Keswick Mountain Festival 50k

Race Report by Pete Gough

To start this report, I need to take you back in time to 1995 when Britpop was at its height, Jonathan Edwards jumped really far and the final episode of Bullseye was broadcast.  I was just starting my second year at Portsmouth Uni and met a guy called Phil at the walking club pub crawl.  We became firm friends to the point where I lived with his parents when I moved to Thanet and ended up marrying his girlfriend’s (at the time – now wife) best friend.

Fast forward several decades and Phil decided to move to the Lake District and started badgering me to visit.  ‘Yes, I know it’s a long way but they do some cool trail races’ was how he suggested it – knowing that was my weak point.  That was how I found myself at 5:30 am standing looking at some hefty looking ups that Nero’s Hill really can’t compete with and feeling that perhaps I was a tiny bit underprepared for what was to come, not helped by having pulled a calf celebrating my son’s football team’s cup final win over Margate the week before but that’s another story.  This was the Keswick Mountain Festival – a multi-day event with several running (10k, 25k, mountain races, 50k etc), swimming and cycling events through the incredible scenery of the Lake District with the whole town getting involved to make for a great weekend experience.  My logic was that if I’m travelling from Thanet I might as well go for the 50k.

Anyway, onto the race.  With the DJ playing an eclectic mix of great tunes and no one really joining in the traditional 10 – 1 countdown we set off from the shores of Derwent Water.  Having had a week of enforced rest it felt good to be running as we crossed fields and went through woodland for about 1k, then the first hill started so it was on to the walking.  And that’s how the race progressed.  Running where possible but with 1600m ascent there was a lot of hiking involved – but that was fine as the scenery was spectacular and worth taking in.

The first 18k took us round Derwent Water and over the various hills into Rossthwaite before a lengthy climb up to Honister Slate Mine which claims that its slate lasts nearly twice as long as welsh slate which feels like an argument that won’t be easily resolved.  This was the first cut off so it was good to be comfortably inside, and fuelled by Haribo we all set off over the peak which was the steepest climb of the day followed by my highlight which was a moderately dangerous descent back into the valley where I wasn’t really running I was more like Buzz Lightyear – falling with style. Anyway, having not broken anything in the descent there was finally 10k of runnable(ish) terrain along the shorelines of Buttermere and Crummock’s Water which took us to around the 30k mark and various offers of massages at the well-stocked checkpoint.  

Feeling confident with only 22k to go I bounced out of the checkpoint chatting away to other runners ready to enjoy the trip up and over Whiteless Peak and Addocombe Beck down into the Newlands Valley.  It turns out that I was mistaken.  It ended up being around 11k of trudging up and down ridiculously narrow single tracks that made running virtually impossible and walking painful. When the ups were finally over I was able to make an unpleasant descent over boulders and scree into the penultimate checkpoint.  Curiously some of the proper trail runners I spoke to loved that section so I suspect I was just undertrained on the mountains of Thanet.

The final 10k was great fun with some minor lumps and bumps and with the sun shining and the kilometres counting down the enjoyment returned as we ran along country lanes, round nice wide footpaths through tranquil woodlands until we got back into Keswick.  The final stretch through the town was full of high fives and celebration with very little speed until the race turned back into the festival grounds and up (yes up) to the finish line and a surprising airhorn impression from the announcer as I crossed the line.

From a personal perspective I managed a top half finish which I was happy with in 7 hours 28 minutes.  How the winner managed 4 hours 38 I will never know but it must have been impressive to watch.

For anyone wanting to challenge themselves to some proper trail running I would thoroughly recommend this really well organised event as a great way to spend a weekend off road amongst some stunning scenery and friendly marshals.  And for me I’ve been convinced to come back next year to take on The Lap.

Thanks for the Race Report and stunning photos Pete. What a fantastic achievement, well done!

Clear blue skies and no rain in the Lake District…. What a treat!