Howdy, Stranger!
Categories
Options
Lakeland Trails Marathon
The materials in this website are in no way intended to replace the professional medical care, advice, diagnosis or treatment of a doctor, qualified personal trainer, therapist, dietitian or nutritionist Runners's World, Part of the Hearst UK well-being network © Copyright 2017
Comments
Interesting reading all the different review comments the event is getting - and nice to see a race with so many positive comments, even with a few people suggesting areas needing 'tweakage', the overall feeling really reflects for me what a great day out in the hills it was
.
Nice to see I wasnt the only one so deliriously happy / just plain delerious that I didnt spot any water at the end - obviously my mistake for not heading straight to the bar area
.
Scouse Elvis - I was there for the end of the race and heard the organisers say there were 70 people still out on the course not yet accounted for, plus the sweeper runner........presumably that was from both the Challenge and the Race, and wouldnt include some who had already phoned in or dnf'd themselves to marshalls at checkpoints for medical reasons etc.
All you people who this was your first marathon
.....incredible efforts from everyone and, indeed, 'Bloody Well Done' 
.
+1 to that - I agree entirely.
It's also interesting to read how folks' experiences matched up to their expectations, particularly with regard to the difficulty of the terrain - it's apparent that many found it harder than expected but also how glad they are that they did it. The heat evidently hindered and helped in equal measure during and after the event.
You make the fair point that the difficulty was, from your perspective, understated. I got what I expected but I've been to enough Lakeland Trails events to know what's coming so can't really be objective. The challenge I guess is to pitch things 'right' to a very wide market - I would worry about them making too big a deal of the difficulty for fear of
(a) putting people off who could otherwise have achieved something that amazed them, and
(b) being accused by regular off-road runners of sanitising the thing for the sake of 'elf&safety' (this being an accusation that has been made in the past when routes were changed at the last minute on advice of the Mountain Rescue Teams).
I don't know where the balance is, but it is fair to say that if there really was an unusually high DNF rate due to injuries or failure to meet cutoffs then perhaps it wasn't struck here. I'm certain that this is precisely the sort of feedback that the race organisers will appreciate - if there are specific suggestions, I'm sure they will be accepted too.
Neil - Kielder was my quickest marathon last year (of four) - the other three were all on the roads and one of them was flat (albeit run into the teeth of a sand laden gale at Fleetwood). There's every chance somebody could PB there off the right training - best of luck with it.
Cheers for the advice - looks like I've got to go for it now. My time for Coniston was 25 mins over my PB but as I say I think I'm probably able to take at least 15 off that with current fitness level.
Next race is Borrowdale fell race
- 17 miles with 6500ft climbing - I DNF'd last year as I slipped and dislocated a finger at both joints on the summit of scafell pike and didn't feel up to going on (still had to jog 7 miles back to the finish...
) - I've unfinished business with this race. Would love to get under 4 hours for it but unlikely I think...
CumbriAndy - I know what you mean about not wanting to over-sanitise the route, or indeed, scare people away who are actually fully capable of achieving the race or challenge.
I think now that they will have more photographs from this years event a better picture of the varying terrain can be shown on the website. I was joking with a woman over the last 5kms or so, when we were going over all those shitey tree roots and stones etc, about the photos on the website - a wifey in a t-shirt and road shoes, walking over a beautifully laid white-stone path, then another photo of the same woman walking over a lovely smooth grassy bit
.....and the route description of wide bridleways and pathways. She kept saying to me 'Wheres that nice white path now eh?' 
.
A few reviewers have kind of 'poo-pooed' the terrain thing - 'Its the Lake District - you should know what its like' etc. Well, I aint been to the Lakes for 14years......I live in Scotland.....where things really are 'remote'
. I've done a fare bit of cross-country running and hill walking so when the harder bits came I was like, Ooh this is unexpected, but FUN 
, wish I'd worn trail shoes 
. But I'm sure there were many first timers who only entered because they thought it would be a fairly straight forward introduction to trail running, based upon what they read on the website....then got a shock from all the technical bits and just how long they were out for.
