Hell Up North

Morning all,

 

Completed Hell Up North yesterday and am intrigued to know the actual distance of the course?

 

Thanks image

Comments

  • Thanks Sally!  My legs feel like it was double that!!

  • I'm still gutted....had to pull out as I have a chest infection that I was in denial about that woke me at 4am ...hit me then I had no chance of doing it......though up until yesterday I was gonna try.



    How good and hard was it??



    Hell in the middle entered now...not long to the wait
  • wantefc..i didnt run hellrunner yesterday but i watch every year and chat to runners afterwards. many runners were saying that this year they made it too extreme. a second bog of doom was included and it was too deep and too long. this left runners feeling really cold for the bog of doom at the end and so the enjoyment was taken away.

    you defo made the right decision not to run.

    i'm sure the organisers will take runners comments on board for next year.

    hell in the middle is not as extreme so dont worry and continue to look forward to it and enjoy.

     

  • It was definitely not "too extreme", the 2 bogs of doom were great fun, and it was actually quite a mild day so not too cold if you kept moving. I did Hell in the Middle earlier in the year as well; it was well below freezing that day so one of the water obstacles was sensibly cut out.

    The Hellrunner series are all about the mud, bogs, hills and water - if you're not up for that then enter a road race!

  • It was great fun and would definitely recommend it!!

     

    There were two bogs of doom which was fine but there was also a long stretch of cold cold water to wade through which was chest high in some places, it was very congested which meant it took about 15 mins to get through which meant lots of people were suffering with muscles were seizing up and cramps by the time you got through (myself and my partner included) Whilst I knew this event would be full of mud, bogs, hills and water I think this section needs reconsidering.

     

    I think definitely if you had a chest infection you made the right decsion not to take part and you certainly would have struggled.

     

    Has anyone done Hell in the middle, how does it compare?

  • Hell in the middle was at Cannock Chase this year, it had a lot less mud than Delamere due to the nature of the ground there, however it was all entirely iced over so instead of slipping in mud we were slipping on ice!

    The next Hell in the Middle is at Trentham Gardens in 2013. As far as I'm aware it's the first time they've held it here. I assume the route will mostly be in the wooded area outised of the public gardens (as they're far too pretty for us to come clomping through!) If it is in that area then it is very muddy and about as hilly as Delamere. Great shops for pie and cake at the finish though!

  • Most of the run was great but the lake really spoiled it for me.  The water temperature wasn't the issue it was the length of time we were stood in it  Thirty minutes waist deep in freezing cold water not moving is not 'hardcore' it's dangerous and worryingly, not a marshal or safety aid in sight while we were in the middle of that lake.

    Done it, ticked the box but won't be doing it again.  I'll stick to the fell runs in future.

  • Nail on the head Sally. I was really enjoying the race until then but really struggled after the lake. I was concerned that if anyone got into difficulty at that section there was a) no way out quickly and b) no officials/marshalls around anywhere.
  • The problem seemed to be that most people chose to just stand in it and move very slowly. I was going though with some of the back markers from the first group and people didn't seem to be moving so I, like others chose to go around the edge of the masses. I would say I spent around 5 mins in the water, and warmed up fairly quickly afterwards when jogging commenced. The water was quite unpleasant, but I wouldn't say too extreme or even anything close!

  • I agree with Dan  Its a race standing one after the other isnt racing.I thought it was the best Hell Up North yet (5th one for me).Keep up the good work and why not send us back up the hill at the end that should sort the men from the boys

  • Five minutes probably not too extreme. Thirty minutes dangerous. It's subjective. You will never know how uncomfortable I was stood in that lake, just like I will never understand what a fierce kick to the balls feels like. image



    To tell people what they should have done is pretty irrelevant the day after the event. Yes, we probably should have waded through but we didn't. Live and learn. But I stress again - to have no back up nearby for a possible emergency was irresponsible.
  • Second whats been said but have to add that the edges were full of trees and branches which a lot of people who chose to go that way went a over t on, didnt fancy that myself so the only option was to go through the centre with everyone else?
  • I accidentally strayed off the main path people were following a couple of times and the water went almost up to my neck. I'm not ashamed to admit that scared me.
  • Thats exactly what I meant, it was a tough choice, stray and face goodness knows or atay in the centre a freeze!!
  • my first hell run......it was tough and the water bit was not nice - i was so cold that i had no choice to wait as if i went in up to my neck i couldnt have taken it.......replace that with shallower water crossing next time and would be ok.

     

    Apart from that really enjoyed it and totally shattered.................standing in the lake i said never again, now i am saying maybe just maybe!!!

  • I found the lake part a lot of fun, but suffered with cramp afterwards.  I was lucky enough to avoid the crowd at the start and got a free run at it, so can imagine it was a bit scarier in a crowd and being slowed right down.  It was the toughest Hell Run yet I think, hope next year isn't even harder :/

  • First time I've done it, so can't compare with previous years. Didn't think it was extreme at all, unpleasant in places yes but that's in the name of the event. I did hear that there were lots of queues with the 2nd wave so maybe harder to keep moving & stay warm. The muddy slippy singletrack was just lovely, plenty of steep ups & downs to sap the legs.

    All in all what I was expecting really and amazing fun, I'll be back next year for sure with hopefully no taming of the course. Slight changes are always good.

    11.63 on my garmin btw.

     

     

  • I think a lot of people suffered after the lake, myself and partner included, which isnt surprising after so long stood still in cold water.



    Although like you Tony thinking maybe just maybe of doing next years nowimage
  • I'm thinking of doing the Cartmel Lakeland trail - looks a bit more civilised! Good luck if you do it again next year image
  • PeersPeers ✭✭✭
    I said never again after suffering such severe cramp following the water i had to rest for 10 minutes and walk last 2 miles. However, I am thinking I probably will do it again and just go for it rather than queue next time so I can get out quick. Having never been in an event like it before I didn't know what lay ahead so was over cautious.



    Im going to do hell in the middle in february if all goes to plan.
  • Race brilliant but extreme.those who scrolled slowly through the water really need to have a word with themselves and think about not doing it again after making others wait in extreme conditins.if you're not up to it, sure they'll find a trolley dash at the local tesco.



    Don't go to dinner with the devil and expect him to keep his manners
  • I've competed in 11 half marathons prior to Hell up North and none compared to how extreme it was. It would be a fair statement to say I was quite complacent about what to expect and found that about 8 miles in I felt like I'd done 13! That said I'd do it again next year but prepare adequately for it. 

    I'd echo some of the other comments on here that the lake bit was too slow to get through. We were queing in there 25 mins! In retrospect I wish we'd just swam the thing as we could have been through in 5.

     

  • Reading the comments i probably made the correct decision pulling out due to chest infection and heavy cold but im still a bit gutted. Amazing what we runners will put ourselves through , i really was in denial about it and was going to attempt until i got up saturday morning. Ah well i hope Hell in the Middle in february is comparable.

     

     

  • All signed up. Bring on Hell in the Middle!! Looking forward to seeing what delights are in store at Trentham, hopefully Lake Lucifer will be alittle kinder if not well may just have to get swimming as February will be brrr brrr brrrrr!!
  • This event was brilliant, let's not forget, it's not called HELLrunner for nothing.

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