Day 6: An emotional day as runners tackle the longest section

Today our runners tackled the longest day of the entire race – with 72km of tough Scottish Highland terrain, it was certainly a challenge.

145 set out on the course this morning, with 102 still competitive, and 43 enjoying the Explorer Course. The day began with some long and runnable trails through salmon fishing country, before climbing to the higher and rougher ground of Assynt. This often-overlooked area of Scotland feels like it’s on a different planet, with the rocks and lush green grass more reminiscent of Iceland than Mainland Britain.

There were also some obstacles along the way – namely, the river crossings. The Cape Wrath Ultra has become known for its river crossings, which often see runners forming a chain and working together to cross safely. In fact, all participants are sent guidance information on how to safely make these river crossings.
Fortunately, the favourable weather of the last few days meant that today’s river crossings were easier to tackle than previous years – although wet feet was still unavoidable!

The start pen was busy early this morning 

After a couple of easier days, the start pen was rather crowded this morning, as participants gathered keen to make a head start on a long day. The gorgeous weather continued, with the sun reflecting off the beautiful hills surrounding Loch Broom as participants busied themselves with their packs, making any last minute preparations. The cooler temperatures overnight also made for a midge-free start line, a rare treat on the west coast of Scotland.

We spoke to a few of the runners as they headed out on this epic day.

Denise Axelsen was ready and raring to go when we saw her on the start line.  

“Apparently people go to Mexico and sit on beaches for their holidays,” she said with a laugh. “I'm having a lovely time though. You go through highs and lows. I'm feeling a bit scared about today but I'll just take it section by section.”

“We asked what advice she would have for those looking to do the Cape Wrath Ultra. She said, “If you can volunteer, volunteer. It's such a massive insight into what the event's all about and you get loads of tips. If you can't, I would watch as many of the webinars and videos as possible!”

Susan Nicol was feeling nervous but fairly confident, having already made it further than she did last year. She said, “I woke up in a real fluster and I felt that I hadn’t prepared everything that I should have done the night before, but everybody's been giving me lots of positive help. I'm nervous today because I'm not fast, but as long as I do my best it'll be fine.

“I really enjoyed yesterday. It was a bit of a recovery day, and the weather was amazing. The best bit was probably getting through day 3.”

Chris Lawrence was heading out with Molly Weeber. The pair have both picked up an injury, but are now supporting each other to keep going.

“I'm broken,” he said with a laugh. “It's a sore ankle, but it's going to be a good day. I had Molly dragging me round yesterday, so I corralled her today - she's going to be my support.”

Despite the injury, he is enjoying the journey. He said, “There are so many highlights. Just the views - the good thing about being towards the back of the pack is I got to see genuine wilderness without people in front of me. It's been absolutely phenomenal - it just keeps getting better. I feel like I've broken the back of it once I get today done.”

Agamemnon had a huge smile on his face as usual, saying, “Yesterday was amazing. I felt I was the only man on the planet - splendid views. It was just what I expected.”

“It’s way more than a podium place… it’s inspiring stuff!”

The second checkpoint of the day was at Oykel Bridge, a road crossing. The runnable terrain of the forestry tracks provided a challenge for the mountain goats amongst the runners, while others relished the chance to stretch their legs more.

We caught up with Richard Beattie and Tim Straughan, who had joined forces for the morning.

Tim said, “It's good to have company on those long fire tracks – it’s a long way on your own. We've been putting the world to right - talking a lot about running.”

Richard Beattie was now looking forward to finally reaching the iconic lighthouse, something which is keeping him motivated to keep going. He said, “I'm looking forward to it. It's why we're here. You get to see stuff that most don't get to see. It's a pretty special landscape when you're out in the wilderness. My highlight was Fisherfield.” 

The overnight camp experience was also one of his highlights. “Camp last night was pretty special, being on the sea loch, down by the river. I sat with my feet in the water for about 45 minutes – a bit of cold water therapy. You could just see everything.”

Richard is now non-competitive after taking a fall on Day 3, but has been running the full route every day since, and is enjoying every bit of the journey. He said, “I had a fall on Tuesday so had to step off the course on Day 3, but I've done everything since, so I'm still getting everything I need out of it. I'm really thankful it's an option. It's way more than a podium place or your number on a board. It’s hearing so many people’s stories in camp of why they're doing it. It's pretty inspiring stuff.”

Tim added, “There's a certain personality of people who do this. They're all driven - whatever their background, wherever they're from. There's something about them, a resilience and determination.”

The people have really made the experience for the pair, with everyone coming together to support each other, regardless of where they are in the pack. As we discussed the great camaraderie amongst the runners, frontrunner David Parrish ran past and shouted encouragement.

Tim said, “He's always got a smile on his face. He says hello to everybody, he's interested. Jo's the same. Considering she's turned up and is just destroying the field.”

Sam Hill was also enjoying the supportive atmosphere of the event. He said, “Everyone just seemed to be on a really good vibe yesterday. There were so many smiles on the trail, and getting back to camp and having ice cream was great!”

He is currently in third place and has had a solid run throughout. He looked to be on good form as he came running through the checkpoint. We asked him whether the competition was on his mind.

“I don’t often find myself in these situations. On Day 4, it got into my head a little bit and I thought 'oh I'm at the front, maybe I should try racing’ but I ran with Fernando and I saw how strong he was. So yesterday I enjoyed it so much, because I let that pressure wash away and just enjoyed it. I thought I just want to get to the lighthouse and have a nice journey.”

