Jordan’s jogging jumps up a level with SCARPA

One weekend in early March shortly after turning 30 I was mooching about the iconic lakeland market town of Keswick when I decided to pop into the equally iconic Needle Sports. After checking out the array of well stocked quality outdoor gear I headed up to the top floor in search of some lightweight trail ready shoes to peruse one of the true GOATs of Italian mountain footwear SCARPA. 

As is often the case with specialist outdoor shops I was met with an enthusiastic and passionate employee who listened to my needs attentively before recommending that I check a pair of Ribelle Run. Made for moving efficiently on rugged mountainous terrain, I thought these shoes could be the perfect choice for our many wild camping trips planned for the drier months. 

After returning home with my Ribelle Runs in tow I did a little online research on the intended purpose of the shoe. Loving what I was finding and after a chat with my seasoned fell running employer/friend I thought maybe it would be best to try a few short test runs in them around the park before my attempts to become the Billy Bland of Stockport. 

As the weeks passed I started to really enjoy running around the park and was feeling the physical and mental health benefits that it delivered. When a 10k run started feeling pretty easy I decided it was now time to head for the trail and really put these new shoes through their paces. Reckoning that an 18k run from the Sportsman pub in Hayfield up to the plateau of Kinder Scout and down via Mount Famine should do the job. 

Completely done in physically but feeling on top of the world mentally, once I’d completed the run I realised just how much I love this form of exercise. All the dopamine and endorphin hits of a substantial run being further aided by the unique feeling of freedom that nature provides by removing you both literally and metaphorically from all the stress of everyday life. 

From this point I’ve gradually worked up to running kinder scout three times a week, one of those runs being a training session with my new mates at the Pennine fell running club. Which has been a great way to meet fellow outdoor and trail running enthusiasts whilst getting a few tips on my new pastime. 

All of which led up to my first competitive fell race up Teggs nose in Macclesfield on the 3rd of August. After soaking up the initial buzz and super friendly atmosphere in the sheep trial fields at the start of the course, myself and 105 other runners set off on the undulating 12.8k slog. After finding my pace (while firmly in zone 5) and making the most of the downhills in the grippy Ribelles I managed to finish in the top thirty! 27th place to be exact, with a time of 1hr 11 mins 11 secs, which it’s fair to say I was absolutely buzzing with!

There’ll be more to follow on my fell running adventures in the coming weeks but for now I’d just like to thank the self locking lacing system, high performance rubber outsole and quick-drying breathable mesh uppers of those tremendous Scarpa shoes for getting me through!

Jordan Horton

Follow Outdoor Licence member Jordan’s progress HERE and check out the SCARPA selection at Needle Sports HERE.