All to play for at the SILVA Northern Traverse
James Nobles is in the lead while Lizzie Faithfull-Davies and Nikki Sommers battle it out at the SIlVA Northern Traverse.
Ultra runners on the SILVA Northern Traverse, a gruelling 300km route across the entire width of the country, are about to enter their second night of running, after setting off on their epic journey yesterday at 8:30am.
Early on in the day, it was looking like a very tight race indeed. The pack of frontrunners who were very close together during Day 1 gradually became increasingly more spread out as the night progressed. While James Nobles and Richard Lazenby were briefly having a battle earlier on today, James Nobles has now pulled far ahead and has a considerable lead.
Meanwhile, the women’s field is looking incredibly competitive. While Lizzie Faithfull-Davies has an established lead, Nikki Sommers is not far behind her.
Lizzie Faithfull-Davies has had a phenomenal performance thus far, arriving first lady into every support point so far. However, Nikki Sommers is certainly catching up, often arriving at the checkpoint before Lizzie has left.
It will be interesting to see how this battle progresses.
Meanwhile, Emily Mills is still in third place after a consistently strong performance throughout.
However, there is still a long way to go, with another night of running to get through before the winner is expected into the finish in Robin Hood’s Bay.
The weather conditions were fabulous through the Yorkshire Dales today ©No Limits Photography
There was a flurry of activity late last night in Shap
Six Northern Traverse runners arrived in quick succession at Shap at around 21:40 last night. Lee Parker was first through the door, having pulled slightly ahead of the pack, but unfortunately took the difficult decision to retire.
He was followed by Richard Lazenby, James Nobles, Robin Carter, Paul Tierney and Robert Barnes. The pack were very efficient with their refuelling strategies, loading up on chilli, soup, sandwiches and all sorts of treats while event team helped them refill water bottles.
Robin Carter (currently in second place) was the first to leave the checkpoint. We caught up with him just before he left.
He said, “I'm quite tired but glad to be out the Lakes in the light, because last year it got dark before Patterdale. It's nice to get through the Lakes before night time.”
He had enjoyed the camaraderie of running in a pack. “It's really nice to have people around and you get the odd conversation, it's pretty cool.”
Meanwhile, the leading women came through Shap in the very early hours of Sunday morning. Both Lizzie Faithfull-Davies and Nikki Sommers were reportedly in very good spirits when they arrived at the support point ready for their onwards journey.
Many runners were coming through the Lake District this morning as the frontrunners already pushed on through the Dales ©No Limits Photography
Some runners stopped for a sleep in Kirkby Stephen
The town of Kirkby Stephen is usually a bit of a tourist hotspot – accessible for the Lakes and Dales and a popular stopping point for Coast to Coast walkers. Today, however, it hosted the support point for our intrepid ultra runners, who had the option to have a sleep and/or refuel. In addition to the usual support point staples, there were also breakfast options and a delicious shepherd’s pie with chips on the menu.
Runners are tired but happy ©No Limits Photography
With the Lakes section behind them, many runners took the opportunity to look after their feet which had taken quite a battering from the wet ground.
We spoke to Krystal Garnett and Richard Moreland as they sat down for some food.
Krystal said, “It's been good on the most. I was really enjoying it – it's just the sleep deprivation that's hard. I'll nap and then hopefully feel good for the next section, because I think we've been moving okay.”
One of the biggest decisions runners will have to make is where to sleep along the route, if at all. Krystal and Richard don’t have a set strategy in terms of sleeping. “We thought we'd play it and see how we feel,” Krystal said.
“We were tempted to push through to Richmond but then decided that was a bad idea,” Richard added.
Lewis Weaver had an interesting sleep strategy. He said, “I slept in a bush. I don’t remember falling asleep in a bush, but I woke up in a bush. It was very comfortable.”
Kirsty Reade (right) makes her way over Nine Standards with Krystal and Richard ©No Limits Photography
Alison Walker was another of the participants refueling at Kirkby Stephen. She was giving her legs some rest and having some food when we caught up with her.
She found the Lake District section tough, but managed to get through by running with a group.
She said, “We managed to stick together and help each other out. I love these types of races because you end up sticking together and making friends. And you share the nav. The clag came up on Kidsty Pike and we couldn’t see, so we did a thing with a front person and back person, and the back person was in charge of the nav.”
One runner, Geoff Capps seemed in very high spirits when we caught up with him on the walk out of Kirkby Stephen.
He said, “The idea is to just keep going now till we get to Richmond. I'll keep going for as long as I can. I've not had any sleep yet so I'll play it by ear. I was going to bivvy out or a bus shelter if there was any.”
The bogs had been the biggest challenge so far. “My feet have been absolutely smashed to pieces. The bogs were pretty bad over Kidsty and the section we've come through just now. My feet have taken a battering.”
Participants make their way past Beacon Hill Monument ©No Limits Photography
The leaders looked strong coming into Richmond
It was a beautiful day in Richmond, as participants started coming into the support point. To get here they will have had to climb over the notoriously boggy Nine Standards Rigg, which is well-known for its nine distinctive cairns, and marks the crossing point from Cumbria to Yorkshire. They then pass through the picturesque valley of Swaledale, where beautiful waterfalls and wild moorland contrast with the striking old mining buildings.
