Goyt Valley Challenge, 7 Oct 2023

The Goyt Valley Challenge was a 14 mile fell run through the western part of the Peak District, going to Axe Edge and the Goyt Valley and returning past Fernilee Dam to Buxton, with 2000ft of elevation. The route is mainly on footpaths, tracks and boggy moorland. The Goyt Valley is one of my favourite places in the Peaks; it has a varied landscape of woodland, moorland, and is the birth place of the River Goyt. Shaped by the ice age but influenced by humans in recent history with industrial relics such as the Bunsall incline, ghostly Errwood Hall and peat stained reservoirs, the Goyt really does have a bit of everything!

We set off at 9am. It was a bit of a slow start with the inevitable blockage at the first stile, but I wasn't planning on racing this one so happily enjoyed a chit chat with the runners around me. It was a nice morning with the fog heavy on the hills. Despite it being October the sunlight was definitely trying its best to burn through the clouds. I soon got chatting with my Disley Runner pal Amy, and we fell into a pretty good rhythm.

At around mile 10 I felt my energy start to drop. Knowing we still had to climb back out of the valley, I chewed a couple of energy blocks which seemed to do the job nicely (I'm not a gels person, but recently discovered that CLIF Bloks work really well for me - particularly Mountain Berry flavour!). Amy and I were making a good team, and started 'racing' (not each other) with about 5k to go when we realised we were probably quite close to the front. We managed to go the wrong way and run straight past the turn off to the finish, which was quite amusing. When we did eventually find the finish, it was underwhelming as there was no one there! We dibbed, went inside, took off our shoes, and ate a potato pie. I remember thinking it was pretty quiet in there. Turns out we were the 1st women (out of 29), and 3rd overall (out of 48). My first ever win! The rest of the Disley Runner gang also smashed it, especially my friend Alex who did the long route as her debut marathon - it had over 4000ft elevation. Mental.

Georgia Roberts