocolate waffle instead. After loading my gear into the car and finishing my cuppa, it was time to head to Castle Eden Dene.

I arrived with about ten minutes to spare before my planned start time. A quick final kit check, bag on, and I walked to the gates. At 2:30 a.m. sharp, off we go.

Headtorch on from the start, with the hope I might be able to ditch it after the first loop once the sun came up. I don’t mind running in the dark, but a misspent youth staying up late watching Nightmare on Elm Street and The Blair Witch Project means my mind occasionally wanders and adrenaline spikes whenever there’s a heavy rustle in the bushes. Took a couple of tumbles and the first 2 toe stubbings of the challenge (suspected loss of toenail incoming).

I settled into the loop pretty well, and it passed by in a bit of a blur. Back at the car, I was around seven minutes down, so I messaged the group chat to keep them updated. I quickly grabbed my pre-prepared drop bag, ate a section of my chicken wrap, and headed straight into loop two.

Loop 2

No need for the headtorch on this loop, my legs still felt strong, and spirits were high. I was aware I was a little behind schedule, so I started mentally preparing to add roughly an hour (or more) to my original estimate. A longer shift in the Dene was looking likely, though I didn’t yet realise just how long.

Up until now, the Dene had been eerily silent, aside from the occasional owl and the rustling of trees. But with the first hints of sunrise, the birds began to chirp and make themselves heard. There’s something about natural light that lifts both body and mind, it always gives you a boost once daylight breaks through.

A few more toe stubs and the first signs of fatigue started to creep in on the final few climbs. I did a quick phone check at Hill 15 and saw that Harlan and Jules Watson were planning to join me for the next loop—a definite morale boost.

By the time I reached them, I could feel my legs starting to fade. I turned the corner and spotted Andrew Arnell with the Watsons. A quick “Hey guys!” and I was straight to the car to replenish and get ready for loop three.

Loop 3

It was great to have some clubmates to chat with as we headed out. We’d barely settled into the loop when Steven Walker and Ian Bilton came running in from the east. That made five supporters around me, and the company was a welcome distraction, just listening to the conversation was a refreshing change from the quiet of the Dene.

I’d picked up my poles for this loop, hoping they might help hold off the fatigue or at least extend the life in my legs. I used them for Hills 1 and 2, but they actually made things feel harder, probably down to my lack of recent training with them. So I wrapped them back up and didn’t touch them again for the rest of the challenge.

Hills 4, 5, and 6 felt painfully slow, as the rest of the gang jogged up them and left me in the dust. Oh, to have fresher legs!

As we approached Hill 7, we were expecting Nick Braun to join us. We were lucky, he came up a path that, had it been just 30 seconds later, would’ve had him miss us entirely and maybe not find us again.

Nick brought another morale boost with plenty of chatter about his recent trip to America, much appreciated, as I wasn’t saying much at this point (I know before someone says it). We gradually worked our way through the remaining hills, with Steven and Ian leaving us at Hill 9.

From there on, it was mostly a walk/hike for me. As we approached Hill 16, I had a bit of a wobble and just needed to get back to the car and eat something.

Back at the car, I thanked everyone for their support. Nick stayed with me a bit while I put my feet up and used a frozen bag of chicken nuggets (my ice pack) to cool down. I took my time here, refueled properly and grabbed a few extra options for the next loop.

Halfway done.

Nick joined me for another mile or two before turning back. Then it was just me, myself, and I, for another 10 and a half hours… maybe more?

Loop 4

Refuel, rinse, and repeat before the start of loop four, but I was really off my food by this point. I knew it wasn’t going to be much fun from here on. There’s only so much you can say about a looped route, but as I approached the halfway mark of this loop, I really needed a boost… and wondered if the café might still be open.

Oh baby!! Raspberry ice cream and a cold can of Fanta. Game changer.

After a short rest and recovery, I pressed on, starting to work out some rough timings and what time I might realistically finish. At this point, I was estimating around midnight—putting me at about 21 and a half hours. I briefly considered cutting the attempt short. We were supposed to be having a Chinese takeaway that night, and the whole reason I’d started so early was to be back in time for dinner and the bedtime routine.

I tested the waters with a message to my wife, letting her know I probably wouldn’t be finished before midnight. I suggested she either get the takeaway in and I’d warm mine up later, or we could just have one tomorrow night. No complaints, she simply replied, “We can have one tomorrow.”

Guess I’m staying in the Dene a little longer…

Cue more toe stubbing, quad-sapping descents, energy-sucking climbs, and the occasional thought of calling it a day.

Loop 5

Refuel, replenish, pack the headlamp, and back out again. I’ll be honest, aside from a few odd characters knocking around the Dene, this loop was a painful blur. It seemed to go on forever.

At one point, I bumped into a guy with a huge camera who was out looking for butterflies and moths. I foolishly asked how he was getting on… which turned into a 15-minute conversation about said fluttering insects.

I could’ve done without the delay, but to be fair, it was actually pretty interesting. It gave me something new to think about and something to spot as I trudged on.

Loop 6

What a relief to be on the final loop,but even so, it still felt like a long way to go. I’d just done the math and realised I wouldn’t be finishing until around 1:30 a.m. More thoughts of packing it in crept in… maybe I could just skip two hills and claim the “100 Hill Challenge” instead?

Every downward step was painful. Every upward step had my heart rate redlining. I had to stop often just to bring it back down, and I was force-feeding myself gels, nothing else would go down at this point.

Hill 5 is soooo longggg…
Hill 6 is sooo steepppp…
Hill 7 marks halfway, but I’ve still got 10 hills to go…..

Hill 9 isn’t too bad, but Hill 10 really takes it out of me, three stops just to get my heart rate under control. Hills 11 through 14 aren’t terrible, apart from the constant quad pounding. Then it’s the long, slow meander back up towards Hill 15 and the weaving section from the bottom of Hill 9 to the concrete bridge.

It’s so close now…..

Hill 16 still takes a couple of stops for air, followed by more quad punishment down to the base of Hill 17. This is it. Just got to get to the gate now and I’m done…

God, this is taking forever…
Where the f*** is that gate?
…Oh, there it is.

Done.
23 hours and 8 minutes.

Home, Shower, Beer, Bed

So I literally just jump in the car and head home, only to be presented with a recovery vehicle and National Power vans due to somebody plowing into an electric pole, not sure how long it took as I was in and out of sleep sat in the warm car. Straight into the house, Shower, IPA poured and no sooner had my head hit the pillow I was fast on.

Final Word’s on this Challenge

I’m going to let it sink in and update this section afterwards, but off the top of my head, not the time I wanted, but it was the time I deserved with the amount of training I’ve done leading up to it. lot’s of positives taken away from this and reassured that my mindset is still pretty strong for getting these long runs done (or I’m just very stubborn).

Some Stats (answer some of the questions club mates had)

• Recorded Distance: 72.85 miles
• Recorded Elevation Gain: 15,111ft
• Elapsed Time: 23:07:45
• Calories Burnt: 8,376
• Local Legend Awards: 14 😝
• Total Steps: 158,438 (for those who like to get their steps in)
• Blisters: 3
• Toenails lost: 1