Let me set the scene;
- Ambleside Trail 60K
- 2120 meters of ascent
- 470 meters biggest ascent
In terms of the hardcore of ultra runners the Ambleside 60k may well seem like a little trot out. I saw it referred to on Strava as a “baby ultra” but please don’t let the distance of this event fool you, it might be small but it’s truly mighty!
The course profile almost looks like an ECG print out – up, down, up, down, up, down and I can confirm that those fells do feel like the gift that keeps on giving but more of that shortly.
It’s also a whole stack of fierce but it has a little ability to lull you into a state of false security early doors. It’s got a beautiful trail based with a steady rolling undulation (and not the type you read to describe a race and think “they mean super hilly here don’t they”?) but not incredibly taxing. It kids you into that comfort zone of all being well and life being good. Rewarding you with the most spectacular views (which continues throughout the whole race) without beating you with a stick or leaving your legs begging for mercy.
BUT, it’s got a sting. In a bloody good way mind! The second two thirds of the race takes on a more fell running kinda personality. Becoming more gnarly and challenging and in some places downright brutal.
Ascending with purpose to scrambling up rocks, to crossing streams and water and into the most spectacular of bogs which results in wet & sodden feet.
The first ascent with any bite takes you up to Hole Rake, overlooking to Coniston Cooper mines and can I say, WOW! The views up there were absolutely spectacular. I mean, what else would you want to be doing on a Sunday morning? Stunning doesn’t even come close. As I passed runners on the ascent I made a conscious effort to direct their attentions away from the task in hand and invited them just to take a moment to look at where we were. Breathtaking, in every single way!
You then head northwards towards Little Langdale.
Dropping into the Langdale valley the welcome site of Blea Tarn, the half way (ish) mark and an event photographer popped a little spring back into your step.
Time to get the hill legs going again onto Stake Pass and again, you’re rewarded for your efforts by the most stunning views.
Greenup Edge becomes your finale of the biggies and why not save the biggest and most brutal wee climb until you’ve got a stack of mileage and elevation in your legs already!
The ascents are matched by the descents as you start to make your way down to the welcome site of Grasmere. Here you might just be lulled into another false sense of security. Yes, after your ascent from Greenup Edge the route does become flatter but I swear that the Lake District measure their miles or kilometres through a different metric. A beautiful run round the lake and a return towards Brathay and the finish line.
The 2020 race was subject to additional COVID provision and with a decrease in checkpoints and the availability of provisions at the remaining checkpoints it made the race feel even more self-sufficient and challenging at times.
The saviour? The ready supply of the humble Voom Pocket Rocket with caffeine. For a caffeine based energy bar it’s incredibly forgiving gastro-ly and certainly doesn’t leave the unpleasantaries that some caffeine based energy bars do. My love of the Voom products is their ease of consumption. They are super easy to spilt into four servings, without you having to carry a whole sticky product in your hand or consume it all at once which can make it a bit of a gift that keeps on giving and there’s no need to stop your effort to consume either, it more of less melts in your mouth after a couple of chews. This bad boy powered me up the ridiculous amount of elevation in this “baby ultra” without feeling any dips in energy or reserves.
So let’s have a little race report for the Amblesdie 60k to sum it all up;
Hardcore – YES, more than the distance suggests
Terrain – Trail with a side order of fell running
For the faint hearted – No
Easy – no but totally worth it
Navigation – awesome, I did have the route on my watch but only checked it occasionally as the course was so well marked
Support – would be unfair to reflect on it with the covid provisions in place for this years event
Let me give you a little background. I’m Emma Holmes, I’m the mum of 2 and the wife of one. I’ve spent the last 2 years regaining my fitness and ditching 6 & ½ stone along the way. I entered a competition with Voom Nutrition the week before the Ambleside 60k to win a place at the event.
The honest synopsis. I wasn’t in the shape to do this race justice. The last (and only) ultra I’d run was in February 2020 over a super safe, lap based course.
I found out I won the competition on the Tuesday at 10pm before the event on the Sunday.
I decided to make it a yes-capade (an escapade/adventure that’s the result of saying yes).
The only strategy I could employ to increase my chances of success on the run up to the event was to make sure my fuelling strategy was blob on and that I had a mini taper into what I was doing.
I had been spending some time recently increasing my hill running and vertical training but I knew I was underprepared.
Do I recommend this approach? Absolutely I do not. This course, as I say, isn’t for the faint heartened and will chew you up and spit you out given half a chance. It’s a challenge for sure. Is it achievable, absolutely it is but you will have to bring all your tenacity, a great fuelling strategy (a stack of Voom) and an unbreakable will.
Do I recommend the event as a whole (with good training) – it’s a hell yeah from me. Just the right level of brutal and unforgivingness to test you big time, rewarded by the most amazing views and a sense of achievement that will stay with you for a long time.
