Mills Takes Montane Lakeland 100 Title
News Release / 10.08.2010
The Montane Lakeland 100 (Ultra Tour of the Lake District) is an annual event taking place every July. The race is one of the most spectacular long distance trail races in Europe. The 100 mile/160 kilometre circular route encompasses the whole of the Lakeland fells, including in the region of 6300m of ascent and consisting entirely of public bridleways and footpaths.The route starts in Coniston and heads South before completing a clockwise loop taking in the Dunnerdale fells, Eskdale, Wasdale and Buttermere before arriving in Keswick. From here the route heads to Matterdale and continues over to Haweswater before returning via Kentmere, Ambleside and Elterwater to the finish at Coniston.
In addition to the Lakeland 100 the Lakeland 50 event also takes place over 50 miles/80.46 Kilometres and 3100m of ascent starting from the Dalemain Estate just north of Pooley Bridge and finishing at Coniston.
This year’s race took place between the 23rd and 25th July with 504 entrants from the UK, France, Belgium, Germany, USA, Ireland and Israel. The fell running legend Joss Naylor started the 100 race and made a presentation at the briefing - “Just keep focusing on small steps throughout the race†– and casually stating to 200 nervous competitors, “I ran the length of Hadrian’s Wall, 73 miles, in under nine and a half hours.... you’ll be fineâ€.
The 100 race began in Coniston at 5:30pm on Friday evening in perfect sunny conditions, with the words of Terry Gilpin, 100 Race Director ringing in the runners’ ears - “many of you will not make it.†Relentlessly running through the night the competitors experienced a crystal clear starry night sky as they scrambled and slid their way up and over some of the finest mountain passes the UK has to offer.
By 6am the race began to take its toll and after a further 8 hours it became too much for some who decided to call it a day at the half way point, Dalemain Estate. Many continued however, placing one foot in front of the other, hypnotically focused on the race finish.
