If anyone asks you if you fancy running from Liverpool to Leeds, following the canal for 127 miles what would you say?

This was exactly the question that I was asked late last year. And as someone who does things very much on impulse, and who enjoys a challenge I naturally said yes! 

And so on the evening of the 27th March I found myself, along with four other Farsley Flyers waiting on platform 16 of Leeds station with a one way ticket to Liverpool with the intention of running home over the next four days.

On arrival in Liverpool we retired to the William Gladstone pub for our final (and only) planning meeting. As the canal is linear, and we had accommodation booked in Wigan, Accrington and Skipton there was not all that much planning that needed to be done. So before long the discussions turned to the relative merits of the wide variety of pastry based snacks we had brought along to fuel us for the journey.

It is fair to say there were a few nerves that night, and breakfast the next morning was a quiet affair with people’s thoughts turning to the challenge that lay ahead.

The canal starts in a fairly non-descript part of Liverpool, that was a short walk from our hotel and we must have appeared a bit out of placed dressed in running gear while the rest of the city bustled past us on their way to work.

 Unlike many of the races we normally enter there was no countdown for the start, nor any cheering crowds (unless you count the ducks) however there was a plaque saying 127¼ miles to Leeds, which meant we knew we had got to the point of no return, we really were going to have a go at trying to run four ultra-marathons in four days.

Our destination for day one was Wigan, a mere 35 miles away, and six or so hours later we made it. The day had gone well, and while there had been highs and lows for all of us we finished together and with smiles on our faces, and the satisfaction in knowing that we had run our longest day, and all of us had exceeded our previous longest distances.

We awoke on day two knowing that:

1.  As we only had to run 29 miles we had an easy day ahead of us!
2. Just before the end of the day we would pass the half way point, which would offer a massive psychological boost
3. That we had treated ourselves to a night in a spa hotel

 Starting off wasn’t as hard as I had imagined it would be, although it did take a few minutes for us all to stop ‘trotting’ and actually start running. The day passed as the previous with some lows, many highs and good camaraderie between us all.

Day three was another long one, (over 30 miles) but we knew we would be crossing the border back into Yorkshire which would mean we had crossed the Pennines and were almost ‘home’.  Personally I found this to be the best day, the scenery was stunning, the sun shone and as we passed lambs in the fields it felt spring was on its way.

How wrong I was. We woke on day four to cold headwinds and constant rain. However we knew we were on our last day and that friends from the Flyers would be meeting us various points on the run into Leeds. Although the mud along the towpath for the first half of the day tried to thwart our attempts to get home I am pleased to say at some time mid-afternoon on day four and surrounded by friends we reached the end of our odyssey and retired immediately to the hop pub to refuel on pies and beer.

Having had time to reflect on the adventure I have realised:

1. That despite a few moments of personal hell on the way I loved the challenge and that I really can run four ultra-marathons in four days, AND that no one can now take that achievement away from any of us now.
2. It was an honour to have been able to run this adventure with four awesome like-minded people
3. If asked I’d happily do it all again
4. Anything is possible if you remain positive and live in the moment, and that our bodies and minds are far more resilient that you might imagine.
5. Scotch eggs and pork pies really do make great running fuel!

Postscript

We ran the route for personal ‘pleasure’ but decided to also raise some funds for Alzheimer’s society, to date we have raised £2071 but would love to raise some more so if you would like to donate please visit our fundraising page https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/rachael-stalley3