Race Date: Saturday 8th November 2025

Lakeland Trails offer a variety of events across the Lake District for perhaps the less experienced including this 15km, 320m race from Glenridding on the shores of Ullswater. Described as fully marked and marshalled it certainly doesn’t go all the way to the top! Enjoying a weekend away staying at Ambleside Youth Hostel, a trio of three Steel City, together with Sian Evans as team manger, took part in the race and we took the chance to catch up with Gillian Allen who has recently moved to London.

“Ullswater was enjoyable enough. It’s not really a race for club runner’s so we were all incognito although there were a handful of people in club vests. The route was nice and runnable with the exception of one rocky and boggy section. For me it was very nice to be out of the London smog and in the clean air of the lakes” Frances Roberts chipped in adding that she “enjoyed the paved descent at the end! The views were great, got lucky with the weather although we all got drenched on our walk the morning after but it was a good weekend all round.”

Talking about London, Gillian explained that although she has joined Mornington Chasers she is also permitted to compete for Steel City on the fells as her second claim club.  There aren’t many fell races in London. Gillian described her new club as “a bit thin on the ground in terms of sessions with only a Tuesday run and Thursday track. (Editor: We really are spoilt at Steel City with a host of sessions across the week to choose from.) Certainly miss the Thursday track group, ruled with a rod of iron by Mike but with the luxury of having our splits called out. They did an excellent “Spooky Halloween” headtorch run around Hampstead Heath recently with a Traitors themed intermission including shots, a further intermission with more shots, sweets and sparklers finishing at the pub where the club had bought that many pizzas that there may have been leftovers”

Once Gillian regains some fitness and any current injuries become definitely history she may join the Highgate Harriers track sessions. There are three each week to choose from but one is enough at the moment.