Day 8: Jo Meek and David Parrish win the Cape Wrath Ultra in a record-breaking year

After 400km of epic terrain, Jo Meek and David Parrish are the winners of the 2023 Cape Wrath Ultra. The pair have come a long way from the start line in Fort William, crossing mountain passes, rivers, beautiful Scottish glens and plenty of bogs to take them to the finish line at the Cape Wrath Lighthouse on the most northwesterly part of Britain.

88 participants today completed the Cape Wrath Ultra, with a further 48 reaching the lighthouse on the Explorer Course. It has really been an epic 8 days for all our participants, with today being the final hurdle for them to cross. 

The route today is often termed a victory lap, with its shorter distance of 26km, but it still had its challenges. A mixture of track and road took runners out of Kinlochbervie, where they then crossed over the wild and desolate moorland which leads to the sweeping golden sands of Sandwood Bay. The final stretch of the route is over rough terrain, but runners were rewarded for their efforts and perseverance with a beautifully clear view of the one thing they’ve been dreaming about since this began – the Cape Wrath Lighthouse. 

David Parrish and Jo Meek were first to set off this morning

This morning participants were set off in waves, with David Parrish and Jo Meek being the first to leave at 7am on the dot to roaring cheers from the Event Team. The rest of the participants then followed in waves, with the front of pack being set off earlier and the back of pack runners later, to aid with the logistics of ferrying groups of people off the remote finish line on the Cape Wrath Lighthouse. 

There was certainly a lot of tension in the air ahead of this final push to the finish, but most were excited at what this final day would bring, and looking forward to finally reaching the lighthouse after all their hard work.

We spoke to Jo just before she set out on her journey. While she has looked remarkably strong throughout the week, this morning she did seem weary. She said, “I'm keen to finish it now. I'm sure it will be nice but I just hurt and my stomach is bad. Everyone's the same.”

David was also ready and raring to go, and was enjoying listening to the Scottish music being played by the Event Team at the start. He said “I am excited - excited to find out how my knee feels today. I think it's alright - a miracle.”

There was elation and relief at sandwood bay 

Far from the hustle and bustle of civilization, the hidden gem of Sandwood Bay is protected by the miles of rugged moorland that surround it. Anyone wishing to reach it must first hike over 6km to access this remote location.

Today, our runners had to cross this iconic beach, and it certainly did not disappoint! The sunlight reflected off the clear, turquoise albeit bitterly cold water, and the sea stack of Am Buachaille cast a dramatic shadow on the landscape. It is definitely a route highlight, and its location on the final day of the race has become symbolic with making it to the end. 

The bay did present one challenge though – that of running on sand! A series of tactics were adopted – from walking, to shuffling, to attempting to run on the pesky terrain.

We caught up with a few of our runners as they headed onto the beach.

Elaine Bisson was feeling emotional about reaching the finish. She was ecstatic when the beach came into view though. She said, “This is amazing. I'm a bit of a wreck - absolute wreck. It's been amazing but I'm knackered. I can't wait for my own bed, and clean clothes!”

She has had day after day of consistently strong running, and finished with a very well-deserved second place.

Jason Hawthorne was also delighted to have finally reached Sandwood Bay. He said, “Considering how much it hurt the end of yesterday. I'm running today which is amazing.”

This journey has been a long time coming for him. He said, “This is just fantastic. I've been looking forward to this for such a long time. I'll be a bit emotional probably. I started counting down about 140 days ago with training, so all my friends have watched this countdown of Cape Wrath Ultra. So now to be day 8 – I think oh wow it's amazing! It's funny how just running somewhere can make you feel like that.”

Sam Hill was running well, still managing to bound over the thick sand which others were struggling to maintain speed over. We asked about how he felt about being nearly at the end. He said, “I've not thought about it all week. You take every day when it comes. I guess it will sink in when I get there. 

The multi-day format is new for him. He said, “One big point of learning is how miraculously your body recovers with a night's sleep. You go to bed feeling like rubbish, then wake up in the morning and think oh I could do another day.” 

Tim Liversedge also echoed the same sentiments when we caught him. “You get in and you feel completely trashed and then somehow the next morning you feel alright. It's bonkers.”

After a tough few days he was now feeling confident, propelled along by the thought of the lighthouse now in reach. “It's amazing. I feel strangely good. I had a couple of days where I was absolutely exhausted and now I feel like I'm on a normal Sunday run.”

Bénédicte Saintier and Jean-Philippe Cornet have travelled all the way from France to compete. The couple have stayed together for the entire journey.

Bénédicte said, “I'm so glad we've made it. We're a bit sore, but we're here, so it's really cool! I feel really privileged that we've done this trail together.”

