Over the Mayday weekend I ran two legs of a sponsored relay along the whole of the Pennine Way, which goes from the Scottish border through Northumbria, Durham, North Yorkshire, West Yorkshire, Lancashire, finishing up in Edale in Derbyshire. Nearly 300 miles.
The purpose of the relay was to raise money (having fun did not enter into it) to bring some young people from South Africa on a visit to Sheffield organised by the Woodcraft Folk, a "national educational charity working with children and young people, with the aim of building a world based on equality, friendship, peace and social justice" - think of it as mixed scouting without uniforms, badges, or hierarchies.
Leg 1 I ran alone on Sunday morning from Middleton in Teesdale to the A66 near Brough. Good weather. Daylight. Up close to lapwings and curlews. 11 miles over fairly gentle and open terrain, with not much more that 400 m of ascent. All went smoothly.
Leg 2 was different. By 00.15 on Monday morning, I was dozing in my car in Thornton-in-Craven with Dave Pearce, my running partner. The team handing over to us had got badly lost, chased by cows etc., and arrived at 01.45, by which time it was raining steadily. Our leg - 12 miles with 900 m of ascent - was across broken moor and farmland, with plenty of stiles and cuts through walls, and pathless in many parts. Apart from the rather sparky shine of sheep's eyes in the light of our headlamps, it was pitch dark. About 2 miles in, Dave twisted his ankle on an old injury. From then on we had to move rather gingerly. By about 05.00 it was just beginning to get light (recommended - the transition from pitch black to indistinct monochrome, to the very palest of colours, to proper daylight). I ran on ahead across the wet and forbidding Keighley Moor, handing over to the next pair at 06.00 near Pondon Hall, where the Bronte sisters lived. Eventually the last team got to Edale only 1 hour behind schedule.
If any reader wants to sponsor any or all of my 23 miles and 1300 m of ascent, please send a cheque - payable to "Woodcraft Folk" - to 312 Albert Road, Heeley, Sheffield S8 9RD, UK. If cheques are difficult we should be able to organise something using Paypal.
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