Day 2: Parrish and Meek are a force to be reckoned with as runners encounter their first wilderness

The epic Cape Wrath Ultra has entered its second day, with 172 intrepid runners this morning setting out to conquer 57km of tough terrain through the wilderness of the Knoydart peninsula. Famed for its remoteness, Knoydart presented the first real challenge for our runners, who had to climb over mountain passes and tackle the infamous Scottish bogs in the most inaccessible area of the country.

With no roads to provide quick access, the remoteness of this section also presents challenges for the organisers, as rescue teams will need to be deployed by boat in the event of anyone wanting to retire. Furthermore, the event team had to move the entire overnight camp down the longest dead end road in the country, a 20-mile single track road which boasts some of the most scenic views in the country.

Participants were looking forward to their first taste of wilderness on the start-line

After Day 1 when they are assigned start waves, runners are allowed to start any time they choose between the hours of 7 and 9. Today, with a long and tough day ahead, the start pen was full at 7am, with runners keen to get ahead and give themselves the best chance of completing their journey through Knoydart within the cut-off times. 

One runner eager to get going was Paul Armstrong. Paul has a history with the race. He said, “I have done this before. I did the event in 2016, so I do know what I’m letting myself in for. Sadly I didn’t quite finish in 2016. I did the first 6 days and then got heatstroke due to the unseasonably hot Scottish weather. So that’s the unfinished business I’ve got to come back for. I just hope I get that far this time.”

He had a strong strategy going forwards, saying “I had a fairly relaxed start – I definitely just took it as a walk. I’m saving the energy for day 3 which is the scary one for me, where the cut-off will be quite tight I think.”
Tessa Walmsley was another early riser, keen to start her journey through Knoydart. She said, “I’m excited, a little bit worried about cut-offs and taking it slow.”

“I’m really pleased about day 1. Did 5 and a half hours which is what I was wanting – just taking it nice and slow, but it was absolutely beautiful. The weather was amazing, it’s great just talking to other competitors as you go past each other.”

This is a new challenge for Tessa. She said, “This is my first multi day ultra. I've done quite a few 50-mile single day and I’ve done the West Highland Way, but this is twice as long.”

It was great to see the nerves of the first day had already melted away, with runners setting off more confidently on their adventure this morning as they ventured out into the unknown territory of Knoydart. 

The runners experienced the unspoilt wilderness of Knoydart in all its glory

A beautifully undulating trail along the scenic Loch Hourn led runners into the overnight camp of day 2.

It was another day of perfect running conditions, with a moderate breeze taking some of the strength out of the early summer sun. Runners seemed in high spirits, albeit a little weary from a hard day’s work. The winding track raised many false hopes about the camp being just around the next corner, but the stunning views of the sea loch and the lofty Munros towering ahead were certainly ample reward.

We caught up with a few of the runners as they ran down the final stretch into camp.

Scottish runner, Alistair Smith, was feeling energized by his adventure.

He said, “I’ve not had a good day. I've had an awesome day. It's just absolutely brilliant.”

“Do you mind if I just keep going to Camp 3?” he laughed.

“I feel niggles starting to come on, but I think it's alright. Generally I'm feeling fine - I think when you're enjoying it you can just keep going.”

Alistair has a remarkable motivation to keep him going, and is raising money for the PDA Society.

“I'm raising money for an autism charity – for my son's form of autism. It's quite a rare form of autism, so there's only one charity and they don’t have much profile. Every pound counts for them. I think that's in the bank of 'why' when I'm really struggling, but to be honest, I haven’t really had to draw on that today at all. I think if and when it does get tough that's there for me. I've raised 10 grand – It's the most I've ever raised for anything before.”

It's certainly an inspiring story, and Alistair is doing remarkably well in the race, coming in as 8th man at the end of the day.

Another runner who is doing extremely well in the race is Jana Szczepaniak, who is currently third lady behind Jo Meek and Elaine Bisson. While she is finding it tough, the competitive element is keeping her motivated.
She said, “It was a bit tricky at one point - I fell into a funky hole – mentally, not literally.”

