Hardmoors 55 Route some thoughts from September 110 mile race. Section 1 Helmsley to Sutton Bank (7.71miles)

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1 Hardmoors 55 Route some thoughts from September 110 mile race Section 1 Helmsley to Sutton Bank (7.71miles) The first section is straight forward and easily runnable. The route starts with a half mile or so slightly uphill run and undulates but nothing worth worrying about. The route is on the road for a mile or so after 2 miles with the rest on a wide track. The run through Cold Kirby is also on the road. When you get to Sutton Bank the Hardmoors route doesn t go out to the White Horse Walk but turns right along the path into the car park where the check point is. Section 2 Sutton Bank to Osmotherly (13.17miles)

2 This was a really good section for running. A clear path and overall slightly downhill. It starts on a woodland path then goes onto grass and then on a soft track before finishing on the road. The checkpoint in the Hardmoors 110 was a few miles outside of Osmotherly (at the north end of Cod Bank Reservoir) and the route was along the road out of the town rather than the Cleveland Way path. I note on the Hardmoors 55 web site that the check point is at Osmotherly Village Hall which I assume is in the town. Section 3/4 Osmotherly to Lord s Café then Wainstones (8.05miles) I was a little uncertain exactly when I went past Lord s café so I ve put these sections together. After Osmotherly there is a run on the road and then after you turn right a good run through Clain Woods. The next couple of miles are very undulating with a steep climb up onto the top. You then run along the Roman road be careful as the slabs are not even and there is a slight gap between them don t trip! The road is up and down and it s harder to keep a steady running pace going. The decent into Lord s café is very steep and difficult and care is needed not to fall. My average pace slowed a fair bit on this section. Once you cross the road the path is runnable for a mile or two before another steep climb up to the Wainstones.

3 Section 5 Wainstones to Bloworth Crossing (4.32miles) Once past that check point the path is okay but again it s the slabs and disrupts your rhythm a bit. Another fairly steep decent to the road. Another short climb and then you are onto a really good path all the way to Bloworth Crossing. It s slightly downhill and possible to run the whole way and make good time. Section 6 Bloworth Crossing to Kildale (5.96miles) The good path continues after the crossing. There is a path to the right that you need to make sure you take. I can t remember if there is a sign post for the Cleveland Way but I m sure there must be as I didn t miss the path. A mile or so after the turn the path goes on to a road which leads down to Kildale. It is quite a steep decent. The checkpoint was the lay-by in September but I see for the Hardmoors 55 it is Village Hall.

4 Section 7 Kildale to Roseberry Topping (not sure as I forgot to lap my watch at the top!) You can see from the above map I went slightly wrong from Kildale to the Cook s Monument. The blue line is the correct line. Again a runnable section if you are still running after 42miles! I must admit I was struggling a bit on this section and was following a guy called Dave so don t remember too much about this bit but I was running again after a mile or two so it must have been runnable!

5 I m really looking forward to this bit as it was still pitch dark and you couldn t see Roseberry Topping until you were on it but photos I ve seen show it standing out clearly. The route goes up and down the same way so you can see how far ahead those you are chasing are! Section 8 Roseberry Topping to Highcliffe Nab I m not quite sure where Highcliffe Nab is as it wasn t a checkpoint in September. According to the map is it at the beginning of Guisborough Woods. Jon laid out some markers in the woods to follow but Dave and I still ended up on the wrong path but found our way out in the end. Hopefully in the day light and with markings we ll be okay. It is runnable though and a good path through the woods.

6 Section 9 Highcliff Nab to Slapewath I think we should have been on the blue line path. As you can see from the picture below we took a couple of wrong turns coming out of the woods to Slapewath but hopefully you ll be okay! Section 10 Slapewath to Guisborough I don t know what s happening with this last as the Hardmoors 110 route carried on to Saltburn oand the coast but the Hardmoors 55 route is going back into Guisborough and the finish at the Cricket Club.

7 I m not sure if that helps much but basically I would say it s a very runnable route with a few steep up hills and descents. As I ve said I m looking forward to running it in the daylight.