Sir Titus Trot (It's Grim up North)

Event: Sir Titus Trot (Winter Edition)

Organiser: It's Grim up North

Distance: 51.5km / 32 miles 

So the first ultra of the year has already been and gone. 

January has been a miserable month. It been cold. Wet. And windy. And with the organiser's staying true to their name, this proved to be no different. It was grim. 🌧 

As I set off on the short journey from Bradford to Saltaire, I sat for a few moments in my car thinking to myself, I absolutely don't want to be here right now! The rain was hammering it down, and had been doing so for days on end. Nevertheless, I took a deep breath and remembered to why I was there and the reasons I was doing this.

So I got out and made my way down to the canal bridge where registration was taking place and where a few runners and volunteers were huddled under the bridge to keep dry. 

For anyone interested in a history lesson Saltaire was founded in 1851 by Sir Titus Salt, an industrialist who wanted to bring his textile manufacture to one place, next to the River Aire and the Leeds Liverpool Canal. So the village’s name is a play on Sir Titus’ name and of the river - hence the name of the event! 

There wasn't too many of us as the majority of the runners were completing one of the other distances (from 5km to 20 miles). This left just us who were either taking on the marathon distance or ultramarathon distance. 🏃‍♂️

The trail led us along the Leeds/Liverpool canal and consisted of heading in one direction before going back on yourself and heading in the opposite direction. There was little signs for direction although this wasn't really necessary as it was virtually impossible to get lost or head down the wrong route. You just needed to make sure you knew when to turn around. Unfortunately the volunteers (who are always such a big part of any running event) were few and far between. The ones you did encounter didn't provide much support when running past. In fact you probably wouldn't have known they were part of the event unless you were vigilant enough to realise. A shame really. 

As for the route. After the rain eased within the first hour, it was fairly pleasant. The route was very flat aside from steep climb so ideal for any first timer. The canal is well maintained and there are some lovely views, especially with the Five Rise Locks - a nice feature of the route. 

I felt pretty strong throughout the whole run. There were a fair few regulars who were taking part. I was unsure on who else was doing the marathon distance and the ultra distance but I was keen to move past anyone that I came across. I was grateful once I passed under the bridge signalling I had completed the marathon distance and just had 10km left to go. My legs did begin to feel fairly tired at this point.

I made my way back to the canal bridge to where I would finish, with a few volunteers and runners under their. I picked up my medal, a beer, and a trophy as I finished the event in 1st place. My first event where I had done so! 🥇🏆

I then took my tired legs back to my car, with the craving for some proper chippy chips! 🍟

These events are fairly low key, not too dissimilar from a park run but with the option of a variety of distances to choose from,  and the addition of some snacks, beer, and a medal at the end too.

Place: 1st

Time: 04:08:57