By Shane Ohly

Introduction

This year, everyone involved in the SILVA Northern Traverse™ and our family of shorter races, the SILVA Lakes Traverse™, SILVA Dales Traverse™, and SILVA Moors Traverse™ was tested. Tested severely.

Storm Kathleen resulted in some very challenging weather during the first 48 hours of the race, with runners on the Northern Traverse™ and Lakes Traverse™ in particular being battered by high winds while on the high ground of the Lakeland passes and Nine Standards Rigg. The weather was very poor at times for the duration of the Northern Traverse™, and I want to congratulate everyone who stood on our start lines prepared to brave the elements.

Meanwhile, the new Dales Traverse™ and Moors Traverse™ races added an extra layer of complexity to an already very complicated event for the Event Team. What can I say, but “Chapeau, and what a brilliant effort, everyone!”

With the participants' tremendous and remarkable determination across all four races, and the Event Team's magnificent effort, we managed to pull off a very complex but successful event. It wasn’t perfect, and as usual, I’ll discuss openly our challenges in this report, and reflect on how we’ll continue to evolve in the future.  

For our two other big multi-day races (the Dragon’s Back Race® and Cape Wrath Ultra®), I’ve taken to publishing summary statistics about the finish rate. It seems logical to start this report in the same fashion:

Northern Traverse

• 2024 – 105 Starters, 69 Finishers: Finishing rate: 65%

• 2023 – 98 Starters, 69 Finishers: Finishing rate: 70%

• 2022 – 140 Starters, 104 Finishers: Finishing rate: 74%

• 2018 – 52 Starters, 44 Finishers: Finishing rate: 83%

• 2016 – 50 Starters, 41 Finishers: Finishing rate: 82%

Lakes Traverse

• 2024 – 142 Starters, 106 Finishers: Finishing rate: 74%

• 2023 – 129 Starters, 117 Finishers: Finishing rate: 90%

• 2022 – 163 Starters, 128 Finishers: Finishing rate: 78%

• 2018 – 36 Starters, 31 Finishers: Finishing rate: 86%

Dales Traverse

• 2024– 49 Starters, 43 Finishers: Finishing rate: 87%*

* Arguably, this should have been higher – see comments

Moors Traverse

• 2024– 19 Starters, 19 Finishers: Finishing rate: 100%

Personal Reflections

As the Race Organiser, my overriding memory of the race was, of course, Storm Kathleen and how this impacted our logistics and safety management. I can honestly admit to a sleepless Friday night before the start of the SILVA Northern Traverse™ and Lakes Traverse™. My van rocked in the wind, and squalls of rain pinged off the roof whilst I lay there in the dark, thinking about the responsibility of starting the race in the morning. I’ve always felt that we organise events with a genuine challenge at their core. I do expect a lot from the participants, but I’ll admit, this weather tested my resolve. 

As you all know, we introduced a low-level route from 17:30 at Patterdale. Through the afternoon of Saturday, the weather forecast marginally deteriorated for the overnight period into Sunday, with the average wind speed increasing just beyond what our risk assessment could tolerate. This slight change in forecast meant our Severe Weather Management Policy now demanded a ‘major mitigation’. The oncoming darkness was a significant confounding factor, and the result was the introduction of our low-level course. It was the right decision at the right time. My main personal reflection is whether it would have been better to make this decision earlier and to have had all the participants on the same course.

 Many participants on the Northern Traverse™ praised the exceptional medical care for their feet, noting that the expert treatment they received from our Medical Team was crucial in helping them complete the race. Most runners reached Robin Hood's Bay with tales of how this care saved their race. For optimal preparation for your next adventure, consider reading the Footcare Guidance article available on the Dragon’s Back Race® or Cape Wrath Ultra® websites.

Adding in Glaisdale as a Support Point on the Northern Traverse was clearly a success, bridging the long gap between Lordstones and Robin Hood’s Bay. Many of our runners have been very complimentary of the support they received there.

Successful Launch of the Dales Traverse and Moors Traverse

Adding the SILVA Dales Traverse™ and SILVA Moors Traverse™ to the event certainly made the organisation and logistics far more complicated for us. As you can imagine, with four races happening simultaneously, with your Event Team and Participants spread over 200+ km, plus the added complication of Storm Kathleen, the event is very complicated. Just ensuring that the right people, the correct dry bag and the appropriate type and quantity of food are in the right place at the right time is a logistical feat.  

