A fell running event with a very different concept. The Red Bull Steeplechase tests 500 runners allowing only the strongest to survive as runners negotiate a tough course connecting the beautiful Peak District villages of Castleton, Bamford, Hope and Edale with elimination points at each ‘Steeple’.
Deeply brutal, by far the hardest event I’ve ever done. The Red Bull wings weren’t enough to mask the pain of the gigantic hills
Setting off from the outskirts of Castleton in the Peak District the race follows the format where at each Steeple along the course a section of the field is eliminated until the final 40 runners remain for the last stage into Castleton. This adds a mental and physical torture to the event as runner’s battle to ensure they’re inside the cut off.
- Castleton to Bamford - 8 miles. 580 metres of height gain (First 250 men and 85 women continue)
- Bamford to Hope - 4 miles. 300 metres of height gain (First 125 men and 45 women continue)
- Hope to Edale - 6 miles. 340 metres of height gain (First 30 men and 10 women continue to finish)
- Edale to Castleton - 3 miles. 170 metres of height gain
- Total to Finish in Castleton- 21 miles. 1400 metres of height gain.
The real twist comes with the terrain. The Red Bull Steeplechase conjures up some of the toughest running (As well as walking and potentially bear crawls) that the Peak District has to offer while showcasing the beauty of the area. The course features everything from exhilarating singletrack to tough exposed moorland, steep grassy descents and strength sapping steep rocky ascents.
Red Bull Steeplechase Course Map
At 9:30 sharp the men’s field was set loose in site of the first climb of the day. We could visibly see directional arrows taking us up an unclassified route to towards the top of Mam Tor which has a summit at 516m. After a little jostling for position up the old road for the first few hundred metres we rounded a bend to be faced with the remaining climb up what appeared to be almost a wall and what initially began as a trot soon became a power walk up the steep, relentless slope. My power walk soon became a bear crawl as the grassy slope gave way to hardy heather which I could grab at in an attempt to take any stain off my now screaming calf muscles.
My calf muscles were screaming at me as my power walk soon became a bear crawl
Around 10 minutes into the race and we were now up onto the Mam Tor to Lose Hill ridge known to many as one of the most beautiful and most accessible ridge walks in the UK. (Although now from the direction we had approached it). We dropped down on to rocky path towards Hollins Cross before to relatively short, energy sapping rocky steps up Back Tor where a brass band was playing and a sign that the guys from Red Bull had pulled out all the stops for the event.
Best Bits of the Red Bull Steeplechase 2014 and Why You Should Consider in 2015
- Brass bands playing at the top of major climbs really helped ease the pain
- Ultra tough course with some killer climbs
- Fantastic singletrack running sections
- Ridiculously low cost for what you get in return
- Literally more marshals than runners
After descending down from Back Tor and being swiftly overtaken by the first female runner we were diverted down into the Vale of Edale from the ridge across farmland on another unclassified route and this was where you could tell the fell runners from the rest of us as they careered downwards with what appeared to be little respect for their joints. A couple of guys alongside me had their grip go on them and spent part of the descent on their backsides.
Having been aware of some of the terrain I had plumped for my Inov-8 Mudclaws over my regular trail running shoes and the grip offered on the downhill allowed me to open up my stride a little and start to overtake runners on the downhill. I was nowhere near as quick as many of the fell runners but having watched their technique I thought I could at least use it to my advantage.
The Mam Tor to Lose Hill Ridge
A drinks station in the valley provided welcome respite before our next climb up towards Hope Cross. It was hard to perceive we had only covered around 4 miles up to this point as everyone around me seemed in as much pain as myself. It felt like we were running a 10k, not a long distance event and I felt completely out of my depth as we power walked up to the top of yet another rise to be welcomed by a team with an electronic scoreboard showing our race position. 168th male meant that unless things went disastrously wrong in the next few miles I’d be assured of making my way through the first steeple although at that point I felt I’d need a miracle to make the cut at 12 miles and be in the top 125 runners to make it through steeple 2 at Hope.
