This meant that on the night before the race I became slightly anxious about what the day would involve.
Despite the Met Office issuing a cataclysmic weather forecast, as Craig and I drove to the start the weather was totally uneventful, being dry if a little overcast. We arrived at the Biggin Village Hall just as the walkers set off, meaning that we had an hour before we started. We met up with Terry and Clare who were the other two Striders running the event and after “layering up” we were good to go.
The Six Dales Circuit starts and finishes at Biggin. As the name suggests, it navigates through six Peak District Dales which are: Biggin Dale, Wolfscote Dale, Beresford Dale, Lathkill Dale, Bradford Dale and Long Dale. The four striders set off at a gentle pace enjoying the beautiful scenery and calm weather. As we followed the River Dove, the track got narrower and rockier and in a sign of things to come, a number of us slipped over, much to everyone’s amusement! The first checkpoint came very quickly (actually around five miles) and we all refreshed with juice, sweets and biscuits. As we left the checkpoint and as we ran through Hartington, Craig considered an alternative form of transport
The weather remained good and after crossing a few very muddy fields we ran along the High Peak Trail for a couple of miles where for the first time we started to pass walkers participating in the event. The next couple of miles included more stiles than I care to remember but eventually we arrived at the second checkpoint at Monyash Village Hall. The LDWA lived up to its reputation with a fantastic spread of food and drinks. After filling up on cheesy oatcakes, scones (with butter and jam), cups of tea and wine gums we were ready to set off. We had covered the first 12.5 miles in around two and a half hours and were all feeling confident that we would complete the second half of the event in a similar time. As we left the hall it started to rain. The rain stayed with us (and got steadily heavier) for the rest of the race.
The route then went through Lathkill Dale which should now be renamed NearlykilledTerry Dale. After a couple of miles the path became very narrow, twisty and rocky. The heavy rain made the limestone rocks very slippy and all four of us had “Bambi on Ice” moments. Terry was determined to have the most dramatic fall and did so in style. He was at the back of the four Striders and all the rest of us heard was an ear splitting crack. We turned to see Terry on his back, looking a little shocked and clearly in a lot of pain. Thankfully the crack we heard was the noise of his cup smashing and not his ribcage or skull! After a few minutes Terry displayed the imprint that his cup had left on his chest wall and realised that his Garmin watch had suffered a similar fate to the cup. Terry was clearly touched and inspired by the care and support he received from his fellow striders. Lines such as “you’re still breathing so get up!” must have helped as he did just that. Despite us considering withdrawing, Terry was keen to continue and after a few miles of walking we started a steady jog. The rain was heavy and unrelenting and the conditions underfoot were getting muddy and even slippier.
The third checkpoint was at 20 miles in Middleton Village Hall which is at the top of a steep hill. We arrived at about four and a half hours. By this point we were all very wet but remained in good spirits. After 15 minutes, in which we stocked up on tea and sandwiches, we were good to go. The last section of the race was mainly on trails with a short section on the road. My main memories are of mud, puddles and a duck I rescued from the grass verge (this may become my new running mascot).
Continuing our support for Terry, the team concocted various conspiracy theories as to why he fell. These included just wanting Clare to carry his hydration pack and him wanting an upgrade for his Garmin watch. The very final part of the race was made very entertaining by a group of female walkers who became somewhat competitive as we passed them. I assumed that the run they broke into wouldn’t last, but they all ran the final one and a half miles to Biggin Village Hall. Rather annoyingly they seemed much fresher and faster than we were. We arrived at the finish, war wounds and all and proceeded to warm up over beef stew and cups of tea. According to my watch the 25 mile route was actually 26.7 miles with 2330 feet of ascent. We completed it in 6 hours 16 minutes.
I had a great day running the Six Dales Circuit helped by a beautiful route and fantastic company from my fellow Striders. In true LDWA style, the volunteers were fantastic and the food / drink at the checkpoints and finish were epic. I would highly recommend this race to anyone who fancies a long trail run and a possible near-death experience!
Fran