Cape Wrath Ultra runners reach Assynt as long-distance race nears an end
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At 72km, day six (yesterday) was the longest of the 2023 Cape Wrath Ultra, with the otherworldly landscape of Assynt the backdrop for runners as they made their way from Inverbroom to Inchnadamph.
David Parrish and Jo Meek once again led the way, with David finishing only eight minutes behind the record for the day set in 2016.
Despite this being his first ultra, he appears to be getting stronger and stronger over the distance. David is now over two hours ahead of Fernando Alvarez, who in in turn, is just over 45 minutes ahead of Sam Hill.
Jo Meek is still in fourth place overall, though she was looking extremely tired at the finish of the day. She was the fastest woman again, but Elaine Bisson in second was under 10 minutes behind her, with Jana Szczepaniak still in third.
Once again, the Cape Wrath Ultra is living up to its reputation for the combination of determination and camaraderie that develops among the competitors, whether at the front or further back in the field.
Tim Straughan (in 40th place) comments: “There's a certain personality of people who do this. They’re all driven - whatever their background, wherever they’re from. There's something about them, a resilience and determination.
"At the same time, everyone comes together to support each other. David Parrish has always got a smile on his face. He says hello to everybody, he’s interested. Jo’s the same, considering she’s turned up and is just destroying the field.”
After day six of the 2023 Cape Wrath Ultra, the leading runners are:
Male
1st David Parrish (34:46:55)
2nd Fernando Alvarez (37:03:25)
3rd Sam Hill (37:51:58)
Female
1st Jo Meek (39:56:09)
2nd Elaine Bisson (43:08:29)
3rd Jana Szczepaniak (45:25:03)
Day seven has begun, with 61km of distance and 1,587m of ascent, from Inchnadamph to Kinlochbervie.
Track the runners’ progress live at Cape Wrath Ultra 2023 | Open Tracking.
