Ultra_Tales_Issue_4_v2

ULTRA TALESCONTENTS4 END OF YEAR REVIEWJANUARY 2013ISSUE 04ULTRA TALES NEWS2 Contents3 Editorial212 Next Issue34 HARDMOORS 6071 CAESARS CAMP106 GLEN OGLE 33EVENT REPORTS26 Trans Europe Footrace34 Hardmoors 6047 London to Brighton63 Longmynd Hike67 Norfolk Ultra70 Caesars Camp88 Stort 3096 Three Peaks106 Glen Ogle 33115 Oxfordshire Way Ultra122 Druid Ridgeway Ultra126 Gower Ultra135 Beacons Ultra145 Winter 100159 Piece of String Fun Run186 The Ultra Brecon 40193 Barcelona 24hr197 Across the YearsRUNNERS PROFILES55 Annette Helliwell58 Tom Wright99 James Elson103 Michael Hoefsmith178 Wendy Shaw182 Ian Thomas202 Carl Whitehead208 James AdamsARTICLES4 Runners End of Year Review19 2013 Race Preview204 Trail Run Across America207 Gear Review - Drymax Socks02 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

RUNNERS END OFYEAR REVIEWUltra Tales readers tell us how 2012 went and whatthey have lined up for 2013?04ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

ARTICLE END OF YEAR REVIEWSANDRA BOWERSNEIL BRYANTPHOTOGRAPH | IAN J BERRYWhat were your (running) highlights of 2012?Highlights for 2012 were winning the RidgewayChallenge and running a 15:48 5k with the huskies(Newbury parkrun).I also had the honour of running in the OlympicTorch Relay and I participated in my first 100 mileevent.What are your (running) goals for 2013?Plans for 2013 are Ridgeway Challenge and a sub 4minute mile with the huskies. I may also attempt torace a 100 miler.What were your (running) highlights of 2012?My 2012 was the most incredible year in mysporting life.I achieved everything I went out to do and haveenjoyed some of the greatest experiences. Metsome amazing people along the way too!What are your (running) goals for 2013?I'm planning UTSW, The Thames Ring, UTMB and TorDes Geant. I may shoehorn some other stuff in if Ican...06 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

ARTICLE END OF YEAR REVIEWANTHONY CLARKcramping on the final straight, hobbling over theline and seeing my wife and kids cheering me onwas too much).What are your (running) goals for 2013?I already have several events booked, the NorthDowns Way 50 in May, the Trail Marathon Wales inJune and the North Downs Way 100 in August. Asbefore all roads lead to the 100 mile run andeverything before is considered a training run. Iwould like to improve on my time for the 50 andaim for sub 11 hours but the ultimate goal is the100 miler. Running 100 miles is going to be amassive leap for me, but I am going with a goal ofsub 24hrs ( I want a 100 mile 1 day belt buckle!)which if I train hard and keep focused I believe I willbe able to achieve. It’s going to be an experiencesucceed or fail; and ultimately that’s why I run.What were your (running) highlights of 2012?2012 was a really good year for me as not only did Icomplete my first Marathon I also completed myfirst Ultra; and in doing so found a true love of ultradistancerunning. I ran a total of nine races over theyear but the most notable for me was the NorthDowns Way 50 and the Snowdonia Marathon. TheNorth Downs Way 50 because it was what I hadbeen training towards for a year, to successfullycomplete it under my planned time was a hugeweight off my shoulders while giving me a desire tocontinue to push myself and aim for longer runs(and in a way finding my true calling). SnowdoniaMarathon because, as my second official Marathon(the first being the Trail Marathon Wales) I managedto set a new PB while also getting the rush ofemotions at the end and being bought to tears (Ithink the combination of both calf muscles07 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

ARTICLE END OF YEAR REVIEWJENNIFER BRADLEYWhat were your (running) highlights of 2012?2012 was my best running year yet - 5,000+ miles,with the Run Across America on Trail taking up3302 miles! Managed to build a good endurancebase and ended the year with a pb marathon.(Editors Note: Jen also took part and completed inthe Across the Years race, a 72 hour non-stop raceat the end of December finishing as 3rd Femalehaving covered just over 204 miles).What are your (running) goals for 2013?Lots!Viking Way Ultra, GUCR are the two long races inmy diary. Transe Gaule in August is my main stagerace for the year (19 stages across France). Othermulti-days include Pilgrims Way, Pony Express withMont Blanc 80k and a few other ultras along theway.GEMMA CARTERWhat were your (running) highlights of 2012?2012 has been a year of up and downs (and I don’tjust mean all the hill work I’ve done!). I feel Iachieved some excellent things this year, pushingmy race distances and becoming more competitivewith some good performances. I learned how torace better and my best moment was in the SDW100 where I actually found myself runningcompletely ‘in the zone’ or what runners term‘running flow’. However, the year was considerablymarred by multiple injuries (knee, hamstring, ankle,foot, you name it!) which made the year all themore disappointing as I couldn’t fulfil my potential,achieve all my goals and ended up with some verylow points! After a bitter blow having to DNF a fewraces.I fell out of love with my own running and feelingimmense pressure to regain fitness which lead tosome overtraining syndrome/ burn out. After a fewmonths of self discovery I feel I am now on the up,discovered my love and joy of simply running andam focused, driven and highly motivated for somebig goals and successes in 2013- bring it on!What are your (running) goals for 2013?2013 is my come back year after a disappointing 7months of injury and DNF’S. I have planned somekey races, some big goals and additionally some funruns. I know my weaknesses and I am ready totackle them head on, becoming a more matureathlete. This is my year to succeed.Races lined up: C2C, TT50, SDW 50 (crossing thatdarn finish line on the track that I didn’t this year!),NDW 50, NDW 100. See you all there!HAPPY RUNNING EVERYONE!!! Have a great 2013!08 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

ARTICLE END OF YEAR REVIEWTIM ADAMSDINO ILARIAWhat were your (running) highlights of 2012?2012 has been of one my most memorable years todate, where my best results were coming secondplace in both the Ridgeway 40 and UTSW 60.However, the standout highlight of the year wasrunning the Hardrock 100 in Silverton, Colorado.The camaraderie of the event and the magicalscenery was breath-taking; definitely an experiencethat will be etched in my mind for years to come. Ifinished the year with a frosty and tough 42 milesaround Brecon, but the stunning morning viewsand running into the sunrise made everythingworthwhile.What are your (running) goals for 2013?This is still to be finalised…the year will start offwith Country to Capital, which has now become abit of a tradition, with the inevitable dash to thegate as a way of getting rid of a few cobwebs. I alsohope to enter UTSW in Cornwall; I ran the 60 thisyear and the beautiful views are enough to lure meback for the 100 in 2013. The Fellsman race has alsocaught my attention and I would hope to fit thisinto the schedule too. I would like to return to theUS again and having missed out on both the HR100and Western States lottery, I am setting my sightson the Bear 100 in the Waasach Mountains.What were your (running) highlights of 2012?Not great, as my training focused too much oneating. As a result I sulked and whinged throughoutmost of the races I entered this year. I alsocompleted the London Marathon in the slowesttime ever by somone who claims to run a lot.Nevertheless, I was fortunate enough to take part insome fabulous events, meet lots of fellow runnersand eat pie in some stunning locations.What are your (running) goals for 2013?A diet, and lots of races, incl. back to UTMB - hopingfor the proper course this time; a 'quick' marathon;12 hours on a track, and some solo long distancetrails.09 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

ARTICLE END OF YEAR REVIEWMICHALE SARTORIUSGoal accomplished.Goal 3 - Despite having the unusual training routineof largely running only 3 miles and havingabsolutely no rest days I was able to set a newmarathon PB at Brighton but also qualifying forBoston and London marathons for 2013. PBs werealso set at 5k, 10k, half marathon and 50 miles. Goalcompleted.Goal 4 - My first 100 miler was completed in justover 23:30 in June at the Centurion South DownsWay 100 in June (with more than a little help fromHelen, Rob, George and my crew).It's pretty easy to see why 2012 has been my bestyear of running ever.PETER COMPLETING THE GUCRPHOTOGRAPH | ROSS LANGTONWhat are your (running) goals for 2013?Goal 1 - reach 500 days of consecutive running inearly March.Goal 2 - Set a new 100 mile PB (weather/floodingpermitting) at the Centurion Thames Path 100.What were your (running) highlights of 2012?I had set myself 4 main running goals for 2012, butthese were more hopes/expectations rather thantargets. These were to complete one year of runningevery day, run a marathon every month, improvemy marathon PB and the small matter ofcompleting my maiden 100 mile foot race.Goal 1 - I had started running a minimum of 3 mileson consecutive days from the end of October 2011,so I entered 2012 a mere 62 of 366 (it would be aleap year!) done. Despite some time managementissues, interesting weather and generally tired legs(especially on the days after marathons and ultras) Imanaged complete the year and then the whole of2012 running everyday. Goal accomplished.Obviously the race I'm most looking forward to in2013 is the Boston Marathon. But I'm alreadybooked in for the Thames Trot 50, TP100, LondonMarathon, sweeping the courses of the CenturionNorth Downs Way 50 (in May) and 100 (in August).I'll probably be seen at the Country to Capital 45(Jan), crewing the SDW100 (June), at the VOTWOSouth Downs Challenge (June), at the XTRG ToadChallenge (Sept) and the Bacchus (wine tastingincluded) Marathon (Sept). Also tentatively thinkingabout doing either the Thames Challenge (the 180+miles taking in the entire length Thames) or theThames Ring 250 - assuming I can convince myselfthat I have a good chance of finishing.Goal 2 - Although I didn't run a marathon in everysingle month I did still manage to bash out 15marathon+ finishes of which 8 were ultras. To putthis in context since I had run my maiden marathonat NYC in 1998 I had only managed to chalk up 16marathon and 2 ultras in the following 12 years.10 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

ARTICLE END OF YEAR REVIEWTOM WRIGHTJON ERRINGTONWhat were your (running) highlights of 2012?Our team's 3rd place in the inaugural 100 mileGolden Hammer Challenge (UTSW). It was a race tothe finish line and the girls pulled through to gosub 20 hours by 10 seconds!"What are your (running) goals for 2013?Going solo and long(er)!Feb: Devon CTS Ultra.March: Jurassic Coast Challenge;May: Malvern Hills 52;June: UTSW 60 if the legs make it that far!Then who knows..."(Picture) The Golden Hammer Relay team arepictured at the finish at Watergate Bay. Clockwisefrom bottom left: Tom, Nadia, (Olive), Holly, Milly,Nick.What were your (running) highlights of 2012?2012 went really well as I achieved severallandmarks.1) became a member of the 100 marathon club2) ran my 1st 24 hour race at Run24 achieving 100miles3) ran my 2nd 24 hour race at Tooting Bec trackachieving 175km4) achieved my second year of over 30 marathons ina year.What are your (running) goals for 2013?Mainly to complete longer distance events like theLakeland 100 plus to go further in the Endure 24hour and Tooting Bec events with the aim ofachieving a GB vest, so will be doing less events thisyear probably about 20 events but a lot moretraining.(Picture: photo from the Olympicinc ultra from thisyear - photo courtesy of TZRUNS)11 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

ARTICLE END OF YEAR REVIEWMIMI ANDERSONMATT DUNNWhat were your (running) highlights of 2012?2012 has been a marvellous year for me.It began with the TP100 in March and finished withthe Piece of String in November.There seems to have been a recurring theme of mudin most of my races, I slipped and slid my way roundsections of the Viking Way Ultra in April,encountered even more mud in parts of thePeruvian Jungle and waded my way through bridlepaths on the POS - perhaps in my former life I was ahippo!The icing on the cake for 2012 has to be my M2MWR where I smashed the previous record by over 10hours.What were your (running) highlights of 2012?No ultras but loads of marathons completed, thehighlight was taking part in the Brathay 10marathons in 10 days which I completed with anaverage time of 3:45.What are your (running) goals for 2013?I'm back on the ultra scene with St Peters Way,Severn Challenge, L50, NDW100 and much more.What are your (running) goals for 2013?2013 is going to be a challenging but exciting yearas I'm doing more races than I would normally do.It kicks off with the TP100, followed by DoubleGUCR, the Cyprus Ultra, 7 day staged race inColorado, Double Spartathlon and finishing the yearin one of my most favourite places Namibia, I can'twait!12 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

ARTICLE END OF YEAR REVIEWPAUL ALI1,000 downloads per issue which has exceeded myexpectations, so that has been a nice success.Thanks for your continued support.What are your (running) goals for 2013?The key goals for the first half of the year are theGUCR in May and Thames Ring in July.The remainder of the year is going to be keptreasonably free as I am intending to have a go atthe Spartathlon in September (subject to entry).Those people who read the race reports in the lastissue will know of the difficulty of the event andfinishing this in all honesty maybe outside mycurrent capability.However, I wanted to tackle something well outsidethe comfort zone and this will hopefully give mesome focus in my training next year (The likelyoutcome is that you will probably read about myfirst DNF in Issue 7!).Finally, I intend to keep producing further issues ofUltra Tales!What were your (running) highlights of 2012?2012 was a big challenge and I managed tocomplete all my planned events (TP100, Offa's Dyke,Run 24, Ridgeway Challenge, Caesars Camp 100 andthe Winter 100) which was great.However, the weather on most of these events wasbloody miserable. This generally resulted in mehaving to slog my way through the second half ofeach race in wet and muddy conditions.Unfortunately, they were not all enjoyableexperiences!The two highlights were a (slightly fortuitous) 1stplace in the inaugural Run 24 and 14th place overalland 1st Male Vet at the Ridgeway Challenge.In addition, Stouty and I were undertaking someCharity Fund raising in aid of Cruse Bereavementwhich included running the whole TP100 in fancydress!Finally, 2012 saw the launch of Ultra Tales. We arenow onto Issue 4 and have been receiving over13 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

ARTICLE END OF YEAR REVIEWPAUL NESBITTNICOLA MAYWhat were your (running) highlights of 2012?2 things defined 2012 for me.The running highlight for me was that I managed toconquer the Lakeland 100 (Actually the highlight ofmy running career to date!!)Baby Nesbitt also made his arrival so that hashelped my ability to stay up over consecutivenights!!...Teething now - Help!What are your (running) goals for 2013?UTMB is the big one this year (If I get through theballot!) so just to finish that bad boy will do me!Focus on my speed a bit more early in the yearTo just get off to the hills as often as possible.What were your (running) highlights of 2012?Good year with a few longer races completedincluding the D33 Ultra and Edinburgh to NorthBerwick.First Marathon ran in Wales..Devil of the highland6th place female and Ennerdale trail race 4th femaleall used for training along with countless trainingruns on the WHW.What are your (running) goals for 2013?Gloucester 50KSelf Transcendence 100kWHW race and...2 week holiday in the sun :)14 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

ARTICLE END OF YEAR REVIEWDAVID MOULDLEILA ROSEWhat were your (running) highlights of 2012?After a disappointing Lakeland 50 in 2011 I hadintended to not run any Ultra's in 2012, but haverun two mini-Ultra's, a 30-mile with EnigmaRunning, getting a PB of 4:26:50 and then also inJuly completed the Fairlands 50k in a very slow5:55:18.Not yet completed I'm going to run the Sunrise-to-Sunset on the 27th December.What are your (running) goals for 2013?A big year, as I know I can complete the Lakeland50 have made the massive jump to the Lakeland100.As preparation have entered the Hardmoors 55,Highland Fling and Vegan Welsh 3000's which willbe 55k in June.What were your (running) highlights of 2012?My first ultra year. Built up from 30 miles at WinterTanners to 100miles on the NDW.All races successfully completed and did my own UKGrand Slam England - NDW100, Scotland -Highland Fling, Wales - Born to Run and N. Ireland -Causeway Coast Ultra.What are your (running) goals for 2013?I want a sub24 at NDW100. Nothing else will do! Atough ask, as I'll need "shave" 5hrs 42mins off myPB!(Picture: Leila pictured on the left with Vicki Shanksat the Highland Fling)15 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

