Leaderboard remains unchanged on day five of Cape Wrath Ultra
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The sun shone on day five of the 2023 Cape Wrath Ultra yesterday, as the remaining participants ventured out of Torridon and into the Fisherfield Forest in Wester Ross, one of the most sparsely populated areas of Scotland.
The runners experienced this remote landscape at its best, and their journey took them on some runnable trails weaving through the glens, before heading over the tops to a final steep descent into camp.
The Cape Wrath Ultra is an eight-day, multi-stage race covering 400 km from Fort William to Cape Wrath.
There are 151 runners still in the event, with 112 runners competitive, and a further 39 tackling the shorter Explorer option.
For the fifth day in a row, the top of the leaderboard remains unchanged, with Jo Meek and David Parrish retaining their places as respective race leaders.
Jo had a challenging day: “I've found it tough today. Maybe it's the pace. My shin tendons are a bit sore. You think it's going to be an easier day, but I've found it quite different," she said.
Despite this, she set another course record for day five, the fourth day in a row that she has improved on the previous best.
At the very front of the race, David Parrish was once again the fastest runner on the day, and has extended his lead. While the former Marine has not raced more than a half marathon before, his background of Munro-bagging and long days in the hills make him well-placed to excel at this ultra challenge.
David commented: “It’s been great – not too bad, apart from a few navigational errors!”
While those still in the full race know that they are now over halfway through their journey, the longest stage of the race is on day six, and no-one is being complacent.
After day five of the 2023 Cape Wrath Ultra, the leading runners are:
Male
1st David Parrish (27:30:25)
2nd Fernando Alvarez (29:08:39)
3rd Sam Hill (29:46:34)
Female
1st Jo Meek (31:17:30)
2nd Elaine Bisson (34:20:53)
3rd Jana Szczepaniak (35:29:18).
Day six has begun, with runners facing 72km of distance and 1,200m of ascent, from Inverbroom to Inchnadamph. You can read more about today’s route at The Cape Wrath Ultra® Route — Cape Wrath Ultra®.
Track the runners’ progress live at Cape Wrath Ultra 2023 | Open Tracking.
