The Return of the Exmoor Steeplechase

In 2017, Red Bull Steeplechase returned for its fifth year, using the rugged terrain and coastline of Exmoor National Park as its backdrop.

500 male and female runners tackled the 23-mile route with three knockout points at steeples along the way reducing the numbers down until there were just 20 competitors from each category in the final leg.

In the 2014 event, Emmie Collinge was ranked as the top female runner, surviving all three knockout stages to claim victory, and she had given this advice to 2017 entrants:

1. Start slow and steady. Don’t go out too hard. For mid-pack runners, be a bit more strategic. Keep some energy in reserve if you’re safe for certain checkpoints. It’s a long and hard race so pace yourself.
2. Run in the hills. If you live in the UK, preparing for a race that’s offroad and that has almost 2,000m of climbing is not that easy. I have an advantage because I live in the mountains in Italy, so make sure you get as much hill training as possible. Running uphill after you’ve caned it downhill is one of the hardest things.
3. Bake before the race. Make sure you eat. I like organic energy bars or I usually eat homemade flapjacks. I’m not a big fan of gels – I like oat-based things.
4. Train for two-thirds of the distance. They talk about genders becoming more equal the longer the race. No-one is going to get left behind. I proved it two years ago. We started five minutes after the men, but my final time was only 10 minutes after the first man. Do some good long runs that include hills. Do some hill repeats – run up the hill for three minutes with a walk down and repeat eight times.
5. Believe in yourself. Everyone else is probably hurting more than you. Remind yourself that you can do it. Because it’s Red Bull, there’s like a festival atmosphere around the whole course which really makes it a lot more bearable and spurs you on. Although don’t get too spurred on at the start – save yourself!

In the event Andy Greenleaf from London’s Serpentine Running Club was the Red Bull Steeplechase 2017 winner. This is his second victory at the event; he won when it was staged in the Peak District in 2014.

“It’s absolutely stunning scenery, it’s one of the most incredible races I’ve ever done,” said Andy.

The female battle was equally hard fought. Mary Menon from Ilfracombe Running Club came second in Red Bull Steeplechase last year. This year she took the crown with Carla Molinaro coming in second and Victoria Crawford in third.

“I wanted to come back this year and get the win. I feel fantastic now. It’s such a brilliant course – the views have been beautiful all the way around. My plan this year was to go out quick because I can stay for ages and then tried to hold the lead as much as I could. My advice for anyone running this race would be to do lots of hill practise – both uphill and downhill! Stay mentally tough and keep coaching yourself around,” said Mary.

The runners also included endurance adventurer and Dare2b ambassador Sean Conway. Sean has cycled the world, swum the length of Britain over 18 weeks and spent 85 days taking on the world’s longest triathlon – a 4,200-mile epic around the British coastline. He took a break from training for his upcoming European cycling record attempt to join and even made it to the third knockout round.

“Whoever designed this course is an evil person, I have a bone to pick with them!” said Sean.