ARTICLE END OF YEAR REVIEWIAIN BERWICKJON MACKINTOSHWhat were your (running) highlights of 2012?A good year, switched to FiveFingers exclusively forall running & did the Norfolk Ultra in them.2011 was my first ultra & 2012 was my firstminimalist ultra.What are your (running) goals for 2013?Family have given me OK to run the NDW100 sothere is my target for the year.Would love sub 24 but in all honesty will be chuffedwith notching up a 100 miler within the cut off :-)(Iain pictured above with the hat and beard)What were your (running) highlights of 2012?7 ultras finished in 2012, 1 new PB (WHW), 5 newPBs, and 1 non PB (Clyde Stride, 1 month after WHWRace and still suffering the effects!).(Picture Left) Taken from my highlight of 2012,finishing the West Highland Way Race in a time of31:01:51 despite apocalyptic weather, 20 miles ofstomach 'issues', and projectile vomit at the 50 milemark.Had it not been for an excellent support crew andsupport runner Ian Minty, I would most likely nothave made it out of the 50 mile checkpoint.What are your (running) goals for 2013?With impending fatherhood in early 2013 I amcutting back slightly on the ultras next year but,having had my place in the 2013 West Highland WayRace confirmed last night, that's my main runningfocus for next year.16 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

ARTICLE END OF YEAR REVIEWNICK GREENERAJEEV PATELWhat were your (running) highlights of 2012?Highland Fling – After training for the 2011 Fling asmy first 50 miler, I had a target of improving by 11seconds to go under 10 hours. Lovely runningconditions and a 9:29 finish.Dukeries Ultra 40 miles – a new event, ridiculouslyhot day and a steady 5:58 as the last long trainingrun before...South Downs Way 100 – first 100 miler and to say Iwas nervous beforehand is an understatement. Thiswas definitely my highlight of the year, a beautifulroute, superbly organised and great support at theaid stations. My aim was just to enjoy theexperience, stay positive and make it to the end andluckily that's what I did, 21:30.Helping out at the Bluebell Hill aid station at mile75 of NDW100, inspiring stuff! The rest of the yearincluded a sunny Devil o’ the Highlands – where theheat made the hills a real struggle. Finally, the Stort30, a really friendly new event and in keeping withmy strange year of finishing on the hour or halfhour, 3:58.What are your (running) goals for 2013?St Peters Way Ultra (another new race that I’mlooking forward too), SDW 50 and NDW50 allbuilding up to SDW100, where I hope not to get aslost in the dark as I did this year.What were your (running) highlights of 2012?The year was OK. I had decide to cut back on thenumber of races so the only ultras I started were:Los Gatos Fat Ass (Feb)Quicksilver 50M (May)GUCR (Jun)Spartathlon (Sep)Run d'Amore 100M (Nov).The Spartathlon was the only one I did not finish.What are your (running) goals for 2013?My race plans are as follows:Feb: Rouge-Orleans 126MMar: Razorback 100MMar: Coyote Backbone 68MMay: Quicksilver 50MMay: GUCR 145MJul: Thames Ring 250MThe rest of the year, still deciding....17 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

ARTICLE END OF YEAR REVIEWERIC DOLfocusing on the Rotterdam marathon in the spring& Amsterdam in the autumn.If my legs give me permission I'd like to get in a lotmore track races in the summer with the possibilityof a stint in the Alps to improve my uphill runningstrength/endurance.What were your (running) highlights of 2012?2012 was a mixed year for me. I missed the whole ofJanuary & the summer due to injury. But I stillmanaged to get PBs across all of the distances from3000m to the marathon.My favourite races were the Crawley 12hr where Ilearnt that I could actually run for 12hrs off ofmarathon training & the Great South Run where Iran a PB the day after the Beachy Head Marathon,an unexpected performance after still feelingrelatively unfit.What are your (running) goals for 2013?The race I'm most looking forward to in 2013 will bethe GUCR where I can't wait to test myself againstthe distance.I'd also like to run PBs across the board again whilst18 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

ARTICLE2013 ULTRA EVENTSJames Adams gives us a preview of upcoming UK basedUltra Events in 20132013 ULTRA EVENTS PREVIEWby James AdamsThere are now too many ultras in the UK for me tolist them all. The fantasticwww.Ultramarathonrunning.com has every ultralisted there and pretty much any in the world.Instead I'll list the ones I am familiar with.I'd also like to thank everyone out there who is inany way involved in putting on races. There is now ahuge selection of stuff to do every weekend and theprofessionalism and dedication by others to put onsafe and interesting events is truly amazing and Ifeel privileged to be part of the UK ultra runningscene. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else.If I can give a quick plug to my three favourite raceorganisers in the UK...I am an ambassador for Endurance Life. I think theyput on incredible events on the beautiful coastlineof Great Britain. Every month by the sea you'll seean amazing event somewhere on the coast and theformat is great, there is a 10k, a half marathon, amarathon and then an ultra marathon (approx. 33miles usually). This means that you can go with agroup of runners and there is something foreveryone. I did one recently with my Dad and Stepmum.The courses are very well marked, usuallyvery tough but beautiful. If you are thinking of"stepping up" to a hard trail marathon or ultra thenthis is the place to do it. Loads of choice and if youfancy something extreme then there is a 100-milerace too. If you are handy on a bike or in a boat thenthere is lots of multi sport too.Centurion Running have spent the last two yearsbecoming the British standard for 100-mile races.James Elson runs an incredible show with is 4x100mile events in the UK. They usually sell out quickly,they get many international and top quality runnersand they always get glowing feedback at the end.Obviously these are 100-mile races and so are notbeginner’s races but if you are looking to step up to100 or are a veteran of 100 milers and want toexperience a well organised big event atmospherethat was previously only available in the USA thenthis is the place to go.XNRG have created a fantastic portfolio of eventson great trails around the UK. These events aremulti-day, meaning running ultras for 2/3 days in arow. If you are training for something like theMarathon Des Sables or fancy seeing what you cando in a multi day then this is the place. Verybeginner friendly but also accommodating of thesuper quick. The post run atmosphere is great, youget to know others really well.Right then, lets get to it.JanuaryWhy not bring in the new year with an ultra. Go onyou know you want to. Someone had to do it andhere it is the Hardmoors 30 on the 1st Jan.12th the Country to Capital from Go Beyond takesin 20 odd miles of lovely trail then 20 odd miles oflovely canal. 45 miles from Wendover to LittleVenice, usually helps to remind you all of how fatwe got over Christmas. The trick here is to run asfast as you can for the first 200 meters and then tryto hang on for the remaining 45 miles. I have donethis for the last three years and love it. I'll be thereagain.Endurance Life have organised great coastalmarathons and Ultras in the past and now areadding an Ultra option to all of their CTS series, thefirst this year being in Anglesey on the 19th. I didthis last year and the scenery is spectacular but theweather can be harsh. Be sure to sign up for thefantastic Livemore Lectures afterwards. I did thislast year.A classic from the LDWA, the Winter Tanners onSunday 20th. Sunday 20th also has the Gloucester19 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

ARTICLE2013 ULTRA EVENTSHardmoors 55 is also taking place this weekendusing the Cleveland Way and the stunningly bleakYorkshire Moors.Second running of the Thames Path 100 fromCenturion Running from Richmond to Oxford on the23rd. This was a great event last year madechallenging by the weather. Fairly flat and nonavigation required (apart from near Dorney Lake).Ideal first 100.The second running of the Viking Way Ultra is overthe Easter weekend on the 30/31st March. 147miles of minimal support with a 40 hour cut-off.Last Year only 7 out of 28 finishers completed this.There are still places, I suspect people are tooscared to take them. If instead you fancy a quick100k (or 50k) there is the Sri Chimoy 100k in Perth.A great way to qualify for the Spartathlon.AprilA canal option on the 6th April (you can never havetoo many) is the Glasgow to Edinburgh Ultra on the31st, 55 miles along a canal with a great view of theFalkirk Wheel. Reports James Adams. Ian Sharman.Also that weekend from ultrarunning is thePendine Ultra 7th April 33 miles.On the 6-7th April XNRG add another event to theircalendar in the ever more popular Cotswold Way.Cotswold Way 6-7th April 57 miles in two days.On Saturday 13th April Centurion Running put onthe South Downs Way 50. Now separating the 50sfrom the 100s as they are too popular it give a greatchance to run 50 miles on that path before tacklingthe 100. One of my favourite marathons in the UKnow has an ultra version. Exmoor 14th April of ballachingclimbing and spectacular downhills fromEndurance Life. The Compton Full Fat 40 is usuallyaround Easter time so look out for that.Obviously on the 20th you will probably bewatching "The Marathon". But just in case you didn'tget a place you can always put yourself up againstone of the toughest UK events, the ONER 20th April.From the guys at VOTWO starting at 6pm on the20th you will run the same course as the JurassicCoast Challenge except that you won't stop. I didENDURANCE LIFE EXMOORthe last one and can confirm that it is both reallyenjoyable and also incredibly hard.Another one from Cotswold Running is the Eveshamultra on the 21st April 45 miles.Saturday 2nd I have unfinished business in theHighland Fling. I DNF'ed this 53 miler along theWest Highland Way from Millagavie (pronouncedMill-guy) to Tyndrum (pronounced Tin-Drum). Hilly,rocky and 300+ finishers last time, well worth doing.Same day is the incredibly tough Fellsman. 60 miles,11000ft climbing on rugged terrain in the YorkshireDales.MayA new one last year and really really great weekendwas the Pony Express 4-5th May two day Ultra fromXNRG. 30 miles each day in the New Forest (it'sactually pretty old). Perfect if you are new to thatkind of thing, beautiful forests and not too manyhills. All the great atmosphere you'd expect from anXNRG event. Also is the fantastic Malvern Hills ultra4th May 51 miles. Lots of running on the SevernPath and then some amazing hills that you can seefor miles.Endurance Life have their penultimate Coastal Trailseries race at the North Yorkshire Moors on the 4thMay.Might Contain Nuts now run a summer version ofthe Breacon Ultra 40 on the 11th. The popular andlong running (51 years now) Ridgeway 40 is on the21 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

ARTICLE2013 ULTRA EVENTS11th too. Book early to avoid disappointment.Norman Conquest Endurance Run 100 and 50 miles18th May - Retrace the steps of when king Haroldmarched all the way down from Jorvik (havingdefeated some pesky Vikings) and then gettingdefeated in Battle (in Battle) by the Normans. Irecommend taking an audiobook and taking all thefantastic history.Also on the 18th May Centurion Running have theNorth Downs Way 50. This path is stunning andquite hard. The Cardiff Ultra 50 on the 19thattracted 150 last year and will probably get biggerthis year. Not too much navigation on the Taff Trailand the race is "net" downhill. Should be easy then.Not many 100k races in the UK for some reason buthere is one from Adventure Hub. On Angelsey fromAdventure Hub is the Welsh Ultra 15th June 100k isprobably not a great one to go for a fast 100k timebut no doubt will be an amazing race. Go Beyondput on their Shires and Spires 35 mile ultra inNorthampton on the 27th too.The Endurance Life Running Festival in Flete 26thMay takes place.. It promises to be awesome, withseminars on how to make fire and find food in thewild as well as some great talks by some inspiringpeople in the Live More Lectures. Oh and on theSunday there is a nice ultra too, if you like that kindof thing. I was there last year and it was a reallygreat weekend.But obviously the main event in May is the best racein the UK, The Grand Union Canal Run fromBirmingham to London on the 25th, 145 miles ofcanal loveliness. Some silly buggers are planning onrunning to Birmingham from London before thestart.On the same weekend the ever more popularHardmoors 110 looks quite a challenge too. Alsoyou could see how far you can go in 24 hours in theKent 24 hour challenge, starting Saturday 25th.JuneVery very busy weekend this one including a newevent. Promising to take experienced ultra-runnersto their own personal levels of darkness the Severn22 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Challenge May 30 - 3 June runs 214 miles of theSevern Path in 5 days. You can do all 5 days or justsome of the individual days. Looks like it will be amassive event. On the same weekend one of myfavourite races the Dartmoor Discovery 32. I knowit's "only" 32 miles but it is way harder than itsounds. The Shires and Spires 2nd June is on thesame weekend too. I did this last year and loved it.South Downs Way 1-2 June 106 miles in two daysfrom VOTWO, two hard back to back 50 milers.Another great race for the this busy weekend is theIsle of Wight two day ultra from XNRG, possiblytheir toughest event covering 69 miles on the twodays.Starting on the 21st possibly the hardest 100 mileryet to be staged in the UK the Ultra-Trail de SouthWest (UTSW) follows 100 miles of scenic but harshcoastal path in Cornwall. The elevation is 5466m,not as big as some but this involved constant upand down. Expect this to hurt. I tried this last yearand failed. The Classic Quarter Ultra returns on the21st too, 44 miles of really brutal coastline fromLizard Point to Lands End. The 20 mile cut of is amassive 6 hours, you know you are in for a toughtime.Another "Must Do" for all UK ultrarunners is theWest Highland Way race on the 22nd. 95 miles and4500m of elevation. This is held in very high regardby all those who have done it and is considered oneof the hardest in Britain.On the 15th June there is one of the most popular100 milers in the UK now. The Petzl South DownsWay 100. Into it's third year now and now beingorganised by Centurion Running. Expect a big racehere.On the 28th there is another new ultra from anothernew outfit. An ambitious attempt to get people togo to Sunderland the Northern CitiesUltramarathons have 100/60 and 40 mile options inthe cities of the North East. All off-road, looks reallynice. On Friday 28th the ULTRArace100 starts inStratford and follows the roads of the Cotswolds.Challenge is to get it done in 24 hours.Sponsored by thehttp://

ARTICLE2013 ULTRA EVENTSJulyThe Lakeland 100 starts on Friday 26th at 6, youhave until noon on Sunday to complete. Modelingitself on the UTMB the "Ultra Tour of the LakeDistrict (UTLD)" swells in numbers every year andcan lay a claim to being the toughest race here,6300m of ascent is not far off it's Alpine equivalent.Reports Paul Nesbitt. But if you want somethingshort then go for the Round the Rock ultra onJersey. 48 miles around the island, About 1000m ofascent and scenery looks amazing.13th 40 miles of trails and nature reserves in theClyde Stride.This is epic and I tried and failed last year. TheSatmap 10 peaks on the 29th in the lake districtcovers 45 miles and 5600m of climbing and with a24 hour cut off it promises to be very difficult.Mainly aimed at teams but if you have no friends(likely if you are in to this kind of thing) you can trythe 24 hour Thunder Run on the 27/28th too.AugustThe Grim reaper Ultra from Fat-feet. Choice of 105,70 or 40 miles around a 10 mile loop aroundGrimsthorpe Castle in Lincolnshire in on the 2ndAug. There is also a half marathon if you like thatsort of thing. Or you could complete the 43 milesnorthern part of the West Highland Way in the DevilO The Highlands.amazing.Thames Gateway Endurance Run 100 and 60 miles -23rd Aug. Mixing in parts of the Saxon shore, theThames Estuary and the North Downs way.24-25th the Ridgeway 85 miler. The Ridgeway pathis one of the oldest trails in the UK and was one ofthe many things the Romans did for us. On a goodday it's beautiful and the hills (though not quiteAlpine) can be very challenging. If you want an"easier" version of this then wait till Novemberwhen you can run it in 3 days.Another one in the SUMS on the 27th Speyside WayRace, 35.5m. On the 31st from Avid Runner the UltraTyne tour allows you to run two ultras in two daysof 35/40 miles.Saturday 10th the North Downs Way 100 is into itsthird year now and continues to grow as an event.Expect Centurions brand of big time atmospherethat you only usually get in the states here. Hopethe weather is good. On the same weekendStarting on the 11th of August you couldparticipate in the first 6day track race held in the UKfor 20 years. The British Ultra Fest has options of 24hours, 48 hours and 6 day races. All around a track. Idon't know why I am tempted but I am.In it's second year now and fantastically successfullast time over three days is the Ring Of Fire Ultra,131 miles in 3 days. That would be very hard. Take alook at the photos on the website, they lookSeptember23 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 20131st September the Bullock Smithy LDWA organisedevent in the Peak District. Quite hard I heard, 56miles of hilly loveliness. On the 7th the organisersof the fantastic 10 peaks in the Lakes repeat theformat in the Brecons. I am very tempted by this.September seems to be stage race month, GoBeyond are now in the third year of their successfulTrans Britain Ultra. 6 days and 156 miles of beautifullandscape (that will mean lots of hills). Starts on the7th.180 miles along the river Thames in 4 days? Abouttime someone organised a race across the whole ofSponsored by thehttp://

