I sadly dropped out feeling pretty awful, despite passing through Side Farm on the return a good hour up on my pb.

Had been ill for a couple of days, and despite getting out in the sun on Friday for a dozen miles, i'd only really been able to eat one full meal on Friday.

Breakfast on Saturday was again by necessity a very small affair, and i was hungrily attempting to tuck into my 'emergency' Game Pie well before reaching High Street. Again i couldn't stomach it and after a few bites i left it on the fell wall for the birds.

Plodded on, nibbling Dextrose tablets and the odd biscuit at checkpoints, but the lack of food got to me and shortly after Place Fell summit it was game over.

A shame... it's two years since doing the full course and (admittedly in more favourable conditions this year) I've obviously developed more speed and staying-power. In fact i'd barely broken into an effort in the first 30 miles due to how i felt, and was still looking reasonable for a sub 10:30 finish. After a very leisurely start i was still pretty constantly moving through the field, right up until Boredale Hause when i became more pre-occupied with having a nice lie-down...!

Well done Nick and everybody else. particularly Nigel RTS who destroyed it on a first attempt at the distance.