I think the race / challenge should be accessible to people of different abilities, I would hate to get into all that elitism stuff, like you can only enter if you have done xxxx amounts of marathons etc. And I'm slow, so you won't get any arguments based on speed from me
.
Personally, I think they should go down the route of compulsory kit list, which should be on the website from the start, say to people, this is what to expect, and this is what we want you to carry. I carried a mobile phone, for my own safety and in case I needed to dnf in the middle of nowhere and walk back along a road, I wonder how many others did? Even if all the kit list has on it is - 2l of water, some energy food, mobile, map of the route. After years climbing in the Scottish mountains and seeing folk going up Ben Nevis in trainers and clothes you would wear to the supermarket, I just dont buy the 'But its common sense' argument anymore
. Sometimes you just have to tell people.
Tigerspaw - I think we're broadly in agreement - I've spent large parts of my life in and around mountains and never cease to be amazed by how little sense some people have. And, as i said, its all about getting the balance right - I've a suspicion that even the race director was slightly surprised at how hard people found it though he was too busy handing out medals for me to have a decent conversation when I got back. It's something he'll look at. Your suggestion of a short compulsory kit-list is also a good one - I'm a bit nervous about 'phones because network coverage isn't always great and some people do become over-reliant on them (probably even worse in the wilder bits of Scotland) but that doesn't make it a bad idea.
I just hope we get to have another go at it.
And on the subject of photos memories of the day are now available.
CumbriAndy - true, people do seem to cling on to their mobiles for dear life these days, then come unstuck when they dont work. Luckily I'm on Vodafone - I used to work away from home a lot and many of the places I went (e.g. Orkney and Shetland) this was the only network that had coverage. I got a great signal at the 4th checkpoint on Sunday and was able to call my support to tell them where I was and not to worry about me being over my estimated time as I was on course to finish.
Ditto on the hope they do it again next year
. I really have my heart set on the Lakeland 50 now, I have been looking at it for a while but this race has really sealed the decision and made me determined to train hard for next year. Now, the website for that race is scary 
! But they have a good big cut-off on that so it should be do-able as long as I can keep moving in the dark 
.
Off to look at those photos
.
A big thank you from me to Uphilldowndale. Your post above has helped me gain a bit of much needed perspective.
I came away from the race disappointed my with my performance and ready to give up my place at Snowdon in October, as I was feeling I'm just not cut out for this distance. I'd trained hard, it was my 2nd marathon and although I kept telling myself time didn't matter I secretly hoped to do a sub 4, or at least come close. Like you, I was struggling in the earlier stages,(unlike my 1st marathon last year where I was fine for 20 miles then suffered the last 6), and hobbled in over 5 hours.
Marathons in July? Who's daft idea was that?!
I was amazed my phone worked at all in Coniston - must be one of the few places in the lakes it does!
I was also surprised (like many it seems) that there wasn't a minimum kit list and also that so many people seemed naive enough to set out relying solely on the sporadic water stations - I hope they didn't give the first aiders too much work to do... I took a 2 litre camelbak with nuns in it which I almost emptied whilst also taking on drinks at each station. I also had food, gels, a map and a light long sleeve top in case I suddenly found myself sat waiting for a stretcher in the beating sun. It only takes a slight lack of attention and a bit of bad luck to render an ankle useless on some of that terrain...
I'm with you Tigerspaw - I think I'll be looking at the Lakeland 50 next year... too soon for this year. I also believe there's a new event starting that goes along Hadrians Wall in 1 or 2 days... tempting!
Neil - that Hadrians Wall race sounds interesting - I like multi-day events
. I agree, it would be to soon for me also to do Lakeland 50 this year, particularly so soon after this marathon. I have just started to build up my ultra distances over the last two years and so far *touch wood* things have gone really well, but I want to do things over a very gradual progression with long-term goals. The biggest psychological thing for me will be the navigating and walk / running at night, I need more practice at that.
Costanza - dont be down on yourself, that was a bloody tough marathon, particularly in that heat. Times over terrain like that can never be compared to what you can achieve on the road.