ARTICLE2013 ULTRA EVENTSthis great river. The Thames Challenge fromUltrarunning takes in these 180 miles from Thursday5-8th Sept. You can do each stage as a separate raceif you'd like too.Cotswold Way Century 100 miles on the 21stSeptember is another race on that beautiful trailfrom Cotswold running.A bit flatter than that XNRG bring us the ToadChallenge which involves running the 90 or so milesof the Thames Path from Oxford to Walton onThames. I've heard great things about this one.Winning third prize in a beauty contest thisweekend the Tooting Bec Track 24 hour race is onhere too. I am tempted one day to run around atrack for 24 hours.The Hardmoors 60 completes the 4 races in theYorkshire Moors series on the 21st.OctoberVOTWO give us the Atlantic Coastal Challenge 4-6Oct 3 marathons in 3 days, similar to the JurassicCoastal Challenge (though much less hilly but muchrockier). Finishes in Land's End and a hot CornishPasty.5th October there is the third running of the RoundRippon Ultra 35 from Go Beyond, Ideal for firsttimers. Same weekend Might Contain Nuts have theWye on the Way 50 5th October.This could be the biggest ultra in the UK if it getsthe 700 entries it can cater for. The Royal Parks Ultrais a 50k around the parks of London. There is a fundraising requirement but if you are looking for a firstultra and want to do so in a more supportedenvironment then this would be a great one to do.It went really well in it's first year.12th there is a flat 100k in Norfolk, for thoseinspired to qualify for the Spartathlon :) the NorfolkUltra 12th October from Adventure Hub.for a weeks worth of running. Looks awesome, looksinsanely hard, 50 miles a day off-road. Could you allplease start lobbying Gemma that this is a goodidea :)On the 19th the Caesars Camp series. 30/50 or 100miles of getting mocked by Henk. On the 19th theRound Rotherham 50. This used to be in Decemberin the wettest/darkest most horrible day of the yearbut a mass bailout by some London softies forcedthem to move it practically into summer. MOVE ITBACK.NovemberThe Pembrokeshire Coast Challenge 18-20th Octhosts another really tough triple marathonchallenge from VOTWO on the 2-4th. Earlier thanusual. Already in the diary on the 9-11th the DruidsChallenge from XNRG takes the Ridgeways 85 milesin 3 days. Like all XNRG events it is really well runand low cost, look out for the weather though.On the 18th enjoy the wonderful but bleak andtough Breacons for the third running of the BreaconBeacons ultra.Look out for the Hereward Ultra 38 miles on the lastweekend of the month. There is a relay with lots ofteams so you won't feel lonely though you may feela bit slow :)Centurion Running fill in a void of big races at theend of the year with the Winter 100. Taking in trailsaround the Ridgeway and the Thames.Hoping to make a return again next year is the nowinfamous Piece of String race. Don't bother enteringthis, you wont finish.DecemberOne race for December so far, Ultra Breacon 40(winter) 7th Dec from Might Contain Nuts.This is an epic in the UK ultra running calendar, I amnot sure whether anyone took on the whole lot lastyear but The RELENTLESS is a 30 stage 1600 mile runthrough every county in the UK. Even Leicestershire.Each stage can be run separately or you can sign up24 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

SEPTEMBER EVENT REPORTSRUNNERS TAKE PART IN THE HARDMOORS 60PHOTOGRAPH | NICK HAMEVENT REPORTSTrans Europe Footrace | Neil BryantHardmoors 60 | Nick Ham, Henry Morris, RorieMcIntoshLondon to Brighton | Trevor Kavanagh25 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

TRANS EUROPE FOOTRACEEVENT REPORTS | NEIL BRYANTTRANS EUROPE FOOTRACEWebsite Link: http://www.transeuropefootrace.org/tel_09/index.php?lan=en&Date of Event: August to October 2012Event Type: Multi StageDistance: 4,176kmLocation: EuropeDescriptions: Starting from Denmark. The eventinvolves a 64 day multi-stage run across Europecovering Denmark, Germany, France and Spainfinishing in Gibraltar.Race Results: http://www.transeuropefootrace.org/tel_09/index.php?lan=en&26 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTTRANS EUROPE FOOTRACETRANS EUROPE FOOTRACEBY NEIL BRYANTDay 1, 19th August – Ankle ok. Body tired.I had placed a lot of weight on today. My anklehad not been tested for about 3 or 4 weeks andeven then it was only for 25 minutes. So I reallyhad no idea how it was going to respond to 35miles on the road.We all packed our luggage on to the truck beforeslowly wandering down to the port about 5 minutesaway where the start of this adventure would begin.After about a thousand photos of the Japanese, weall stood behind the banner and listened to themayor of Skagen as he gave us some kind wordsbefore firing the starters pistol and we were off. Thiswas it! All the money, the concern for my ankle wasbehind me now. I just had to run and hope my mindand body would pull me through.Neil BryantBlogwww.ultrarunninglife.comTwitter@runningneilThe Spine ResultFinish Time493hrs 55mins (4,176km)Finish Position10/29 FinishersWe had been told that today was going to be thehottest day for two years, but as we jogged out ofthe quiet, tidy streets of Skagen conditions seemedideal, being a little fresh but with a headwind. Thesun was no-where to be seen. Plenty of time forthat to change. We spent most of the first 20 oddkm on lovely cycle track through pine woods andsand dunes. There were a number of cyclists out onthe trail including a cycle club of at least 40 cyclists.27 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTTRANS EUROPE FOOTRACEThroughout the whole day all the Danish that weencountered whether on foot, bike or in a car weregreat. Always slowing and giving us plenty of spacewith no aggression from the car drivers even whenwe forced them to stop as there was not enoughroom to pass.So after we had finished with the track, it was outon to the roads. They were pretty much no real hills,but there were some gentle slope to break thingsup. This was all fine, but the uphill’s forced my footto dorsal flex more than if I were on the flat causinga little pain. Overall though, I’d say things wentreally well. I kept swapping places with an Austrianchap with a flag hanging out his bag, and witharound 15 km left we made an unspoken decisionto stick together which was nice. The last few hourswere pretty hot as the sun peeped through whatremained of the cloud cover. With just a few kmremaining Russell Secker met us on his bike androde with us for the final part.I finished happy that I have survived the day.Tomorrow will be tough as I will be very stiff due tonot having any running fitness due to resting myankle. I know what to expect though and just haveto drag myself through. This is the quickest way toget run fit. Not recommended though!Tomorrow is a little longer, but I am already in theone day at a time zone. I am showered, fed,massaged and resting, so now I just need to recoverlots before the morning.Day 13, September 7th – Ebergotzen toWaldkappel (Germany)A shortish day at last! Of course, once I got goingon it I soon realised that although it is shorter thanall the stages so far in Germany (?), it is longenough to make it not a day off!The morning had been pretty standard GroundhogDay stuff, other than the fact that when we wentoutside for the start just before 6, it was a bit freshand there was a heavy mist. Heavy enough to puton my massive orange TE safety vest . As we shot offinto the mist, I took the lead with Ambros. I don’treally have a plan with each stage. I just see how itfeels and what mood I’m in. If the body feels up forit and I feel competitive then I will run with that.Today, I was ok, but felt like a not quite full boreeffort. After around 15km we climbed out of themist and saw that we were surrounded by therolling hills of Germany. The route was alreadyproving to be a lot hillier than anything else we hadrun. We were passing through some really prettylittle villages as the last of the mist cleared and lefta lovely calm blue sky behind. This has to be thebest way to travel through a country and get a closelook at it. It is a little painful though.As the day progressed, so did the scenery, then wepassed through a decent sized town and then hit alarge, steep hill leading straight up through a shadywoodland. I ran for about 10 minutes then realisedthat I was wasting my time. I was soaked with sweatas I was working so hard. Time to power walk. Thechange was very nice, and the speed difference wasminimal.28 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTTRANS EUROPE FOOTRACEBy now I was really enjoying the day. Once I had gotto top, it was time for some downhill. I wasn’toverjoyed about this though as it would irritate myknees. Anyway, enough of the whinging!Unfortunately there was quite a bit of down, and itwas pretty painful. I can only hope that it will passwith time and not just keep getting worse. Finallywe entered the finish town and then we were done.My knees were sore but I felt ok.Dinner was a 500m walk to a restaurant in town. Iate till I could eat no more for fear of not being ableto hold it down. I then walked back and was readyto eat some more. I love to eat, and you would thinkthat to be able to eat whatever you want and stilllose weight would be good, but it loses its appealquickly.Anyway, I’m going to have a little read now andthen hopefully a long deep sleep, so that I’m allready for tomorrow’s short 64km stage. Should beeasy!Day 27, September 14th – St-Seine-l Abbaye toAvallon 83.0kmToday is the second largest day. The longest is only300 metres longer and that is tomorrow! I had sleptok and was about as well rested as the time wouldafford in the luxury of the hotel room. Louise and Ihad gathered enough food together so that I coulddo breakfast in bed instead of having to get upearlier and join the rest for a more than likelydisappointing breakfast. I was a little concernedthat the morning could be difficult seeing as wewere away from the routine, but as it was it wasreally nice lying in bed eating my breakfast, just thetwo of us. We left the hotel and arrived at the startwith 15 mins to spare.I just wanted to get stuck into today. These two83km days stuck out like a sore thumb to me fromthe first time I looked through the stages and now Iwas here. It’s silly really, because the other day wedid a 79.5 and a 82.5 together. I knew it wascompletely possible for me, it was just doing it.The morning was very foggy and there was a bit ofa chill. I wore just a t-shirt which was just aboutright. I quite like running in heavy fog sometimes.29 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013You feel truly alone and there is no competition. AsI warmed up, the old battered body felt better. Theroute was again on very quiet back roads again andtoday was very hilly. In fact it had the secondlargest amount of vertical gain at just below 1100metres. I was very grateful for the fog hangingaround as long as it did, as it made things safer byslowing all the cars down, and of course kept itcool, but after around 3-4 hours of running it wasgone and all that remained was a splendid blue skyand a scorching sun. There was a lovely refreshingheadwind that blew all day and did a great job ofkeeping me cool.There really didn’t seem to be too much flat today,and as usual I was enjoying the uphill’s but takingthe downs quite conservatively."My knees just feel fragilenow and I am learning tolive with them.My knees just feel fragile now and I am learning tolive with them. Speaking of pain, my heal is verypainful after around 40km but I am starting to getused to it. I believe this could be some Achillestendonitis very low down, but I’m not sure.As the day progressed and the cp’s passed one byone, I didn’t start to fatigue to badly so kept onpushing. A lot of the reason I push sometimes is tofinish and therefore maximise my rest. It is justtrying to get the balance right for my fitness and mycurrent physical and mental state.When I got to the final cp, I was told that the routewas not 83km but 86km due to a diversion earlieron. I felt quite positive at this stage so thispotentially damaging information didn’t affect metoo much. I was surprised and happy with mypositive outlook. Thankfully the last part of the daywas following a river as it meandered throughlovely little villages, before the route climbed up tothe finish point right on top of a hill.I finished in about 10:10 I think, which I am veryhappy about. One down, one to go. My heals bothhurt a bit but I know that the rest will prepare themSponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTTRANS EUROPE FOOTRACEfor tomorrow. Day 28! Wow, I never thought I wouldget this far!Day 39. 29th September – St. Sermin-sur-Ranceto St. Pons-de-Thomieres 72kmToday was a little longer at 72km and we werepassing over 3 cols. Should be epic. My knees wereboth whinging a bit when I woke. My sleep hadbeen good but not great. I was relaxed about theday even though it could be a long one as I wasplanning to go as fast as my knees allowed. i.e.slowly.It was an overcast and warm morning and I knewthat we would be getting stuck into a 10km climbalmost straight away so I was just wearing shortsand t-shirt. We started and I walked for a 100m or sobefore very slowly firing up the shuffle. Before theclimb we had to pass through town which includeda steep downhill. Then we were on the hill. It wasnot too steep, but I went at a steady pace. Norushing today. I soon heated up as I climbed upthrough the hills. There were one or two cars, butother than that it was very peaceful. I was notfeeling too lively coming up here and was glad that30 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013I had decided to go relatively easily.After a few kms I caught up with Frederec and weran together. As the dawn began to light the worldup, we could see the wonderful views e could seefrom our ever growing altitude. I love France, it issuch a beautiful country. It is my favourite yet. Let’ssee what Spain has to offer! I had my apple juice atthe first cp and carried on. The road went ever onupwards and we were soon in the clouds and thetemperature had dropped a few degrees. It wasn’ttill around 15km that we finished climbing. Weknow had a gentle descent which I slowly made myway down. Then we started to climb again. It washere on a large sweeping bend that Frederec andJean-Piere, who had both done Trans-Gaule, took ashort cut I had heard about that they use on Trans-Gaule. It only cuts off 400m and it passes through avery steep field, so it’d debatable how much of anadvantage it actually gives, but it was a changefrom the norm which is always good.Just a side note. I have mentioned Trans-Gaule afew times now and some of you may not have a cluewhat I am talking about. TG is a stage race that isSponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTTRANS EUROPE FOOTRACEput on by JB who is currently running well here. It isaround three weeks long, is held every year andtravels from Northern France to Southern. TheTrans-Europe route has been following the TG routefor around 8 days now and tomorrow we leave it.Maybe one for the future?After a little more climbing we began to descendagain for a good 8km. I of course was painfullycautious and watched the two Frenchies gain muchtime on me as they dropped down the hillcomfortably. Ria and I were close now. She also wasnot enjoying the descents as much as usual.I was grateful when the road finally leveled out andwe then started the final climb of the day. We gotdirected off of the road and up a track which gotsteeper and rougher. Trail! I power walked as it wastoo steep to run. It only lasted a short while but Ienjoyed it, before joining a wide but quiet road thatcontinued the theme of the day and headedupwards. It was here that I spotted Christain Fattonup ahead. Ria caught me up after I had left her onthe trail, and then we caught Christian up. I knewthat the day ended with a 10km descent to thefinish town. I was not too excited about this, but atleast it was at the end.Once we crested the hill, the view opened upahead. We could see the Mediterranean in thedistance. Awesome! Now, let’s get stuck into thishill. Ria had stopped for a call of nature so it wasjust Christian and I. We chatted on our way down. Ilearnt what a great runner Christian is as he told meabout some of the races he’s done. Fortunately timeflew, and my knees didn’t quite explode, and wesoon spotted the town below us that must surely beour new home.We entered town and passed through. The schoolwe were staying at was out the opposite side oftown. Just before finishing, Ria and Gilbert caughtus up and the four of us crossed the line together.We were well below 9 hours which I was very happyabout seeing as it was the hilliest day yet with over13,000 metres of ascent alone.A good day!Only 50km tomorrow, and we leave the Trans-Gauleroute too which means it will be new to everyoneinstead of lots of people knowing what’s coming.Day 56, October 14th – Villapalacios toVillanueva del Arzobispo 65.6kmThe beds in the hotel were the same as the beds Islept on in the army. Terrible. Just a metal framewith noisy springs across the top with a foammattress on top. You just sink in the middle. Blimey,straight into a whinge! Excuse me. I thought I hadslept badly, but Lou informed me that I was makingdefinite sleeping noises for most of the night.Excellent!We awoke just before breakfast which wasthankfully downstairs in the ‘restaurant’ in the hotel.Dinner the night before was a celebration of deepfriedfood. Perfect trans-continental fuel. Breakfastwas the usual fare of bread and jam with espressocoffee. They even toasted the bread. I really miss agood piece of toast. It was then off to the start forthe day.Fred and I started off at our normal sort of pace.Some of the faster guys in the group were ahead,but not as much as usual."People are tiring andmost people havenumerous issues that theyhave to manage daily"People are tiring and most people have numerousissues that they have to manage daily. Eiolf washaving to go a little slower as his hamstring wasvery painful. Christian Fatton has so many issues Iforget most of them. He is incredibly strong-willedto still be pushing so hard at this late stage. PoorRia is still off key. I hope she starts enjoying it againbefore the end. I looked behind after around 10kmand saw someone I didn’t recognise. Fred lookedand said it was the Japanese runner thomihiko(Spelling?). We never see him, so guessed he wasmaking a big brave attack to be first Japanese forthe day. I love this competition they have. Theyreally seem to put so much into it even though they31 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTTRANS EUROPE FOOTRACElaugh after. He was travelling very fast and wasgaining on us quickly. He then shot past us anddisappeared up the road at a similar speed toHenry. Incredible! We guessed we would see himagain before the end.We had lovely overcast weather for most of the dayagain with the sun popping out a little later on. Theterrain was hilly and visibility was excellent. Wehave been passing through olive country and it isquite extraordinary just how completely they havecarpeted the entire scenery, no matter how steepthe terrain with olive trees. As far as the eye cansee!The route was rolling for the first 50km then we hada 4km climb that took us to the final cp. As we left,Christian was just approaching. We continued andas usual, we accelerated a little smelling the finishline. With 4km remaining, we caught Thomihiko. Wedecided that we would run with him to the end. Hewas pretty broken though from his big effort andwe dropped him. With just 800m left, Fred turned tolook behind and suddenly accelerated sayingChristian was close! I couldn’t believe it. He musthave really chased hard to try and catch us. We weresprinting!My god it must have looked ridiculous. We were‘sprinting’ up a steep hill to the gym and the finishline. Christian was also going hard behind butwasn’t going to catch us now. We crossed the lineabout a minute (?) ahead of Christian in 7:10. I thinkwe’re getting faster! It’s damn hard work but goodfun.Tomorrow is a mere 48.7km so should be done niceand early. We will be in a big town which is good,but it’s Sunday so being Spain, nothing will beopen.We have now been running for 8 weeks. We havejust 8 days left and people are talking aboutGibraltar all the time. I am tired and exhausted butvery excited that this dream may soon be complete.There is also a piece of me that that doesn’t wantthis to end. Fred and I joke that we will catch a ferryto Africa and run to Cape Town.The Finish, 21st October – San Pablo de Buceiteto La Linea 48kmI will always remember the great feeling of theexcitement bubbling away last night. Everyone wasin a great mood. Dinner was actually pretty good,and no-one complained about the long walk to getto the restaurant. No-one cared that the service wasslow. Who cares if we didn’t get much sleeptonight? One little day.It was very cold in the gym last night. I slept tillaround 1130 then needed the loo. After that I didn’treally sleep. My mind was active (unusual). As weleft in the morning, People were singing andwhooping. We were done. This was a day toappreciate our achievement. My body was in itsnow normal battered state but things weredifferent. This alone is proof of the positive mindbeing the most powerful physical tool. I felt strong.I felt I could push hard, but not today.Yesterday, we lost sight of Gibraltar as we camedown off the mountains and lost height. I was veryexcited to see it again and was eagerly scanning theskyline as we ran. Fred and I ran together again. Weshould finish this thing together. We have becomequite close over the many hours on the roadtogether. We are also the two youngest in the race.Gibraltar doesn’t come into view until we are at thefinal cp with only 6.6km left. It is a glorious sight.Maybe one of the most incredibly beautiful sightsof my life, not so much for its looks, but because ofthe many hours spent toiling, the many times that Iwas convinced that this was not possible for me andthe much doubt about myself.We are now running along the seafront and I ambuzzing. Fred and I have caught up with Fabrice.Fabrice had to pull out of the 2009 TE on day 56because he badly cut his finger lifting his case, so Iknow this is seriously big for him too.We then hear a whistle. There is the rickety oldfinish that has served us well for the last 63 days. Iget handed a Union flag and my good friend Yoshiis there offering me his pointy hat which isapparently called a kaso. I take my cap off andproudly put it on and with the flag flying behind32 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTTRANS EUROPE FOOTRACEme, the three of us finish together. I go immediatelyto Lou and we hug. I cry like a baby with happiness.I have finished.I have showered and had the pleasure of not havingto hand wash my running kit for the first time in 64days. Tonight we have a dinner in the hotel whereawards get dished out. This will be nice as everyonewill be so happy and relaxed with nothing to dotomorrow. I am looking forward to having anexplore of the rock as it looks amazing, and I reallyhope to see the cheeky monkeys.I will sign off now. Maybe I will write again withsome afterthoughts once it’s all had a chance tosettle in.Before I forget, I must thank everyone of you thatmessaged me somehow or another with your lovelypositive comments. I drew so much from them thatcertainly helped a great deal during the hardertimes (all?). I would check my phone obsessively inthe evenings. You all helped me get to this spotright now, so a sincere thank you to you all.(Editors Note) We have provided some short extractsfrom Neils blog about his epic run across Europe in theTrans Europe Footrace.If you would like to read about his experience across forthe full 64 days then please visit his blog atwww.ultrarunninglife.com.33 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

