Marathon 9: From College Nights to Marathon Heights

Durham was a proper trip down memory lane. Returning to my old university town meant revisiting familiar streets, old haunts, and catching up on college gossip, which admitedly didn't mean quite as much to me 12 years on! Having mostly shaken off last week’s cold, I felt far more human — though perhaps not firing on all cylinders.

With the run brought forward to Friday (purely logistical… definitely not so we could finish in the college bar), it was a slightly tighter turnaround than usual. We travelled up early and squeezed in lunch at college with some current students — a brilliant throwback to university days. True to form, I lingered a little too long and found myself jogging to the start. Some habits never die.

We set off in glorious sunshine, once again dodging the relentless British rain. A quick loop past the boathouses along the River Wear and we were soon out into stunning countryside glowing in the afternoon light.

First landmark: Finchale Abbey — sitting beautifully at the bottom of a wooded gorge beside the river. Of course, what goes down must come up. Our first proper climb came via a leg-sapping set of steps that certainly woke everyone up. We wound our way through Great Lumley before tackling the long drag up to Penshaw Monument. Darkness had fallen by the time we reached the top, but the views were still spectacular — and seeing the monument lit up in blue was an added bonus. 

There were some darker patches too (both literally and metaphorically), including a less-than-scenic stretch along the dual carriageway back towards Durham. Character building, as always.

We rolled back into college to the best kind of finish line: a group of brilliant current runners, a pint of Guinness waiting, and the promise of a hot shower.

Huge thanks to University College for hosting us — especially Chloe, Nina and Seb — and to Emily for popping up throughout the route and joining us for dinner afterwards. 

All in all, a hugely enjoyable return to a place that shaped so many years. Marathon 9 done.

Next stop: Derbyshire for Marathon 10 on Saturday, 28th Feb.