Nine Edges Endurance

This was a fundraiser for Edale Mountain Rescue, a 20 miler point-to point along the gritstone edges of the Peak District, from Ladybower Reservoir to near Chatsworth House in Derbyshire. More of a long distance event than a race, some 300 folk were walking or running the route or mountain biking 40miles with some even electing to climb on each of the edges.

After a short pull out of the initial valley, the course was almost all runnable on good paths. It was a cracking morning, clear and bright and seemed a pity to not stop and take in the wide ranging vistas onto the high moors of the Dark Peak and the greener rolling landscape of the White Peak. We went by Derwent Edge, then Stanage skipping through groups of unsuspecting walkers while climbers popped up from the escarpment; thereafter Burbage, Froggat, Curbar, Baslow and Birchens edges at the Robin Hood pub. I ran with two others till 13 miles, from where I drifted ahead to finish in 2:43 – one guy wasn’t as fast and the other wasn’t as fit. Just as well, as my niggly hamstring was tightening a little towards the end.

A very smoothly organised event and quite low key despite the numbers; a steady stream of runners, walkers and cyclists was quietly catered for at the finish, refreshed and transported back to the start by the organisers.