HARDMOORS 60RACE ORGANISER | HM CHALLENGESEVENT REPORTS | HENRY MORRIS, NICK HAM,RORIE MCINTOSHHARDMOORS 60Race Organiser: Hardmoors Race SeriesWebsite Link: www.hardmoors110.org.ukDate of Event: 22nd September 2012Event Type: Single StageDistance: 60 milesLocation: Guisborough to Filey, YorkshireDescription: The route follows the Cleveland Wayfrom Guisborough to Filey passing coastal resorts andfishing villages following cliff tops for the duration ofthe race.Results: http://hardmoors110.org.uk/cms/?q=node/372PHOTOGRAPH | NICK HAM34 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTHARDMOORS 60HARDMOORS 60BY HENRY MORRISSince conquering the Hardmoors 110, I have beentroubled by injuries. Whether this is a reflection ofthe potential risks associated with ultra running,my casual approach to conditioning and recovery,bad luck or a combination of all of these thingsremains to be seen. Actually, no it doesn’t – it is acombination of all these things.I finished the 110 mile route on an infected left footcomplete with damaged tendons. Moving toLondon and starting up a new personal trainingbusiness meant I did not rest it for anywhere nearas long as I needed to. And subsequent to that Istarted training again too soon. Despite otherdistractions making this training relatively low key,one minor niggle followed another. My Park Run 5Ktime had fallen from 19.02 for the last run I did fourweeks before Hardmoors, to 21.10 for the next one Idid, eight weeks later.I signed up to run a marathon in Kent at the start ofSeptember to help me find my rhythm again in lieuof the Hardmoors 60, but this ill-advised effort sawme line up at the start line with a 1st/2ndHenry Morrismetatarsal impingement (sore toes) and finish it, asmy time of 3.43 testifies, with 5th metatarsalbruising and a pronounced limp. As such my leadup to the Hardmoors 60 saw me training five times aweek on a cross trainer and otherwise resting in the35 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://Bloghttp://www.ultra-fit.meHardmoors 60 ResultFinish TimeDNF

