The 10 Marathons in 10 Days Challenge
Day 3 Daily Report from Brathay

This was a tough day to be running a marathon. If we thought Day 2 was hot we were in for a shock with Day 3. Incredibly the temperature climbed up to 29 degrees, and at times with the humidity it was suffocating. Whereas there was some respite from the sun in the first two days later in the race, there was no such luck this day.  

We set off at 9am once more with traffic very quiet on the road this Sunday morning. The Sheep, who remain our most vocal supporters early on in the race, were out in force once more as we wound our way up and over the hills before hitting the flatter terrain in and around Hawkshead.

Steve Edwards was again the first to the finish line with an impressive 3:33, shaving three minutes of his previous day’s time despite the heat. George Russell finished second once more, this time in 4:18, although had the lead for several miles in the race. Similarly, Phil Roberts finished third (4:36) although he was closely followed by Ray O’Connor who made a big push at the end to finish in a time of 4:38. As with the previous day Ray, Jim Mundy, Matt Evans and Malcolm Anderson, collectively becoming known as the Peloton Boys, ran together for most of the race. With about 5 miles to go they each made choices as to how best they wanted to run in the remaining miles. Michelle Atkins came in next after the Peloton Boys followed by Selina Da Silva, and Paul and Sue Adams.

As with the previous day our bottles and food had been dropped off at our stops by Teresa Edwards, and Amy and John from Active-Physio were checking in with us regularly to see if we needed assistance of any form. It has also been great to see several family members and friends helping us out along the way. Despite their efficiencies however, they were unable to prevent the disappearance of Selina‘s water bottle and Michelle’s sandwich at Mile 12.  We speculated that it must have been a squirrel that was responsible. A very clever, environmentally conscious squirrel that respectfully left the wrapping from around the sandwich neatly placed among the water bottles, ready to be taken to the rubbish bin.            

What also made this day challenging is that we are now starting to accumulate assorted injuries and niggles, as you might expect from running 3 marathons in 3 days. Fortunately for us there have been no show-stopping injuries, although we have already witnessed signs of dehydration, blisters, chaffing, muscle tenderness, bruised toes, and joint stiffness. But with the first weekend now over, there is a sense of regrouping and revaluating race strategy in light of the experiences of the last three days. There is general agreement on holding back a bit given the sometimes oppressive heat and a potentially growing list of ailments.     

There was a celebration today as Sue Adams ran her 150th marathon. This was a challenging day for such an occasion. It was agreed by all of us that there might not be a better way to celebrate 150 than Sue and her husband Paul going down to the River after dinner and sitting in it for 10-15 minutes. They had not done this so far, and while it may have seemed like pressure tactics from everyone else, it did make sense given the tough day. To everyone’s delight they agreed, and so all eleven 10 in 10 marathon challengers and Teresa Edwards went down to the river, nine of them watching and providing possibly insightful comments and support, and taking photos as Sue and Paul tried out the muscle restoration secret, or River Spa. Congratulations Sue on having run your 150th marathon.

All in all, it was a good Day 3 here at the Brathay Challenge. The mood is upbeat, and the laughter continues despite the pains and ailments. The weather forecast for Day 4 is for more of the same heat and humidity, even though this day fortunately ended with the cooling effect of thunderstorms. We are gearing up for the business of a full week running marathons and eagerly look forward to the final day, which is the Official Brathay Windermere Marathon Day. If you have the opportunity, come and run, or simply be part of a fun day of activities at the Brathay Hall Open Day.    

• Steve Edwards – 3:33
• George Russell – 4:18
• Phil Roberts – 4:36
• Ray O’Connor – 4:38
• Jim Mundy – 4:43
• Matthew Evans – 4:47
• Malcolm Anderson – 4:54
• Michelle Atkins – 5:59
• Selina Da Silva – 6:12
• Paul Adams – 6:14
• Sue Adams – 7:27