Ultra Trail Métropole Nice Côte d’Azur – 100M race report For a good few hours on Friday night, I though it was on. I felt invincible, blinded by adrenaline, pushing myself back up through the field. It’d been a rotten start. I felt fatigued and under the weather from the get go. I decided to start near the back and take things easy, knowing I should be able to make up places later on. The first section is a short climb on a fire road followed by a trail with switchbacks to get you down into Saint-Étienne-de-Tinée, where local school children formed a scream tunnel of outstretched arms that echoed, “allez, allez, allez”. From there it’s straight into a 1400m climb up to Refuge de Rabuons. The early afternoon heat was oppressive and the climb seemed to go on for days. I took a good long stop at the aid... View Article
It all started with an invite to Jane’s birthday party. She moved to Switzerland, seemingly 50% for the skiing and 50% so she could send photos of mountains home to taunt the rest of us. So her party happens to be in the shadow of Mont Blanc: bit of a long way if we’re honest but it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make for friendship. I’m benevolent like that. I start to look at flights and wonder if it wouldn’t be best to combine the trip with a little running. One thing leads to another, It’s UTMB week after the party and Chamonix starts to whisper my name. Could I really fly home only to sit in front of my laptop dot watching races and wishing I was there? In spite of my conflicting feelings about their influence in the sport, every year it feels like everyone is at UTMB.... View Article
September 16, 2020,
by Pete
The first thing I noticed, parked up at Wooler war memorial, was the three OMM stickers on the car in front. Whoever was in there was obviously the real deal. People who do the OMM are a different breed. Nothing like starting a big day with a slice of humble pie. I was there because the ever changing landscape of quarantine and corona has seen me miss out on two ultras this year; I’d decided to make use of my training. The Cheviots are my local hills. They’re home to the Chevy Chase, possibly my favourite race, and the High Fells of Hedgehope, which featured the most hostile weather I’ve ran in. They’re also home to The McWilliams Round, which comes in three flavours. The short, clocking in at 32 miles (yes, that’s the short one!), the long, at 43 miles, and the ultra which is both of them back... View Article
