'The UK’s TOUGHEST Marathon… The Langdale Marathon is 26.2miles with a massive 3400ft of vertical gain! That’s essentially running up Mount Snowdon, but on tarmac…
To put that into perspective last year I flew to Athens, the birthplace of our beloved Marathon and ran what is described as one of the toughest road marathons in the world. The race has 1700ft of elevation.
I have previously run a 2:55 road marathon on the flat (it’s a gut wrenching pace). Before the event I consulted my trail mentor and Voom teamie David Riley who said "Rick, if you run sub 4 be proud!" The weather forecast was HORRIFIC with torrential rain and 50mph winds. But, the extremes excite me, they test us beyond the physical and that is what a marathon does. It challenges your beliefs.
The day before race day Boris addressed the nation and we were told Greater Manchester would be moving into Tier 3 restrictions. Being sensible (it happens once a year) I simply couldn’t travel to the race! I was GUTTED! But it didn’t mean I couldn’t run my own Langdale Marathon… 26miles and 3400ft of climbing. I found that level of climb IMPOSSIBLE on the roads where I live. I’d have to run 45+ miles to get the climbing. Instead I hit my local fells, I had to get off the tarmac to get that crazy level of vertical in. I mapped my route, packed my kit and left for the fells at 5am.
I ran it all!
I climbed everything!
I waded through bogs!
I made snow angles in the leaves!
I took in the torrential weather, there was no escaping our northern casual storm! Fueled with Pocket Rockets I still had my testing adventure! As soon as I’m allowed to I will be up to run the Langdale marathon route, I want to take on that test!
COVID is tragic and that doesn’t come close. It’s shaken up our country and changed the way we live forever. It wont stop me though, there is always a way. I couldn’t stand on the Langdale start line with my Voom teammates, but I was there in spirit.
There’s ALWAYS a way forward...
Rick Rose-Coulthard a.k.a Confessions_of_a_runner