“I'm a bit competitive though, and I can see Elaine up ahead. She started a bit behind me, so she's already got a head start, but that's keeping me going.”

John Cleland was in good spirits as he tackled the final hill of the day, having already made friends out on the course.

He said, “Me and American John ran a lot together today. He struggled on that last big climb of the day, but it's a beautiful day and we're getting there! It seems like it's promising to be round every corner, and then it isn't. I definitely underestimated this part of the day, but I'm really enjoying it. It's beautiful next to this sea loch.”

His positive attitude was certainly compelling him forwards. He said, “I like moving at a moderate pace over long distances. I'm not the fastest but I’m trying not to be the slowest, we'll see how things go. I think we're about 22% done by the end of today so almost a quarter.”

Sarah Perry also seemed to be in her element when we caught up with her on the trail. She said, “It's been challenging and it feels like when you aren't  climbing, you're descending, and the views were just absolutely spectacular. I've made sure that I've kept looking up and taking it all in really, because it's pretty special.”

This being her first multi-day, she is keen to pace it well and enjoy the experience. “I just think keep moving, steady away, don’t chase anyone - it's early days. It's a lot of miles to do. From what I’ve seen of this, if you complete it you've won - that's a win in itself!” 

Parrish and Meek strengthened their leads

There were some stunning performances in both the men’s and women’s races today, with David Parrish and Jo Meek putting a significant amount into their fellow competitors.

Despite setting off an entire hour and a half behind many of the runners, David was the first into Camp 2, and was looking incredibly strong. He now has a forty minute lead on Fernando who is in second place.

His performance is particularly impressive given he has never run further than a half marathon before. He said, “This is my longest run I've ever done. It's been boggy, rocky but there's been some epic views.”

He is clearly looking to be competitive, saying “I wanted to go fast – I didn't want to take it slow, unless something happened like an injury or something.”

Jo Meek was the second into camp behind David, and the first lady. She looked incredibly strong as she came running through, having clearly enjoyed the delights of Knoydart.

She said, "I love it! It's been such a great day!" She admitted she was definitely here to be competitive. She now has over an hour lead on Elaine Bisson who is currently in second place, and is fourth overall.

While Parrish and Meek have cemented their leads, the race is far from over. With six days of racing still to go, it will be interesting to see if they can maintain the blistering pace they have set off with. In a race of this distance, there is certainly still time for other runners to come to the front – it is as much about recovery, looking after yourself and mental resilience as it is about athletic prowess.

However, there is no denying that if the first 2 days are anything to go by, Meek and Parrish are going to be very tough to beat.

Runners are expected into the finish late into the night

While the frontrunners arrived into camp just after 3pm, runners have until the cut-off at 10pm this evening to make it into the finish. For many, it will have been a long, hard day, having spent twice the length of time on their feet to the leaders. It is the endurance and mental resilience of these runners that make this such an inspiring race to watch.

However, whether they are front of the pack or the back of the pack, runners will have received the same warm welcome into Kinloch Hourn, where they can load up on plenty of chips and hot food.

This stunning camp, tucked away at the head of the sea loch is a world away from the civilization of Fort William where the runners started only yesterday.

Tomorrow is an even longer day still, with runners crossing the sweeping landscape of Kintail on their journey north. While at 68km Day 3 is not the longest day, with an elevation gain of over 2,300m, it will likely be the toughest. Runners will require every ounce of determination to make it to the overnight camp of Day 3.

You can follow their progress via the GPS Tracking.

The Leaderboard so far:

FASTEST 3 MEN:

1. David Parrish (09:39:04)

2. Fernando Alvarez (10:19:07)

3. Sam Hill (11:01:41)

FASTEST 3 WOMEN:

1. Jo Meek (11:07:32)

2. Elaine Bisson (12:08:24)

3. Jana Szczepaniak (12:29:37)

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