EVENT REPORTHARDMOORS 60hope everything would be fine for the final ultra ofthe Hardmoors race series. Not ideal for 60+ milesof coastal racing.In spite of this, I drove up to Yorkshire, determinedto finish the event and claim my grandslam t-shirt.I’d done it last year and I knew I could run 113 milesso despite my significant drop in fitness andprominent but receding injuries I thought I mightstill be in with a chance. I ‘toed’ the start lineknowing that this is sometimes the hardest part ofan ultra; lining up at the beginning, looking downthe barrel of a long day of gruelling racing.Despite this, I arrived at the start confident in myown abilities with only five minutes to spare due toa navigational mix up on route. Luckily the racestart had been delayed due to the lack-of-facilitiesin-relation-to-people-who-needed-to-usethemratio. I received some mick taking about my latearrival and chatted to runfurther celebrity NickHam, to Andy Norman (grand slam rival for secondplace) and his better half Sarah Booth, to headhoncho Jon Steele, an exuberant and cafienatedRorie McIntosh, to various seasoned ultra racers andMartin and Lydia Dietrich, who asked if I hadbrought my trainers (I turned up to the inaugralHardmoors 55 without any).We lined up outside and then set off under acloudless sky, thick with a strong Yorkshire breezeon a steady uphill, out to Highcliffe Knabb beforethe descent to Saltburn and the coast. The sense ofcontentment I immediately derived from running ina friendly atmosphere in a glorious location (setagainst four months impersonal, inconsistentrunning around concrete north London) wasfantastic. I was very happy and chatted witheveryone around me. This genuine bonhomietypifies for me what ultra running is all about.Debbie who I seem to see at every race now andEmma who I infrequently ran with at Nidd ValleyRoad runners both accompanied me for sections ofthe route to Saltburn. My first inkling that thingsweren’t going right, was when they both ran onahead of me, without, apparently, me being able todo anything to keep up.The usual banter with Pat Mullin ensued at Saltburncheckpoint as we talked ‘banging choons’ and36 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013caught up in the time it took me to register mynumber, refill a water bottle and then lose my selfclip tally. Moving on from Saltburn, I guess tennishmiles in, I could immediately feel my legs wereheavy (lack of training) and left foot yelling at me tostop (too much mediocre training whilst injured). Iignored both these things and repeated the ultrarunningmantra, just put one foot in front of theother and you’ll be fine."I ignored both thesethings and repeated theultra-running mantra, justput one foot in front of theother and you’ll be fine"Andy and Sarah caught up with me at Skinningroveas I wrestled with my trainer in an attempt to makeit even slightly comfortable; I ran with them, mostof the way into Runswick Bay. The roll call of ultraraces they’d done in the last few months since I’dseen them made me more than a little jealous and Idetermined to stick with them for a bit until thefoot felt better. It didn’t, and as we joked aboutmyself and Andy’s grandslam competition forsecond place (both of us pretended not to knowhow many positions apart we were: we definitelydid) they began to pull away from me. Again, Icouldn’t keep up.Trundling into Runswick Bay I approached thecheckpoint realising I’d lost my race tally. I suddenlyfelt like an escaped WWII POW approaching aborder crossing, fumbling for a papers that weren’tthere. Luckily for me, unlike Nazi border guards, Iwas dealt with pleasantly, had my tally returned(the slick Hardmoors operation had expedited it toRunswick Bay from Saltburn, whilst I had been‘running’) and I wasn’t shot.Restarting I felt worse than before and whileattending to my trainer once more, Nick Hamappeared. He was midway through race 11 (out of12) of his 2012 Runfurther Grand Slam. As his racecalendar signifies, the man is relentless and a heroof the ultra running circuit. Have a look at his blogSponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTHARDMOORS 60to see why. We chatted as we moved along the sandon Runswick Bay, with Nick soaking up the coastalscenery that is rarely glimpsed in the Runfurthercalendar.Ascending the steps of the ravine out of Runswick,he pressed on ahead of me and my slow pace anduncomfortable footsteps were becoming moreacute. I have no way of gauging it, but I felt asthough I was moving slower on this stretch after 20miles than I was doing on the same stretch duringthe Hardmoors 110 after having travelled 70. AsNick disappeared into the distance and a steadyprocession of runners trotted past me, I was leftwith the familiar views of this beautiful northeastern coastline for company."I realised that acompletion under thecircumstances was goingto consist of me walkingthe next 40 miles in a lotof pain"I realised that a completion under thecircumstances was going to consist of me walkingthe next 40 miles in a lot of pain, which wouldprobably then result in me taking time off work.Having done my heroism for the year with my 110completion, and having completed the routebefore, the logic of the decision to pull out atSandsend was established long before it actuallydawned on me that that is what I had to do.At 27 miles, I descended the steps to Sandsend carpark and withdrew 33 miles short of the grand slam.As I sat on a wall by the sea in the pleasant middaysun and watched the few runners left behind mecome through, I chatted with Flip Owen who hadalso withdrawn. Listening to him, and ignoring therace director’s threats to kick my arse, I knew mydecision had been the right one.The experience was another salutatory one. As an atbest averagely talented athlete, my ultra runningcan only be sustained through continued hard workand training. Whilst a gifted runner might be able torock up at a 60 mile ultra under trained and underprepared, and somehow wing it, the nature of mybiomechanics dictate I must get to start lines in thebest possible condition. If not, as experience hastaught me several times, a finish is not guaranteed.It also occurred to me, I think for the first time, thatthere isn’t actually any shame in DNFing, despitewhat all the tough guys out there might think.Carrying on injured and in pain is all well and good,but it’s not some unwritten ultra running rule youhave to follow. I’d much rather finish races fit andstrong and running well, rather than drag myselfaround them in pieces. I’ll be making a consciouseffort to improve on that in the future. Serioustraining, conditioning and injury proofing thiswinter will be a good start. Middle of the packrunners, be warned!37 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTHARDMOORS 60HARDMOORS 60BY NICK HAMI rolled up in Filey just after 5am to catch the fullsized,luxury, 05:30 double-decker toGuisborough. The 3am rise had been a bit of ashock, and I'd lodged overnight halfway there(thanks for the floor space, David), so the 1.5 hourcoach journey to our race start went quickly as Islumbered a little.Registration and kit check at Guisborough SeaCadets HQ had a long queue, as did the singletoilet. In the end race organiser Jon Steelethoughtfully delayed the start by half an hour toallow the nervous-bowelled ultra runners to finishclogging the bog.Nick HamBloghttp://ultraploddernick/blogspot.itHardmoors 60 ResultFinish Time15hrs 13minsFinish Position65/93 FinishersThe day was cool and sunny but with the forecaststrong wind already making itself felt as we listenedto Jon's 10-second (and some with the fractions anddecimals thrown in for good measure) countdownto the arbitrary start time of 08:35 or thereabouts. Ijogged up the road at an easy pace with the masseswhile trying to remember the pre-race routefindinginstructions. The main one was to follow theCleveland Way signs. The fiddly bits through thetowns I'd work out when I got there. There's no wayI could remember them because I had no points ofreference; the entire route was new to me so I'dfollow the signs, route description and my printedTracklogs maps as appropriate. In practice that38 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTHARDMOORS 60became follow the signs (that always worked),follow other runners (sometimes worked) andfollow the route description (oh dear).[Tracklogs mapping software shows this year'sroute without navigational blunders to be 63 mileswith 10,820 feet of ascent. That's a significantchallenge within a 16-hour cut-off by anyone'sstandards.]Checkpoint 1 at Highcliff Nab (1.9 miles) involvedan out-and-back. The front runners were soonheading back towards us. I was poised with thecamera, while the morning chill had long sincebeen counteracted by the by-product of my efforts:I was burning up."I became lazy andpromptly tripped over aninvisible rock as it stoppedmy right foot dead"I became lazy and promptly tripped over aninvisible rock as it stopped my right foot dead.Within a second I was horizontal and skidding alongthe track, camera bouncing along in the mud acouple of yards ahead and both drink bottlespirouetting after it. Oh poo and multiple choicewords to stronger effect. Those around me asked if Iwas alright. I could stand, so presumably yes. Themishap was soon forgotten, though I did run theremaining 62 miles with two scraped thighs andblood trickles from my right knee. I wasted littletime in getting rid of the windproof into myrucksack to banish any further risk of lethargy, andcontinued the plod towards personal victory(meaning finish to keep Runfurther Grand Slam 3alive).An unexpected marshal met us at 5 miles to clip ourtallies before we crossed the A171 betweenSlapewath and Charltons. The route throughSkelton was not a problem. The brown metalCleveland Way signs high on the lamp posts stuckout like a sore thumb and were easy to follow. Moreinteresting was our route into Saltburn (yes, I waslazily following other runners). I knew the routedescription wasn't matching up with our route.Only afterwards did I realise that we turned left andentered the conurbation early, running two sides ofa triangle instead of one side along the river valley.Next year I'll make amends (possibly.)I was captivated by the slim elegance / brick-savingpenny-pinching minimalism (take your pick) of therailway viaduct we passed beneath before Saltburn.How it has remained standing with seemingly solittle structure I will never know. The engineer whodesigned it obviously knew his stuff.At checkpoint 2 (Saltburn-by-the-Sea, 9.9miles) Iwas greeted like a long lost friend by Pat Mullins.Great to see you Pat, and thank you for volunteeringfor us. Get well from your injuries and I hope to beseeing you back in the events next year.Osmotherley Phoenix in July. Engrave it in yourdiary!Saltburn is where we hit the coast and turned right.Now out of the woods and into the open I wasexpecting the wind to be a hindrance from ourright, but it seemed to be more from behind and anassistance for most of the time. I appreciated ourgood fortune.Shortly after Saltburn the single track railway makesa big loop around Warsett Hill and joins us abovethe coastal cliffs for a short while. It takes its leaveagain adjacent to something that can best bedescribed as a giant Romany earring with extradangly bits. What, why, how, etc. Enlightenment iseagerly awaited.Staithes in the bright autumn sunshine was simplybreathtaking. My camera, fortunately having landedsoftly enough 20 miles ago, was pressed into action.I caught up with personal trainer extraordinaire andHardmoors 110 conqueror Henry Morris atcheckpoint 3 (Runswick Bay, 21.8 miles), where amuch-needed refueling session was taking place. Itook the opportunity for my first kneeling for aminute to drive the blood and lactic acid out of theleg muscles (it was on the gravelly entrance to thecarpark but who cares about minor skin punctureswhen there are major muscles to be told who'sboss). I bounced up with renewed vigour and joined39 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTHARDMOORS 60Henry for the crossing of the beach. Biomechanical(foot) issues were causing him problems andslowing him down to a walk. (Sadly they caused himto retire and miss his Hardmoors Grand Slam.) Wechatted for a while until, with permission and withkeen energy surging to the leggies for the timebeing, I jogged on ahead towards the streamravine-cum-footpath, which earlier in the weekwould have been a raging torrent during thosethree days of incessant deluge. The next flight ofsteps awaited our faint-inducing efforts.Checkpoint 4 (Sandsend, 26.7 miles) was a luxurious5 miles away (only) and was approached via an oldrailway track bed, which our path joined just after itemerged from a blanked-off tunnel. The finalstepped descent to the concrete terrace providedwelcome relief as different leg muscles werepressed into energetic use. Here was my first dropbag. Bring on 0.7 – 1.1 litres of full sugar Coke fuelsupply to keep the fire burning. Ken Wyles and MarkDalton, among others, were enthusiastic volunteershere, complete with sun glasses to shield the glare,not from my grinning teeth but from the warmingOctober sunshine! The sandwiches and pork pies inmy drop bag were decidedly tepid but I survived totell the tale.After Sandsend we had the delights of Whitby, itswhale jaw arch and its crowded streets of aimlessbrowsers and inebriated wanderers with theirslurred conversation. There were two of us at thispoint, weaving our way as quickly as we daredwithout making bodily contact. One was heard tocomment to another: “Oh, he must be a walker”.How very dare you. We were wearing runningnumbers and we couldn't run because you wereblocking our passage. I thank you. In my case atleast the passage-blocking allowed brief respitefrom the effort so the 'running', such as it was, couldrecommence for a while.The exit from Whitby involved the climb of theancient steps to the church and the ruins of theBenedictine Abbey beyond. More extreme effort,and again I was captivated. I had never been herebefore and the brightly sunlight history before myeyes simply blew me away. It looked attractive nowin the sunshine, but in less ideal (more usual?)conditions it makes a perfect Dracula setting.Indeed, this place was the inspiration for theDracula stories.From Whitby onwards I found myself mostly alone. Icontinued along the cliff-top path past the fog hornstation, which is now disused. I learned afterwardsfrom someone who camped at the nearby campsitemany years ago that the ground used to vibratewhen it sounded. Shortly after that came thelighthouse. The long, lonely two-hour drag fromthere to the next checkpoint brought an interestingfoliated arch along the way.I enjoyed my first experience of Robin Hood's Bay –an impressively quaint, old settlement squeezedinto the coastal valley. I should have taken picturesbut I was feeling strong to make good progress andI needed to concentrate on the route description for40 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTHARDMOORS 60the micro navigation: “.....take the second narrowstreet on the right (Albion Street)”. I came to AlbionRoad and continued in search of Albion Street. Akindly member of the public, who seemed to knowwhat I was up to, pointed me back to Albion Road:“You need to go up there”. I thanked him beforeclimbing up the lane then stone steps to the leftbetween the ancient dwellings built into thehillside with their raised walkways, access steps andmulti level entrances.The path was now twisting and turning morethrough woods and up and down ravines, soinstead of following my nose I kept more of an eyeon the route description with no indication ofdistances within. This is when I really began toflounder, mind muddled with doubt. Am I there yet?Is this the feature I'm supposed to be looking for?I floundered a little in the dank woods leavingRobin Hood's Bay.Upon descending to Boggle Hole I turned right upthe track without first crossing the footbridge. Thefact that it wasn't a road made me turn back. I gotcaught by the next runners.The trail descends once again to sea level at StoupeBeck....”. Is this it? It's not sea level though; we're atleast 20' elevation.On approaching Ravenscar a drainage ravine turnsthe trail away from the cliff top....”. Boy, this is takinga long time. I can see a bit of a valley coming up.Perhaps that's it? No. I can see buildings on theskyline. Perhaps that's Ravenscar. They're notgetting any closer. Ah, another inlet coming up. Isthat it? No! I shuffled on in hope, waiting for thenext dashing.I had resorted to rationing my water. At 14 milesthis was the longest stage so far through thehottest part of the day and I had underestimatedhow much water I would need. Half a litre of waterand half a litre of Coke was not enough. Perhapsthat was the reason for my muddled thoughts. Afellow runner saved the day by donating some ofthe contents of his bladder (that would be thewater bag in his backpack, in case you wereconcerned) as we climbed through the woodsbefore Ravenscar. I didn't get his name but,whoever you are, thank you. You halted a minormeltdown.The afternoon was drawing on and it was gettingcool by the time I arrived at checkpoint 5(Ravenscar, 40.8 miles). It was nice and warm in thevillage hall. “The cold will hit when I re-emerge”, Ithought to myself. I really needed to recover andrefuel here, just like on a Hundred, so I spent 20minutes restocking my supplies from my drop bag(more sandwiches, more water and Coke to bringthe essential fuelling of low pH brown liquid up to1.6 litres). A cup of tea and a cup of soup to washdown my sandwich saw me fit to venture back outinto the cold evening air."The sun was nearlysetting. I rolled the sleevesof my base layer down forthe first time since 9amand put Buff around neckto keep the chill at bay"The sun was nearly setting. I rolled the sleeves ofmy base layer down for the first time since 9am andput Buff around neck to keep the chill at bay. I wassoon too warm so Buff moved back to wrist, whereit remained until the end.The event from here was magical as I ran my wayalong the cliff-top path in peaceful solitude,watched the sun set, watched the owls swoopingacross the fields at dusk, saw a stoat just escape myfeet into the undergrowth to the left (I must havebeen gliding along effortlessly at the time), felt thewind drop (an unimaginable bonus because it tookaway the chill), saw the moon rise over the NorthSea (see top picture) and heard the seals moaning(almost like whale song) out to sea way below meto the left.In the distance I saw lights, some coloured androtating; must be a funfair, probably Scarborough.Winding in and out of the inlets they took their time41 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTHARDMOORS 60in getting closer. I saw a head torch pointing in mydirection and closing. It was Mick Cooper outwaiting for wife Jacqueline (he had beensupporting her along the way). Apart from Mick's,there had been no other head torches behind or infront since nightfall. I was well and truly alone.I descended to 'civilisation' and knew to keep thesea on my left. However now I would need the routedescription again because Cleveland Way signs arenot to be seen around these parts. I had not had achance to properly commit the map route tomemory beforehand so I sat cross-legged on thepromenade to adjust my A4 sheets to show theScarborough portion of the route and concentratedon the route description once again. With thefollowing instructions swirling around my head Icontinued running somewhat hesitantly, thoughfeeling physically strong and ready to maintain thelead I had built up on those chasing me (accordingto Mick around half an hour).“Descend the steps and cross the footbridge overScalby Beck, turn left, and follow the North BayPromenade to reach the northern end ofScarborough. Follow the road side path right.” Ithought we had to turn left to head for thesouthern end of Scarborough so that was what Iwas doing, but with niggling doubt.“Continue on the seaside road past the formerswimming pool.” How far? What does it look like?Should I have turned right after all?I continued through the bright lights (though not as42 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013bright as I had been expecting) and out the otherside into comparative darkness. I must have gonewrong. Concerned that I would have to backtrack allthat good running I had done along the promenadeI sat cross-legged once again to call Jon fordirections. He passed me over to a very nice ladywho knew her stuff. I was still on track! She gave meadditional instructions about passing the harbourand the old Victorian spa building. With thanks andcounting my lucky stars I continued through theroadworks and temporary one-way section toemerge into the real bright lights of Scarborough.Bingo!I continued running out the other side of the neonwhile looking for the Victorian spa. I never found it,but how could I when it's dark and I don't knowwhat it looks like? I got shouted at from a fastmoving4-wheeled boom box with sewer pipe forexhaust and what sounded like a large rent in itssilencer. The words “Follow the road side path right”were still knocking around in my mind. It hadn'tapplied so far so perhaps that instruction was stillwaiting to be used. When a roadside pavementappeared on the right-hand side of the road Icrossed dutifully. I passed an old circular buildingon the right, which turned out to be a museumrather than the elusive spa. The road veered uphillto the right under a railway bridge. I remember thehelpful lady mentioning a bridge. I must be rightthen. I crossed a roundabout and knew we had tofork right at some point up to the checkpoint. Had Ipassed it already? I seemed to be going out of townand saw a footpath rising to the right into theSponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTHARDMOORS 60darkness. I didn't trust it. The cross-legged seatingposition was adopted once again while I called basea second time. Now I had gone off route, big time. Ihung up and cursed times ten. Piggin' routedescription my arse!I ran back down to the sea front to continuefollowing my nose into the dimly lit unknown. I hadnow been caught by Jacqui with Mick and someother of my pursuers. I felt angry and frustrated atall the time I had squandered, especially when Icould have done it justice at this point with somestrong running. I ran ahead once again with vigour,but soon gave up because I didn't know where I wasgoing. I needed my pursuers who hadreconnoitered the route to show the way.As it turned out, all we had to do was run along thesea front for as far as we could go withoutdescending the slipway to the beach, then take theonly path right uphill to the checkpoint. If the routedescription could have said this without theeloquent detail that led us into a false sense ofsecurity while telling a tenth of the story, therewouldn't have been a problem. So, for anyoneconsidering doing this event, ignore the routedescription. Just follow the Cleveland Way signs,and when you reach Scarborough, run along the seafront until you can go no further. It'll take a while.We arrived at checkpoint 6 (Scarborough, 53.6miles), which had run out of water. Luckily I stillhad enough to last the final 9.2 miles. Here was myfinal drop bag so I was able to bring the essentialbrown acid, caffeine and sugar fuelling quotient upto 2.1 litres. I scoffed another of my sandwiches toadd substance to the fire.We set off back into the darkness and single-trackCleveland Way. I was still feeling strong and wentahead. Foolish mistake. I hit a caravan park andwent round in circles until the others caught up topoint the way along the nicely mown strip (I hadn'twanted to trespass). From there I ran on Coke whilewaiting, almost in vain, for Filey Brigg to arrive. Mypursuers were never far behind. Mick's head torchwas spied ahead as he came up the cliff-top path tomeet Jacqui.Finally I reached the fingerpost, left to Filey Briggand right to Filey. We would turn right. Mick kindlyled the way across the green to the steps down tothe beach. The tide was out so we ran across therock-strewn sand to the slipway up to thepromenade, while Mick fell back to run with Jacquito the finish.I ran alone along the front to the 'paddling pool'and the reflective jacketed marshal to get the finalclip and instructions to Martin's Ravine. I overtooka couple more as I ran the track up the ravine, leftto the golf club and right further than I expected tothe main road. I turned right uphill on the mainroad, still running. I glanced behind me. There wereno torches in sight. I looked upwards and saw a skyfull of stars. The air was cool and calm and I wasabout to finish another ultra challenge. I feltfulfilled once again. I turned left into the schooland a round of applause in the school hall. Tea andfood was followed by luxurious slumber in thesports hall, during which the wind rose once again,the cloud rolled in and the rain fell. Someone tellme we weren't lucky.After clearing up on Sunday morning, many of uswent down the road to the local café for a slap-upbreakfast. The camaraderie of that final fuellingevent put the cap on a fantastic weekend. Thankyou Jon and team. I want to return with the benefitof some route knowledge to do it justice. If I do andwith my luck, you will be guaranteed nice weather.43 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTHARDMOORS 60HARDMOORS 60BY RORIE MCINTOSHHere we go again… 2011 was the inaugural eventof the Hardmoors 60 race, from Saltburn to Fileywith a 10 mile loop on the end to make up thedistance. This year we were starting inGuisborough and getting a 10 mile warm upbefore we hit the coast – a much more preferredoption by all of the runners!On race morning the skies were blue, the sun wasshining and a strong North Westerly wind wouldhelp blow us down the coast to Filey. The weathercouldn’t be better, especially since the torrentialrain we’d suffered in the area just a few daysprevious. More importantly the conditions underfoot were surprisingly dry. I had just received a pairof the Salomon Sense so was keen to give them ago (review to follow), as it wasn’t too muddy thesewould be a good balance of grip and protection.The alarm was set for 05:00 to get down toGuisborough and help Jon and Shirley with theregistration and kit checks. The race start time was08:00, although this was slightly delayed due to thequeue at the toilets (when you gotta go you gottago!).Rorie McIntishBlogwww.rorie.co.ukHardmoors 60 ResultFinish Time11hrs 5minsFinish Position6/93 FinishersThere were around 140 runners starting this year’srace. With it being included in the Runfurther seriesit had attracted some very strong runners, which of44 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTHARDMOORS 60course would make for an interesting race!There was also still a battle to be fought in theGrand Slam (those who have ran all the Hardmoorsraces this year—30, 55, 110 and 60 milers). DaveKamis was currently leading, with Henry Morris,Andy Norman and Roy McDougall still in the hunt…It ain’t over ’till it’s over and 60 miles is a long way.After race briefing we gathered in the car park at08:30. Jon counted us down to start and remindedus to turn left not right! The start is a few hundredyards on road before you hit the forestry tracksleading up to the first check point at Highcliff Nab.Me, Shelli Gordon, Neil Ridsdale and Steve Walkerwere heading up the field, chewing the fat andlooking forward to a good days running.When we hit the forest almost immediately a groupwho ran past us seemed to miss the turn off, aswhen I looked around I was on my own climbing thefootpath! I was glad to have reccied this section theprevious week, otherwise I would’ve felt a bitworried. This footpath through Guisborough Forestis pretty steep (no Douche Grade here) so it washands–on–knees hiking until you hit the ClevelandWay. I was surprised to be first at the checkpoint. Aquick stamp by the marshal then you double backon yourself down the forestry road, passing most ofthe other competitors coming the other way andshouting encouragement.From Guisborough woods it’s a fairly long downhillwith some gentle inclines until you reachSlapewath. I was running comfortably and didn’twant to do too much damage to the quads early on,so kept things easy, light, smooth and… er, fast?Not really, but we were nearly into Saltburn beforewe knew it. I stopped to see a man about a dog justbefore the viaduct in Saltburn, and was passed bytwo runners (Stewart Walker I think).There wasn’t much in it when we hit the Saltburncheckpoint. Had a quick chat with Pat Mullins whowas helping at the Spa Hotel, grabbed a few gelsfrom my drop bag and headed down the steps tostart our journey on the coastal path.This is a lovely stretch of the coast with plenty ofclimbing, great views and some steady running. Iwas currently sitting in third place, and had plannedto run smart on this section (up to Ravenscar really)to save something in the legs for the last 20 miles.Just after Skinningrove heading up to Boulby I waspassed by a couple of guys (Ian Symington and JimMann) who were both running strong. Heading intoRunswick Bay I was joined by Martin Beale whoslowly pulled ahead as we passed through thecheckpoint, up the Stairway to Heaven fromRunswick beach and onwards to Sandsend.I arrived in Sandsend (27 miles) in 5th place after 4hours of running. Nearly half way through and stillfeeling comfortable, this is really where the racestarts with a fair ol’ slog up to Ravenscar!"Nearly half way throughand still feelingcomfortable, this is reallywhere the race starts witha fair ol’ slog up toRavenscar!"This was a long lonely stretch, just focusing onstaying relaxed, comfortable and keeping on top ofhydration and gels. The singletrack running on thissection is great fun as you dip in and out of ravines,and sometimes right on the edge of the cliffs withthe spoil heaps making it look like a moonscape.At Robin Hoods Bay I popped into a pub to fill upmy water bottle (the sun was keeping things niceand warm) and had a little chat with an Americantourist walking the Cleveland Way :)On the climb up to Ravenscar I was joined by Casperwho was moving well. We had a brief chat on thehike to the top then he was off, not hanging aroundat the checkpoint. Neil Ridsdale was sat in theRavenscar village hall with his foot on a chair andice on his ankle after rolling it in Guisborough forest(and running on it for another 30 miles!). It was ashame to see Neil out. He hasn’t had a great yeardue to injury but I’m sure he’ll be back next year45 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTHARDMOORS 60stronger than ever—and showing us young’unshow to do it…40 miles down, 20 to go. Time to grind it out.The body was actually feeling good, althoughsoreness was creeping into the quads. Just focus onrunning the best you can run in that moment (goodadvice from Lizzy Hawker) and manage the best youcan. I hit Scarborough (50 miles) in 8.5 hours whichwas bang on schedule. What followed is the hardestpart of the whole race—running the flat tarmac 3miles from the North Bay to the South! Torture.Note: How people get lost on this section is beyondme. If you try to cheat and run through the townthen I suppose it’s easily done. For those runnerscutting out the headland for a shortcut and arrivingat the checkpoint via the top housing estate (andnot by passing the Spa) then Shame On You! Rantover.At the checkpoint I grabbed a couple of gels, aquick swig of water and filled my bottle with Coke.Flip told me Jim was just a couple of minutes up theroad so I didn’t want to hang around.The home straight now.I was hoping to finish without needing my headtorch. Luckily the moon was full and rising justabove Filey Brigg which was a beautiful sight on aclear evening. I could see Jim Mann in the distanceabove Cayton Bay which spurred me on, but hemade good time into Filey and I wasn’t able to catchhim.Approaching the Brigg my Garmin clicked 60 milesin 10:30 minutes. Pacing had been spot on and allhad gone to plan, except I wasn’t standing at thefinish line… how odd? Knowing Jon I guessedthere’d be a few ‘bonus’ miles thrown in just forkicks. So after cursing his name, I shuffled on foranother 3 miles along Filey promenade for the finalcheckpoint before making my way up to the schoolfor a well deserved cup of tea and Mars Bar!I’m very please to have finished in 6th (I think?) injust over 11 hours. That’s nearly 2 hours quickerthan last year—albeit on a revised course.Congratulations to everyone who started the race.Doesn’t matter if you made it 10 miles, 30 or 50, thisis one tough Mutha’ which demands a lot of respect!I’m very lucky to live in the area where theHardmoors races are held. You can almost takethem for granted when you’re a local, but I have tosay a huge thank you to Jon and the whole team fororganising these events and putting so much timeand energy into them to make them so special. Nextyear I aim to run the Grandslam… watch thisspace…The Hardmoors have such a good atmosphere thateveryone is drawn back to them. Great people &great trails, that’s what Ultra Running is about!46 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

