Words: Martin Penney, LiRF

What does a runner dream of? A new personal best, entering a prestigious race or turning their passion into a career?

Welcome to Whythra, our dream come true.

Running and sports has been a way of life for Sarah and I, it did not take much to turn that love into a business.

Training and taking part in races like the Classic Quarter, Arc of Attrition and Cousin Jack taught us the trails and coastal paths of West Cornwall.

To incorporate that knowledge with an understanding of local history and folklore seemed like the perfect combination.

Whenever I run, my camera phone is not far from my hand, this gave birth to our name Whythra. Whythra is Cornish for “to gaze or look upon”, in other words, to explore. This and our love for Cornwall is what we hope to impart to all who run with us.

From the simply stunning St Michaels Mount bay, to the exhilarating coast around Zennor. We have taken our favourite runs in Cornwall and transformed them into tours. We currently have eight arranged tours that operate over four days in a two-week rotation. There is also an option for you to book the whole bus and we will tailor a tour around what you wish to see.

From ‘Bay Views’ in St Michaels Mount bay to ‘Coastal Woodlands’ covering the history of Tehidy and Portreath, we have plenty to choose from. If you are new to the trail, then join us on ‘Cornish Dunes’ or ‘Trio of Saints’. These two tours are an excellent way to see parts of Cornwall you didn’t know and discover the joys of trail running.

Fancy something a little more testing? Then ‘As I was going to St. Ives’ may be your cup of tea. Sixteen miles of the toughest but most stunning coastline that Cornwall has to offer. This adventure from Cape Cornwall to St. Ives draws me like a bear to honey. If I ever feel a lack of motivation, I head there and within a few miles of running, I have found my desire again.

History fills our days. Pirates and privateers, mermaids and giants, iron age and Romans, right through to the tin and copper mining. You will find it all in Cornwall.

I cannot begin to describe what running on a Cornish trail feels like, but I will give it a go.

Take our run ‘Zennor thro’ the Ages’. We start in the old village of Zennor. A village so rich in history and mystique, you could spend all day here. We head off, up the tracks and trails to Zennor Hill and Zennor Quoit. Within ten minutes we have left civilisation behind and travelled back in time. When you are up on the moorland, each turn brings something new, its simply intoxicating.

As most runners will find, breaking a new trail brings a giddy excitement, what will I find, what will I see? Combine that with some snippets of history and folklore, then you have an adventure. We continue to run along the moor trails to Nine Maidens, an ancient stone circle, then Ding Dong Mine and onto Men-an-Tol.

Jumping from ancient to recent history and back again. From Men-an-Tol we head to our lunch stop where Sarah will meet us with all the food and refreshment you require.

Back on the trail again, searching for our next piece of history, Men Scryfa and its giant warrior. Over the ridge we go and there it is, the Cornish coastline and the Iron Age site, Bosigran Castle. We then run down to join the most visited attraction in Cornwall, the South West Coast Path.

The up’s and down’s, the ins and outs of this coast path will be a memory you will carry forever. Each turn brings a new view and each ridge a beautiful vista.

Finally, we reach Pendour Cove, where we listen for Matthew singing to his mermaid and reluctantly, turn once more inland to where Sarah waits to take us home.

Hopefully by taking you briefly through one of our tours I have at least, conveyed some of the joy that we experience when we run in Cornwall. It is not easy to put into words, hence my ever-ready phone and its camera. A picture they say, paints a thousand words.

Martin and Sarah, Whythra Pathfinders.

Find out more about Whythra on the link below:

https://runtourscornwall.co.uk/