Northumberland Coast races

Beach, dune and castle between Bamburgh and Druridge Bay. Flat by Northumberland standards, and fully exposed — there is nothing between this coast and the North Sea, so the wind decides how the day feels more than the profile does.

Sand is the thing to plan for. Firm wet sand near the waterline is fast and pleasant; soft dry sand above it is exhausting, and dune crossings between beaches cost far more than their length. Where the tide is out, the running is some of the best anywhere; where it is in, you are pushed onto the softer stuff.

The races here run from ten kilometres to a hundred, including point-to-point routes along the coast from Bamburgh. None require navigation. The compensation for the exposure is the setting: castles, islands and long empty beaches, on a stretch of coast that is quiet even in summer.