By this point in the race, the runners have become incredibly spread out, sometimes with hours between each arrival.
While the first runners were able to enjoy the daylight as they arrived into the checkpoint, the majority of runners will be arriving well into the night.
James Nobles was first into Richmond. He didn’t stop for long, keen to strengthen his lead.
He still looked incredibly fresh as he came running in, saying “The weather was okay, but Nine Standards – on the back of those it was just so so so boggy. There was water on your feet, it was freezing cold, but once we got off there it was good.”
The journey continues on the SILVA Northern Traverse ©No Limits Photography
First lady, Lizzie Faithfull-Davies looked strong and had a smile on her face as she came striding into Richmond with Oliver Harrison.
She said,"It's been a long day today – warm and cold at the same time, but some beautiful views. It was great being up on Nine Standards in clear weather and up on Gunnerside."
She is planning to sleep for a bit at Richmond.
"We haven't rested at all yet. It’s definitely needed - had a few wobbles walking down to the path. I'll get some food, sort out feet, then get some rest and aim to get moving tonight on the Vale of York and get on with the long last leg – I'm hoping with some rest I'll get my legs back, because they're feeling pretty absent at the moment."
Despite being at the front of the field, Lizzie still found time to help someone out in the bog. “On Nine Standards we found a farmer who'd got his quad bike stuck, and so we helped him get that out. It was properly bedded in the mud and him and his sheepdog couldn't get it out. It was a lonely place for him to be stuck. We then stopped at the Dales Bike Centre as thought it would be rude not to have a cup of tea!"
She has been running with Oliver Harrison most of the day. “I met Olly and the group he was with as I was coming into Kirkby Stephen and we stuck together because we're going at a similar pace.”
Nikki Sommers was only half an hour behind Lizzie into Richmond. As always, she seemed on good form and seemed in high spirits as we walked in with her.
She said, "I've got sore feet, but like I would expect. We had the best nap just before Keld – we lay in a grassy field in the sunshine, because we didn't sleep at Kirkby Stephen. It was like heaven – we set an alarm for 15 minutes and it was so good! We're eating and we're moving - we've had one Disney song! I'm tired, but I'm second place," she said with a massive grin.
"I came to finish because life's a bit tough at the moment. I spoke to my coach the other week and he said, you know if you don’t even want to start the run, that's okay. But I'm doing it, and with a smile! I'm better at continuous stuff. I'm not very fast but I'm very good at suffering!"
With Nikki and Lizzie both opting to sleep at Richmond, it will be interesting to see who leaves the support point first.
Conditions were perfect for running though it was wet underfoot ©No Limits Photography
There is a steady flow of runners coming into Richmond
We caught up with two-time winner Eoin Keith as he stopped for a bit at the Richmond support point. This is Eoin’s fourth time at the event, and while he seemed tired, he was still smiling.
He said, “The ground is the wettest it's ever been. In parts it's all over the place.”
“The dark's fine. It was a bit more complex on top of Kidsty Pike though, because it was a bit cool and the mist was down. It's a very technical descent so I certainly took two good slides. One I had to be rescued from like an upside down-turtle.”
Although this event has felt tougher for him after his recent attempt at the Barklay Marathons, he is still clearly having a great time. “To be honest, there's not too much to complain about, at least nothing I haven’t brought on myself,” he said with a laugh.
Nepalese runner, Hem Rana, also seemed in good spirits when he came through into the checkpoint, saying “I signed up for this myself, I ought to be cheerful.” He declared he wasn’t going to sleep and would carry on into the night.
The Yorkshire Dales are a route highlight ©No Limits Photography
It’s been a tough day, with some of the favourites beginning to drop out
Unfortunately, today saw the end of the road for some of the frontrunners. Lee Parker, who was leading for the first 100k dropped out at Shap last night after an impressive start to the race, with Paul Tierney also retiring at Kirkby Stephen.
Richard Lazenby was forced to retire with a leg injury at Richmond. It was a disappointing end to a very impressive run for Richard, who had consistently been at the front of the pack. However, he has already declared he will be back to win next year.
Alison Walker, who had been looking strong only a few hours prior at Kirkby Stephen, unfortunately retired after falling into a bog after Nine Standards Rigg.
It goes to show that even the highest calibre of runners can encounter difficulties on such a tough challenge, but many runners will be back in future to finish what they started.
Our runners have taken on a phenomenal challenge ©No Limits Photography
There is a great feeling of camaraderie amongst the runners
The phenomenal endurance and resilience on display amongst the runners is inspiring to watch. It is incredible that from the front of the pack right the way through to the back of the pack, participants are still pushing on with smiles on their faces and a positive attitude, in spite of how tired their legs must now be.
However, perhaps the most inspiring thing to witness is the camaraderie which has developed amongst the runners.
Seeing runners support each other with navigation, company and moral support has been wonderful, and many of these runners will likely treasure these friendships long after the event is over, no matter what the outcome.
Smiles at the back of the pack as they pass by Haweswater ©No Limits Photography
Follow the Journey
The first finishers are expected into Robin Hood’s Bay tomorrow morning, but runners will be coming into the finish well into Wednesday. Follow their journey via our live GPS tracking:
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