So the official line from the 10 Peaks website....
Clif Bar 10 Peaks The Lakes is a non-stop hike/ run over the 10 highest peaks in
The Lake District. The course covers approximately 73 kilometres with over 5,600
metres of ascent. The unforgiving terrain of The Lakes makes this one of the
UK's hardest one day ultra distance events.
I chose this as my main target for 2013 because I'm not up to doing a Bob Graham like a real man/woman., but this route is almost exactly two thirds of a Bob Graham in both distance and ascent, and looks like something that will challenge me without actually finishing me off.
Obviously conditions are key. I first read about this shortly after the first running in 2010 when it was put on as a free event for charity. That year the weather was shocking (wet, windy and misty) and none of the 52 starters completed it at all, let alone within the 24 hour target.
The following year it was run the same weekend as I was up in Keswick doing the Skiddaw fell race. I think this was the hottest day I have ever spent in the Lakes, but amazingly 39 out of the 102 starters that year did finish in the 24 hours, and in 2012 66 out of 202 did.
So it IS possible, but is obviously a tough target. For me completing it at all would be enough.
Preparation is also an excuse to do some great races in the half year leading up to it (including an attempt to slay my Fellsman demon), and to round up some friends to have some long days running in the Lakes.
The charity part is a bit of a sideshow, as the history of the event is as a MacMillan challenge, but I do believe in the cause and hope that anyone with the endurance to read this rubbish will click through and give a bit of cash to this worthwhile set of people.
Training starts in the deep midwinter with the Rombalds Stride on the 2nd February.....
