“I can’t believe I have done it – it won’t sink in for weeks’
There were tears of triumph, cheers of glory and many more out-pourings of emotion as 51 competitive runners – plus eight non-competitive – runners completed the final day of the Cape Wrath Ultra at mainland Britain’s most north-westerly lighthouse.
They had travelled 400km and climbed 11,200m of total ascent from Fort William to reach the finish line. Many were wowed by the scenery, overwhelmed by the variety of terrain, hugely sleep deprived and, above all, carrying numerous injuries, aches and pains.
But they were all thrilled to have been able to finish the eight-day challenge organised by Ourea Events.
Selina McCole reaches the finish. © No limits Photography
Emotions at the finish line, with the final runner reaching Cape Wrath, Dolf Darnton, right. © No limits Photography
Emotional Words from the finishers
First to cross the finish line on the final day of the Cape Wrath Ultra 2021 was Andrew Richardson in the second fastest time of the day of 03:03:49. He said: “I am glad it is done. It has been awesome.”
Mark Smith was the second runner to reach the lighthouse, finishing in 03:19 and the fifth fastest time of the day. He said: “I am burst but happy. It has been great.”
Lynsay Hay ran the third fastest female time today of 3:54. She was fourth female overall in 61:56:03. She said: “There were hard days and good days and I had a few falls but overall it was really good and I enjoyed it.”
Alasdair Moore said: “What a run and what a race. It’s been the best and such a great antidote to the last year and a half. It has given me a chance to spend time on my own and to get in my own head. It has been pretty painful but good; I hated it but I loved it, too.”
Terry Addison said: “It has been fantastic and the scenery, wow. It has been a pure buzz.”
New friends, cheers and beers at Cape Wrath. © No limits Photography
Campsite celebrations at the end of the Cape Wrath Ultra 2021. © No limits Photography
Colin McFadden said: “I am so, so happy to have finished. It has been the hardest thing I have done by a mile; by 100 miles.”
Kevin Bisset was emotional as he revealed that he had done the Cape Wrath Ultra for his mum. He said: “My dad has dementia and my mum has to look after him 24/7 and so I have done this challenge for my mum. After eight days of hard work, I know it’s over for me, but my mum has to keep going to care for dad. It has been on my mind throughout the race.
“Plus I want to give a big thanks to my girlfriend who religiously massaged my feet every day for two months before the race to keep them soft. I have no blisters at all.
“This is the hardest thing I have done without a shadow of a doubt.”
Alasdair Meldrum said: “It was pretty tough and easily the hardest thing I have done. The back to back days have been hard. The inner chafing has recovered and I don’t seem to have many aches and pains. I feel lucky compared to many others.”
Richard Lander Stow, who carries his daughter’s toy rabbit with him in his rucksack, said: “Ultra bunny is fresh as a daisy. She has kept going and mopped up my tears!
“I feel absolutely broken in every possible way but I am over the moon. In 2018, I had to walk every step of that last day so to be able to run it has been absolutely brilliant.”
A beach run on the final day of the Cape Wrath Ultra. © No limits Photography
Ella Corrick, crying happy tears, said: “I am so happy. It is the hardest thing I have done. I am good at crying happy tears.”
Marco Castelo said: “It has been great. It was the hardest thing I have done. I loved the scenery.”
Mike Brock said: “There have been so many ups and downs. The downs have been so low and the ups have been so high. There is no way you could repeat something like this. It has been so amazing. It has been something else.
“I can’t believe it’s done and I think it will take weeks to sink in and process.”
Richard Hoyland said, joking: “It was the right distance! I think a mile more than I might have exploded!” He added: “It has been epic.”
Tzvetie Erohina said: “I am a bit broken so I am so pleased to have survived. I have been protecting my shin for days and then my hips hurt as a consequence. It is fair to say it has been the hardest thing I have done and I have done some hard and stupid stuff before.”
Tara Taylor said: “I was ready to give up on day two so I can’t believe I am here. I have got pains where I have never had pains before.”
Jacqueline Toal said: “It has been hard. I have done many other races but it was the hardest. It has been brilliant, too.”
So many runners said it was the hardest thing they have ever done. © No limits Photography
Michael Butler said: “I am relieved. I don’t know… It is complicated isn’t it? Give me about two weeks to work it out. If I hadn’t have done it I would have spent so long regretting it but now I have I can put it to bed and it felt amazing.”
At 65, Lenny Hughes was one of the oldest in the race. He said it was the hardest thing he has done. He added: “It’s harder than the Montane Dragon’s Back Race®. The mountains are longer than the Dragon’s Back, which are shorter and sharper. There are more of the hills but they are over quicker on the Dragon’s Back. Here in Scotland they go on and on.
“Anyway, I am doing the Dragon’s Back Race again next month.”
Kirsty Oliver said: “I feel really elated but absolutely battered. It is the hardest thing I have ever done in my life. Every single day has something different and gives you a new challenge and a new thing to go into your mind with. It has been so hard.”
Iain Loader said: “The pain seems to have gone now. I have no idea how the pain has gone but I think it must be the adrenaline. I am very pleased to have finished.
“It has been hard because we had to keep going day after day and I wasn’t sure I could keep going after day five.”
Paul Jarvis said: “There have been the highest highs and the lowest lows… but I am delighted to have finished. I have had all the niggles and complaints you can think of but I am so chuffed to be here. I think I am a bit more in shock than emotional. I am blown away.
“The scenery across the course has been even more amazing than I could have imagined. It has been phenomenal. The things I have seen and the places I have been to over the course of this race have been phenomenal.”
Cath Bunn said: “It feels good now it’s done but it was the hardest thing I have done. My strategy was just to finish with Selina. We got each other through. It’s strange that only a few hours after finishing I am already thinking the pain was worth it but it really was very tough.
“I just want to say that day seven was by far the hardest. On day seven, Ourea Events created hell. They took the most tortuous aspects of the previous six days and combined them to push competitors to the limits. There was so much vertical ascent and vertical descent and boggy track along lochs that never ended.
“I thought it would never end but eventually it did.”
Selina McCole said: ”It was brutal. Absolutely brutal. It’s for sure the hardest thing I have ever done and each day I didn’t know if I would finish. I am so pleased I made it to the end.”
George Winkley has said he will enter the Cape Wrath Ultra again. © No limits Photography
‘We plan to do it again'‘
When Dan Steggles had to pull out after day six due to horrendous blisters he was understandably disappointed. Last night, while speaking to his wife on the phone, she encouraged him to do it again. Dan has now entered for the next Cape Wrath Ultra in May 2022.
Sharon Taylor who was also very upset when she was timed out at a checkpoint earlier in the race has pledged to return to complete the Cape Wrath Ultra.
George Winkley, who was fifth overall this year, has said he is likely to return but after more training than before this race.