A group of adventure runners who are Type 1 diabetics will line up at the start of an extreme ultra race in the Lake District on Saturday (Oct 13).
The 19 runners have been given free entry to the 50 mile Lakes in a Day event by race director James Thurlow who is himself T1.
The route involves 4000m of ascent, from Caldbeck, on the northern edge of the Lakes, to Cartmel, in the south, taking in the summits of Blencathra, Helvellyn and Fairfield before descending to Ambleside and following the western shore of Windermere.
James says: “As someone who has Type 1 diabetes I want to provide the opportunity for fellow T1’s to take the most extreme events without the pressure of fundraising. I wanted the focus to be about showing friends and family what they can do even with a faulty pancreas.
“Until very recent times professional advice would be not to take part in sport, so to see so many take on a 50 mile ultra is ground breaking. As far as we know this is the largest field of those with Type 1 diabetes to take on an Ultra Run ever.
“Each of these runners will be injecting insulin or be attached an insulin pump. They will be regularly monitoring their blood sugar levels with a blood sugar meter or a device called a CGM that is attached to them with a small wire under the skin.
You can track them and the 450 other runners live here https://live.opentracking.co.uk/lakesday18/
The group will line up for a special photo on the start line at Caldbeck at 8am.
Last year’s winners were Marcis Gubats in 10 hours 18 mins and first lady Katie Kaars Sijpesteijn in 10 hours 46 mins.
See an overview of the route here: https://www.lakesinaday.co.uk/
Food is provided along the way for the runners, and any surplus is given to the Manna House homeless refuge in Kendal.
