Damian Hall laid down another decisive victory at the Northern Traverse 300k race, arriving at the finish line a stunning four and a half hours before the next runner.
The British ultra runner – and co-founder of The Green Runners with Jasmin Paris – ran clear across the north of England, from St Bees to Robin Hood's Bay, arriving at the finish line on Monday in just 42 hours, 56 minutes and 50 seconds.
The route took him across some of the most iconic landscapes in the country as it traversed the Lake District, the Yorkshire Dales, and North York Moors, and the race saw Hall take advantage of the perfect weather, grab an early lead and comfortably maintain it for the duration.
In a video of Hall arriving at the finish line in Robin Hood's Bay, which you can watch below, the runner is greeted with a customary cup of tea to celebrate his win, which he sums up with a simple "That was cracking."
Hall's victory shaves about 90 minutes of Kim Collison’s record set in 2022 (Collison is still recovering from winning the Montane Winter Spine race last week) and means he probably had time for an ice bath, a hot meal and a shower before James Chapman came in in 47:29:04.
Hall sat out the Barkley Marathons this year after nearly-but-not-quite finishing last year, which is by all accounts a wise choice, and parted ways with sponsors amicably inov8 earlier this year, but he hasn't exactly been sitting on his laurels in the lead up to this race. In September, he took first in the 330k Tor des Geants in Italy and still had the energy at the end to stage a protest against Ford motors at the end.
No word yet on whether he raced in his trusty Inov8 Trailfly 280 trail running shoes or whether he's branched out since becoming sponsor-free.
Hall has previously set records on the Wainwright's Coast to Coast, Pennine Way and South West Coast Path.
This year’s Northern Traverse holds special significance as the route is poised to become an official National Trail in the UK in 2026, more than 50 years after Alfred Wainwright first described it.
