Both events are over the White Peak Trails, starting at 11.00 am
on Saturday 17 May 2008. The marathon is the traditional route
from Thorpe to Cromford Meadows following first the Tissington
Trail to Parsley Hay, then the High Peak Trail to Cromford,
while the half marathon follows the High Peak Trail from Friden
to Cromford.
Both runs are over firm compacted limestone and cinder surfaces
on former railway tracks making road running shoes ideal. There
is one road crossing, at about 14 miles on the marathon course,
and a little over 1 mile after the start of the half marathon.
This road is not busy, but traffic is fast on it and competitors
are asked to take special care there. Although this crossing
will be manned, competitors should recognise that we have no
authority to stop the traffic.
The marathon starts at Thorpe and follows the Tissington Trail,
up the dales to north of Parsley Hay, where it does an about
turn to follow the High Peak Trail. From here it undulates level
till it joins the half marathon part of the route at Friden.
After this the track descends in three stages, at about 21, 22½
and 24½ miles, the last descent being about 1 mile long down the
steep incline to the Cromford canal at High Peak Junction. At
this point it crosses the canal, turns left along the tow-path
and then right into Cromford Meadows, approximately ¾ of a mile
from there.
There are limited points of access to the trail throughout. For
this reason it is difficult to monitor the condition of
competitors, so to help with safety and security, competitors in
the marathon who have not reached the 10 mile point at Parsley
Hay within 2 hours will be asked to retire. We also rely upon
runners who get themselves into difficulty to advise the race
marshals at the access points so that they can be picked up.
One year we had one competitor who completed the first 13 miles
in 1 hour 30 minutes, and took an additional 4 hours for the
remaining 13. Although we follow the race by bike, we can only
monitor the condition of the last few runners, so we did not
pick up this person until the rest of the field had passed him,
by which time he was in a state of total exhaustion. So we
really need people to be sensible.
(Remember the 4 deaths in the 2005 Great North Run)
The half marathon follows the later stages of the marathon
course from Friden. The route undulates along the tops of the
dales for the first 8 miles or so, then descends in three
stages, at 7, 8½ and 10½ miles down to High Peak Junction on
the Cromford Canal, where it crosses the canal, and turns left
along the towpath to finish at Cromford Meadows. The total
descent is about 800 feet, and with no steep uphill stretches,
it provides the potential for fast times and personal bests. We
like to think of it as a swift half.
No navigational skills are needed for either event, and there
will be 7 feed stations spaced out as evenly as possible along
the marathon course. The last three of these will cover the half
marathon also. They are identified on the course maps, to be
supplied, as WS. Because of the difficult logistics, we can only
provide water and sponges at these feed stations. Personal
drinks will of course be permitted, but competitors will have to
make their own arrangements for their provision. Although the
logistics of the events mean that ambulance cover is primarily
for the marathon, because of overlap the slowest of the half
marathoners will also be covered by this.
For safety reasons competitors will be asked to register and
collect their numbers on the day. Registration will start at
8.30 am at Matlock Rugby Club, Cromford Meadows, Cromford, near
Matlock (turn north off the A6 at traffic lights at Cromford,
along Mill Road for 250 yards, Cromford Meadows is on the right,
the Rugby Club is at the far end of the track). This is also the
finish of both events. There will be full toilet and changing
facilities at the Rugby Club and portaloos will be available at
the starts. Some toilet facilities are en route at Hartington
and Parsley Hay.
After registration at Cromford, at approximately 10.00 am, buses
will take competitors to the relevant start and belongings will
be returned to Cromford for pick up at the finish. Competitors
can make their own way to the starts, where registration will
also be permitted.
At the finish the rugby clubhouse will be open for changing and
showering, and there will be a bar and TV. We will provide
catering both before and after the race.
For both events the entry fee is £15 for competitors who are
members of an affiliated club, and £17 for those who are not
(unattached): the extra £2 goes to the NEAA. Entries can only be
accepted by mail.
Maps of the routes, and of Cromford Meadows, will be provided to
all entrants, along with registration instructions, on receipt
of entries. These will be sent by email wherever possible.
Further information can be obtained by ringing 01629 823214, or
by
Email.
Only emails with the subject “White Peak Marathon” will be
opened.
Please note that entries are limited to 200 per event, because
of restrictions imposed by the authorities.
Entries On the Day will be permitted, if numbers permit, but
transport to the starts cannot be guaranteed for EOD entrant. If
we have to close the entry list early, advance notice of this
will be posted on our web site.
Results will be posted on the Matlock AC website immediately
after the events. Paper copies of the results will be sent out
by request to those who complete an envelope on the day of the
race, and deposit 50p inside it.
