Granny's Bay Challenge
12/03/2023
After the horrendously boring experience of the Oulton Park Marathon continually looping round an almost silent race course (full details here), I was a little reluctant to sign up to another lap marathon, but there was something about the Granny's Bay Challenge that intrigued me.
Set in the beautiful coastal town of Lytham, runners join the coastal path passed Granny's Bay and onto Lytham Green before heading out to the Lytham Windmill and then returning towards the Spitfire Memorial at Fairhaven Lake. Yes, it sounds picturesque and believe me it was.
The coastal path was not closed and therefore shared with thousands of walkers, dogs, cyclists, owd folk, ice creams, kids, and mobility scooters. This added to the challenge, but also added something extra which I will come to later.
This was a local event, ran by a small running club and then feeling of pride from all the race marshals and race director shone through. As we all gathered for the race briefing, it was also evident how small the event was, there were no more than 50 runners lined up ready to go.
The Race Director explained that the challenge was to complete as many or as few laps as you wish within the 6 hour time limit. You do not have to run for the full 6 hours, it is a limit not a target. Take as many breaks as you like, take as long as you like, just enjoy. For those who wanted to complete the full marathon distance, it was 5 laps of the course. Once you had completed the amount of loops that you felt was adequate you rang the bell to signal you were done.
I started chatting to a lovely lad who had just finished the Berlin Marathon (and wore the finishers t-shirt with pride), he was looking to complete the marathon in the 6 hour period but knew it would be close.
Minutes later, we were off, and I was ready to assess the terrain, check out the markers and get to know the route I would be running for the next few hours.
Thankfully, despite the really cold, wintery weather we have been having in the UK at the moment, the Race Director had a word and the rain held off. We headed out through the park onto the main promenade, being early on a Sunday morning there were not many others using the prom so there was loads of room for all the runners to spread out and find their running line. The first 2.62 mile (half of the loop) was an absolute dream, I felt really light on my feet and felt like I was being gently pushed along. I turned at the halfway point to make my return journey and complete lap one and this is when I realised that the gentle push turned out to be a hefty headwind on the way back, it was brutal and relentless!
Running right next to the coast in a town known for its kite flying green, I should have expected some wind, but this was next level. As I pushed down the first lap, my Berlin friend came towards me full of smiles....I said "Be ready for the wind!", I hope he was!
I made it back to base camp well under the hour and was soon ready to head back out (once I had stocked up on Jelly Babies). Back through the park, onto the prom and gently pushed along by my windy friend.
On lap 2, the crowds started to form, it was now a dodge run to skip through the splattering of folk out for a morning stroll. Nothing too dense, but it made the course a little more populous. Out to the turn point and then heading back home. The wind was still strong, but now every time you saw a fellow runner I noticed that a thumb would go up, a hi-five offered, or just a cheeky smile to give each other a push. This was beginning to be a little family of runners.
2 laps down and still under two hours, I knew the next two would be the tough ones. I normally hit a wall around 17-18 miles in so wanted to see if the very flat course would have an impact on that.
On lap 3, the crowds had really started to form on the prom, this time it required serious navigation. Roaming dogs off leads to jump over, people walking 6 abreast the prom made runners jump and slide through small gaps, prams, kids wobbling on bikes and mobility scooters (I did ask one lady for a lift on her mobility scooter, and you should have heard the "flirtatious" response. I definitely blushed and quickly ran off).
Hi-fives and cheers were a plenty on the return lap, Berlin was looking strong, I had made new friends on the route that smiled, cheered and gave kudos at every pass.
Here I was, lap 4, the true test of will.
Through the park with a pocket full of jelly beans, my goal now was to push through the pain and make it to the turn point. Once I was there, I knew I would complete the marathon but I think the marshals must have moved the turn point, it was further than ever before, they must have also added an extra 20 miles on the promenade and hills!
My legs ached, running a completely flat course gives no respite to your legs, I hate hills, but I love them all the same. Yes, it burns your lungs and legs as you push to the summit, but then you get the reprieve on the way down, longer strides, gravity taking effect. In Lytham, on the prom, there were no hills, there was no reprieve, oh how I longed for a hill.
The return journey to the base camp was even more brutal due to the wind, but again, the smaller but still evident running community was still out in effect and still acknowledging each other.
I reached base camp, very slowly and grabbed another handful of Jelly Babies and said to the Race Director, "Right, I have done four laps now, there is no need for me to do one more and get the marathon", he looked at me with absolute shock...I laughed and then ran out back to the course. Well, I say ran, I think I mean slowly shuffled.
I didn't care how long this last lap took me, I was completing my 9 marathon after a little hiatus, little training and a little confidence/morale knock over the last few months. I wanted to be a marathoner again, and I will work on my speed, pacing and everything else in the next few weeks. I just wanted to prove something to myself.
On this last lap I stopped to chat to an old boy that was part of the running family, I had saluted him on every route but this time I wanted to tell him how awesome he was doing. We shook hands and off he went towards base camp to finish his 4th loop. (i think). Berlin looked fatigued, but his beaming smile never dissapated, "All the Gear" man hi-fived as he ran passed looking strong, "do a 6th loop" man powered his way back after being forced out to do another loop, "Pink Cap" girl looked awesome as always and still looked as fresh as loop one, these were a few of my short term run friends who made each loop awesome and each difficult moment manageable.
I reached base camp with tired and weary legs, walked towards the bell and happily rang. I had completed my marathon.
With my latest addition to the marathon bling around my neck and my Easter Egg in hand I slowly walked towards the car ready to relax.
"What was the event mate?" I was asked by a dog walker
"Granny's Bay Challenge, 6 hours of running to complete as far as you can in the allotted time", I replied
"Oh, I wondered why every one was running and shuffling so slow!"
The non-running community can be such idiots.....
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