Hardmoors 55 – 22nd March 2025
Last Saturday I participated in the Hardmoors 55 race. This race goes between Guisborough and Helmsley travelling along the Cleveland way for 53 miles with 2,400m elevation (according to my Garmin) through the North Yorkshire Moors.
The race started at precisely 08:06 from the old railway next Guisborough Rugby Club in slightly damp and cool conditions. We then climbed up through the woods on to the Cleveland way and headed West to Roseberry Topping for and out and back leg where everyone is taking different lines to get up and down the steep inclines.
I settled into a steady pace to the first drop bag location at Kildale village hall. By this point it had stopped raining and was starting to get muggy. I loaded up with plenty of supplies for the next 20 miles. This was section was tough, with several steep climbs up ‘banks’ from the valleys back on to the moors. In a lot of places, the trail was made up of flag stones which seem to be placed in a way to make it impossible to get into a rhythm.
At Osmotherley I picked up my second drop bag. With hindsight I should have taken a bit more time here to ‘optimise’ what I was carrying. There is long climb up to Black Hambleton coming out of Osmotherley before the terrain eases off. Unfortunately, this climb took last of the spring from my legs. I was unable to take advantage of the easier terrain in the later section and my pace slowed even with plenty of gels and water in the system.
Another ‘twist’ comes just after Sutton Bank where the course takes you on a loop around White Horse. I think this section has been included to torture people with its drop in elevation followed by the worst steps I have ever had to go up. They were steep with large uneven steps to test the tired legs. By this point it had started to rain again so I donned my waterproof for the remainder of the course.
The rest was rolling terrain with a few sections of road as dusk fell. One of my aims was to complete the course without needing to use my head torch. As I made a final push to the sports club in Helmsley there was just enough light to see Jen, my wife, through the gloom and cross the finish line just ahead of the next two runners who had been closing over the last section.
I have now done two Hardmoors events and can highly recommend them with good course, well stocked aid stations (there are more than the drop bag locations), and enthusiastic and helpful volunteers.
I finished 31st individual in 10h31m25s. There were 219 finishers inside the 16 hours cut off with an additional 8 making the finish outside of this. First male was Ben Sandie (unattached) in 8h11m09s. First female, 14th overall, was Esmee Price-Coates (unattached) in 9h40m12s.
