The British ultrarunning community was stunned over the New Year’s Day period to learn of the passing of Ed Catmur, at the age of 41. The beloved runner tragically lost his life on a training run on the Pennine Way in Northern England.
Ed had been staying in the area over the holiday. Early on December 31, 2023, he embarked on a planned out-and-back run, from the village of Dufton over Cross Fell along the Pennine Way. The trail is a very popular route with hikers and runners and the location for the annual Spine Race.
When he failed to return, police were alerted, and an extensive search conducted with the local Mountain Rescue teams and other agencies along his planned route. The search continued the next day, assisted by dogs, drones, and helicopters.
Later, on January 1, 2024, the Cumbria Police announced the sad news that a body had been found. When news eventually filtered out, confirming that it was that of Ed Catmur, a sense of shock set in among those who knew him.
Ed Catmur competing in Centurion Running’s Autumn 100 Mile. Photo: Centurion Running
Cross Fell is the highest mountain in the Pennines, and the highest point in England, outside the Lake District. At a height of 2,929 feet, or 983 meters, it is not high by Alpine standards, but the terrain is very exposed. The route has mild technical sections and, like all hill and mountain areas, the weather can change rapidly, especially in winter.
We must emphasize Ed was an incredibly experienced runner, used to the terrain, and would have been prepared for the conditions and known the risks involved.
Ed was from London and was a well-known face, not just on the ultrarunning scene, but also in the orienteering community. He was a prolific and competent racer, from short orienteering events to challenging 100-mile races. He had a road marathon personal best of 2:32:20, and the day before his death, ran the local 5-kilometer Penrith Parkrun, close to where he was staying.
The Recent American Connection
For the last year or so of his life, Ed’s work had taken him to the U.S., and to Chicago, Illinois, in particular. In 2023, he competed in several ultras in the U.S., including the Silver Rush 50 Mile in July, the Shawnee Hills 100k in August, where he finished second, and in early December, he ran what his last 100 miler at the Daytona 100 Mile, finishing seventh. He had also managed to squeeze in his ninth Comrades Marathon in June of 2023.
Ed had brought his love of orienteering to the U.S., joining in with the local orienteering community in Chicago. Some of the people he met left condolences on the Attackpoint orienteer community discussion group:
“So sad to hear this. For the past year Ed has been a regular at Chicago orienteering events and was great to get to know. Friendly, enthusiastic, and always ready to lend a hand. Condolences to his family.”
“A gut punch to his fellow orienteers here in Chicago, such a nice guy. He would ride out on his bike, run a course, and then help pick up the controls. I remember the last conversation I had with him at the last fall meet he attended like it was yesterday.”
He was someone who just loved running, and seemed to live his life to the fullest no matter where he was.
From Ed’s London Athletic Club, Thames Hare and Hounds
Ed’s athletic club in London, the famous Thames Hare and Hounds, posted a tribute on the club’s website. Here’s an extract of this:
Ed Catmur (second from the right) running with his club. Photo: Thames Hare and Hounds
“Ed grew up locally in Hinchley Wood and joined Thames before going up to Jesus College, Oxford, in 2001. While at Oxford, he represented [the university] several times at cross country against Cambridge. He also excelled at orienteering at Oxford, winning four Blues [awards given to those participating in varsity matches] between 2002 and 2005.
“He represented Great Britain at the Junior World Orienteering Championships in 2001, and as well as Thames Hare and Hounds, was a member of South London Orienteers.
“… However, it was in marathon and ultrarunning that Ed truly excelled. His successes are too numerous to mention in full. However, to pick out a few, he won the London to Brighton Trail Race in 2012, the Thames Path 100 Mile in 2014, the Milton Keynes Marathon in 2013, and the North Downs Way 100 Mile in 2013. He ran the legendary Comrades Marathon nine times, and achieved a best finish of 6 hours, 49 minutes, 50 seconds in 2015. Ed was a much-loved and respected member of the club, and his death will leave a big void. We send our deepest condolences to his family.”
From South London Orienteers, Ed’s Longtime Orienteering Club
The South London Orienteers also posted a tribute on their website, again illustrating how enmeshed he was in the orienteering scene, along with being a more than competent ultrarunner:
“In the space of five weeks in the summer of 2013, he won the Saunders Mountain Marathon, the Ultra Tour of the Peak District (62 miles), and the North Downs Way 100 Mile.
