Rosedale Ultra Marathon Race
At 7.30am on Saturday the 19th November in a damp and misty Hutton Le Hole, 120 competitors took on the challenge of completing the first Rosedale Ultra race nicknamed the Rosedale Rumble.
Competitors raced over a distance of their choice, a half marathon, 30 mile ultra marathon or an epic 40 mile ultra marathon, none of which can be described as a race for the faint hearted.
Anxious and ready competitors waited for the countdown, when zero struck they raced off into the mist and into the distance, over the moors and up through the gathering clouds floating upon the hillside.
Morning came and passed as the sun rose higher and soon the athletes found themselves gazing from the top of the moor onto the fresh British countryside and the clouds they had recently ascended through.
But soon the athletes found themselves digging deep, blood pumping and muscles cramping, the competitors fought through, after all, an ultra marathon is no walk in the park. Bodies suffered and egos flagged, but earning your stripes as an ultra marathon runner requires perseverance and gut determination, qualities which all runners displayed in due course.
Commenting on the race, Nigel Dixon one of the competitors said “The course around the area of Rosedale took us through every type of terrain, through the beautiful Cropton Forest, over several moors and circled the magnificent Rosedale valley, the views were absolutely stunning”.
But the race was not over yet, saved for the last 3 miles of the race was the hardest challenge yet, competitors found themselves climbing the steepest hill in England, ‘The Rosedale Chimney’, a gruelling ascent which took the competitors total ascent well over that of Ben Nevis.
Triumphant, the runners emerged from their battle with the slope and crossed the finishing line to be met by the race administrators and marshals with warm soup and fresh bread rolls in order to look after the body after the extreme challenge it completed.
The race administration base was situated at the fabulously accomodating Hutton Le Hole village hall, commenting on the race, race organiser Trevor Parker commented “the people of Hutton Le Hole made us particularly welcome. Local facilities included ample parking, several café’s and a superb pub which serves excellent food”
Congratulations to the winners
13 Miler
Sally Foxon in 02:02
Alec Yale in 01:48
Will Ficklen in 01:48
Michael Brigham in 01:48
30 Miler
Tracey Apperley in 06:16
Peter Wilkie in 05:34
40 Miler
Lucy Colquhoun in 06:26
Jez Hellewell in 06:16
First time Ultra marathon runner Andrew Langdale commented after the race “this was my first attempt at an Ultra marathon race, as you can imagine I was a little worried about joining people who ran these type of distances regularly, I need not have worried. I was made very welcome by the race organisers and my fellow competitors alike. Camaraderie within the ultra running community is renouned and I am delighted to have experienced that today, I will definitely be taking part in more Ultra distance races”.
As well as local Yorkshire competitors, racers came from the US, Cornwall, Scotland, London, the Lake District and the Midlands.