Emma Roe reflected on her journey when we caught her on the moorland before the beach. She said, “I really don't know how I'll feel when I get to the end. Obviously ecstatic. It's quite a bizarre feeling - the emotions that you go through. On Day 6, although I did really well for me, I struggled mentally. I bawled my eyes out at the end, which is so not like me. The whole thing becomes surreal as a journey. It does things to you that you don't quite expect.”

Ieuan Belshaw was moving slowly when we caught up with him. The Welsh runner was running extremely well earlier in the week, but unfortunately sustained an injury on Day 4 which was causing him a significant amount of pain. However, he has remained resolute and has kept going despite the odds, and made it to the lighthouse this afternoon. His resilience is just one great example of the mental strength of these incredible ultra-runners.

Meek set a new record, while David also had an incredibly fast time

This year has seen some of the fastest times ever from our Cape Wrath participants.

Most notably, Jo Meek now holds the new women’s record for the Cape Wrath Ultra. Her time of 52 hours 9 minutes, is over 45 minutes quicker than the previous women’s record held by Sally Fawcett. Jo has looked strong all week, having set off at a phenomenal pace on day one and having maintained it every day since.

She has worked incredibly hard for such an amazing achievement, and you could tell at the finish that she really put her all into this race.

David Parrish has also had an incredible race, and is the second fastest person to ever complete it in the race’s history. Despite this being his first ever ultramarathon, David has gone from strength to strength, and his positive attitude throughout the race has certainly been infectious throughout the camps.

He said, “I felt pride and relief. I was kind of sad when it was all over. All of a sudden all the pain went away, and I thought, I could get used to the positivity of the whole experience. Despite everyone being knackered and broken, everyone was always so positive and uplifting. It will be sad for it to be over. I'll have to do it again. I think I'd like to come back as one of the volunteer team.”

However, it’s been a strong year for the Cape Wrath Ultra overall, with 3 women in the top 10 fastest times overall, with Elaine Bisson (second woman) and Jana Szczepaniak (third woman) both placing in the top 10 for fastest female times on the Cape Wrath Ultra. 

In the men’s field, there were some equally impressive performances, with Fernando Alvarez (second man), Sam Hill (third man) and Jonathan Hall (fourth man) joining David in the top 10 fastest times ever.

While previous years have struggled with arduous weather conditions or oppressive sun and heat, this year has had largely favourable conditions throughout, with Day 7 being the only bad weather day. This has perhaps contributed to the fast times from this year’s participants.

Needless to say, everyone has worked incredibly hard and shown phenomenal strength and endurance to be here.

Just as impressive are the performances from those at the back of the pack, who have been out on the course nearly twice the amount of time as the leaders. These brave souls have been chipping away day after day, setting out early, getting back late and now they have this terrific achievement to show for it!

There was a party atmosphere in Keoldale

The famous Cape Wrath lighthouse, where our participants finished this morning is incredibly remote; there are no roads or public transport. Participants can have a snack and drink at the lighthouse, before being taken on a minibus and then a ferry back to the overnight camp at Keoldale. 

Keoldale was a magical place to be, with some participants being met by friends and family members at the finish.

The evening was joyful, with the films being shown, followed by a presentation of medals to both the Explorer Course participants and then the full Ultra participants. Many participants stayed around and enjoyed a beer, keen to share stories of their adventures.

For most, the magnitude of their achievement still hadn’t quite sunk in. It is hard to believe that it was just 8 days ago that everyone set off from that start line in Trislaig. Since then, new friendships have been forged, tears have been shed, and obstacles overcome on an epic journey that our participants will never forget.

The final leaderboard

FASTEST 3 MEN:

1. David Parrish (45:28:48)

2. Fernando Alvarez (47:53:27)

3. Sam Hill (49:31:52)

FASTEST 3 WOMEN:

1. Jo Meek (52:09:56)

2. Elaine Bisson (55:26:32)

3. Jana Szczepaniak (58:46:47)

FASTEST 3 MEN on day 8:

1. Fernando Alvarez (02:48:42)

2. David Parrish (02:52:40)

3. Mark Caldwell (03:07:43)

FASTEST 3 WOMEN on day 8:

1. Jo Meek (03:21:12)

2. Elaine Bisson (03:22:49)

3. Sarah Perry (03:50:23)

TAKE THE JOURNEY 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!

Sign up in May to save £100 with the early bird price, and take advantage of this exciting offer:

SPECIAL OFFER  – SIGN UP IN MAY AND GET 50% OFF THE 2024 SCARPA GREAT LAKELAND 3DAY

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.