If you are navigating to the venue using the postcode, be aware that the postcode covers quite a few residences in the vicinity.
RACE FINISH
Ingram Cafe & Visitors Centre, Breamish Valley, Northumberland, NE66 4LT.
(The race start and finish are located next to each other.)
GETTING THERE
Turn off the A697 just north of the village of Powburn, signposted for Ingram. Drive for 3 miles and just after crossing Ingram bridge turn left. The event car park is on the field (also the event campsite) directly in front of the Village Hall.
What to expect at Registration
You can register at Ingram Village Hall between 5pm – 8pm on Friday evening, or between 4.00am-5.30am on the morning of the race. If possible, we encourage you to register on Friday night to ensure we can start the race promptly at 6.00am.
When you come to register you must bring your race pack with you so we can attach your race tracker.
At the start of the registration process, members of the North of Tyne Mountain Rescue Team will ask to see your EMERGENCY SPARE CLOTHING IN A SEALED BAG and also your EMERGENCY SURVIVAL BAG. If you do not have both of these items they will not allow you to register. You DO NOT have to show them the rest of your mandatory kit, however, random spot checks will be carried out and if you are not carrying all the mandatory kit, you will not be allowed to start the race.
The emergency spare clothing is separate from any other clothing that you will be wearing or carrying for the duration of the race. It is only to be used in case of an emergency. The emergency survival bag has to be a bag that you climb into. Survival blankets will not be accepted.
At Registration, we will provide you with your race number, baggage tag, event t-shirt, waterproof map of the course, and your Montane mug.
If you are registering on Friday night, please note that your drop bag can only be deposited on the morning of the race.
We’ll issue you with your GPS Tracker which we must tape to the top shoulder strap of your running pack. This is to remain on until you have completed the race.
If you are leaving a drop bag for the first aid station, you will need to deposit your bag at the drop-off point located outside of registration. Your bags will be available for you when you arrive at the aid station and will then be returned to the finish.
Please make sure that you are at the Village Hall at 5.45am for the race brief.
Race start is at 6.00am.
We are pleased to announce that Ingram Cafe will be open for the duration of the event and they will be serving hot food on Friday evening until 8.30pm and will also be open from 4am on race morning serving breakfast.
Facilities at Event HQ
Event parking is on the field opposite the Village Hall. This is also the location of the campsite.
Ingram Cafe and Visitors Centre will be open for the duration of the event and have a great selection of hot food, coffee and cake! They will be open until 8.30pm on the Friday evening and from 4am on the morning of the event where breakfast, tea & coffee available for purchase.
Toilet facilities are available in Ingram Village Hall and also inside the visitor centre where the cafe is located. Additional portaloos will be located in the field opposite the village hall.
Please there are no shower facilities on site.
Camping
If you registered for camping please use the allocated campsite in the field directly opposite Ingram Village Hall & Event HQ. Portaloos WC facilities are available in the field, but please note that there are no showers available onsite.
Route Navigation
The route will NOT be waymarked. Route maps and GPX files are available on the website here. Please be aware that the route currently shown may be subject to alteration and the final route will be confirmed 2 weeks prior to the event. Safety Marshals will be located along the course at intermittent points, (these are not aid stations).
At registration you will be provided with a sectional map of the course on waterproof paper.
There are sections of the course where it is not always obvious where the trail is and combined with the possibility of snow covering the higher ground, navigational skills are required. If you are running without any specific GPS navigational device but have a smartphone, we highly recommend that you use one of the many free apps that are available and will allow you to upload the route GPX file and are excellent for following a course. You can download the route GPX file HERE.
Drop Bag
Attached to the bottom of your race number is a detachable baggage tag. Secure this to your own bag with any spare kit/food that you wish to have available for later in the race. It will be taken to the first aid station at Barrowburn at the 20 mile mark. Your bag will be located outside at the aid station, so for any items that you wish to remain dry, we recommend that you place them in a dry bag/plastic bag inside your bag.
On the morning of the race, deposit your drop bag at the vehicle outside the village hall before you depart. Your bag will then be transported back to the finish in time for your arrival.
If you are using GPS for navigation we’d recommend you put powerpacks/spare batteries into your drop bag as the cold temperatures will drain your batteries quicker than normal.
Medical Info
If you have any medical conditions you must tell us in advance of the run. A professional medical team will be on site to deal with major incidents. First aiders can also be found around the course. Each runner will be given essential safety info to take round with them that has key details on it. Mountain Rescue are informed of the event. The nearest hospital is Northumbria Accident and Emergency Hospital at Cramlington.
Aid Stations
There will be two aid stations on the course at 20 miles & 41 miles.
As you arrive at the first aid station a marshal will guide you to your drop bag if you have left one. Drop bags will be located outside. As you depart the aid station, pass your bag to a marshal so it can be transported back to the finish for your arrival.
The first aid station is at the 20 mile mark at Barrowburn. This is an indoor aid station and will provide hot soup and drinks. There is a toilet located here.
The second aid station is at the 41 mile mark at High Bleakhope. This is in a barn. Hot drinks will be available but there are no toilet facilities.
Both aid stations have vehicle access, so we can extract you from this point if decide to retire.
There will be no other aid stations on the course. Safety Marshals will be located at regular intervals along the length of the course in either a vehicle or a tent, however, they will NOT have water or food with them. You must carry enough water to last you for 20 miles.
Cut-Off Times
There are 2 cut off times that will be in place on the course. The first cut off time is 1pm to leave M3 Barrowburn (20 miles). The second cut off will be 10pm to leave M9 High Bleakhope (41 miles).
GPS Live Athlete Tracking
For the event we have signed up with Open Tracking to provide each participant with a small GPS tracker which transmits their location to the website. Runners latest position is displayed on a map which updates automatically. This is a great additional feature for the participants of the event and also for supporters who wish to track their progress.
Links to the live tracking website can be viewed HERE.
Compulsory Kit
There will be random kit checks prior to the start of the races. Please remember “No kit, No go”.
For a complete list of compulsory and recommended kit, visit our Kit Page.
Prize Categories
All finishers will receive a Cheviot Goat Ultra medal and t shirt.
We appreciate that the route has no waymarkings at all, but as this is a race we will have to enforce time penalties for anybody found to have taken the wrong route that would result in gaining an unfair advantage. Significant deviations from the route will result in disqualification.