Hell Runner !!

I am working a night shift and its nearly 0100 hours, being a bit bored I have just entered Hell Up North with my colleague. I think I must me mad... anyone out there who did it last year got any good tips ? I have done a few 1/2 marathons and several 10k's before but always on roads and decent forest tracks.

How do you prepare for running in the bog of doom ?

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Comments

  • I did it last year (south) it was brilliant. Tips i can't think of too many to be honest.

    Maybe the ovbious like wear old kit etc that you don't mind getting really dirty. 

    Oh and this might apply up north too-

    The bog of doom as i recall is a lot deeper than it appears don't just charge in otherwise you will end up loosing your footing getting a mouthful of god knows what with two hundred people laughing at you. Don't ask how i know that.

    forget running in it i'm 6,4 and it was up to my chest probably better off swimming it. 

  • Cheers - everyone seems to enjoy being covered in mud. Thanks for the tip re the bog of doom

    will keep my gob shut and paddle like crazy ! I was thinking of running in the local brook but think I may get sectioned by the local health authority...

  • I did Hell Down South a couple of years ago.  It's great !  The route goes down a steep bank, into a wide (100m) pond where the devil is on stilts !  Yes really !  OK, it's a guy in fancy dress but it's great.  Scrambling up the  muddy bank on the other side of the pond before more and more running is good too.  In the bog of doom there was an inflatable alligator, it's just such a laugh !
  • No body told me there would be ALLIGATORS !! as you may of guessed I am game for a laugh and am just looking forward to having a great time in addition to a challenge. I know the distance wont be a huge issue as I have done a few half marathons before I think the biggest problem will be the cold.

    Debbie you didn't say if you would do another one... is once enough ?

  • Andy,

    It's a good cross country 10 mile run at Longmoor (Hell Down South) Hampshire.  However, the palaver of getting there i.e. leaving home early enough to park and get to the start line, then do the race, then get back to the car, change, then crawl through the traffic to get out of the car park then drive back home 20 miles away, makes it a long day.  A few participants who had finished were in the car park having barbeques by their cars whilst everyone else was going home.

    I did it in 2 hrs 9mins, I was really pleased about this.  Even more so when I learned that a Personal Trainer who goes to the same circuit training group as me did it in 2 hrs 4 mins, i.e. she was only 5 minutes faster.  The last couple of miles over sandy/hilly terrain is a bugger when all you want to do is finish and you can hear the tannoy welcoming other finishers across the finish line.

    By the way, I did the Paris Marathon last weekend in 5hrs 37 minutes.  Not bad for a first time marathon.

  • hi andy i did the hell runner up noth last year a i loved every moment its brill as long as you get the training in. make sure you start to get some off road trail running in this is a must.   am doing it again this year and my wife even signed up and shes only started running  best of luck hulksy
  • My OH has done Hell Up North twice now.  He enjoyed it and me and the kids enjoyed laughing at him!!  There is a lot of up and downs - there's a sort of circular valley and they take you up and down, up and down and some of the descents are really more slides than running!  OH trained by anytime he saw a decent grassy bank on a run he'd run up and down it lots of times.  And just when you think its nearly over, you hit the bogs of doom - expect to loose a shoe!! Don't expect great times as its narrow tracks and quite congested so you can't pass people a lot of the time - just enjoy the event!!  Its a good event for spectators too with a few attractions at the start (RAF had a climbing wall one year) and last time I was there a food stall with fab homemade cakes!  You can also walk through the forest and see the runners a few times (assuming its still at Delamere). 
  • I've done all of the Hell Runners at Delamere. The last two years I've done the race the week after the Snowdonia Marathon, which didn't help my time much.

    My advice is 1) wear trail shoes, not road shoes, 2) look at where/how other people deal with the 'obstacles', 3) go to enjoy it - cos it's enormous fun.

  • Agree with Eric. I did it last year for the first time, and loved it! In the words of George Michael, "Just hit  the bogs and go for it.".. I'll be wearing trail shoes next time, too. But it's great craic, good atmosphere and a real challenge. My pic on here is me on the home straight last year....
  • it was just me and my mate how did the course last year but there about six of us doing it this year .

    and my best tip i learned from last year is tie yours laces tight or put some tape around them as i got my shoe sucked off in the mud last year great stuff ...lol 

  • Was just watching the video....followed by the other half saying "dont even think about it"......yet, she is fine with all the other silly things I have done.....so.....she will be fine with this (after I had several showers, binned the clothes, stopped talking about it)
  • Thanks everyone, not many hills round where I live so think I will do some "stairs" and build up the muscles. I am also doing about 40 miles on a mountain bike each week which I hope will also help.

