Marathon 147 Morland marathon

Morland Marathon by Charm Bracelet Trail Events 08/03/2026 The course is almost 30 miles with almost 3000ft of ascent. Race start was at 08:30 so this made for an early start. I picked this race because it fitted for my last long run and kit check for the up-coming Northern Traverse. Car parking was limited so I set off in suitable time, the A66 was shrouded in mist for the first half but soon the mist cleared promising a good day ahead. My early start meant I got parked at the village hall but then had a fair bit of hanging about before race briefing. The race directors Cath and Tim were very encouraging about my doubts of running the course with my Northern Traverse (heavy kit) After registering I met up with David and Helen with their lovely dog. Race briefing was at 08:20 where we were reminded of the minor course change that we had been emailed about the previous day. It would mean a little more road because part of the original route was not safe due to recent rainfall. Race start was downhill, so quite quick but soon the pace settled with the first of the hills. The first 10 km was mainly road, with a brief section of off-road. It took a while for the pack to settle, with me passing runners, and runners passing me. The race photographer was at the top of the hill. As the route headed off road, there were a couple of tricky muddy sections, I easily accessed one of my poles from my Geeky Hiker front pack. One pole was enough to support me through the slippery mud, people behind were slipping. 8 miles down and checkpoint 1, well stocked with a variety of drinks and sweet and savoury snacks. I took some jelly sweets and had a drink of squash, quickly replaced my pole, and cracked on. The next section was again a mix of road and trail, constantly undulating. I ran back and forth with a lady who was running with her dog. The race pack had settled, and I could see the same people ahead and if I looked back, the same people behind. The route was quite easy to follow; there were big arrows at major turns and there was a trampled track from the runners ahead. Checkpoint 2 at 15.7 miles was a little out and back. I filled my water bottle, took a few jelly sweets, and set off. Following the group ahead. For the next few miles we joined the Coast-to-Coast route, in reverse from what I planned to run in 3 weeks time. The terrain was undulating and boggy but well signed. The group ahead had spread out but someone was wearing a bright pink top, and they stood out well against the landscape, I kept them in my sight for miles. Checkpoint 3 at 20 miles was a couple of miles from Shap. I refilled my bottle again, took a piece of flapjack and tried to reduce the gap between me and the group ahead. I passed a quarry on my right and on the left was the M6 a different landscape, more of an industrial and rural mix, so different from the isolation of the moors. The route crossed the M6 via a footbridge and often a few muddy fields crossed back via a different bridge. I had lost the group ahead but there was still one person in sight and there were other runners catching me. I pushed hard up the hills and through the mud. I was passed by a lady runner as I stopped to retire my shoe but soon caught her back up. We stayed together for a while, back on road now for the last few miles. I saw Helen who said David was doing well and had gone through the previous checkpoint. The other runner, Mary and I ran walked the last 10 km, slowly gaining on the runner ahead. We reached the final checkpoint at 27 miles and had a sugar boost for the last couple of miles. We finally caught the runner that we had been chasing and another three, Mary saw her family and took off, but a car blocked the other runners and I from a sprint finish. I was happy with my effort, I had hoped for under 9 hours and smashed that with 7 hours, 2 minutes, and 42 seconds. Positions Overall – 85/130 Female – 36/65 FV50 – 5/15 This was a good event, friendly volunteers, well stocked checkpoints, and a good route with a mix of terrain. I would recommend it to anyone who likes this type of event. This was my third Charm Bracelet Trail Events, event. I did the 8 Stations Ultra last summer and the Charm Bracelet 100 in October.