2023 Silva Lakes Traverse ends in dead heat

The 2023 SILVA Lakes Traverse served up some exciting competition and concluded with friends Mark Darbyshire and Cumbria-based Gavin Dale taking the win together in a record breaking time.

In the women’s race, Katie Kaars Sijpesteijn defended her title with an emphatic performance.

In the SILVA Lakes Traverse, Mark Darbyshire and Gavin Dale crossed the line together in nine hours, 46 minutes and 58 seconds, breaking the course record by over an hour.

Relative newcomer Lewis Byram was third in 10:19:24. Mark is well-known on the ultra circuit as the course record holder for both the prestigious Lakeland 100 and the Arc of Attrition races, while Gavin won the most recent edition of the latter, so it always looked to be a close race between the two.

Gavin and Mark decided to finish together about four to five miles before the end.

Mark Darbyshire and Gavin Dale shared the win at the 2023 SILVA Lakes Traverse (Image: No Limits Photography)

Gavin said: “By then, we'd done all of it together.

“There wasn't a feeling of one holding the other back.

“We both pushed, we worked together on it.

Gavin Dale enjoys Ennerdale on the 2023 SILVA Lakes Traverse (Image: No Limits Photography)

“At that point, when we'd done so much of it together, it just felt right to end it together.

“I don’t think either of us had a lot left there.”

Mark added: “We just matched our paces early on.

“I couldn't have gone any faster.

“I pushed as hard as I could.

“It felt natural.

“It's nice running with someone - time goes quicker.

“I don't think I'd have run it that quickly if we hadn’t stayed together.”

GB international mountain runner Katie Kaars Sijpesteijn won the women’s SILVA Lakes Traverse in 11:55:48, defending the title she won in 2022, and finishing in fifth place overall.

Running a dominant race, Katie finished almost two hours ahead of Victoria Morris (13:54:26), with Libbi McGibbon third in 15:01:48.

Katie commented: “The Lakeland 50 was always my favourite but it’s really satisfying going from the coast.

Katie Kaars Sijpesteijn strides through Patterdale during the 2023 SILVA Lakes Traverse (Image: No Limits Photography)

“It’s brilliant going across the Lake District, the whole thing.

“You can't control what anyone else is doing.

“I’m always running as fast as I can go at that point.”

James Nobles won the 2023 SILVA Northern Traverse in 47:14:45, just over half an hour ahead of Robin Carter (47:46:48), with Robert Barnes in third (48:37:21).

Lizzie Faithfull-Davies won the women’s race at the SILVA Northern Traverse.

After battling with Nikki Sommers for the lead early on, Lizzie pulled away as the race progressed and was comfortably ahead by the time she crossed the line in 58:23:44. Nikki completed the race in 60:46:12, with Emily Mills third in 68:36:54.