Last One Standing Castleward 2020 race report

For Atlas Running getting ready for the event this year started on Wednesday , checking the weather was going to be a big part of this years event , Castleward has its own weather station and if the winds got over 55 miles per hour the event would be called of . 
Friday had arrived and so had the wind the rain was due to stop at noon so we hoped to get the marquees up then . For once the weather forecast was right the rain stopped the wind died down and we wasted no time getting the two  marquees up . At least now if any runner turning up early could stay dry . 
Time to set up the course , lots of muddy wet parts but not to bad , hopefully the rain that’s due won’t be as bad as they say .
Race day 6am , The wind has destroyed the medical tent but most of the runners tents have survived , the wind is not to go over 51 miles per hour so the event is on . 
10am and over 100 runners start in the 2 small races 4.2 or 8.4 mile , they get soaked as the heavens have opened and the winds are back . 
Don Travers wins the 8.4 race in 53.26 mins
Karen Wilton First Lady 01.00.03
Dan McManus wins the 4.2 race in 25.15 mins
Andrea Bryan First Lady 32.31 mins
11.55 and Adrian does the race brief , we are ready to start this years event . 
12 noon and 110 runners head down the hill on loop one , 
42.16 and the first runner Stephen Elliott is in . Maybe a bit quick or he’s just trying to keep warm , all runners have finished loop one inside 54 mins . 
3 mins .
This is the first time The runners will hear this ,this year , they don’t have long to sort out food etc between loops , 
2 mins. 
Some come out and start to line up , the experienced backyard runners don’t move . 
1 min.
The rest make there way to the start line and their of again , all 110 runners started loop 2.
With a few seconds to go to the start of loop 3 it looks like we are going to loose our first runner . Amy Daye , Atlas Runnings Registration and events secretary wanted to try the event before spending the next day or 2 looking after the runners needs. 
Loop 3 and 4 saw no runners drop but with the weather getting worse we lose 3 after loop 5.
Loop 6 see darkness, it will be 13 hours before they can take there headtorches off again . 
By the start of loop 8 we are down to 97 runners . We loose  6 more runners this loop including  Rich Cranswick one of the few runners to have run in all 5 events at Castleward. 
As runners go past 50.4 miles and start loop 13 we are down to 57 , the dark the cold the wet is taking its toll , these are the worse conditions we have had in 5 years . 
Loop 15 will be one loop to far for 4 more runners Stuart Scott.  Kerry McGrillen. Arron Johnston and Debbie McVeigh stop after 14 loops
Loop 15 sees some big names go 
Nick Lister here for his 5th event
Seán Nickell Bobbie Irvine both have got  36 loops before.
We are now down to 29 runners at the start of loop 17 day light is just starting , this will give the runners the boost they need . 
Ian McAuley calls it a day after 21 loops leaving 19 runners and we don’t loose anymore to after they  reach 100.8 miles 
David Stevenson  Rachel Piper  Gareth Birkett. Neil Scott  Billy Reed and Martin Campbell all stop . 
13 brave souls head out on loop 25 , some just want one more loop some want a lot more . 
Loop 25 sees Jill Mccann  Alan Risk and Graeme Black stop 
That leaves 8 men and Claire Bannwarth the last girl still in the event 
All 9 head out on loop 26 
Marty Hagan and Calum Tinnion didn’t start again , we are now in single figures . 
Loop 29 sees Dan Lawson turn back and stop his event is over he joins Georgios Dalakouras on the side lines watching the top 6 push on to loop 30 and start there 2nd night in darkness. 
We loose Keith Lane after 30 loops and see the top 5 start loop 31 . 
Pat Staunton  and Claire Bannwarth have stopped Claire now having lasted longer than any woman in previous years. 
The top 3 left are all capable of running 200 miles at this point it would still be hard to pick the winner. 
Loop 34 sees us down to the final 2 
Gwynn Stokes stopped after 142.8 miles fantastic running . 
It will be another 6 hours before Eoin Keith says he’s not starting loop 41  leaving Peter Cromie to   start his final loop , it’s at this point where we hear the quote of the event
A pb would be lovely but an early night will just be as nice 
Then he’s away on his final loop 
50.25 mins later and it’s all over 
Peter Cromie has won for the 3rd year in a row. 
Last One Standing Castleward 2020.
Peter gets the golden coin and a place in the world final at Bigs Backyard in Tennessee 
Hopefully the weather will be kinder in 2021.
Atlas Running Adrian Daye Amy Daye Sammy Daye and Dianne Leahy
would like thank all the runners who braved the bad weather to make the event happen 
Sound function for the music 
Championchip Ireland for timing 
Ambutran for doing medics
Kevin Murray for taking photos 
Castleward for letting us use the grounds 
Joan Telford and Laura Telford and kids for marshalling
Peter and Fiona for the food vans 
Our next Last One Standing is at Florence Court on 29 th August 
We have a recce day on 11th July 
All info is on atlasrunning Facebook page and website www.atlasrunning.co.uk

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