PICKERING Running Club’s Kim Cavill finally took on her dream of running the Ultra Trail du Mont Blanc this week.

Based in Chamonix, this epic 100-mile challenge around Mont Blanc is the pinnacle of endurance fell running. 

Only highly experienced and talented fell runners are able to even consider such a huge undertaking, as traversing mountains in the Italian, Swiss and French Alps, the route packs in over 10,000m of climb. 

Over half of the competitors do not reach the finish line, but by proving herself an inspiration and showing what hard work and dreaming big can achieve, she did so in an astonishing 46 hours and 22 minutes. 

Simon Jones took on the Courmayeur/Champex/Chamonix. Known as the Ultra Trail’s ‘little sister”, at 100k and with 6,138m of ascent, the route packs a big punch with a third of competitors not reaching the finish. 

Simon paced himself perfectly to cross the line in a fantastic time of 22 hours and 24 minutes. 

By contrast, Chris and Lisa Adams tackled a very different French challenge, the Marathon du Medoc. 

Dressed as sausage rolls, they sampled the wines and gourmet food on offer at the feed stations along the route around the vineyards of Château Medoc and were presented with a bottle of wine after finishing the course in six hours and 44 minutes.

Back in the UK, Paul Woolhouse ran the Ben Nevis Race, which saw 430 runners charge up the UK’s highest mountain and back down again, finishing in a quick two hours and 53 minutes. 

Paul Simpson participated in the flat and fast See York Run York Autumn 10k, finishing second overall in a fantastic time of 41 minutes and 30 seconds.

He then went on to run the Middlesbrough 10k that same weekend, still managing a time of 46 minutes and 18 seconds.

In a similar vein but on a smaller scale Graham Robinson ran the Roseberry Topping Fell Race, the latest in the Summer Fell Race Series and also the shortest race in the series at only 1.4 miles.

To win this race you need to be totally fearless to traverse the technical terrain, with Graham using his experience and off road skills to complete the event in 31 minutes and 20 seconds.

The inaugural Scaling Dam 10 took place on Sunday, organised by Hardmoors.

Lucy Saggers, Jo Towler and Karen Farmer ran together, clocking a very creditable two hours and seven minutes. 

Mike Hetherton wasn’t far behind finishing in two hours and 18 minutes, placing him second in the M70 category.

Mike and Kelly Richmond tackled the Helvellyn Triathlon in the Lake District. The 37-mile bike ride had 3,156 feet of climb, then there was a one-mile swim in Ulswater followed by a 9.3 mile run with a further 3,000 feet of climb. 

Mike completed the challenge in four hours and 21 minutes, placing him third in the M40 category and 11th overall, whilst Kelly finished in an impressive five hours and three minutes, seeing her as the 11th female finisher.

Matt Dunn ran the Dalby Forest Canicross, and was helped by his canine friend to cross the line in a very fast time of 22 minutes and nine seconds.