The initial anecdotal feedback from the new races has been very encouraging, and we think that we have put in a solid foundation for the future. Personally, I am excited about how these two new races will develop, but I do want to highlight two areas for improvement for us:

Dales Traverse™ and Moors Traverse™ additional Water Points.

Initial feedback clearly shows that participants would have preferred some additional water points during these two races. The event's ethos places greater importance on self-sufficiency than many other ultras and this was made clear in all of our communications. That said, we’ll reflect on these comments and see if it is feasible to make these two races a little more accessible by adding some extra water points.

Dales Traverse™ and Moors Traverse™ Cut-Offs.

Some of the Dales Traverse™ cut-offs weren't quite calibrated correctly, and we’ll update these for 2025 to give participants more time to get through Reeth. At the same time, we’ll review all the cut-offs for these two new races and ensure that they are fair and achievable. 

Finalised Results

As the weather on Saturday deteriorated, a decision was made to divert Northern Traverse™ and Lakes Traverse™ participants from Patterdale on a low-level route along Ullswater and over Askham Fell via Public Footpaths to avoid the high ground of Kidsty Pike.  

This diversion took effect at 17:30. However, 19 runners had already proceeded on the original route over Kidsty Pike.

While it may be disappointing that we had to alter the route during the race, our participants’ safety was and always will be our top priority.

This change had the potential to impact the results for the leading runners on the SILVA Northern Traverse and Lakes Traverse. It also makes it challenging to compare Hannah Rickman’s remarkable time on the SILVA Northern Traverse (52h 42m) with Lisa Watson’s 2022 record time on the unchanged course (52h 52m). 

We have done some analysis of the results, comparing the average split time of 16 runners who went via Kidsty Pike against the subsequent 16 runners who finished on the low-level route. This data shows that the second group of runners were 12% slower on the section from Grasmere to Patterdale, but only 4% slower on the Ullswater/Askham diversion. This suggests that the Ullswater/Askham route is easier than the Kidsty Pike route. This is to be expected, as the lower-level route was considerably more sheltered and had 300m less ascent, but was 2km longer.

Based on this analysis, Lisa Watson’s female record stands.

At the SILVA Northern Traverse, we believe that the benefit of the lower-level route was sufficiently marginal compared to the overall finishing times and the time difference between the finishers that it has no impact on the overall results within this year's race. The times and positions in the men’s field are Dave Phillips (1st) 47h 32m, David Parrish (2nd man - 3rd overall) 54h 14m (both went via Kidsty Pike), and Juha Lehtonen (3rd man - 4th overall) 61h 55m (who went via Ullswater). In the women’s field, no one went over Kirsty Pike.

In the SILVA Lakes Traverse, Samantha Lissauer (1st) and Beth Langley (2nd) went over Kidsty Pike, but Georgia Campbell (3rd) was diverted onto the low-level route, and gained time on Beth Langley. However, she did not actually catch her so the positions at Patterdale remained unchanged at the finish in Shap. These results stand and there will be no adjustments to the time.

The leading male runners in the Lakes Traverse all went over Kidsty Pike, so their results are directly comparable.

For runners who may have been targeting a top ten finish for example, but their position might have been impacted by this route change, we do apologise, but we are not currently planning to alter the results.

All of that said, on reflection, I want to acknowledge the extraordinary effort that all the runners on the Northern Traverse™, in particular, must have made to cross the various Lakeland Passes and Nine Standards.

The finishing times of the leading runners are remarkable, and I think in better weather both the male and female records may have been broken. Truly, I want to pass on my congratulations. 

The full results are now available here:

·       SILVA Northern Traverse™ Results

·       SILVA Lakes Traverse™ Results

·       SILVA Dales Traverse™ Results

·       SILVA Moors Traverse™ Results

Cold, Wet and Exhausted Runners

Several notable retirements occurred from Northern Traverse and Lakes Traverse participants who were too cold/wet/exhausted to continue. While most of these occurred at the Support Points, with the participants in question realising they had gone as far as they could, a number of notable retirements occurred on the course.

Race Control monitored all the participants like a hawk throughout the event. They proactively directed our three Response Teams to intercept participants who were stationary, very slow-moving, going the wrong way, and/or going around in circles. On each occasion, participants who were clearly unfit to continue were retired.

