Monuments, maps and moments alone - running solo along the Pennine Way
- Sarah Lister
- Aug 12
- 4 min read
Hebden Bridge is one of those places that people talk about. I’d never imagined myself running there. Until fairly recently, I didn’t even know that it could be reached on foot across the Pennines. And that’s the thing - you don’t know how places connect up until you study a map. It’s one of my favourite things to do.
That’s how the day had started, planning a route from my friend's house to reach the same place I’d finished running the day before. After she’d left early for work, I eventually got packed up and went to a nearby cafe for coffee and breakfast. While standing at the counter I got chatting to a local man with a lovely black labrador after he’d commented “you look like you’re on a journey.”
After a brief exchange he asked me if I’d heard of a Japanese-inspired concept called the Misogi challenge. The notion is to put one big thing on the calendar every year that scares you, that you never thought you could do, and go out and do it. He told me about a walking challenge he is planning to complete in the Howgills, then apologised for taking up too much of my time and wished me a good journey. He seemed determined as he marched off, perhaps feeling more committed having shared his goal.
I sat outside the cafe next to the canal with my map, occasionally looking up to watch the ducklings snuggling into their mother (until a dog went over for a sniff and turned the peaceful scene into chaos). My legs felt stiff from the day before, and my shoulders sore from carrying a heavier pack than usual. Again, I couldn’t see how I was going to be able to run. Where would I find the energy and strength?
As soon as the road was behind me and the expansive hills ahead, I found my running legs. The sky looked murky, the air felt muggy, but I was feeling good. Crossing the bridge over the motorway soon became one of the highlights of the day, especially after drinking a disgusting “espresso” from Nicky’s food bar which was actually a cup of instant coffee with extra granules. They must've laughed at me for ordering an espresso from a roadside cafe for lorry drivers.
Although the terrain was easier than the day before, running felt harder. It consisted mainly of flagstone paths and wide tracks along reservoirs. The thing is that the peaty hills are the motivation behind my love of running, and without them my energy plummets. I pushed myself to run anyway, even though it was hard and I didn’t really feel like it. I taught myself that I could keep going.
Eventually I turned a corner. Stoodley Pike monument was finally in sight! I messaged my partner Jon to tell him, then felt a lump rise in my throat and a couple of tears wetting my eyelashes. I hadn’t expected this emotional response, but there it was. I’ve become accustomed to this happening during long days outside. Was it a sense of achievement, a feeling of relief, or sadness that the end of this journey was already in sight? Maybe a little bit of everything.
After reaching Stoodley Pike I needed to focus on navigation to reach Hebden Bridge. The steep downhill run into the town rattled my knees and it was a bit of a shock to the system being surrounded by traffic and people in the busy centre. A beautiful bookshop window caught my attention and I lingered there for a couple of minutes, eventually persuaded to enter when someone else opened the door. Retreating from the bustle outside, I listened to my quiet footsteps exploring the silent shop floor and enjoyed the scent of flicked pages tickling the air around my nostrils. I remembered a book that had recently caught my attention - There are rivers in the sky by Elif Shafak. The story connects three characters across time and space through the journey of a single raindrop. I found it on display and bought it along with a mug which I took to my hotel room for the night.
After a shower and a Thai meal, I wandered along the stunning Rochdale Canal as the sun started to go down. Spending time alone is strangely rich, even in a bustling place like Hebden Bridge. I find it incredibly revealing and restorative, despite the loneliness at times. It creates space for observation, gratitude, and healing, which can be easy to miss among daily demands.
In June next year I’ll be running to Hebden Bridge in a oner from Edale as part of the Summer Spine Sprint event. It will be a completely different experience to stand behind that iconic start line in Edale as part of a race - watch this space!
This is part two of a two-part blog. Read part one here. Follow me on Strava, on Instagram: @about.the.adventure and @edale.trailrunner, and Bluesky for more photos and updates.