The Hebden 2025 – race report by Josie:
Let me tell you how excited I was when my alarm went off at 5:30am!!⏰🥳
It’s true! The Hebden really is a great race and it’s 4 years since I last did it so, the excitement was real!
Organised by the 12th Halifax Sea Scouts, the event isn’t technically a race, it’s a long distance walking challenge that allows runners to compete. It offers a ‘short’ 15mile or ‘long’ 22mile option. There are no prizes or medals, it’s purely for like-minded folk to enjoy sharing experience on the hills with others, often in tough and wintery conditions. It’s always very popular and sells out to around 550 entrants very quickly.
Today, 8 Lostockers took part in the event, 3 took on the short route and 5 did the long.
Starting outside the Good Shepherd Church, Mytholmroyd, the route circumnavigates Hebden Bridge, which lies at the heart of the Calder Valley. It begins with a run out on a woodland path parallel to the railway line before climbing steeply up onto the tops.
The runners are quite tightly packed early on, but a series of single track paths and stile crossings soon spreads the field out.
The 5 of us agreed to run together. Greg and Nikki weren’t confident about the route, I’m struggling with knee pain and Tony is just coming back from flu, so it made sense.
We passed by some of the most beautiful areas and landmarks in the area. Midgehole, Hardcastle Crags, Heptonstall, not quite Stoodley Pike. Sadly the views today weren’t the best due to low cloud but underfoot conditions were the best Ive known!
After many stiles, gates, wooded paths, climbs, descents, mud, moorland bogs, stone bridges, wooden bridges, big rocks, red gates, holly bushes, front gardens…we all made it round in just over 5 hours!
The organisation of this event with it’s huge team of volunteers is amazing. You’re fed before the event. There are several checkpoints that provide food during the events and a meal at the finish, including mulled wine!
I will leave Greg to provide photos of the food spread at Callis Bridge Checkpoint but can confirm the cakes were incredible!!
Overall, we had a cracking day out! Who’s up for next year??
