Newport & District Running Club member Ellen Deighton spent Sunday 7th September taking part in the Gritstone Grind ultramarathon. Starting in Kidsgrove and ending in Disley, this event covers the whole Gritstone Trail heading north.
Starting in good conditions, the runners headed along a section of canal before hitting the first climb up to Mow Cop. After a descent to the first checkpoint, runners head up again to go over The Cloud, before another down-and-up over Wincle Minn and across to ascend Croker Hill. This is where the weather really took a turn, with a thunderstorm hitting just as Ellen was running next to the large transmitter at the summit.
Torrential rain continued for the whole descent down to the second checkpoint, where it started to ease off. However, the runners were then faced with mud and slick conditions for the rest of the day, adding to the challenge of the route! The next ascent was up Tegg’s Nose, followed by a climb up Kerridge Hill to reach White Nancy monument. By this point, the sun had come out again, making for a humid run.
After heading downhill to the third and final checkpoint, the final big hill of the day was a long steady climb to summit Sponds Hill, before heading down off the hill and into Disley and the finish. Completing her third ultramarathon in as many months, Ellen was pleased to finish in 10 hours 9 minutes and 49 seconds, especially given the challenging route and conditions on the day.
Newport & District Running Club 