Spartan blog

Published by Claire Rowlands on 11/04/14

At the beginning of 2013 I volunteered to help a guy at the gym with his university research project into the relationship between stride pattern and speed whilst treadmill running, as you do! So, whilst I was rigged up with heart rate monitor and a camera recording my increasingly erratic stride pattern, he asked me whether I had any races planned. To my surprise I found myself telling him that I wanted to do a marathon before 2014 when I would reach the big 40. I didn’t actually know I wanted to run a marathon until that point but I’d said it now so there was no going ba

Tales from the Skyline

Published by Nick Wishart on 24/03/14

Having done the Yorkshire Three Peaks race last year and loved the challenge, I wanted to add another tough classic Blue Riband AL race to the list while my joints will still let me, so this year the Edale Skyline race came onto the menu as I will missing the Y3P and running the Highland Fling next month instead.

A grizzly day in Grizedale - Montane Trail 26

Published by James Hack on 26/02/14

My first race of the season. A tough, damp day in the hills at Grizedale 26.

Anglesey CTS Ultra Jan 2014 "A bit damp"

Published by Nick Wishart on 19/01/14

You learn a lot about yourself when you think you have nothing left to give and it is indeed true that there is always a little bit more to be squeezed out than you thought possible. I went into this event on the back of 5 days watching The Spine Race, with a set of remarkable athletes, including Charlie Sharpe, displaying extreme levels of staying power to complete 268 miles of the Pennine Way and that single thought is what dragged me over this particular finishing line.

The Gritstone Slither

Published by Nick Wishart on 19/12/13

Running a linear route over a great trail with a friend, a few hills and lots of mud is just what you need to re discover the satisfaction of trail running. That was the goal for the Hack and Wishart and here is the ramble about our ramble yesterday.

Gritstone Grind: the power of the phalanx

Published by Paul Chrisp on 13/09/13

The phalanx was a formidable formation of infantry in ancient Greece, traditionally associated with Sparta - would it work for a formidable formation of modern day Spartans taking on the Gritstone Grind?

Gritstone Grind 2013

Published by John Kleiser on 13/09/13

It’s 4:57am, “I might as well stop my alarm before it goes off and get up”. I wonder downstairs, “today is going to be a day to remember”. Bottles filled. Sandwiches packed. Running kit on. Fellow Spartans, Rob and Ged arrive and we drive off in the dark to pick up Andy. Everyone’s in good spirits and I’m enjoying the company as I’m expecting to spend most of the day alone. Park up in Disley. Register and board the bus to Kidsgrove surrounded by more Spartans.

Gritstone Grrr, Not Again

Published by James Hack on 10/09/13

What a day out! Fantastic Spartan presence, great results from our guys. And above all the ethos of our club really shone through. It was a great trail, event and day, but the Gritstone Grind was not a smooth one for me. Why? Cramp. And lots of it from really early on.