With just a week to go until we start our epic Winter Endeavour event, we thought it was about time we introduced the teams!
This year we are doing things differently, with both a female and male team heading out onto the challenging West Highland Way on Friday 25th November.
Endeavour first started in 2018 as a project to go and break records in bold projects. And whilst that’s still a key part of our ‘why’ it’s also about building and celebrating our amazing ultra running community and doing what we can to improve the lives of others. So, as well as trying to set a Fastest Known Time on the double WHW, the teams will be trying to raise awareness of the benefits of exercise and raise money for the life-saving work of the British Heart Foundation.
Where did Endeavour come from?
The 2022 Endeavour project started as another small idea and as soon as we discussed options with our Pyllon community, it was clear that we’d have the opportunity to put out 2 teams. The female team will be lead by Karen Nicol - who’s no stranger to long endurance events or the West Highland Way. Karen said:
“We have so many talented ultra runners in Scotland and it’s great that we’ll have the chance to really test ourselves out there. Running is an important part of our lives, and it’s great to give something back.”
The female team will be 9 x strong! Amanda Woodrow will start the team off at midday as she heads out into Mugdock country park. From there Karen will pick up the gps tracking ‘baton’ and pass it on to Lynsie Miller at Drymen who will take the team over Conic Hill and onto the banks of Loch Lomond.
Victoria Presly returns to the WHW following her solid race there in the summertime and will hand over to ultra superstar Debbie Consani to complete the second half of the tricky loch-side section. From there the trail leaves the loch behind and it’ll be Lynsey McLaughlin who will take the team north towards Tyndrum.
With most normal people thinking about heading to bed by this time on Friday night, the running will continue. Pam Smith, Patricia Carvalho and Alice Mezincescu will bolster the effort as temperatures drop into the night. There are plans in place as it starts to get late and the trail becomes more remote. 2 x athletes will run together on some sections for safety reasons and to keep the tracker moving.
The team will likely reach Fort William and the end of the WHW around 3:00am on Saturday 26th. From there, it’s just as simple as turning around and heading back to Milngavie - with just the small matter of another 96 miles!
Our female team is full of inspirational people. And we are incredibly proud of what they do - in training, and in life. Amazing athletes for sure, but also very normal people managing challenging jobs, juggling family life and trying to be their best with all that they do. Pam Smith said:
“For me running is that one time wether it be 30 mins or 3 hrs where I have no one asking anything of me. No children, work or life pressures - just me and my own thoughts. Running let’s me go explore and do what I want to do. It lets me reset, and clear my mind and ultimately makes me a better mum, colleague and friend.”
Over the coming days we will share some more details and hear from some of the athletes about why they are taking part, and their own reasons for supporting the British Heart Foundation.
If you want to support the female team, please:
FOLLOW: We will have live GPS trackers when we start and it will be with us throughout the challenge. You will also be able to follow our live updates on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook on the @PyllonUltra and @Pyllon accounts. Please follow for updates.
SUPPORT: It’s a challenging event to organise and support - so we’d really welcome any support out on the course during the event. Please get in touch if there’s any way you can help! Contact us
SHARE: We are trying to reach as many people as possible, and we’d love to get #PyllonEndeavour trending, so please help us out by sharing, retweeting, following and commenting!
DONATE: We are raising funds for the British Heart Foundation (BHF) for the vital research they do into heart and circulatory diseases. The BHF are working towards preventing these conditions from developing and helping those with existing conditions to have better, longer lives. We all know someone who’s life has been cut short - and the important role exercise plays in health and longevity. If you can spare any money please show your support by making a donation.
MOVE: Exercise has so many positive effects and if more of us had the time, support and encouragement to make it an essential part of everyday life, we’d live happier and healthier lives. We hope that our own endurance efforts will encourage other people to get outside and walk / run more.
Find out more about Pyllon Endeavour 192
Listen to the Pyllon Ultra Pod podcast: Apple / Spotify
Watch more about about Pyllon on YouTube
Find out more about Pyllon Coaching
