Race Report: Pilgrims Ultra 2025
- adamrogers
- Oct 8
- 7 min read
Regular readers of this blog will recognise this event. It was a highlight race for me in 2024, and despite 'bonking' near the finish and dealing with bad cramps, I thoroughly enjoyed it. So, as you do, I decided to have another crack in 2025 (spoiler alert, I probably will in 2026 as well). After all, racing yourself a year on is interesting if nothing else.
So it's Saturday morning around 7am on the Holly Island of Lindisfarne as I make my way to the registration after the 45 mins coach journey from the finish at Craster, Sport Kilt swinging in the breeze (the perfect pre and post race attire in my opinion) and who should I bump in to? Well, the outstanding female athlete who I ran with for about 10km in 2024 (she won the 100m race in 2024, had previously won the 100km and would go on to be first female in the 50km today - such a classy runner) and was responsible for me blowing up as I struggled to keep up with her. Some decent banter later, I chucked my finish line bag in the van and walked down to the starting area.
Despite the mostly light rain at this point, the weather was actually quite a bit warmer than last year. Whilst the sun game out good and proper last year, the start was bloody freezing! Anyway, not today, just a bit damp but that's no drama.
And after a delayed start by about 20 mins, we were off. And in particular one dude was really off. He shot off straight from the start much to several other runners' amusement. Fact is he'd go on to not only win the 50km but take about 40 mins off the course record! Seriously talented runner.
The start of Pilgrims Ultra sounds great being on Holy Island but in reality it's a 6km mostly straight line trek over to the main land on a pan flat tarmac road. It's the worst part of the route in my opinion and causes many runners to go out too hard. I'd learned my lesson from last year so settled in to a steady 5min30/KM trot, paying zero attention to anyone who flew past me...for once. I know this cours enow and know when to save myself vs push ha ha maybe.
The 6km or so pan flat section is followed by the 'hilly' part of the route. Not really significant in Ultra terms by any means but it's a good 8km or so that is basically all going uphill. Mostly gentle but with a few step section tied in. All completely runnable but i suppose by the 14km mark you are glad it's done. Also, you then have a mostly flat/downhill section right the aid station at 20km.
Coming in here I was slower than last year (intentionally) but not by much and feeling pretty easy all things considered. I made a hash of the aid station as sachets were hard to open with wet slimy hands but got sorted and made my way on. the next section undulates a fair bit but without any notable ups or downs to speak of. Some nice varied terrain mixing road, mud and sand spits us out at the glorious Bamburgh Castle for the second and final aid station. I always think 2 aid stations on a 50km is a bit light, especially as the first station is basically just water and you've then got 22km without supplies (other than finding a shop). Considering the entry fees are never cheap, I think 3 aid stations, all with at least some basic food options is the minimum acceptable offering - but that's just me. I get it adds some cost but considering these events are mostly volunteer run, it's probably doesn't add much cost of any significance.
Anyway, i stop to refil my water bottles, grab some jaffa cakes and coke (cola not sniff) and decide to consume whilst walking as i have time in my head i'm aiming for (I didn't hit it) so don't want to lose too much time being comfortable.
Shortly after Bamburgh we head off road again and this is where last year shit got bad with IT band issues for me. This year I'm in good shape but get a horrible feeling those ahead are cheating and not doing this bit. turns out I was totally wrong about that but several walker claimed I was the only runner they'd seen which felt very odd. I still don't understand it. Anyway, I knew I was on the correct route so carried on, moving well and feeling pretty good.
Next after another draggy road section we soon hit Seahouses which is a cool looking town and as we exit via the golf course i start to see a few runners ahead looking a bit worse for wear. One being an nice Italian lad I ran with down the causeway at the start. This is where runners typically start hitting the wall, I did in 2024 and whilst I can feel it in my legs I'm still moving around 5min30/KM on the road section so I soon catch and pass a few runners which feels nice. I know my A target time is not going to happen but I'm OK with that. Aid station time and the weather just let that get away from me but I'm happy enough with progress at this point.
After leaving Beadnell comes a draggy section covering sand dunes and mostly hard packed single track. It feels like it goes on for ages and just saps at the legs a bit without offering up anything challenging. I'm closing in on another runner fast so decide to take a toilet stop quickly so i don't have too soon after passing him. Oddly after stopping for 30 seconds, my right IT band totally seizes up and i physically cannot run. Bollocks. forcing a hobble for a minute or so i think fuck it and just muster up a clown like run in pain. No idea why that happened but eventually it eases up and I can run mostly fine again, albeit starting to get a bit tired too. Still I quickly catch the runner ahead who looks spent and decide to hang with him a little while to get some energy back. Mistake. i get too comfortable at his pace when i should've just cracked on moving well.
As we pass the gold course at Dunstanburgh Castle I look behind and see a small group of about 4 runners closing fast. Bollocks, I need to at least try defending my position here and if I lose so be it, but the end is only about 3KM away and I know I have plenty of legs left, they've just got comfortable being lazy for the last 30 mins........... So I turn to my new mate and say "I'm off".
The track is a bit rocky at this point but fueled by fear of losing I crack on again at a decent pace (just over 5min/km) for this late in the race, head down and going for it. Checked back periodically to see a gap forming and feeling confident i can hold off any late attacks. And that's how the last 3km go really, head down giving it what I have left before the finish at Craster harbour. A woman in the chasing group did a good job of trying to catch me, finishing about 1min and a bit behind but the job was done. the rain had increased so whilst still not bad, it wasn't exactly pleasant either.
Looking at the tracker turned out I was 13th out of about 140 runners in a time of 5hrs29mins. So not the top 10 I got last year, but then the top 6 runners this year all ran under course record I believe, so I think we can safely say it was a much stronger field then previous years. All in all I was chuffed. I knocked just over 10 mins off my previous time (I wanted a lot more (closer to 5 hours), beat runners who beat me last year, didn't cramp at all, didn't really get tired (just lazy) and felt like I'd done a decent job.
I like this race. It feels friendly, delivers some great views on a course that's as easy or hard as you want to make it. I maintain that the aid station situation isn't great, but I came back and I'll probably come back again in 2026 to race my previous self... again. It's becoming my annual test of how much I have improved or not and I like that. There is a tap at the campsite in Beadnell which probably shouldn't be used but is an option, and rumours of another one hidden on the final sand dunes at Dunstanburgh - though I didn't see that one. However my plea to Cold Brew events is to better space out the 2 existing aid stations and add at least another water stop in. Probably won't happen but there we have it.
Would I recommend this one? yeah for sure. The course isn't hard in itself and it's a fun event to do. Numbers will be limited to 300 for next year (total across all 3 distances) and with registrations for 2026 open now, I'd get booked on if interested.
Note as of writing this blog post, my emails to Cold Brew Events have all gone unanswered in regards to official race photos. There were plenty of photographers out on course and some great shots have been placed on the event Facebook page but only a tiny amount. All photos in this blog are taken from the event Facebook page but unfortunately none of them are of me!! So I'm not sure if the event includes any photos for athletes to buy. The lack of even a courtesy email, regardless of the outcome is a bit disappointing - hence no photos of me for this one. Bit of a sore point I won't lie.
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