22nd November 2025

Over the summer, high on endorphins, I decided it was time to be brave and sign up to my first ultramarathon in over a decade.

Thankfully,  I had chosen a “mini ultra” to ease myself in  by doing Day 2 of the Peak District South‑&‑North Race organised by Ranger Ultras.

Whilst it may have been on the shorter side (44km), the climbs were mighty, clocking 1,737 m of elevation gain.

I arrived at Edale Peak Centre on Sunday at 06:45a, already nervous, and failing the kit check didn’t help. I was caught out by my headtorch switching off while charging (not a mistake I’ll be making twice). Luckily, the Ranger Ultra crew lent me a spare torch, allowing me to make the start line.

The race kicked off at 08:00 with a brutal climb up Jacob’s Ladder to Kinder Scout. Eight, very uphill kilometres with the wind, fog and horizontal freezing rain chilling our bones. As we summited the top, we were greeted by cheering marshals to lift our spirits.

Luckily, the adventure continued with a breathtakingly epic descent over the paved slate pavement. For a split moment, I was moved to tears as the epic-ness of the scenery and battle with the elements reminded me of how special it is to experience the outdoors this way.

By lunchtime, I had reached the Hayfield Cricket Club checkpoint which felt like a victory given that before running, I was concerned I wouldn’t make this checkpoint by the cut off time at 6.30pm.  I wholeheartedly celebrated this achievement with tea, pizza, and cake, as I got chatting to an experienced Danish runner called Michiel, who had travelled over to England for the first time to complete this event,

 

With newfound optimism and company, we left our warm sanctuary and headed out on the second half of the race. Michiel and I talked and shared stories about our jobs, our love of the outdoors, and how running helps us escape life’s stressors. Before we knew it, the miles had melted away, as the camaraderie carried us through to the finish at 16:30, where I was rewarded with food a hot chocolate, and a winning raffle prize.

 

Looking back, I can now confidently say endurance running isn’t so daunting when the catering is hearty and the company is good… so I may be convinced to run both days next time.

Strider results