Lyrical Trails & FKT Recognitions: This Week's Trail Tally

Chasing Trails: Week 49

After a full year of gruelling work, training and racing, PRO Team athlete Sanna’s achievements were celebrated twice this last week. Well done, Sanna, and to many more! And well done to all those who took on the Stanza Stones Ultra, a literary pursuit unique to the Pennines!

Amy Smith and Andrew Bowett Win Stanza Stones Ultra

A unique idea for an ultramarathon: running the 47-mile Stanza Stones Trail from Marsden to Ilkley, linking six poems carved in stone. Simon Armitage was commissioned by the Ilkley Literature Festival to write site-specific poems in 2010, with a trail linking these sculptures being created in 2012. Artist Pip Hall carved them, while landscape architect Tom Lonsdale advised on their placement. They now link Armitage’s home town of Marsden to Ilkley, where the literary festival takes place annually.

Now crossing high moorland, valleys, part of the Pennine Way, and Haworth village (home of the Brontë sisters), the Stanza Stones Ultra lets literature and running lovers combine their passion with a summer and winter edition.

This year, the winter race was 50 miles long (80 km) with 2000 m of elevation. Running in 8:55:52, it was Andrew Bowett who secured the men’s win, followed by Tim Brook (9:32:50) and Michael Cottam (10:37:29). The women’s race winner, Amy Smith (10:44:45) was fifth overall, followed by Helen Curtis (11:50:10, eighth overall) and Stefanie Dickinson (12:22:03, tenth overall). Well done to all! I wonder how many discovered the “secret seventh stone”...

Sanna Duthie’s Slate Trail and Pembrokeshire Coast Path FKTs Celebrated

Two exciting pieces of news for Harrier PRO Athlete Sanna Duthie this past week. 

When she ran and won the inaugural Slate Trail Ultra in Eryri National Park, she completed the 83-mile trail around Snowdonia as part of the race. She was uncrewed, using only the official race checkpoints to refill and get access to her drop bag, which qualified her for a supported fastest known time (FKT) for the route itself. Her achievement is now officially recognised as the female supported FKT, with a finishing time of 22:03:10. 

We covered the Slate Trail Ultra and its gruelling route on a previous blog, so we thought we’d ask Sanna a few more questions about the FKT and racing experience. Here’s what she shared.

Did the opportunity to also set an FKT play a major role in selecting this race?

I actually didn’t know that I could also set an FKT until I spoke with one of the runners after an hour into the run. He said the female record was 21 hours so I didn’t think I stood a chance. It being an ITRA index race in Snowdonia is what made me pick it initially. The route has runnable sections, but also so challenging parts and this is what appealed to me.

What are you more excited about, a race win or an FKT?

I think the FKT was just a great bonus. I didn’t even think about it or check it until after I had finished the run and I knew I had a chance to secure it, too.

What’s your top tip for anyone looking to sign up to Slate Trail Ultra next year?

Have a good head torch and spare batteries. There is a lot of time spent in the dark. A good base layer is important, too. Some parts are sheltered and the next minute you are exposed. I used the Harrier Thorpe base layer during the day and I was comfortable the whole time. I could zip down the top when it got a bit warmer, so no need to change mid-race and lose time. 

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And a second reason to celebrate last week came from Sanna’s other FKT set earlier this year on the Pembrokeshire Coast Path. Sanna attended a viewing of the film following her achievements at an event organised by the Charitable Trust, where she was also presented with her very own gate on the trail!

Sanna said: “I can’t believe I have this honour… Just wow. This path means so much to me, it’s my happy place, but also where I go when I have a bad day. It holds so many special memories… it’s my home, it’s my heart.”

A well-deserved recognition for a fantastic achievement!

I’m in absolute awe of Sanna’s grit and determination and of how much soul she puts into every challenge she takes on. It was so brilliant to see a gate with her name on it, and I can’t wait to head down to the coast and run across it! Well done again on two fantastic achievements!

Alecsa Stewart