LONDON 2 BRIGHTONRACE ORGANISER | EXTREME RUNNINGEVENT REPORTS | TREVOR KAVANAGHLONDON 2 BRIGHTONRace Organiser: Extreme RunningWebsite Link: www.extremerunning.orgDate of Event: 30th September 2012Event Type: Single StageDistance: 56 milesLocation: London to BrightonStart Time: 6.00amDescription: A tough trail run leading out of Londoninto the countryside down to the English Channel.START OF THE LONDON TO BRIGHTON EVENT47 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTLONDON TO BRIGHTONLONDON TO BRIGHTONBY TREVOR KAVANAGHI’m not sure whether it was the aforementionednerves, the hideously early start to the day (4am)or the fact that I’d eaten a ton the evening before,including a late night bowl of pasta and pine nutswhile watching Liverpool thrash hapless Norwichon Match of the Day, but I really wasn’t able to eatanything this morning. I had some yoghurt andmuesli but even that was a struggle. In possiblythe only sensible bit of preparation I managedthis week Brid and I had located the registrationand start area for the race last night, meaning atleast there was no rushing around in the dark thismorning. It was only a five minute drive from thehotel so we were there and registered by just after5am, giving me loads of time to stretch, get looseand wonder just what the hell I’d gotten myselfinto.The enormity of what I’d signed up for had reallybegun to hit home over the last few days. 90km. 90bloody kilometres. That’s one marathon, thenanother, then another 6km on the end of that. Andthat’s only if by some miracle I managed to go theright way, all the way. Otherwise it’s extra distance,or as the organisers like to call it “bonus miles”. TheTrevorKavanaghBloghttp://try366.wordpress.comLondon to BrightonResultFinish TimeDNFlongest I’ve ever done before is 42.2km, i.e. amarathon, and all I had to do then was just keepplodding along and follow the crowds in front ofme. Here I had to manage the distance, the everchanging terrain and of course the dastardlynavigation. Still, at this stage there was nothing to48 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTLONDON TO BRIGHTONdo but get on with it so at just before 6am, so I andabout 200 other foolhardy souls toed the start lineand set off on our own little adventure through theEnglish countryside.I’d planned on a pace of roughly 6:30 – 7:00 mins/km for the first part of the race, which gave me a bitof wriggle room for the latter stages and would stillbring me in just under the 13 hour cut-off.Hopefully. Now what I needed to do was not gotearing off at the start and burn myself out tooearly. Unfortunately as a large part of my race waspredicated on sticking with people who knew theway I couldn’t really stick to my own pace, so Idecided I’d rather be tired and knowing where Iwas/going than (slightly) fresher and completelylost. I made a concerted effort to stay with the mainbunch, at least while still in London, which was agood call on my part as the route, even then, wasquite convoluted. The pace was a lot brisker than Iimagined, getting up to low 5 mins/km at points,but it felt great (at that point anyway) so I just wentwith it."I really enjoyed therunning at that point,through the still darkstreets of London with acouple of hundredlunatics"I really enjoyed the running at that point, throughthe still dark streets of London with a couple ofhundred lunatics. I always enjoy the early part ofmarathons, lots of people out running a route thatthey wouldn’t normally be able to and hours andhours of running ahead, and this was no different.I’m not normally a chatty person, and definitely notwith people I don’t know, but part of the wholeexperience of running an ultra is meeting the otherpeople taking part and sharing the peaks andtroughs of the journey with them. I was going to beout on the course for approaching thirteen hours soI might as well get to know the people I’d be outthere with, plus I was in a large part going to bedependent on the kindness of others so the least Icould do was make with the chat.For a couple of miles of the early going I waschatting with a guy named Paul, who was takingpart in his first trail ultra, but who had runComrades four times. Comrades is a race that’sdefinitely on my list to do so it was great getting totalk to someone who’d experienced it firsthand.After only about five or six miles the entire group ofabout thirty or forty all came to a halt at a junctionand we had our first navigational issue. After aquick conference the route was decided and off wewent again. I was still following my “make like asheep” policy so all I really had to concern myselfwith was finding lanes or alleyways for my all toofrequent pit stops.I was beginning to wonder if we’d ever get out ofLondon but eventually we reached the veryoutskirts and though we hadn’t quite hit any trailsyet we were definitely heading in that direction.Just before we did though we reached checkpoint 1at about the 19km mark.Rolling in to the first checkpoint I felt fantastic. We’dcovered the first 18.5 km in under two hours andeverything was going swimmingly. Much like thefirst half of a marathon, or the ones I’d done at least,the first stage felt almost effortless, just goodrunning and enjoying the atmosphere. I’d broughtmy mp3 player with me and had it well stocked forthe day but after a few minutes running at the startI made a decision not to use it. In a regularmarathon it’s fine as the route is marked andeveryone is doing their own thing but out here,with all the navigation required and the muchsmaller group taking part it felt like everyone waspart of the same experience and for once I didn’twant to isolate myself from that.Normally I’m not much of a one for striking upconversations with people but shortly after startingthe race this morning I decided to make aconcerted effort to chat with some of my fellowrunners, and funnily enough every single personwas not only extremely pleasant to talk to but weall had plenty in common and no end of things to49 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTLONDON TO BRIGHTONtalk about. Initially I’d been chatting to a guy calledPaul who I found out had run Comrades ultra inSouth Africa four times. Comrades is one that’sdefinitely on my list to do so it was a greatopportunity to talk to someone with that muchexperience of doing it. I chatted on and off with afew different people for the remainder of the firststage but found myself having to nip off a few timesfor covert wee’s. The chilly morning was playinghavoc with my fully hydrated bladder.My wife (Brid) was waiting for me at CP1 so Istopped for a quick chat, photo opportunity andsome Jaffa cakes. I barely felt like eating or drinkingat that stage so just arranged our next meetingpoint and was then off again.We were properly out of London at this stage, andnow set about some lovely rolling hills andfarmland. Not long after starting the stage I fell intostep with a chap called Dave who was to be my runbuddy (and navigator) for the next ten miles or so.Dave was from Shoreham, near Brighton, like mostof the guys I was talking to today doing his first trailultra, and was training towards doing the Marathondes Sables (another one that’s on my list) next year.The terrain remained mostly open fields and somenarrow patches but still easily runnable for the mostpart. The weather too was fantastic which was arelief as England had endured some horrendousconditions for the week leading up to London toBrighton, leaving me looking in horror at theweather forecast and reports all week. We stucktogether almost as far as checkpoint 2 where I lostDave, having got a little bit lost myself just beforethe checkpoint, but picked up a new buddy in Paul(II).Ah stage 2. It was the best of times, it was the worstof times. Coming out of checkpoint 2 I linked upagain with Paul II (from Leicester) who seemed toknow where he was going and was moving along atroughly my pace. Stage 2 was mostly opencountryside, farm land, fields, gently rolling hills,occasional short stretches on country roads, so itwas one of the nicer stretches to run. We were stillrunning and moving quite well for the most partwhich I’d hoped would be the case. We’d just gonepast the 30km mark, which under mostcircumstances would make for quite a long run, but50 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013today that meant we were only 1/3 of the waythere. The kilometres were ticking away and I wasreally enjoying the day, chatting away with Paul II(who again was a really sound chap) and justfollowing his lead.There was a larger bunch of about twenty guys whowere all roughly in the same area, all roughlymoving at the same pace, and we kept splinteringinto smaller groups of between two and five, eachhaving one navigator leading the way and anotherone or more guys following. We kept oncrisscrossing with each other, traversing fields andgolf courses, circumventing little villages andtowns, constantly bumping into each other fromdifferent angles but eventually heading in the samedirection. The pace started to slow a little aroundthe 40km mark and funnily enough that’s when Istarted to struggle. The constant stopping andstarting made it impossible to get into any sort of arhythm and I found it harder and harder to startrunning again each time.We passed the marathon point (42.2km) at aboutthe five hour mark, leaving us with just one and abit more marathons to go. I tried to tell myself itwas ‘just’ another marathon and a bit to go butalready some negativity was starting to seep in.Because I wasn’t doing any navigation I was doing afair amount of standing round feeling useless,giving me time to focus on all my little aches andpains. My left hip, which had been sore coming intothe race, was really starting to hurt. My knees, myhamstrings and my feet were also aching. Worstthough was my stomach, which flitted betweenachingly empty and fit to burst (well, more so thatsomething a little further along the digestive tractwas going to burst). I was feeling more and moreremoved from our little group and getting furthercaught up in my own world of misery and was soonenough lagging behind. After ten or fifteen minutessolving our latest directional conundrum I made avery stupid decision to play the cannon foddersidekick and insisted that Paul went on without me.It’s not like the group were moving really anyquicker than I was, all I had to do was stick withthem for another few kilometres and then pullmyself together at the next checkpoint. By thatpoint though I was fairly well immersed in the mireSponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTLONDON TO BRIGHTON51 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTLONDON TO BRIGHTONof my own misery and making excuses left andright.I’d come to regret my decision almost immediatelyas I clambered over a fence and followed roughly inthe direction the other guys had gone, travelled acouple of minutes down a narrow path throughsome trees before appearing at an actual, propertarmacced road. My choice at this point in time wasvery clear, left or right, but seeing as I’d beenmoping round the field some time earlier while therest of the group had been huddled round the maptrying to make sense of it I wasn’t privy to theirdecision. I had quite literally no clue where to go, Ididn’t even know what page of the map book wewere on, and there was no one in sight. I did thenwhat I always do, just pick a direction and startrunning, before stopping myself after a couple ofminutes and slapping some sense into myself. Thiswasn’t like getting lost at home, or even up inWicklow. I had no bloody idea where I was. Not aclue. Even if I stopped a passing car and asked themwhere ‘this’ was it would be of very little use to me,so I went back to where I had come out onto theroad and tried to figure it out.After a few minutes deliberation I figured out what Ihoped would be my route. After a minute or two onthe road (to the left) a gap in the hedge appearedand a small path, similar to ones we’d been runningon already, headed in what I thought was the rightdirection. I trudged off down this path, barelylooking where I was going as I was so caught upwith feeling sorry for myself. I hurt, I ached, I hadn’tdone enough training, I’d been sick with a stomachbug during the week, my feet, my legs, my back, mybelly, ooh eeh ooh eeh ooh. The excuse making wasin full effect and as I crawled towards checkpointthree I decided I’d had enough. This was a stupidchallenge to take on, it was too far, too hard andwhat the hell did I think I was doing picking an ultrawith navigation? Even with GPS I manage to gowrong on a regular basis, so what exactly did I thinkwas going to happen when I was supposed to findmy way through pre-GPS Ye Olde England with onlya stupid book with some silly colours and squigglesin it?I’d been paying serious heed to giving up at as themiles had racked up. The last 10km or so were very52 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013tough but the last two or three while I was on myown were horrible. My already low spirits were nowas low as they’d ever been on any sort of expeditionor endeavour, lower even than my most miserableCroagh Patrick moments and all I wanted to do wasget Brid to come and pick me up and finish all thisnonsense. When I finally got to the checkpoint therewere some people who had pulled out sittingaround, and I told the organisers present that I toowas out. I then got my phone out to ring Brid andbreak the news to her. The sympathy I was lookingfor was not forthcoming though – why are youpulling out? Are you injured? No, then why? Don’tyou dare stop. I’ll spare you any more details butessentially she told me to stop being a massive girl’sblouse and just carry on. I wasn’t really in the moodfor a pep talk or any kind of discussion really so Ijust hung up and carried on feeling sorry for myself.There was no point in carrying on by myself as evenif I could handle the physical side of things, how thehell was I supposed to find my way there with thewhole map and navigation nonsense? I was stuckhere and that’s all there was to it. Brid sent me a,what I’m sure was supposed to be, motivationalDean Karnazes related text but I barely even lookedat it. I moped around, had a couple of biscuits andtried to figure out why exactly I wasn’t carrying on.She then sent me another text which I actuallylooked at this time. I’m sure this one was also meantto be motivational but all I saw was the spellingmistake in it (pucked rather than puked), whichactually cheered me up far more than any of the socalled motivational stuff did.I managed a laugh, well a smile really, at Brid’sfamously atrocious spelling and my mood andeverything else seemed to pick up a little. I satthere a little while longer and finally asked myselfthe crucial question “What am I going to tell myboys?”. Was I supposed to tell them that I’d justgiven up as soon as it got hard? Is that what they’resupposed to do? “That’s it boys, just give it a shotbut if it doesn’t work out, or at the first sign ofthings getting difficult, just give up”. I know theydon’t really admit it, well my eldest son doesn’tanyway, but I know my boys are proud of me andwhat I’ve done since I dragged myself off the couch.I didn’t want them to have to listen to any of mybullshit excuses or see what a quitter I was.Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTLONDON TO BRIGHTONAround about this time another group of guys cameshuffling down the path, one or two of whom weredropping out but the rest were carrying on. Theorganisers had been talking about this bunch, whowere just about scraping under the cut-off time,and decided that they were going to give them theopportunity to make the next checkpoint. The cutofftime was supposed to be 14:30, but they said aslong as the bunch made it by 14:45 they’d be ok. I’dsaid (jokingly) before the race that I’d be on thelookout for guys with glasses and giving off anavigational air and one of the guys in the group,Chris, fit the description perfectly. Things got betterand better than as not only did Chris have glasses,but he also had M&S mini sausage rolls, which werea blessed relief after nothing but sugar for the lastsix hours. To top it off then, as if the ultra Gods werefinally smiling on me, when I asked Chris if he knewwhere he was going he replied that he’d actuallyrecce’d some of the route. Hallelujah and praise beto whoever. I was back in the game.It was now approaching 13:00, and we had to be atcheckpoint 4 at 14:45, which gave us close to twohours to do 16km. A small group of four of us set offwith renewed vigour, confident of reaching the nextcheckpoint in time. We managed to run for all of acouple of hundred metres before the maps had tocome out and we ground to a halt. Chris and one ofthe other guys, Lee, lead the way with thenavigation and the other chap in the group Andyand myself followed. It was slow going but at leastwe were confident at all times (well, most of thetime anyway) that we were going the right way.After a while it dawned on us, or me at least, thatwe were going reeeeeeeeeaaaalllllly slowly, and wewere in serious danger of making the nextcheckpoint. We’d been running, or moving at least,for half an hour or so and we were only about threequarters way down one page on the map book.With each page equating to about 4km that meantit had taken us roughly 30 minutes to do 3km. Thatmeant we were on schedule to make it to the nextcheckpoint at about 15:30. I knew if we made itthere at that point there was no way we’d be letcontinue as the organisers had said 14:45 would bethe absolute latest anyone would be allowed carryon from CP4. Any later and there would be peoplewandering around the South Downs in the dark and53 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013that could be very sketchy indeed.Lee must have made a similar calculation as he saidto me it’s just taken us 22 minutes to do the firstmile, that’s the end of me busting a gut to make thenext CP. Although we didn’t expressly say it as agroup I think we all realised that we were probablygoing to be finished at the next CP, so let’s just getthrough this thing.The remainder of the stage was horrendously slow,but possibly the most fun I had during the entirerace. We picked up another two guys somewherealong the way, Scott and Steve, and we all stucktogether, trudging our way through the Englishcountryside. When the terrain allowed it we tried tobreak into a run but the constant changes, thenavigation, the uncertainty was all very wearingand everyone was breaking down. If I had been onmy own it would have been a truly horrendousexperience but with the other guys there it wasgreat. We hiked through fields, past farms, throughforests, I fell into quite a lot of muck and thorns andnettles, I got to chat for ages with some reallysound guys, it was fantastic. We were like a (slightlyless photogenic) Band of Brothers. Sure my legs (inparticular) were sore, and almost all of me ached insome way or another, but being in a group that justgave us something to laugh about. Andy and I wereparticularly amused by our attempts to run whenwe did get on to some flat ground – it took a goodcouple of minutes for our knees to bend sufficientlyto shuffle along and when we did we looked likeguys who didn’t make the cut for the Craggy IslandAll Priests Over 75’s Five a Side football team.The one thing that seemed to be moving moreslowly than our legs was the time. I kept on lookingat my watch, feeling like an eternity had passedsince the last time I checked only to find barely fiveminutes had passed. It felt at times like we were in acabin in the woods, with a demon in the cellar and abig rapey tree outside and we were trying to hangon until the morning but the clock refused to goany faster, seconds crawling by like hours. 14:00passed, then 14:30, 14:45, 15:00 and still we werenowhere near the checkpoint. I tried to stoplooking at my watch, or even where we were on themap, and just shuffled/walked/ran when the rest ofthe guys did. The last few kilometres became a realSponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTLONDON TO BRIGHTONbattle of attrition but the thing that kept us allgoing was the group. As tough and all as it was thefact that there a few of us in it together, all in thesame boat, made it all bearable. I’d remarked on it afew times during the day but I really do think,unsurprisingly enough giving our proximity and allthat we have in common, that the English and Irishare far more similar than we (the Irish anyway) liketo let on. I know it’s the default setting for a lot ofus anyway but almost the entire group, despite adetermination to carry on and finish, employedfantastically self-deprecating, very black, gallowsstyle humour to survive the final stage and riseabove the misery of it. We were physically in tattersand moving glacially slow yet having a great laughdoing it.Eventually we reached the page on the map withCP4, though it still took us the guts of an hour toreach it. It almost felt at that stage that we’d neverreach the checkpoint when all of a sudden our littleforested world opened up like we were the Narniakids and spat us back into the real world. There wasa road, cars, buildings and a little figure in red andblack sitting outside a pub straight across the roadfrom us. Was this it? Were we finished? I trottedacross the road and stopped briefly to chat withBrid before remembering there was a checkpoint tohit. I asked her where it was and she pointed roundthe back to the car park, where I found the otherguys already waiting. When I got round there to betold by a smiling Lee that we were done I wasabsolutely delighted. I’d done enough by this stage.I’d accepted the fact long ago that we wouldn’t becarrying on after CP4, in fact I was banking on it,but it was a full stage after where I thought I wasdone. I didn’t mind being pulled from the race bythe organisers, I’d done as much as I could and Ihadn’t quit (well, I had but I carried on so I didn’treally if you know what I mean). It was possible alittle anticlimactic but I was just so relieved to befinished that I didn’t care.We hung around for a little longer, chatting withthe guys before hitting the road back to Brighton.We gave Chris and his girlfriend Theresa a lift backto Brighton, as well as Andy. Along the way we sawsome of the competitors in the race making theirway across the South Downs, still running strongeleven hours into the race. I have a huge amount of54 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013respect for everyone that took part in that racethough, not just the finishers. It was far, far harderthan I’d thought it was going to be, but at least Iwasn’t alone in that."It was far, far harder thanI’d thought it was going tobe, but at least I wasn’talone in that"Lee had done the Marathon des Sables and a coupleof 24 hour races, Chris the Thames 50 miler andAndy numerous thirty plus mile training runsaround the South Downs, and yet everyone wasdestroyed physically. I had been a littledisappointed in how much the race was beating meup and breaking me down but when I heard theraces the other guys had done, and yet they were allin exactly the same boat as me, I felt considerablybetter. I learned a huge amount about myself doingthis race, learned that what I’m capable of is far, fargreater than what I think I’m capable of. I hopefullylearned how to overcome dark moments and howto motivate myself to carry on (maybe in the futurewithout the motivation/nagging of my better half)and I also learned that I’m a far more outgoing andgregarious person than I perhaps allow myself tobe. I learned about the kindness and openness ofother people, about how different, yet how much incommon, people who undertake this sort ofendeavour have. Most of all though I learned threevery important things:1. You cannot wing an ultra marathon.2. You really, really cannot wing an off road ultramarathon.3. You absolutely, positively, definitely cannotwing an off road ultra marathon that requires you tonavigate every step of the way.Sponsored by thehttp://

