Jan-15

Ultra Running
An Ultra marathon race is anything that is more than 26.2 miles, so can be just 27 miles or
over 100 miles. Most are effectively long Trail races and often also involve a lot of climbing.
There are some classic ones like the Haworth Hobble (32 miles) and Calderdale (37 miles)
which really are more approachable than they sound. You do get some very fast ultra
runners but you also get many other runners who have just found that their strength is
more about stamina than speed and so have turned to ultras. It is fair to say for most ultra
runners that the running is interspersed with sections of walking, particularly on the hills.
LDWAs
LDWA stands for Long Distance Walking Association, they organise something called
Challenge Events and you can enter as either a runner or a walker. Most events are over 20
miles but they also often have a shorter option (10-13 miles) available on the same day.
They are a really good way to increase your mileage but are also a really good day out. The
fact that they are also walking events mean you can do them as a mixture or running and
walking plus you can take part in the same event as a non-running friend or partner and
share the experience. They are cheap to enter and there is usually food and drink available
at checkpoints plus a meal at the end. If you enjoy just getting out in the countryside they
are really worth a try.
Park Runs
No article would be complete without mentioning these but there isn’t really much I can say
that you won’t already know as our Facebook page is full of information on a regular basis.
They are free at point of use as they get all their funding through sponsorship. I think they
are a great introduction to running, they are great for returning from injury and an excellent
way of checking your improvements from time to time.
So now that’s all clear, let’s get out there and enjoy all that running in 2015.
Vive La Difference
Rebecca