There are several notable similarities that I’d like to share with the community in the hope that we both improve safety and future participants’ chances of success: 

1)      All these participants were far ahead of the cut-off times and could have easily spent more time at the Support Points to sleep, eat, and ensure they gave themselves the best chance of success.

2)     It turns out that ‘being a fell runner who doesn’t wear waterproof trousers’ offers no protection against wet and cold conditions.

3)     Participants wearing very lightweight ‘racing’ waterproofs featured disproportionately in these retirements.

Having read back on my 2023 report, I can see that I made similar comments about insufficient clothing last year. I’d ask that our community of participants pay more attention to this critical part of our event safety management.

During the Event, I spent time talking with participants at Patterdale, Lordstones, and Glaisdale, as well as considerable time at Robin Hood’s Bay. I made a special effort to ask about their footwear choices (shoes, socks, barrier creams, etc.) and the state of their feet. Also, I observed how many and what type of layers the finishers were wearing. I did not see anyone with fewer than four layers; most participants had five or six layers on, especially if they had finished during the night.  

As a result of the comments and observations above, we have decided to update the mandatory kit for the 2025 races so that the ‘spare long sleeve base layer’ previously included in the additional ‘Cold Weather’ kit section now becomes a ‘hooded insulated jacket’. Yes… that means 2025 participants might be carrying (more likely wearing) two synthetic jackets. You can check the 2025 kit list here. 

If you are taking part in the Cape Wrath Ultra®, Dragon’s Back Race® or Salomon Buttermere Skyline™ in 2024, you’ll also see this change immediately (we’ll contact you). The kit list for the SCARPA Great Lakeland 3Day™ will change in 2025.

Vision for 2025

We’ll provide a separate update about the vision for 2025 after we have reviewed all the feedback from this year and have had the opportunity to reflect on it. In all likelihood, this update will be published in May. In the meantime, I’ll share some headlines that jumped out at me during the event. Please do comment and provide feedback on your event experience and these suggestions.  

Supporters (part 1)

There were a few minor problems with friends and family parking illegally and causing a hazard. This occurred on the course (particularly at the Traveller’s Rest near Grasmere) and at some Support Points. As the popularity of our four races grows (fingers crossed) this will only become a greater problem if we are not proactive about this. Please expect an update that will make each participant responsible for the actions of their supporters, and therefore put the onus of the participants to ensure and communicate with friends and family who want to spectate.

Supporters (part 2)

There were a small number of retirements on the course with friends or family arriving almost immediately – it was clear that they were already waiting close by. We want to protect the integrity of the event and not create unfair advantages for participants who do have willing support. Therefore, expect an update with greater restrictions on how and when participants can interact with friends and family on the course.

Mandatory Equipment

Please see my comments above about Cold, Wet, and Exhausted Runners and the changes already made to the mandatory equipment list for 2025.

Thanks to the Event Team

The Event Team, composed of over 100 professional staff and volunteers, truly embodies the spirit of our events. This year, they outdid themselves in supporting the event, earning my deep appreciation (and that of the participants) for their unwavering and energetic support. Thank you.

 The Event Team are an extraordinary group, and there is a strong sense of purpose and a reason why they describe themselves as the Ourea family.

Participants frequently inquire about how we manage to assemble such a dedicated and cheerful team. The only way to truly know is to put yourself forward at one of our events, joining the virtuous circle where volunteers can participate in one race, join the Event Team at another, and then participate again. This approach helps maintain a core of experienced volunteers familiar with our ethos and values. This is possible because we offer a credit equal to the value of the entry fee to anyone volunteering at our events.  Find out more about volunteering here.

I hope you can join us one year, and in the meantime, I want to extend my heartfelt thanks to this truly exceptional team.