The usual weather in the lakes (rain and heavy clag) is pretty similar to going out at night time
...
The website for hadrians wall is http://www.thewallrun.com/ but there's nothing up there yet. I ran along it last year over 3 days with a group of friends which was really rewarding. We said all along that someone should turn this into an event.
I completed the Lakeland Trail have gone on the website and it says provisional results are out but it takes you to the page where it says they will be out on Sunday.
Are the results out yet??
Is anyone else having trouble getting them??
Andy
Try this:
http://www.lakelandtrails.org/marathon/results.htm
The race sounds fab.. was it as good as it looks on the web site...?
Still blank?
Dark Vader - yes it was excellent.
If you are not used to trail running like me then the course is quite a bit tougher than it appears on the website, especially the slide show. If you have run races like this before then you already know what to expect. But that aside, I would recommend it.
For some reason will not show the results on chrome. I logged on with Opera and they instantly appeared. If anyone else has had the same issue please try a different browser.
Andy
they come up on Chrome if you refresh the page. For some reason it doesn't automatically refresh.
Vicky
I have just tried this and it worked.
I have been scratching my head on this all week.
Good news is I got the results in the end.
Would recommend this race to everyone next year. It was tough for me as a certified road runner but an excellent experience bringing me down to earth. I actually thought I was fit before I attempted this!
Andy
I LOVED IT!
Well, that was hard work, and my hopes for sub-five hours were out of the window by the halfway point. But still, despite the tough ascents, the sunburn and the horrendously tricky section after the river crossing, I genuinely enjoyed what was my very first marathon.
My worries about a dearth of water stations weren't really an issue on the day, and everyone around me was incredibly friendly - even the fastest runners in the white numbers who must have been annoyed by us yellows clogging up the trails when they were trying to overtake.
Yes, I could barely walk for two days afterwards, and the steps from the beer garden in the Sun Inn felt like ascending the north face of the Eiger. But the thrill I got when I crossed that finish line and they read out my name was something I can't put into words.
I will be back next year - and who knows, I may even break five hours next time! In the meantime, I'll find a flatter marathon to keep me going.
A fantastic race, thanks to all those involved for making my first marathon so exciting, emotional and enjoyable.
Jennifer
ps/ I can still call this my first marathon, right? Despite the distance queries of the Garmin carriers?!?
Sounds brilliant..
Jennifer H
Of course you certainly can! If it was a road marathon it would be different. And if this was your first then all others will probably be a breee!! Well done.
Jennifer H
Think all the faster runners where not to bothered and more amazed you managed to get up and start a race at 7am, a true feet of what the human body can do lol!
All the challenge runners I past gave us great support and vice versa I even give some of them my fizzy cola bottles as I packed to many (did you have some?), still thinking about what a truly memorable day it was especially that river crossing. Fantastic!
Just think what is was like crossing that finish line, I’m sure you wont be the only one who remembers that moment for the rest of there life, that’s what makes us runners keep doing what we do!
Well Done!
Jennifer H a massive well done you should be soooooooooo proud of yourself, it was a fantastic day.
Runwithphil.co.uk I could'nt have said it better, it is what makes us keep doing it and the great people you meet along the way
I ran in inov8 333 which where probably not the best in the conditions but had no problem with the feet so got away with it. Road racing I now use Asics nimbus gel 13’s which are my new love in life but not for trail running.
The only thing I would suggest is take a visit to your local running shop and take your inov 230’s nip on the running machine and tell them what problems you are getting and where the pain is, anything like the ones around my way they will only be to pleased to help and give good advice.
I did the mini marathon and I have the utmost respect for you guys and grls who went the distance.
I did at times in the lead-up, during and after the race, feel as though the 15-16k race was the poor relation. The distance and course was always a bit vague, the signage and marshalling was a little sparse at times and there was no medal. This is a real shame as the shorter race could easily stand on it's own and for me at least was a real challenge - my previous longest race being 10k road races.
Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be considering it again next year as well as the Autumn one, I just felt that my challenge was somehow less valued.