RUNNERS PROFILEANNETTE HELLIWELLAnnette Helliwell tells us about her Ultra marathon runningWhat is your running background?I was diagnosed with osteoporosis 2005 and it wassuggested that I take more load bearing exercise.Initially I walked more but this wasn’t enough as Iam quite small framed so a few years later I thoughtabout running instead. A friend had not long beforecompleted the Serpentine start running programmeand I downloaded it to. Initially I struggled aroundthe block which was barely half an hour. I amdyslexic and a bit dyspraxic so always struggledwith sports at school ducking out of this as much aspossible. By 2007 I was approaching 50 and had twogrown up children so much more of my own timethan I had for years. I had taken part in Pilates forsome years and tried things like exercise to music(disastrous!) so was keen to build up my fitness byrunning. Later this same year we had an emailaround work with the offer of a charity place at thefollow year’s Flora London Marathon and it seemedlike it was something that was meant to be so I tookup the offer and downloaded a marathon trainingplan. In the run up to the event I was injured severaltimes, all repetitive type injuries not serious buteach one knocked back my training and my finallong run was only 14 miles but I decided a run walkstrategy would see me around. The day before therace I decided that I struggled so much with thetraining that I would call it a day after the event andnot run any more. But the post race euphoria wasjust such as amazing buzz that rather than stoppingI was hooked.When did you first start running Ultras and why?A friend of mine is one of the race directors for theJW Ultra and it seemed like a challenging thing todo. I started by running the relay that takes place atthe same time running one leg the first year thentwo legs the next year. Before signing up for thefull event I decided it would be a good idea to try alocal LDWA event so I was less likely to be last andAnnetteHelliwellTwitter@annettelovesrunhoped not the be keeping people waiting. The planwas then if that went ok I would enter the full JWthe next year (which I did and it is my 30 milePB).After the Tanners I was hobbling around for acouple of days but again really enjoyed thechallenge and started looking around for otherlonger races. I’m not fast but I am persistent!When or where (at which events) are we mostlikely to meet you?I like multi-day cross country trail events so willoften be found at XNRG events which I findsupportive and challenging but always manageable.What are your personal key running achievementsto date? I completed the Ridgeway Challenge inAugust this year. It was the first time I had run sofar or at night. I have run and walked the Ridgewaya number of times mainly over three days. So thisseemed like a great opportunity to step up thedistance in a manageable way (I was fairly confidentwith the route). I didn’t count on the weather beingso foul! But it was an amazing event, really wellsupported and I was the first woman in my age (Ithink the only one to complete!) there were notmany of us to start and the weather seemed toknock a few out at half way.What was your best result or best raceexperience?Probably the Ridgeway Challenge, it was slower55 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

RUNNERS PROFILEANNETTE HELLIWELLthan I hoped but the weather had been so wet foran August bank holiday the rain and thunder madethings really quite difficult. However the overnightstage went much better than I expected. It wasdifficult as I had always stopped at Barbury Castlepreviously so the last few miles were difficult. Themarshals at the last checkpoint assured as thatthere was only about four miles left all downhill,they lied! It was at least seven and really hilly!What was your hardest race experience?The last day of the Toad Challenge this year wasdifficult. It was the longest leg and the worstweather. We had been warned that it would be wetand I was prepared but the detour around Dorneywas an extra few miles that I could have donewithout. I found I don’t really like flat courses andthe thirty something miles along the Thames thatday were very flat and rather dull! I like hillycourses as they give you the chance to change paceand take advantage of the downhill sections.What are your future Ultra Marathon runningambitions?I have signed up for the South Downs Way 100 inJune next year. It’s further and I don’t know theroute at all! However I have chance to have a buddyjoin me during the race so I am looking to find achum mad enough to join me for the overnightsection.What/when is your next event?The Pilgrims in February, I did it this year and wasreally please to have a PB for that course on theSaturday. Unfortunately the Sunday was reallysnowy! XNRG gave everyone the choice to decide ifthey wanted to do it or not and most seemed towant to continue. Although one person I saw didabout 200 yards before turning around andreturning to withdraw. The course was adjusted tomake sure that the check points were near the trainstations on the route so people could withdrawsafely if they needed. My main problem was thedownhill section at box hill since all I could thinkabout was how many bones I would break if I felldown the steps at Box Hill! It took me an hour to getto the base of the hill and was pretty much ok afterthat but about two hours slower than the daybefore.What is your typical approach or race strategy foran Ultra Marathon event? I chunk it up in my head! Inever think about the whole distance only thedistance to the next check point. I never thinkabout not finishing, only when I will get there. Ithink about Bink’s but never plan my own funeral. Ido plan my own ideal Ultra which would be a showtunes themed one! Can you think of anything betterthan singing along to show tunes all the way round.What does a typical training week look like?Rubbish which is why I’m quite slow. If work allowsI run reps at club on Tuesday, to Pilates onWednesday (only a mile each way), long runThursday club nights (5 to 7 depending on who’sthere), Parkrun Saturday morning (if I’m notvolunteering) and long run on Sunday. Sunday runsare variable depending on time and other things(not usually less than 10 miles but never longerthan 18). Sometimes I also fit in a run home fromwork on a Friday (14 miles or so) and a race atBattersea Park (Transcendence Series) on Mondaysin Summer.What one tip would you pass on to peoplerunning an Ultra for the first time?Walk uphill and run downhill, pacing yourself is oneof the key aspects people seem to struggle withespecially on cross country or multiday events.Give us one interesting fact about yourself?I can’t think of anything except I walk really well!Especially uphill and on day 3 of a multi day eventthat is a really good thing to be able to do.Anything else you would like to add?I intend to keep running for as long as I can. I don’treally enjoy road marathons but do themoccasionally just to see how I do for time. My goalis to try and get a good for age place for London intwo years when I go up to the next age category.It’s about seven minutes off my current PB so Ireckon manageable.56 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

ULTRA TALES NEWSHave any news to report? Email us at ultratales@gmail.comBRITISH ULTRAFEST 2013After over two years in the planning it has beenannounced that the first UK 6 Day Track Race in 23years, will take place at Radley College, Abingdon,Oxford. There will also be 24 hour and 48 hourraces.The last 6 day race was held at the Gateshead Trackbetween 13th and 19th October 1990, saw JamesZarei become one of the very few to break 1000kms.To date only 5 other athletes have succeeded inexceeding this distance.In modern times only two other 6 day races,Gateshead in 1989 and Nottingham in 1982, havebeen staged in the UK. 48 hour track races inmodern times have also been very rare withGloucester in 1983, and at Blackpool in 1988 and1989. It was in 1988 in the Blackpool race thatHillary Walker covered 366.512kms, which stillstands as the GBR Women’s best. 24 hour track racesin the UK have dwindled in recent years, with onlyone in England (the long staged Tooting Bec), andone in Northern Ireland.So there is an opportunity to be part of a new era inUK ultra running, but you should be quick to enter,as numbers are limited due to it being a track event.Already much interest has been expressed byleading overseas and UK athletes. Leading GBRmultiday athlete, William Sichel and AustralianMartin Fryer have entered and it will be the firsttime they have raced head to head in a 6 day. Bothhave good 800kms plus performances and verycompetitive. Scottish twins Pauline Walker andFiona Rennie have decided to move up from 24 hourto tackle the 48 hour.RADLEY COLLEGE TRACKContact: www.britishultrafest.com57 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

RUNNERS PROFILETOM WRIGHT58 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

RUNNERS PROFILETOM WRIGHTTom Wright tells us about his Ultra marathon runningWhat is your running background?I had an aversion to running until we moved to theLizard Peninsula in 2009 and I discovered astunning coastline just begging to be explored.Donning an old pair of tatty trainers and joggingthe coast seemed to be the most efficient andenvironmentally friendly way to discover all thesecret bays. I heard about the Classic Quarter from alocal runner. While this seemed far beyond myability it did lead me to Endurance Life’s CoastalTrail Series and I started running in a couple of the10K events. Things evolved from there.Tom WrightBloghttp://life.tomwright.me.ukTwitter@tomwrightWhen did you first start running Ultra’s and why?My first Ultra came about by chance. We hadentered the UTSW100 Golden Hammer relaychallenge, in June 2012, with the intention of fourrunners doing 25 miles each. The organiserschanged the event format after we entered suchthat logistics demanded one of our team do a nightleg round Lands End and being the only memberwho could train on the terrain I volunteered. I ran55km from Lamorna Cove to St Ives setting off at11pm. It took me 7.5 hours and on leaving theLands End checkpoint at 1:15am I didn’t encounteranother runner all night. Being alone on such aremote and rugged stretch of the British coastlinewas a very exhilarating and at times soberingexperience. I was hooked!When/where (at which events) are we most likelyto meet you?I normally look for events that offer an enjoyableweekend away for all the family, with goodaccommodation options, as time off is somewhatlimited. Hence the Coastal Trail Series has alwaysbeen a popular option and I attend a couple ofthese each year. My commitments do mean I staycloser to home a lot although there are only ahandful of ultra distance events in Cornwallcurrently to choose from. (Classic Quarter, UTSW,RAT, BRUTE, ACC) You certainly won’t see me at roadraces or lap events. Not keen on tarmac orrepetition!What are your own key running achievements todate?Speed sessions are a vital part of my training andgoing sub 20 at 5K and sub 45 at 10K, both onuneven terrain, were two big achievements thisautumn. At the other end of the scale completingthe 78 mile VoTwo Atlantic Coast Challenge. I onlyentered because I was feeling a little empty afterUTSW. Despite a dismal training program, thanks toa ligament strain in my foot, I completed the 3marathons in 3 days in 15:25 and came 11th overall.59 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

