Race Date: Saturday 30th August 2025

Race Report by Laura Rangeley

Dig Deep is a brilliant series of trail races based right here in Sheffield, from Hangram Lane Farm up in Ringinglow – we’re very lucky to have such an event on our doorstep. Runners can choose between a half marathon, 30 miles (actually 32), or 50. Having spent the day absolutely loving volunteering last year, I had a free place for a distance of my choosing and was considering sticking with the half marathon (which I also did last year and found very tough). Then I managed to win a place on the 30 miler as well, so I took it as A SIGN, clearly it was written in the stars that what I needed to do was run to Castleton and back. This was the first year all distances were on the same day – previously it’s taken place across a whole weekend, so at least I wasn’t tempted to sign up to a double header. Hubby and more seasoned long distance runner Jim stuck to the 30 as well, deciding to see what he could do over the distance, having been lumbered with a slowpoke (me) on his last two attempts at just-a-bit-over-50k.

It was an early start for the race at 7am, fortunately with it being so close to home we could roll out of bed just before 6, and had even been able to collect our numbers and timing chips the evening before which made for a much more relaxed morning with none of the complicated logistics involved in my only other 2 ultra experiences. There was a great atmosphere at race HQ and a really mixed field – the generous cut offs (15 hours for the 30 miler, 16 for the 50) make this a great choice for a first ultra, which many were embarking upon. My training hadn’t been very specific (although I’ve increased my average weekly distance to 25 miles from 20) and I missed my last long run due to a raging hangover (I’m still quite cross with myself about this), so I was hoping simply to come somewhere in the region of 8 hours, comparable with my previous ultras. This was the first time I’d be running without Jim’s support though, so I knew the mental side of things was going to be more challenging.

Laura & Jim at the Dig Deep start

I snaffled a banana whilst listening to the race briefing and then we were off! Up a hill, to set the tone for the day, so it wasn’t the speediest of starts – for myself at least, Jim and the more competitive runners shot off in a bid to not need to queue at the four stiles that were strewn over the first half a mile as we headed over fields before reaching Houndkirk Road. The route basically comprises – Houndkirk Road, Burbage, a bit of Stanage Edge before dropping down New Road towards Bamford (a MUCH nicer experience than coming up it, which any Hathersage Hurtlers will be familiar with), Win Hill via the hideousness of Parkin Clough, round the back of Hope into Castleton, Cavedale, Bradwell, Shatton Moor, along the river to Hathersage before climbing back up to Houndkirk Road via Whim Plantation and round Higger Tor and retracing our steps the last 2 miles back to the finish line. Phew!

My highlights included…
– A Penguin biscuit at checkpoint 1, Burbage North. I didn’t actually need to take on any fuel at this point but what kind of silly sausage doesn’t p-p-p-p-pick up a Penguin?
– Matt Broadhead literally running away from me when I told him the joke on said Penguin (Q: Why was the penguin so popular? A: Because he was an ice guy)
– Following a Duke of Edinburgh group up Parkin Clough. I hate this hill. I was dreading it for the whole first 10 miles of the race. As I started to climb I noticed the cool, hip teens ahead of me had a boombox. Usually I’d tut at such behaviour whilst trying to be at one with nature, but they were playing Mambo No. 5, which it turns out is very motivational
– Spending a few miles with a lovely chap called Simon from Handsworth Roadhogs, which got me out of a “stuck in my own head” slump and was some much appreciated company up the Cavedale climb
– Finding surprise buckets of apples in Shatton, just when I was fancying something refreshing
– The river section – a lot of fellow runners weren’t so keen on this bit, as it’s comparatively flat and not that interesting, but I was thrilled to discover I could still pick up the pace here. Managed to overtake quite a few people, saw an emu, achieved a “marathon during an ultra” marathon PB (yes I realise that’s not a thing)
– Crossing the finish line with the dubious accolade of “last 30 mile finisher that didn’t get overtaken by any of the 50 milers”, with the winner of the longer race being mere SECONDS behind me!
– Proving to myself I could do this on my own (even if it isn’t quite as fun as with a buddy)

And low points were:
– Aforementioned Parkin Clough, even with the unexpected addition of Lou Bega
– Also aforementioned mental slump coming off Win Hill – I thought I was getting a blister, and got completely absorbed by thinking about my foot. I was also worried about missing the (very obvious) turn off for the 30 mile route and accidentally running another 20 miles at this point. Anyway I sat down, had a faff and a big breathe, put a plaster on my perfectly ok foot and that seemed to break the cycle!
– The descent from Shatton. Rocky underfoot, then steepens and gets tarmacky. My knees are still sad about this bit.
– Pretty much all of the last 5 miles. The climb out of Hathersage is horrible and I couldn’t really get going again after that. I got out of this pit by thinking “what would Jim tell me” and ate some sweets, then I texted Jim (who’d long since finished by this point) who told me to eat some sweets, so I had some more and felt a bit better. Other methods of dealing with running by myself included making up little songs to keep me occupied, lyrics of which ranged from a jolly, upbeat pop style “You don’t have to be fast, Just keep on mooooovin”, to the more angsty emo vibes of a track I titled “Get a Grip, You Stupid Bitch”.

There was a hot cup of tea, a hot meal and an absolutely sensational brownie waiting for me at the finish line along with my medal, and I even managed to get back before the rain started. Shout out to the organisers and all the brilliant volunteers on the day who did a fantastic job throughout – great aid stations, motivational cheers, and general good vibes. Just a thoroughly excellent event which I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend.

There were some absolutely amazing performances from Steel City Striders on the day – Naomi Tuckett was 1st lady in the half marathon, Hannah Basu won the 30 miler, and Jim smashed his (frankly not ambitious enough) sub 7 hour goal to smithereens.

Three Striders were among 108 runners who lined up for the Dig Deep Half. The men’s race was won by Luke Wilkinson (unaffiliated) in a time of 1:33:03. Strider Naomi Tuckett won the women’s race in a time of 1:49:40, well done Naomi!

Striders Results: Half Marathon