Do you want to try something different?
As a matter of principle, I never accept Instagram freebies. But something about the offer from Ourea Sports and Great Lakeland 3 Day ignited a little fire of excitement. One that had been missing from my running for some time.
How would a life-long track/road runner find the whole new challenge of fells, mountains and navigation (Not to forget camping too as someone who had never camped before)?
What is the Great Lakeland 3 Day?
The Great Lakeland 3 Day is exactly what it says. A three day challenge in the Lake District. Each day offers a choice of five courses to suit all abilities, so is accessible to everyone. From those who have never run on trails, to elite and highly experienced fell runners.
From the “Café” course which is approx 17km per day mostly lowlands and which lives up to its name, visiting several local cafes and pubs. To “Extreme” which is… Extreme! Around 40km each day with 3000ms of daily ascent.
Each day takes you from one campsite to the next in another beautiful remote valley. Meanwhile, the kind people at Ourea Sports transport your overnight bag with tent and camping kit. But be warned. The campsites are basic with no showers or washing facilities! Thankfully the complimentary slice of cake at the end of each day alongside free hot drinks makes up for the lack of other home comforts.
Pre-Event To Do List – Weigh kit bag!
Even before I set off from home, I realised this really was something different. “Weigh kit bag” had never been on any previous pre-competition to do list! There is a strictly enforced 13kg/60litre weight and size limit on each overnight bag. Each bag gets weighed. If its too heavy, you must take something out. For someone who’s biggest fears were being cold, wet and hungry for three days, this was a challenge. After packing the essential tent, sleeping bag etc, it was a choice between clothes or food. Right from the start I realised this was life stripped back to the basics!
Navigation
There are also no marked courses. Just a series of checkpoints to find. So it’s up to you to plan your route each day. Another challenge. Do you follow established paths on a more circuitous route? Or run straight lines on compass bearings? As I found, that takes good navigational skills and large dollops of courage. Sometimes it works. Sometimes you find yourself staring down an impossibly steep, slippery slope and have no choice but to turn back.
Participants are encouraged to use maps and compass (a map is provided). But you have the reassurance that GPS is permitted (GPX files are available for the shorter courses). I did mostly navigate with the map with some success even in some poor visibility. But I admit that on Day 2 I was unable to face the prospect of going wrong (again). So after 15miles of relentless rain and featureless grey fog, I resorted to GPS to find the last checkpoint.
Day 1 Wainwright course (plus some extra)
17.6miles
1769ms ascent
7hrs 50mins
Av pace 27:01/mile
I expected the huge climbs in the Lake District. I expected bogs. And wet feet. I expected rocks and steep paths. I knew it could be tricky and technical. I knew the weather could clag in and poor visibility could make navigation challenging. And suck hours from the anticipated finish time too.
I got it all. As the day went on, the miles ticked by, but my estimated finish time slipped further and further back as I climbed huge fells and scrambled over crags. Until I finally finished in 7hrs50mins. Tough but utterly amazing!
As I sat in the camp with the complimentary first day beer & cake planning the route for Day 2, the scale of the challenge was starting to become clear. But already, I was utterly hooked.
Day 2 Wainwright Course
20.6miles
1817ms ascent
10hrs22mins
Av pace 30:16/mile
Day 2 was a brutal grey abyss of nothingness. With unrelenting rain. Yet somehow still the BEST day ever!
Today’s Wainwright route was (allegedly) 27km (17miles) 1400ms ascent. But I knew I could lose time on nav in the atrocious weather. And I did. A wrong turn didn’t help. Nor being confronted by an unexpectedly treacherously lethal descent down steep, wet scree. Which meant an extra 3mile detour.
I am not too proud to admit I shed a little tear of relief on the last mile back. On a day when many turned back or chose easier routes, I completed the Wainwright course.
As I sat exhaustedly chewing on the amazing freshly-prepared pizzas from the campsite pizza van (and drinking another beer from the campsite bar) I had to ask myself. Were we mad fools or crazy funsters? After a day like this one it was hard to know….