As the marshal diverted us left from Wooler Knoll we hit some beautiful woodland singletrack which was a real pleasure to run as we gradually descended alongside Ladybower Reservoir. As with any footpath in the Peak District it was rocky and tough on the feet. A few welcome boggy sections provided respite but the incessant pounding from the rocks were now making me question whether my Mudclaws were the right choice after all as we dropped down beside Ladybower and onto the Derwent Valley Heritage Way.
We negotiated an interesting set of stepping stones across the Derwent beside one of the old mills in Bamford which added yet another element to the event. By this point my legs were feeling like jelly so I took them gingerly before cutting through the car park area in down through Bamford village knowing that the first checkpoint was within touching distance.
Through the First Steeple at Bamford
I passed through the checkpoint in 168th place and was now settled in the knowledge there was no way I would be able to make it through past mile 12 at Hope. I’d pushed myself to my limits to that point and was suffering as we passed through the next fluid station and grabbed a cup with a 50/50 mix of water and Red Bull. A couple of runners around me questioned that decision and it seemed many racers were just on water but I knew I needed to do something to get myself together for the next big ascent up Win Hill so also downed an Isotonic gel.
The climb from here up towards Win Hill was gradual but most of us were now down to running some sections and running some sections. Next year I’ll aim to be able to run much of the course but on this occasion I’d clearly asked more from my body than it was willing to give in return as the path steepened towards the summit of Win Hill (462m) where we were once again greeted to an invigorating musical serenade- This time in the form of a lone trumpeter before the path once again thrust us downwards.
By this point the Red Bull and gel had kicked in and I was starting to feel more in control as I started to follow a female fell runner down the hill overtaking one runner after another. My legs were screaming at me but I knew I was closing in on the end of my race in the next couple of miles. The path diverted us through a farm before we were onto a road leading into Hope Village. My new-found descending skills were noted by one of the runners as they overtook me on the road although they’d also had an effect on my legs which were starting to cramp. Hope village couldn’t come soon enough for me. Outside I must have looked like I was suffering but I was smiling on the inside despite the pain.
The remaining few hundred metres through Hope seemed to take forever as we plodded along the pavement into the village past the green grocers before turning right before the Windbine Café where the electronic boards were stuck on number 126 indicating the cut-off had already been reached.
We were ushered to one side away from the boards as there were still runners coming through on the women’s event. It was here where people were handing out our race goodie bags featuring a branded cotton shopper bag which contained a Red Bull Steeplechase hoodie and a magazine.
By that point there were lots of male runners hanging round and grabbing drinks whilst reminiscing of just how hard it had been to simply make it through to that point. We’d all literally left everything we had on the race course and it had been an awesome experience even just to get that far. Instead of negativity at being knocked out of the race we were all upbeat at what we had just tackled and many of us believed we’d tackled one of the best races we’d ever entered. I’ve also never been at an event where you feel there are more marshals than runners.
From our cut-off point at Hope we were then bussed over to the finish line for a runners Barbecue and Hog Roast where we could all relax, refuel and check in with our loved ones.
What I Missed Out On: Hope to Edale and on to Castleton
I was really hoping to get to do the section of the course up to mile 18 which took runners from Hope and up the more gradual climb to Hope Cross before scaling the tough, strength sapping Jaggers Clough. From the top of the path at Jaggers Clough the route follows a memorable section of gently flowing singletrack almost the whole way to Edale.
The final stage of the race for the lucky few runners ascends the tough climb of Hollins Cross from Edale before offering runners a mad rocky dash down towards the finish line in the centre of Castleton.
Entry Fee and What Your Get for Your Money
In a time of rapidly rising entry fees for race events the entry cost of just £25 was ridiculously low for what the Red Bull Steeplechase offers runners alongside the event itself. No expense seemed to be spared from the buses taking us back to the finish line to a good quality hoodie for runners with racers making it to the finish line getting a Salomon jacket as well as a shopping bag, gym bag, post race hog roast and we even received 4 cans of Red Bull with our race pack too.
It’s already down on my list of must do races for next year and I’m determined that I will make it to that 3rd Steeple in Edale.
A Big Muddy Race Congratulations goes out to the 2014 winners Andy Greenleaf and Emily Collinge.
For more information check out steeplechase.redbull.co.uk and I’ll hopefully see you there next year.