August newsletter – Lakeland 50 and 100

After a short break last month, we are back! July was definitely dominated by the Lakeland 50 and 100 for our athletes, with almost half of our team toeing the line at one or the other. We have a strong history with these races too and are big fans, so it is always fun to hear how people have gotten on over the weekend: the highs, the lows, the friendships forged and memories made. There were races that went perfectly and certainly ones that didn’t but all with plenty of valuable takeaways.

Jayson and I (Kim) first took part in the 50 in 2015 and after recceing  the course, I was not keen! Used to the North Yorkshire Moors, the rocky terrain was pretty scary to me so I was ultimately surprised to love the race and to come away with a strong run. Jayson stormed it home, winning the race with serious cramp in just over 8 hours. This lit the fire for him to return in 2016 and he won again, this time breaking the course record by about a minute! He returned in 2017 to have a crack at the 100, but didn’t have a great race, still finishing in around 22 hours for 5th place in a very competitive field and in 2019, he became the first person and still the only man to have won the 50 three times. So yep, he knows it all well! I also returned in 2017 in much better shape and with a more sensible race calendar and ended up having one of the races of my life. It was pretty smooth sailing the whole way and I managed to finish strong in 8.57, one of only a handful of women to go sub 9 on that course. You can read about my race here:https://www.cavillcoaching.com/to-fall-or-to-fly

It is races like Lakeland (although you might argue that there are no other races like Lakeland!) that are the backbone of ultra running in the UK. Events started by people that live in and love a particular area and want to build community are the best you will do. They have also inspired others to do things differently in their own events and to try and create that party atmosphere along the course, as well creating pockets of other trail running communities around the country. With a lot of talk about how much ultra running is growing and which races gel with the trail running ethos, it is easy to dismiss big events with a lot of participants. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea – the festival style of camp; the themed CPs; the exuberant prizegiving and the sheer scale of it – but it is important to have these events to showcase our sport, and to inspire other race organisers for their own events. While Lakeland takes no part in the UTMB system, it is not a secret that Marc was inspired by the UTMB of twenty or so years ago, wanting to bring that style of route and vibe to the UK. It has certainly developed into its own identity though!

When you are planning your races for the next year or two, thinking about what sort of events chime with you is really important. For some of our athletes, they were curious about the weekend, so dipping their toe in with the 50, with its generous cut off, was a great idea. For others, it was about really testing themselves, going so far out of their comfort zone that they weren’t sure what the outcome might be. For a few, it was about stepping up to the 100 after completing the 50, after being immersed in the event and just really wanting to be a part of it again. So rather than just thinking about what distance you want to cover or doing something that you think you ‘should’, consider all of those things too. Most importantly, go with what gives you that feeling in your gut!

Have a great rest of the summer – hopefully it will be hanging on when we next write in September!

Kim and Jayson.