Even if he isn’t setting out to be competitive, he has been consistently strong throughout the race, finishing in either second or third place at the end of every day so far.

Katherine Bray was another runner who stopped for a chat at the checkpoint. She said, “I am having a good day. I had a weak spot going through the heather and I put my foot through a hole, so I had some paracetamol and a caffeine gel and now everything's been good.”

There have been some highs and lows, but she has now come so far that the lighthouse feels within reach. She said, “I'm well on target. I only have to get to the end – I just want to do it all. I'm really starting to think I could do it now. I wouldn't be here if I didn't think I could do it, but there have been moments where I thought maybe I can't. If it was easy, it wouldn’t be fun though would it.”

She has an incredible motivation for keeping going. She said, “I'm raising a lot of money for Rydale Special Families charity. That's why I'm doing it – it's a local charity to me. We're at £3200 and one of the ladies who sponsored me said if I complete it, she'd give me another £100.”

She has an interesting strategy to help her keep going. She said, “Yesterday, going through the Valley, I was singing the Sound of Music. I was on my own and I was thinking this is the perfect place to sing this song so I'm going to do it!”

Emotions were high on the finish line today

With the longest day now out of the way, the finish line in Inchnadamph was an emotional place to be. The runners have come a tremendously long way since they left the start line in Fort William. Lifelong friendships have been made, many obstacles have been overcome, and our runners have managed to remain resilient and resolute through it all.

John Cleland and Ian Challans came through the finish line together and hugged, while Cleland shed a few tears, relieved to have made it to the end of a tough day with a new friend, and overwhelmed by his incredible accomplishment.

Ian said, “That was by far the hardest day!”

They weren’t the only ones to get emotional at the finish line. Many a tear was shed at the finish line today, as participants finally allowed themselves to believe that they might just make it to the end!

Eeke Triggs Hodge and Debbie Martin-Consani also shared a hug at the finish line, having spent the last few days running together and keeping each other motivated.

Eeke said, “It is what it is – bring it on. It's going well, just keep plodding on. It's magical.”

Elaine Bisson, who is currently second lady, was in high spirits at the finish, after an incredibly strong day. She said, “I felt strong actually! Just 2 days left! I thought the track would be hard, but the miles just ticked over.”

Jamie Lawler was also relieved to have made it through a day that he had dreaded would be extremely tough.

He said, “I managed it well – my mate had a strategy, I stuck to his strategy and it paid off. Along the track just jog away and any uphills, just power walk it. That seemed to keep us fresh then once we got onto the fell we felt good again.” 

While it will certainly be a relief for our participants who have made it this far, there are still two more days to go. Tomorrow brings a slightly shorter, though arguably tougher day, as the runners continue their journey into the wild north Highlands of Scotland.

Parrish and Meek are still in the lead

David Parrish and Jo Meek are still going strong today, and have retained their places at the top of the leaderboard. In fact, it was David’s best day yet, finishing only 8 minutes behind the record for the day set in 2016. Despite this being his first ultra, he appears to be getting stronger and stronger over the distance. He is now over 2 hours ahead of Fernando Alvarez in second place, who is in turn, just over 45 minutes ahead of Sam Hill.

Jo is still in 4th place overall after an incredibly impressive week so far, though she was looking extremely tired at the finish. She was the fastest woman of the day, although Elaine was less than 10 minutes behind her, and was the first woman to cross the finish line this afternoon after a particularly strong day. Jana Szczepaniak has also managed to retain her position in third place.

While it may seem like the race leaders have it in the bag, with two days still to go, nothing can ever be certain.

Tomorrow is another challenging day, with 61km of tough terrain. Runners can look forward to a great contrast of moor, mountain, and stunning inaccessible sea lochs, as their journey takes them ever closer to their end destination. 

You can follow the journey via the GPS Tracking.

THE LEADERBOARD SO FAR:

FASTEST 3 MEN:

1. David Parrish (34:46:55)

2. Fernando Alvarez (37:03:25)

3. Sam Hill (37:51:58)

FASTEST 3 WOMEN:

1. Jo Meek (39:56:09)

2. Elaine Bisson (43:08:29)

3. Jana Szczepaniak (45:25:03)

FASTEST 3 MEN ON DAY 6:

1. David Parrish (07:16:30)

2. Fernando Alvarez (07:54:46)

3. Jonathan Hall (08:05:03)

FASTEST 3 WOMEN ON DAY 6:

1. Jo Meek (08:38:39)

2. Elaine Bisson (08:47:36)

3. Jana Szczepaniak (09:36:05)

Take the leap in 2024

Has all the excitement inspired you for your own Cape Wrath Ultra journey?

Sign up for the 2024 Cape Wrath Ultra or the shorter Cape Wrath Explorer and join us for 8 unforgettable days in the Scottish Highlands. Over 50% of entries are already gone, so enter now to secure your spot!

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The SCARPA Great Lakeland 3Day event is the perfect practice event for the Cape Wrath Ultra - gain experience of a multi-day running event and test your kit and nutrition strategies while exploring the beautiful Lake District.

We will send everyone who signs up for the Cape Wrath Ultra this May an exclusive invitation for 50% off the 2024 SCARPA Great Lakeland 3Day.