This morning participants in the Cape Wrath Ultra set off for day 5, moving into the second half of the course. There are many miles behind them and many more to go.
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The leading female participant in the first half of the race is one of the international racers, Ita Emanuela Marzotto from Tuscany, Italy.
I chatted to her tonight and she told me the remarkable story of how she came to be here and to be running so well.
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Day 4 of the Cape Wrath Ultra took the participants into the mighty peaks of Torridon on another fine day, but at times in the morning still with a very cold wind blowing.
From the first pass of the day the view of the peaks of Liathach and Beinn Eighe straight ahead was breathtaking. Aly Wren and Andrew Heaney, who have been running together, stopped to take photos and take in the view despite the bitter wind. “We were so glad to finish yesterday,” Wren said, “and were an hour inside the cut-off, so we started a bit later this morning for the shorter day.” Many others did the same – there was not quite the same early morning rush for breakfast ahead of a 7am start!
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As dusk settles slowly towards night over camp 3 at the Cape Wrath Ultra a very cold evening wind has sprung up and everyone in camp is finding out their warm jackets and hats.
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By late afternoon the first runners had arrived at camp 3 of the Cape Wrath Ultra and it was no surprise that Marcus Scotney and Thomas Adams were the first across the day’s finish line. These two runners have lead each day, always Scotney first and Adams second, to establish a strong lead over the rest of the field.
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The first checkpoint of day 3 was set up at the Kintail Lodge Hotel, and pleasant place to stop while on a tour of the highlands to take in the views out across the sea loch, but for several participants today it was the end of the Cape Wrath Ultra for the day, or in one case completely.
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Many of the participants in the Cape Wrath Ultra commented at the outset that day 3 could be make or break for them. This morning the day arrived and footsore and tired after their run across Knoydart yesterday most were aiming for a 7am start to give themselves as long as possible to make the cut-off times. (There are two today. 12.30 @ CP1 and 16.30 @ CP2.)
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The second day of the Cape Wrath Ultra was a step up, in difficulty, remoteness and scenic grandeur.
Through the later part of the day the participants crossed Knoydart, an area known among Scottish hill walkers for its remote and rugged peaks. After passing through Glen Dessary to Sourlies Bothy the race route headed for CP2 at the mouth of the Carnach River, which the participants could access via the beach and foreshore. (A very welcome change from the boggy tracks.)
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Day 2 of the Cape Wrath Ultra™ began early as the camp woke up for a breakfast of beans, eggs and porridge. It looked like those queuing for the canteen tent at 6 am were all waving to someone across the field, but in fact they were trying to bat away the midges, which had now put in an unwelcome appearance! The sensible participants had their midge head nets out.
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The first day of the Cape Wrath Ultra allowed everyone a relatively easy start and an early finish as they settled into the event and found their feet in the Scottish Highland conditions. Race Director Shane Ohly said, “It was a bit like a prologue really, only harder!”
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The participants gathered for the first ever Cape Wrath Ultra™ at the Nevis Centre in Fort William this morning, before walking to the nearby boat pier via the High Street, which was quiet on a Sunday morning.
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95 participants are now gathered in Fort William for the Cape Wrath Ultra™ and as you might expect this trail blazing group have mixed sporting backgrounds.
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