Finally, please note that the many of these people actually had multiple roles, first helping with registration in St Bees, before heading to a Support Point or two:

Catering Team

• Cathy Lowe

• Chris Taylor

• Hilary Maylon

• Laura Smith

• Nic McNally

• Tammy Ruvino

• Tim Glasby

• Tim Swan-Smith

• Natasha Fellows

Borrowdale and Richmond Support Points

• Andy Norman

• Carol Bedwell

• James Ritchie

• Katie Robertson

• Laura Ruxton

• Michael Burke

• Patricia Wong

• Robert Campbell

• Suzy Whatmough

Patterdale and Lordstones Support Points

• Adam Mangan

• Ailsa Janzen

• Danielle White

• Daren Piper

• Edward Chapman

• Fiona Mackenzie

• Gareth Roberts

• Graham Pepper

• Sarah Francis

• Sean O’Keeffe

Patterdale Support Point Only

• Charlotte Dennison

• Fiona Brannan

• Helen Knott

• Lauren McKenna

• Liam Challis

• Robert Claringbold-Driscoll

Shap Support Point and Robin Hood’s Bay Finish

• Andrea Harwood

• Andy Hastie

• Ben Hobbs

• Colin Harding

• Colin Young

• Ian Cowie

• Jim Allen

• Joanna Edwards

• Jon Dodd

• Kerry Allison

• Peter O Kane

• Philip Butson

 Kirkby Stephen Support Point

• Bryan Camfield

• Fiona Murphy

• Jamie Hardman

• Keith Montgomery

• Laura Conroy

• Linda Carrns

• Lorna Rand

• Sarian Harcombe

• Matt Neale

Glaisdale Support Point

• Eleanor Mackenzie

• Ewan Campbell

• Genevieve Thompson

• Mark Thacker

• Nick Brooks

• Wiebke Lammers

Bag Drop

• Dave Parker

• Derek Allison

• Harry Adair

• Ritchie Williamson

Media Team

• Christiaan Le Roux

• Harriet D’Alessio

• Jimmy Hyland

• Steve Ashworth

Marquee Team

• Jessica Byrne

• Seb Oliver

• Tom Jobling

• Zakius Benaton

Medical Team

• Ally Middleton

• Elizabeth Rayner

• Imogen Stokes

• Mawra Suzar

• Patricia Littlechild

• Rich Griffiths

• Robyn Cassidy

• Morag Bowie

Course Operations

• Joe Faulkner

Timing/Tracking

• James Thurlow

Race Control Team

• Abbi Forsyth

• Natalya Kennedy 

Response Team

• Dan Romberg

• Dave Bowen

• Dave Howarth

• Jurgen Dissmann

• Sarah Graham

• Soraya Cherry 

SILVA Team

• Kiera Baxter

• Neil Yoxall

Ourea Events Senior Team

• Charlie Williamson

• Charlotte Eccles

• Darren Graham

• Eleanor Claringbold-Driscoll

• Greg Mickelborough

• Jen Edson

• Jo Moore

• Lorna McBride

• Lucy Scrase

• Neil Davies

• Shane Ohly

• Sue Dowker

Stakeholder Thanks

These races would not be possible without the consent and support of various landowners and stakeholders along the route. On behalf of all the participants, I would like to extend our sincere thanks to these organisations and individuals. In particular, I would like to thank Forestry England, the National Trust, the Lake District National Park Authority, the Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority, and the North York Moors National Park Authority.

Venue Thanks

We would not have been able to deliver the event without the following venues, which were vital locations for registration, the start/finish lines, and as locations for the various Support Points along the route:

·       Borrowdale Primary School

·       Dales Bike Centre

·       Ennerdale Primary School

·       Fylingdales Village Hall

·       Glaisdale Village Hall

·       Horseshoe Hotel

·       Ingleby Cross Village Hall

·       Kirkby Stephen Grammar School

·       Lordstones Country Park

·       Patterdale Primary School

·       Richmond Football Club

·       Shap Memorial Hall

·       St Bees School 

Traverse Mail

There were over 3,178 Traverse Mail messages sent to participants during the Northern Traverse. This is a 59% increase on last year. It was great to see people receiving these encouraging messages from friends and family, and they definitely gave our runners the courage and motivation they needed to push on. You can catch up on any you missed on the Live Tracking page here.

Event Coverage

You can view many of our event photos on Instagram and Facebook now and we will be uploading a selection to the photo gallery in due course. You can also catch up with everything that was posted on Facebook, X and Instagram during the event. You can also catch up with the event blogs in the news viewer on our website.

Steve Ashworth has also put together some excellent reels during the event. You can watch the playlist here. Keep your eye on social media for the full video coming later this week.

