Six Selby Striders found an already tough race turning even tougher recently as the Beast from the East made a repeat appearance during the running of this year’s Hardmoors 55 ultra-marathon.
As the name suggests, the race takes place on the North York Moors along 55 miles of the Cleveland Way from Helmsley to Guisborough, with over 2000m of ascent peaking at Roseberry Topping. After the start at 9:00am, the weather rapidly worsened, with temperatures plumetting below sub-zero amid white-out conditions. Three of the six Striders – Jodie Smith, Debbie Scott and Chris Gill – took the decision to withdraw at Osmotherly after 21 miles, and Dave Stainthorpe later called it a day too after reaching Clay Bank at 33 miles. Two Striders, though, pushed on through the whole 55 miles to the finish line, with Ian Robertson looming out of the storm after 10 hours and 56 minutes, and Stephen Headley coming in from the cold after a total of 12 hours and 50 minutes running.
The participation reflects a growing interest in ultra-marathon distances (anything that is further than a traditional marathon’s 26.2 miles) amongst the running community in general, and Selby Striders in particular. Within the club Lizzie Nairn holds the record for the furthest distance run by a lady in the annual “Hell on the Humber” endurance event, clocking up 110 miles in 24 hours, whilst Scott Smith leads the way for the men after finishing in second place in the 2017 Ring O’ Fire, a 3 day cross-country event that circles the Isle of Anglesey, where he ran an astonishing 135 miles in 24 hours and 39 minutes.