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Coast to Coast the Hard Way
On the 29th May a group of students took part in difficult, very unique challenge in aid of Compton Hospice.
We have all heard of Wainwright’s Coast to Coast, where hikers trek from the Irish Sea costal town of St Bee’s to the North Sea fishing village of Robin Hood’s Bay.
Now this trek usually takes 12 days for the very fit but others prefer to take 16 days to complete the challenge.
The ten Wolverhampton Grammar School year 10 students decided that this would take too much time out of their busy schedules and opted for a much quicker way to complete the route.
The team consisting of Sam Commander, Abigail Jones, Alice Baldwin, Dan Genner, Rebecca Bradley, Eleanor Beech, Tom Husselbee, John Parnell, Dillon Balaggan and Louis Brazenell were to run a non stop relay, each taking half hour stints to complete the 191 miles in just 24 hours. In preparation the brave students had to endure an intense sixteen week training schedule, with sessions taking place in the mornings, lunchtimes and after school.
Here is an account of the event in Dillon Balaggan’s own words:
This year we decided to run for Compton Hospice, a local charity that provides care and support for people with terminal illnesses and their families. Most of the team know someone who has been helped by the hospice and we thought that raising money for this charity would benefit people in Wolverhampton.
From school, we travelled in the minibus (we’ll soon get to know it a lot better) up to St Bee’s, which is fairly near to Whitehaven. We gathered at St Bee’s School Sports Hall (which was organised as an exam hall) and made our beds, then chilled out playing games in the hall. Many of the conversations that took place there were of a humorous and relaxed nature . For our extremely healthy supper was a king-size fish and chips (the fish was like a whale), and after a quick few photos were taken beside the C2C marker pose in Whitehaven, it was soon time for bed. I could hardly get any sleep; this was it! All those weeks and hours of training and actually waking up at 6.30am on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday mornings was about to pay off.
Abbey and I were woken up an hour earlier than everyone else (5am) as we were the first two runners in the relay. Miss Ward seemed to have woken me when it actually felt like I was beginning to get somewhere in my quest of finding at least some sleep, but never mind. Anyway, we had our breakfast first and it was rather quiet; nerves were starting to kick in.
The run itself began on the beach at St Bee’s, where some early bird parents watched us firstly dip our toes in the sea. Abbey, who had the daunting task of being the first runner, also dipped a school colours tie in the sea (this is the relay baton and is worn by each runner in turn) and then suddenly the run began! On the way to the beach, I dropped my much needed glasses somewhere in the wet sand and luckily one of the parents found them and gave them back to me before I went to assemble on the minibus with the team. In the bus, as we watched the first runner, adrenaline grew within us and it was this which was going to give us the energy to get through the next 24 hours or so.
Before I knew it, the tie was handed over to me and I was now running with C2C newcomer Mr Hills on the bike beside me. The energy that had been building for sixteen weeks was now released and I personally liked the way that I was no longer following repeated routes that I knew unbelievably well, but was in completely new and beautiful scenery, where no one knows what could be around a corner or straight ahead. Louis then successfully completed his stint after me, before Sam started his stint and the weather started to pick up and brighten.
Hardknott Pass; the beast of all hills, was tackled by Dan and Tom. The gradient was so steep that the minibus couldn’t get up the hill. Therefore, we took a different route and planned to meet the runners at the end of another hill, Wrynose Pass. Tom, Dan and Beechy ran so fast over the hills that they beat the minibuses and their runs were over by the time we caught up so Dan had to run again. The rain started to beckon at this point, but it was just a slight drizzle.
Not long after this, Louis and I went past Lake Windemere and were accompanied by Mrs Harris. We were running along the path beside a busy road and got a few honks from passing cars. Throughout the day, the team were kept going by the fully-stocked minibus where the food that the Blakemore Foundation had provided for us was shelved above our heads. I must have overindulged on Boost bars. We also had healthy pasta with sauces provided by Dr Hinchliffe and Mrs Dalzell which were enjoyed by all.
Towards the afternoon, on the way to Nateby Hill Abbey, Titch and Becky all successfully completed their tough stints. I ran with Miss Ward and Miss Whitaker along a never-ending stretch of straight road. I felt like Forest Gump! Soon Sam tackled Nateby Hill with Mrs Harris, though the wind and rain forced her to retire before Sam. Tom took over near the top, dressed as a banana to the amusement of all who had stopped to cheer at the top of the hill.
Darkness soon arrived and glowsticks were distributed amongst us. They were amazing and the minibus soon looked like a scene from a mid-eighties disco with people emitting bright funky colours from all angles. This part of the C2C run was like a light show, with the constantly flashing hazard lights and glowing runners. At this point, if you were not running, you were either in the running bus trying to stay awake for your turn or in the back of the sleeping bus trying to get some kip. The sleeping bus played leapfrog with the running bus through the night so that runners and teachers could get some sleep. Running was rather different at night. The flashing hazard lights of the Jones’ car in front became hypnotic and you got the sensation of moving, but not actually going anywhere. As well as this you felt like you no longer had your normal running stride, but now adopted a bopping up and down method. I felt quite disorientated as I hadn’t quiet woken up properly.
Soon the horizon began to lighten; we were almost there. Dan’s “I’m shattered” hoody described exactly how we were feeling. After courageous stints from the others, it was my last run. Beechy and Dan accompanied me and we pushed our tired legs over the last few hills. Then it was time to hand the tie on to Dan and Tom for the very last leg. We could finally see the sea and were soon perched on top of the famous Robin Hood’s Bay sign for some photos. We then made our way down to be greeted by a fantastic reception from parents and siblings who were instrumental in supporting us through this experience. They too deserve a pat on the back. We then made our way to the sea and dipped our toes, contributing some well travelled St Bee’s sand to that of Robin Hood’s Bay. Then it was into the Boathouse Bistro for a well earned English breakfast.
Wow!
What an unbelievably memorable and unique adventure! This was Miss Ward’s first year as organiser and we can’t give enough thanks for the persistence and dedication she has shown, not only on the event, but throughout every training session. Other staff members were also crucial and the Jones family did an excellent job supporting us through the night.
Compton Hospice would like to thank the students, teachers, parents and everyone at The Wolverhampton Grammar School who helped to make this event possible. We are humbled by the sheer grit and determination of the students’ attitude to succeed and commend them for their hard work and dedication.
We would also like to thank everyone who have sponsored the students, raising over £3000 for the hospice.
If you have any further questions about Compton Hospice and Fundraising, please call 0845 225 5497 or contact us. We will do our utmost to help with your enquiry.
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