    At least nobody has said "DONT DO IT YOU MAD FOOL" Which is very encourageing.

  • DON,T DO IT YOU MAD FOOL there they have now lol hulksy
  • Just reading the latest messages and can't help but read the "DONT DO IT YOU MAD FOOL" In a strange B A Baracus accent
  •  well in that case  your a "CRAZY FOOL" LOL  hulksy image
  • Can anyone suggest what clothing to wear? Are a long sleeve HH and running shorts ok? (have got trail shoes)
  • what ever you wear make sure it's not your best stuff as you may need to bin it after the race , i wore a pair of Ron hills last year and when i got out of the bogs the water and mud  trapped in them made my legs feel like lead so i might wear shorts or tights (running ones not the wife's lol).image  consider three main points in choosing what to wear  1 comfort so it doesn't rub  2 old and can be binned afterwards 3 not to heavy as the race is about 12 miles long and it my be cold when you start  but you can still over heat as you,ll be running for about 2 hours  hope this helps hulksy image
  • Yeah - wear old kit if you have it. Long sleeve tops are fine, but wear shorts or the weight of the water will drag trousers down.

    Its good fun but its not that hard. Steep hill to begin with to space people out, then running round the forest on trails and then go off road and down muddy bits and up muddy slopes. 

    The bog of doom is fun - and its right at the end so it doesnt matter too much.

    Be as fit as you can as then you'll be further up the field with more chance of running rather than getting caught in the masses and walking it.

    If you dont have trail shoes, just use old trainers.

  • I'm doing the up north one this year. I don't have any trail shoes or old running shoes as I have only just started running and don't want to ruin my nice new running shoes so I 'm just wearing normal trainers. Do you think these will be ok?
  • I would not personally attempt hellrunner in normal trainers, the grip and stability you get from trail shoes make them worth it for me.
    I have a pair of trail shoes I use specifically for events such as this and the grim and throw them in the washing machine afterwards, never had an issue with them and they clean up ok

  • if you have a choice don't run in normal trainer as a lot of runners where slipping on the wet and mud .and you don't want to be on the ground when there about 100's of runner going trying to get passedimage . make sure what ever you wear, to wrap some tape around the shoe.  IE from the laces to the under the shoe an back around to the laces,as they can get sucked of your feet in the mud . honest it happen to me and i had to pull my shoe out of a muddy hole which was about 12" deep and then tried to put it back on while everyone was trying to get pass . kev image

  • Ive just entered the Delamere hell up north starting at 1pm and as its my first time its interesting reading the comments so far.I train on a weekly basis at Delamere so hopefully I should be able to keep up with the crowd.
  • i know this might sound silly but im doing the hell runner south and im not really a runner lol, i prefer to walk as im 5ft 10 and weigh 17st, is that a problem do you think?
  • This is also my first time and im nervous, yet excited. I am a little worried about how im going to get on as I had to stop running for about 3 wksm due to a common runners injury. Although my knee is back to normal, im afraid my fitness has dipped image( I got up to 8 miles running in a local forrest before the injury, so do you think ill be ok and managed to get through it?

  • Sure you will get through it! My hubby ran it last year and unless you happen to be a front runner, there is a lot of stop /start while waiting for people to get through the mud - so I think there will be ample opportunity to catch your breath and have a rest!

    I'm dreading it - some how he has talked me into running with him this year and it seems a worse idea everytime I think about it!!! Sure the kids are going to find it hysterical though to see mummy head to foot in mud!

    See you there!

    Sara

  • Thanks Sara. I am only 4ft 11, so am a little worried about this bog. But im sure I will have fun regardless.

     Thanks for the feedback.

    Good luck image)

  • got 2 places availablefor the hell down south, 1 is on ebay if anyone is interested
  • Hey all, watched my boyf do It the last 2yrs and have stupidly entered myself this time.. Might wear a swimsuit lol. Its very muddy and wet and I advise a change of warm clothes/binbags/shoes for the car and an old towel Maybe. Good luck everyone! got myself a cold this week and am fighting it off, hoping it goes soon! Not sure I'm ready for the bog but at least it's sept and not in nov like previous yrs!!! Freezing!
  • andy mate all i can think of is off roads shoes and tape them on when i hit the bog of doom (hell in the middle) the dj was playing ymca so i just danced thru it. good luck mate, you'll be fine, enjoy it
  • I ran it last year and didnt train, I have trained more this year, but due to raising my target I had to enter both days, which should be fun.

    Oh... and did i forget to mention i'll be in a mankini both days? green on saturday and pink on sunday (if the pink one gets delivered on time).

    www.justgiving.com/privatechrispownell or text CHRI51 £1 to 70070 Help for heroes!
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