Yorkshire runners get set for the New Year
02 December 2016
The festive period is traditionally a time of relaxation. Taking a break from the daily grind and indulging in good food and drink in the company of friends and family is what most of us look forward to at this time of year.
However, there are some in North Yorkshire for whom New Year’s Day is anything but a time to put your feet up.
The Hardmoors Race Series was established in 2008 and has been pushing the region’s most dedicated runners to their limits ever since. The community’s ‘ultramarathon’ races range from 15 to 200 miles in length, inviting participants to explore the stunning North York Moors in perhaps the most challenging way possible.
Hardmoors’ events take place throughout the year, but their 15 and 30-mile races are only for the truly dedicated, as they start bright and early on the morning of 1 January. Both races set off from Robin Hood’s Bay, which is overlooked by the Raven Hall Scarborough hotel, before diverging to different routes.
The Hardmoors 30 challenge follows the old railway lines that can be found in the area and actually takes in the village of Ravenscar, the home of Raven Hall, as well as Whitby and Hayburn Wyke.
The circular route finally ends up back at Robin Hood’s Bay, but not before what the event’s website ominously describes as ‘a slight sting in the tail for the last hundred or so metres’!
Both events are already completely full up, but a waiting list is available to sign up to in case of any participants cancelling. The series’ popularity is hardly surprising, with the combination of a tough physical test and the chance to discover one of the UK’s most scenic spots proving a consistent draw for many runners.
As the highly decorated endurance athlete Anthony Gerundini explains, ‘the North York Moors are trail running paradise’.
Of course, exercise is the last thing on most of our minds on New Year’s Day, especially the kind which requires such rigorous training as the Hardmoors Race Series. So, if you want to take in the beauty of the North York Moors but would rather start 2017 relaxing than running, take a look at the exciting festive packages available at Raven Hall.
Image Credit: Thomas Tolkien (https://www.flickr.com/photos/tomtolkien/)
