high peak marathon

i woke at 2.30 this morning, reached down the side of the bed, found the pizza box. had another slice and passed the rest to jane. this was followed by an ibuprofen chaser. within half an hour we were both fast asleep again. the result of friday's all nighter....42 miles of dark peak shuffling.

it's a difficult event to comprehend, even for those who run on the hills. yes, it's a long way. yes, it's in the dark but there's so much more. this year jo was our navigator and the other half of 'team marathon schmarathon' were vikki and jane- hpm virgins. this is for me, is what makes this type of race special, the journey the whole team take and i don't mean our route around bleaklow. it's the hilarious sleep deprived conversations, the two person bog extractions, the hourly force feeding, the chirpy windswept marshals, the sense that whatever happens your mates will look after you.

jo was blimin' brilliant with her compass skills. we certainly weren't one of the fast teams but we certainly took some of the best lines. considering it was either pitch black or dank clag, amazing stuff. it was a real privilege to watch both vikki and jane overcome bad patches, grit their teeth and push on. for the record neither of them has ever run a traditional marathon.

conditions under foot were tough, have i mentioned the bog... there were no inspiring vistas, no warming sun. just good friends, weak tea and an excellent spread at both road crossings. so, if you can find 3 other like minded friends the high peak marathon is one the best friday nights you can have without your dancing shoes.