Day 3 Herdwick Course
12.1miles
823metres ascent
4hrs23
Av pace 21:48/mile
After much debate on the final day, I opted for the easier Herdwick Course. The earlier cut off time of 3pm was too much pressure to run the Wainwright. Know your limitations. The step up from Herdwick to Wainwright is not just distance and height gained. Wainwright challenges you to navigate unmarked and minor paths. Which can add huge extra time.
It was exactly what I needed to finish on a high. Two big ascents. A glorious long grassy descent. Followed by undulating lowland paths back to Coniston. I even got to see some blue sky and gorgeous views. And to do some proper running on easier terrain!
The Finish
It just so happened that the Great Lakeland 3 day fell on the same weekend as my 50th birthday and I’d set a target to run 50 miles for the weekend. But as I neared the finish line it was 0.2miles short. Any other day I would just stop the watch. But not this weekend after 49.8 miles of running. So, an extra lap of the car park it was before I finally crossed the finish line.
Total distance 50miles
Total ascent 4409ms
Total Time 22hrs35mins
The Best Bits?
So many amazing things in one amazing weekend. But one of the best things was the camaraderie and sense of community amongst participants as we criss-crossed each other on the fells.
Sometimes it felt like there were fellow runners all over the mountain. Then in the featureless grey abyss you would see no one for miles and wonder if you were the only ones left on the mountain. Only the sound of distant, disembodied voices in the fog suggested otherwise.
The next moment runners would appear from all directions. You’d run together as unspoken collectives. In shared pursuit of the same checkpoint. Then as quickly as the collectives formed, they would disperse once more as you pursued different courses. This was more than just a race. It was a shared endeavour amongst kindred spirits.
This was also quite possibly the hardest 50 miles I’ve ever run, scrambled, slid, climbed and walked. Every day took longer than expected. It rained relentlessly. There were no showers. I went the wrong way. I fell in a bog. I lost a shoe. I sat in sheep poo. I was one of the last to finish on Day 2. And yet I loved every single minute. The bigger the challenge, the greater the sense of achievement when it’s done.
Thank you @greatlakeland3day that was absolutely the most incredible three days ever! So much so myself and Mr W have already signed up again and paid our entry fees for next year.
If you want something different then I promise you – this is it. See you there in 2024!
My Top Tips
Lightweight tent or share with a friend.
The super lightweight tent wasn’t cheap but was worth every penny to save weight and space. Even better as a couple sharing tent and camping equipment. 13kg and 60litres seems like a lot until you start packing!
Who needs to wash when you have baby wipes.
Just remember you are all sweaty and unwashed together.
Prepack kit for each day.
I prepacked clothes and food for each day into separate dry bags within my big dry bag before I left home. With another dry bag for camp kit – pyjamas, sliders, warm socks, toothbrush & baby wipes. It meant there was no need to rummage through my bag sorting out kit each night. Especially invaluable in a very small tent and wet weather.
Prepare for bad weather.
Weather in the Lake District is unpredictable. Prepare for bad weather both on the fells and in the campsite. There are no indoor facilities and no hot showers to warm you up at the end of long wet days. The investment in extra warm sleeping bags (even at the expense of additional weight) was worth it. They made up for the lack of other home comforts and helped me sleep well each night. Likewise, my lightweight insulated jacket, woolly hat and thick socks for the campsite were invaluable.
Challenge yourself but know your limits.
The Lake District can be dangerous and unforgiving. It is steep, slippery, rocky and remote. Ensure you have the compulsory kit. Not only do you risk disqualification but you also potentially risk your life by not being well prepared.
Don’t take chances beyond your capabilities. I knew the scree slope on Day 2 was too difficult for me even though it meant three miles extra. Some things are not worth the risk.
It’s not essential to be familiar with the Lake District. But it is helpful to have some idea what to expect. In particular, an accurate sense of estimated time to cover the distance, terrain and elevation in potentially adverse conditions. You will be significantly slower than on road. This helps you choose your courses and plot your route.
Pack your sense of humour!
More information on how to try something totally different and enter the Great Lakeland 3Day is here