Craigs Ultras
Welcome to my Ultra Running Page, this is where I want to tell my story as it happens.
In January 2021 I decided that I would enter an Ultra Marathon in May as personal challenge to see if I could train from being a non-runner and become an Ultra Runner, I decided I wanted to see how far I was capable of running in a single event.
Then in April 2021 Charlie John Robinson at the age of 5 years lost his 3 year battle with Ependymoma Brain Tumour. I decided that I wanted to help in anyway I could and my original personal challenge spiralled into a challenge of massive proportions, and I am now entered into a series of Ultra Marathons across the year of 2021 there are six in total all different in there own unique way.
There are two reasons for doing these Ultra Marathons these were to inspire other normal people like me that anyone is capable of anything if your prepared to dream big and work hard beyond what you think you are capable of.
More importantly to give something back, to do this I want to help raise awareness of a special boy called Charlie Robinson who passed away in April of 2021 and in his name the Thumbs Up For Charlie Foundation was founded.
I will be enduring these huge Ultra Marathon distances in memory of and to raise awareness and support for the foundation.
I hope you want to follow me on my journey and see how far I can go!
The story to now!
Going from being a non-runner to an ultra-runner I had to train as hard as possible and as smart as possible to avoid getting injured and learn as much as I could before I started doing these huge events. From January to May I spent many hours a week training in the gym, running, walking late at night in the dark, rain, sleet, wind and snow, which led to my first Ultra Marathon of the year.
Saturday 8th May
My first Ultra Marathon of the year, The Lap Ultra Marathon, 47 Miles/ 75km, a route that circumnavigates Lake Windermere and traverses over several near by mountains, in the Lake District which I completed in 10 Hours 56 Minutes.
Saturday 23rd May
Two weeks later at the end of May I took part in Windermere Marathon 26 Miles/ 42km which hugs the shoreline of and circumnavigates lake Windermere in the Lake District national park I did this as a training run which I completed in 3 Hours 53 Minutes.
Saturday 19th June
After a few weeks more of training I completed my second Ultra Marathon of the year, This was called The Wall Ultra Marathon and it was 70 Miles/113km from Carlisle to Newcastle following largely Hadrian’s Wall national trail which I completed in 15 hours 2 Minutes.
Saturday 14th August
Taking July to refocus and recover and start training again in August I tackled my third Ultra Marathon of the year and the longest I would do by far, The Dales Way Ultra Marathon 82 Miles/ 132km from Windermere in Cumbria to Ilkley in Yorkshire travelling along The Dales Way National Trail which I completed in 23 Hours and 10 Minutes.
Saturday 18th September
After what felt like a very short gap and a hard month of training it was time for my fourth Ultra Marathon of the year and this one had the most elevation so far over 10,000 ft in total, The Cumbria Way Ultra Marathon 73 Miles/ 118km from Ulverston in Cumbria to Carlisle travelling along The Cumbria Way National Trail which I completed in 22 Hours and 31 Minutes.
Saturday 16th October
My fifth Ultra Marathon of the year, The Yorkshire Three Peaks Ultra Marathon 70km/ 40 Miles. Many people know this route as a 25-mile walk taking in the three peaks of Yorkshire over a 12-hour average walk time, This Ultra Marathon is the same three hills with an extended, self-navigation route over 70km and over 8000ft of ascent with a cut of time of 18 hours. I managed this race in 10 hours 41 minutes.
Saturday 6th November
A last minute descision I added a extra Ultra Marathon to my callender. Mainly as I thought not doing one in November left a gap in my challenge. This was the White Rose Ultra 30 Miles/ 50km of trails and roads with an 8 hour cut off and it was nice to do a race that i finished in dayligh for a change. I did this race in a time of 5 Hours 58 Minutes.
Saturday 4th December
I was due to be doing The Cheviot Goat Ultra Marathon on this day but late on Friday 3rd December the event got Postponed due to the storm in the northeast 6 days prior. Late on Friday night I came up with a PLAN B. To run from Kendal Castle to Preston via a series of footpaths, disused canals and the entire Lancaster Canal system. This is 92km/57miles, I thought my time for this should be roughly about 12 hours. Unfortunately that was not how things went, I set off well at 6am running a nice steady 30km in about an hour. After this my legs completely failed me and I ended up walking for the next 38km. Trying to speed up but failing every time. I had to retire my effort at 68km/ 42mile at my home village of Catterall. Undefeated I will rest up and return to do this again in the new year and complete this PLAN B personal challenge.
Left to do!
Now I have 1 Ultra Marathon left.
POSTPONED
Finally my seventh planned Ultra Marathon of the year was postponed and I am awaiting confirmation of its new date. Hopefully I will hear soon and even if it is after I have finished my Ultra year I can still have a go at the Montane Cheviot Goat Ultra Marathon 55 Miles/88km with a cut off of 24 hours. This may seem doable as it is one of the shortest, I have entered. But I chose this Ultra Marathon as it has the reputation of being one of the toughest in the UK. It is a self-navigated 24 hour slog around the Cheviot Hill in the middle of winter, mainly in the dark and alone with more elevation over that distance than anything I have done so far.
2022 - Whats Next?
So i havent finished, far from it this is just the beginning. I am entered in several Ultra Marathons in 2022 including in April a 190 mile race and in June a 95 mile race. I will still be dedicating my races to Charlie Robinson and raising money for the foundation. Keep and eye on my facebook page to see what I am up to.
Support
I need your support to get me through these huge events and help me raise funds for a really important foundation. I really want to hit my target before Christmas of 2021.
To make a donation please go to my Just Giving Page
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/craig-jones-ultra-challenge?utm_term=4yP8MrGWJ
Follow my Facebook page to see what’s next!
https://www.facebook.com/CraigJonesUltraRunner/