Participant Blogs and Reporting

Various excellent blogs cover much of the action at the event listed below, and while tempting, I won’t try to replicate this reporting in my Event Director’s Report. 

 Juhana Kirk and Samantha Lissauer Emerge Victorious against Brutal Conditions in the SILVA Lakes Traverse

The field sees a shake up in the SILVA Northern Traverse With Dave Phillips and Hannah Rickman looking to win

The inaugural SILVA Dales and Moors Traverses are a success

Dave Phillips and Hannah Rickman conquer Storm Kathleen to win the 2024 SILVA Northern Traverse

Intrepid runners enter their fourth night on epic Coast to coast ultra race

That’s a wrap! Norbert Fasel is our final finisher

We will also be adding in some participant blogs to the website in the coming few weeks. If you have a blog you would like to share, please do also get in touch! 

Feedback and reviews

Feedback is very important to us, particularly on the proposed 2025 changes described above. We are always keen to hear your thoughts. Whilst we don’t promise to incorporate every piece of feedback received, we promise to read and consider it carefully.

Participant feedback has helped us refine and improve the event, and we are always incredibly grateful to those who take the time to share their thoughts, no matter how big or small. So, please don’t be shy and send any comments you have using our contact form or email us directly.

Help us out – leave us a review on RaceCheck

We have recently joined RaceCheck, a third party website which collects race reviews. We would love it if you could help us out by leaving us a review – this really helps us get word out about the event!

The SILVA Northern Traverse

https://racecheck.com/races/northern-traverse/

The SILVA Lakes Traverse

https://racecheck.com/races/silva-lakes-traverse/

The SILVA Dales Traverse

https://racecheck.com/races/silva-dales-traverse/

The SILVA Moors Traverse

https://racecheck.com/races/silva-moors-traverse/

Join us next year

Maybe you’re keen to improve on your time from this year? Perhaps you’d like to step up and tackle one of our longer races. Whatever your goal, we’d love to see you for another extraordinary journey, and entries are open NOW for the 2025 SILVA Northern Traverse™, Lakes Traverse™, Dales Traverse™ and Moors Traverse™.

There is a special reduced price for the first seven days ending Friday, 19th April.

What’s Next?

Looking for some future inspiration? Take a look at some more events from Ourea Events below:

2024 SILVA GREAT LAKELAND 3DAY™ - LAST FEW ENTRIES REMAINING

Friday 4th to Monday 6th May 2024

Enjoy a relaxed and friendly three-day mountain journey around the beautiful fells of the Lake District. There are six courses to choose from: Café, Herdwick, Wainwright, Fellrunner, Extreme, and Adventure, so there is something for everyone! Entries Close Saturday 27th April.

 CAPE WRATH ULTRA®

Sunday 19th to Sunday 26th May 2024 - LAST FEW PLACES

Sunday 18th to Sunday 25th May 2025 – REGISTER YOUR INTEREST NOW

Interested in a multi-day racing experience? Join us for eight incredible days of running through the stunning Scottish Highlands on the epic Cape Wrath Ultra®. This awe-inspiring expedition race starts in Fort William and winds through some iconic Scottish landscapes to finish at the Cape Wrath lighthouse, the most north-westerly tip of the British Isles. You can complete either the full ‘Ultra’ course or make a running holiday of it and complete the shorter ‘Explorer’ course.

There are still a few places left for the May 2024 event, taking place this May. Or register your interest for 2025 and have early access to entries opening!

DRAGON'S BACK RACE®

Monday 2nd to Saturday 7th September 2024 - LAST FEW PLACES

Looking for a once-in-a-lifetime adventure? Join us for six epic days of mountain running through stunning Wales! The 2024 Dragon’s Back Race® starts from Conwy Castle and runs the length of Wales, linking many of the country’s iconic mountain summits, to finish in Cardiff Castle on the South coast of Wales. With the brilliant Hatchling option, you can be sure of an amazing running holiday in Wales.

SALOMON BUTTERMERE SKYLINE™

Saturday 14th September 2024 - ENTRIES OPEN

27km of mind-bending brilliant trail running. The Salomon Buttermere Skyline™ is inspired by the pure challenge of tackling the iconic skyline of this favourite Lake District destination. Our route is a classic mountain loop of the Buttermere fells, taking in the famous summits, linking technical trails and magical Lakeland views.