“… Ed was also a frequent and valuable helper at our events. He took on the planning for the 2017 and 2018 London City Race, making visits to potential control sites from his work. Like his own orienteering, he was extremely good at that, with the courses being very well received both years.
“He won the 18-mile course at our Surrey Hills Race twice. He won the U.K. Urban League in 2010. And when he became [a member of the] M35 [age group], a flood of championship wins were taken. He most often traveled by bicycle too, leaving him the challenge of what to do with the trophies.
“… In the 2021 Veteran Home International we put on, Ed ran on the England team. He won the longest class on Saturday and then “the extra-long leg” in the relay on the Sunday. As usual, he was up for collecting controls after his run before heading off on his bike. He was a great guy; we were fortunate to have him in our club.”
Ed Catmur representing England at the 2021 Veteran Home International orienteering relay. Photo: South London Orienteers
A Tribute from James Elson, of Centurion Running
James Elson, race director of the Centurion Running ultra races in the U.K., which includes an annual series of 50- and 100-mile trail events in the southeast of England, was a good friend of Ed. Speaking to iRunFar, he offered the following tribute:
“What a loss to the community. Ed ran the first event we ever organized, finishing second at the North Downs Way 50 Mile in 2011. That was his first ultra. Between now and then, he ran and finished 30 of our 100-mile races.
“In the early years, he won the North Downs Way 100 Mile, the Thames Path 100 Mile, and the Winter 100 Mile. He was the most prolific and arguably the best 100 miler we had on the scene at the time, between 2011 and 2015. He won the North Downs Way 100 Mile in 2013 in 15:44:39, a time that has only been beaten once since by one of our current best 100-mile runners, Mark Darbyshire.
“Those were the years when he was at the peak of his powers. That North Downs 100 Mile performance is still one of the best runs we have ever seen. He seemed to be on cruise control, but then put his head down and charged away to victory.
“He had some injury issues. He drifted in and out for a while, getting a little slower while dealing with being injured, but still wanting to compete.
“More recently, he had come back to form again. In 2020, he finished second at the Autumn 100 Mile, in what was his 100-mile personal best on the trails, 15 hours, 38 minutes.
“… It’s such a loss for us all, as he was such a big presence at our races. He often volunteered too, when he wasn’t running.
“… There is so much shock that he has become tragically unstuck, mainly as he was such an experienced runner.”
Ed Catmur during Centurion Running’s Thames Path 100 Mile. Photo: Centurion Running
Safety in the Mountains
Ed Catmur’s death once again highlights the ongoing need to balance enjoying ourselves in wonderful outdoor locations with keeping safe.
For many British runners, it brought back memories of a similar tragic event where British mountain runner Chris Smith lost his life in 2020. Smith was also a very experienced mountain runner, also failing to return from what started as a simple training run, while on a break in the Scottish Highlands.
The coroner, in that case, concluded that hypothermia was the cause of death — when the weather deteriorated suddenly, resulting in a windchill of minus 11 degrees Celsius on the summits in the area where Smith was found.
I think back on my own adventures and stories shared with friends. All of us admit that there have been times when we made a decision that probably pushed us out of our comfort zone to a point that was potentially unsafe. Sometimes it could be on a winter run when the weather turned, or a summer run when we badly planned a route, that ended up being far longer or more challenging than expected.
While it is natural to push our boundaries, we owe it to our friends and our family to take at least basic safety precautions, especially in winter. Whatever our chosen sport, we can never eliminate risk, but we can at least cover our bases.
Many of us who are lifelong runners have learned outdoor skills growing up, through school or college, on organized trips. In the U.K., the amazing network of running and athletic clubs has a wealth of experienced and wise coaches and runners, who are happy to guide and mentor runners with their experience to keep safe in the hills at any time of year.
For those of us who come to running later in life, and develop that spirit of adventure, there are many opportunities to find advice or take a simple course to improve our outdoor skills and awareness.
In the U.K., the Fell Runners Association and Scottish Hill Runners can advise on suitable navigation and safety courses in your area. Your local specialist outdoor store should also have contacts. This piece on iRunFar about safety in bad weather and difficult terrain is well worth a read, and this excellent short video from Trail Running Scotland is also well worth 10 minutes of your time.
Ed’s accident and that of Chris Smith teach us that even the most experienced runners can get into trouble, sometimes for reasons outside their control. We can take some comfort in knowing that they died doing one of the activities they enjoyed most.
Go explore, but stay safe.
Call for Comments
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