RUNNERS PROFILETOM WRIGHTWhat was your best result or best raceexperience?Not actually a race but my first solo night run aspart of my UTSW training in early June 2012. I ran24.5 miles along the south-west Cornish coast.Setting off from Helston at midnight I aimed tocatch the train from Penzance at 5:00am. The wholesensory experience of running in the dark alone wasnew and exciting. Being one of my longest runs todate I also learned a lot about my mental andphysical capabilities that night. As well as how tochange head-torch batteries in the dark! To top it alloff I reached Penzance in just over 4:15. It reallyboosted my confidence ahead of UTSW.What was your hardest race experience?My first ever half marathon in Dorset in December2011. I cramped after 6 miles and at the time knewnothing about nutrition and hydration. I hobbledover the second half of the course eventuallyfinishing in 3:09! It was a very long soul searchingexperience and I nearly called it a day on running.Humbling but ultimately an essential step inunderstanding my abilities.What are your Ultra Marathon ambitions?I hope to run the Malvern Hills Ultra 52 in May. It is20 years since I left school there so returning to thearea has special meaning. Furthermore it will be myfirst 50 miler. If I survive that I hope to run UTSW60,my first 100 km, on the summer solstice. An excitingcourse this year that takes in the moors and the onestretch of the Cornish coast I haven't run. I tend notto look beyond the next 12 months but I guessdeep down inside my ultimate ambition is tocomplete a 100 mile course. Perhaps in 2015 aftermy 40th. Open to suggestions!What was your last event and how did it go?CTS Gower Ultra. This was my first official ultra race.I went into the event on the back of an achillesinjury and the longest run I had done since ACC wasa slow 12 miles. Before the event my body was asorry state of aches and pains and I was certain itwas telling me not to run. The course followed themarathon route then the 10K so I figured I couldalways drop out at the marathon if things weren’tgoing well. However, I had also convinced myselfthat I must complete the ultra to consider enteringlonger events in 2013. The course was waterloggedand covered with energy sapping mud. My achillesflared 9 miles in and by 16 miles my legs felt heavyand tired from the lack of training. Despite thephysical tribulations I completed the course in 6:50and came 8th overall. Surprisingly, I felt verysprightly the next day!60 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

RUNNERS PROFILETOM WRIGHTWhat/when is your next event?I have lots pencilled in for the spring but notcommitted yet. Maybe Devon CTS Ultra in February.Otherwise it will be the Jurassic Coast Challenge inMarch.What is your typical race strategy for an Ultra?I like to start at the back of the field and run myown race. I am there to complete, not to compete,regardless of the distance. I also start eating anddrinking early and often.What does a typical training week look like?I run home from work on Monday and Tuesdaynormally mixing in some trails, hills and speed work(5K to 10 miles). Then Friday I do a long coastal run(3 - 4 hours) and Saturday a slow half around localhills to recover. I don’t have a structured trainingregimen. Just let my body tell me what it feels like.What one tip would you pass on to peoplerunning an Ultra Marathon for the first time?I recently heard a great quote from Lakeland 100legend, Terry Conway, on TalkUltra. “If I think I amgoing too slow I will slow down.” This has becomemy mantra.Give us one interesting fact about yourself?I used to be a bit of a tidal bore aficionado and wasone of the first Europeans to surf the Pororocasouth of the Amazon basin. I regularly surfed theSevern Bore for up to 5 miles at a time so distancehas always been an infatuation for me!Most amusing running anecdote?I had just taken possession of my first trail shoes,some Inov 295. Putting them through their paceson the Lizard peninsula I skidded on a greasygranite style in front of some kids. The lugs werenot as sticky as hoped. Trying to look calm in frontof the kids I quickly brushed myself down andtrudged on while they looked on in shock. It wasonly a mile later I looked down and discovered adeep gash in my shin oozing blood. It looked likethe bone was visible. I was several miles from home.Fortunately I hobbled past some tourists whooffered me a lift. I had six stitches. My clumsy naturehas become a joke with the family who alwaysexpect me to finish an event with a cut or two!Anything else you would like to add?Thanks to my girls for supporting me all the wayand beetroot juice rocks!61 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

OCTOBER EVENT REPORTSRUNNERS BEWARE! THE APPROACH TO A TRICKY DESCENT AT CAESARS CAMPPHOTOGRAPH | BRIAN FRIENDEVENT REPORTSLongmynd Hike | Andy HumphreyNorfolk Ultra | Sam RobsonCaesars Camp | Brian Friend, Kelvin Gower, PaulNavasey, Paul AliStort 30 | Richard Ashton, Lindley Chambers -Challenge RunningThree Peaks | Karl Zeiner62 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

LONGMYND HIKEEVENT REPORTS | ANDY HUMPHREYLONGMYND HIKEWebsite Link: www.longmyndhike.org.ukDate of Event: 6-7th October 2012Event Type: Single StageDistance: 50 milesStart Time/Cut Off: 1PM / 24 hoursLocation: Church Stretton, ShropshireDescriptions: A 50 mile run or hike in a figure of8 loop around the hills of Shropshire centering atChurch StrettonRace Results: http://www.longmyndhike.org.uk/2011event/2012fin63 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTLONGMYND HIKELONGMYND HIKEBY ANDY HUMPHREYA lack of recent training, mild jet lag, a stinkingcold and massive apprehension before race day.All bring doubt on whether you can complete a 50mile race. This was my first race at this distance, Ihad been training and looking forward to this allsummer. Getting a cold the day before really doesput a dampener on the excitement, insteaddisappointment on thoughts of not even being atthe start line.I got up on race day, took a load of drugs and setoff at 7am on a 3+hour journey to Shrewsbury.Feeling somewhat nauseous I arrived in gloriousweather and parked and went about the formalitiesof registering and getting my kit checked by themarshalls. My bag felt heavy but I couldn't discardanything. Apart from drinks and a few sweets etcnothing would be provided. So all food and gearhad to be carried (there was no drop bags either).So what did I have : Waterproofs top and bottom, 2thermal tops, spare socks, gloves, 3 buffs, torch ,spare batteries, comprehensive first aid kit, lots offood inc. 5 ham and cheese rolls, 3 packs of biscuits,AndyHumphrey5 brekkie bars, jaffa cakes, sweets, 5 caffeine gels,phone, 2 litres of water and what I had on forrunning.1pm came and it began. 100's ran, 100's walked. I64 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://Blogwww.extremeandyh.blogspot.co.ukLongmynd Hike ResultFinish Time12hrs 12minsFinish Position41/387 Finishers

EVENT REPORTLONGMYND HIKEgot in mid pack and was happy with the paceespecially as the start included 2 of the toughesthills, a 750ft ascent of Caer Caradoc closely followedby a 550ft steep ascent of The Lawley.This spread out the field a little but I was happy justto keep sticking to groups and following so that Ididn't have to rely on my map skills. Plenty ofundulating terrain followed which I stuck to myplan of walking up the hills and running the flatsand downs. more tough long hills down and the CPswere ticking off nicely and the hills of TheLongmynd, The Stipperstones and Earls Hill, allpainstakingly conquered. The day was perfect theviews stunning. Sun out but cool, the only problemwas the mud. Every turn brought more squelchingunavoidable mud turning your footwear into a wetsodden mess.After an eternal road walk we got to the Shelve CPas it got dark, so roughly 27miles and 6 hours in.Here we had to change into night wear. I put onsome leggings, changed my top for a long sleevethermal and best of all put on my fresh pair ofsocks. Felt real good. As well as a change we had togroup up. I had for a lot of the race been65 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013leapfrogging a couple of guys, Andy and Craig sowe decided to join forces with 2 others. And set ofinto the night.Within minutes I had plunged myself into ankledeep bogs and so had ruined my dry socks. Still,there was more on my mind. We had to get up thenext big hill of Corndon Hill. Painful and at the topyou could feel the temperature drop and wind pickup so we made sure we got a move on to keep on.This was a little too pacey for the other 2 so theydecided to let us go ahead at the next CP. I haven'tparticularly done any night running but the wasvery enjoyable especially with the others around.The night running brings pluses and minuses, thegood side is that you cannot see how big the hillsare you have to climb but, in the dark you have tobe a lot more clued up on the navigation. Andfollowing a footpath through woodlands soonshowed us how easy it is to get disorientated andunsure of your surroundings, only through pushingon and finally hearing the sound of the occasionalcar brought us out onto the road. From here it'smandatory sections to take us up the next peak ofBlack Rhadley.Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTLONGMYND HIKEWith 2 other groups following us we crossed someheath land we took a sheep track and went a littleout the way. Lucky through good judgement fromAndy he took us over the heath to the CP. So only10+minutes lost plus extra wet feet from jumpingpoorly over a pond. Tip - don't follow unless you arecertain of the way.By this point we were over 40miles down and themind is in a good state as the finish seems so closewe were passing people/groups at regular intervalswhich is always a little pleasing (at mile 20 I wastold I was in 75th place). The body though is in adifferent state. We all have problems, cramps, pains,soreness."My thighs were solid hurtbut I felt ok to keepmoving"My thighs were solid hurt but I felt ok to keepmoving. The worst was the underside of my leftfoot, I expect I had trench foot. There was justsearing pain on each foot strike (later looking at itthere were 2 massive groves that had been madeand just extremely sensitive to the touch, still are).With the finish in sight there was just a few moreobstacles to overcome. The first being a thigh66 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013bashing 700ft descent into Minton which prettymuch finished us off. I was actually thinking at thetop that I was still enjoying this, this proved shortlived.Soon after the descent pretty much came my oneand only lowpoint. These are hard to shake off, butchatting to the guys, eating, drinking, moreibuprofen and things became bearable again. OnlyRagleth Hill to crawl up and then descend into townand then run, jog, shuffle to the finish.Through all the doubts at the start to actually finishand finish well. Well I cannot say just how happy Iwas.The body racked with tiredness and pain all I coulddo for the next hour before going to bed was tohave a beaming smile. A great run and 2 greatrunning companions in Andy and Craig. Plus all theother good natured runners along route, who allhad time for a quick chat etc.Finally, the organisation. What can you say aboutthe support, truly amazing, we just do the racethese guys are out from start to finish helping,cheering, motivating, looking after us for all hoursin all conditions and just making us all feel better.Thanks to each and everyone of you.Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTNORFOLK ULTRANORFOLK ULTRABY SAM ROBSONI took part in the AdventureHub Norfolk Ultra100km race along the Norfolk Coastal Path. Theorganisers had prepared a number of route cardsand maps, as well as a very in depth power pointpresentation showing the most difficult sectionsof the run. Together with the route loaded ontomy Garmin I was comfortable that navigationwasn't going to be an issue. It was very cold at thestart of the race, and I was itching to get moving.The countdown came and we were off! I wasplanning on running "to feeling" as much aspossible today so I set off at a comfortable paceand quickly found myself in a small front pack ofrunners including Mark Collinson (winner of lastyear's South Downs Way 100). Of course Mark (andindeed all of the other runners in front of me)were actually running the marathon and not theultra. I may possibly have set off a teensy bitquickly... But things felt comfortable so I wasn'ttoo worried.The terrain is pretty easy along this route, and infact is very similar to the sort of terrain I am used torunning on around Cambridgeshire: grassy banksalong the waterways, fields, single track trails, allvery very flat! The only terrain that was likely tothrow up an issue were the two beach sections thatwe would have to negotiate on each leg of thecourse - one consisting of a 2 mile ridge of shinglesat the top of the beach towards the first checkpoint,and another consisting of a 3 mile section of sandydunes. Despite the forecast, the weather was prettyperfect, so we approached the first beach section torun the top of the shingle ridge under beautifulblue skies. I kept things steady over this section,trying not to waste too much energy runningthrough the loose pebbles. Keeping a low foot fall,and landing relatively flat-footed seemed to be theoptimum approach to this section and worked quitewell for me. As we approached the car park at theend of the beach, it quickly became apparent thatthe first checkpoint was nowhere to be seen.Bugger. I had only brought a small bottle with meto avoid having to carry too much, but luckily hadbeen drinking to thirst and so had plenty left to lastSam RobsonBlogwww.constantforwardmotion.blogspot.comTwitter@stupid_runnerNorfolk Ultra ResultFinish Time9hr 57minsFinish Position3/71 (16 DNF)me to checkpoint 2 at 13.1 miles (the turnaroundfor the marathon runners).The second section ran towards a small village witha windmill visible in the distance. Having checkedthe powerpoint presentation in advance, I felt quitecomfortable with the directions and never reallybothered using my Garmin at all, but I noticed herethat a couple of people had taken a slightly wrongturn and were in the process of heading back on thewrong side of the river. Doh! As we approached thesecond checkpoint, I was in a good position andwas only a few minutes behind the marathonleader, with a group of three runners ahead of me inthe ultra.“I made the mistake offollowing the signs for thecoastal path here whichtook a slower windingroute..”67 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTNORFOLK ULTRAThe next section headed off into marsh land. I madethe mistake of following the signs for the coastalpath here which took a slower winding routethrough, rather than following the vehicle trackwhich cut straight through. Despite this, as theroute opened out onto the marsh, I could see thethree runners not too far ahead. The route wentthrough another couple of villages until we finallyreached Wells-Next-The-Sea where we would makeour way onto the beach for the sandy section. I hadbeen very quick through all of the checkpoints,stopping only briefly to fill up my bottle. I wasn'treally eating, relying instead on GU gels to get meto the end. As I hit the sand, I saw the three runnersup ahead making their way through the dunesdown towards the sea. I made the decision to followthe beach further up towards the wooded area,which in hindsight was a mistake as this followedmany more contours that could have been avoidedby simply following the line of the sea. Theconditions underfoot were also not very good forrunning, with a combination of scrubland and deepsoft sand making this section quite hard going. Ohwell, I knew what to do on the route back again.When I made it off of the beach, the other runnerswere nowhere to be seen. I concentrated onrunning my own race and pushed through somemore little villages on my way towards theturnaround point. About a mile from theturnaround point, I came across the ultra leader onhis return leg, putting him about 15-20 minutesahead of me. I had taken a bit of a beating on thebeach apparently. The second place runner wasaround 10 minutes behind him, so I still had somecatching up to do. As I came into the checkpoint, Imet the third runner who had unfortunatelydecided to pull out at that stage, leaving me inthird.I took a little time to have a bit of food, and then setoff for the return leg. This leg was much the same,with the added difficulty of having to pass the otherrunners coming in the other direction. This was notalways as simple as you might think - am I the onlyperson whose default mode is to run on the left andovertake on the right like with a car? I was feeling ina good mood, running on a lovely course with thesun shining, and made sure to say hi to all of the68 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013other runners on the way. It's always nice to get asmile back again!Generally the return leg was very similar, if a bitslower. I had run the first section in about 4.5 hoursbut my pace had dropped slightly, particularly onthe beach sections on the way back which both feltmuch longer on the return leg! That's the problemwhen you try and convince yourself you know howfar it is until you hit the next section - you'reinevitably wrong! As we came to the marathonturnaround point again I was out of GU brew (I hadbeen systematically diluting the bottle that I startedwith, drinking half between checkpoints thenrefilling). I asked for a bit of Coke topped up withwater, and got a funny look from the volunteer.Nobody said running ultras did anything for yourtaste I guess!The last section through the shingle beach seemedto drag on, and I constantly thought that I hadreached the end (when I in fact still had ages to go).By this point I had put all thoughts of pushing forsecond place out of my mind, but was determinedto keep hold of third. As soon as I came off thebeach, I pushed into a higher gear for the final pushfor the last few miles.“As soon as I came offthe beach, I pushed intoa higher gear for thefinal push for the lastfew miles”As I approached the road crossing, I headedthrough the gap in the hedge and followed thearrow telling me to go straight ahead. After runningfor a while I came to a downhill section that I didn'tremember from the out route, but I knew that thereturn route was slightly different, so followed theroute down. Eventually, the route becameincredibly steep, very tight, and covered inbrambles. Okay, this didn't seem right. I checked myGarmin for the first time in a while and saw that Iwanted to be across the other side of a valleythrough an impassable forest of trees. What the hellSponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTNORFOLK ULTRAwas going on? Knowing that the worst thing to doin this situation is to keep going forward, I retracedmy steps (back up a surprisingly steep slope forNorfolk) right the way back to the road where Ibumped into the guy behind me who had inevitablycaught me up in the 15 minutes I had wasted goingthe wrong way. I was not pleased. I took out themap and we tried to work out what had gonewrong. We managed to make our way back towardsthe rail crossing that we had passed through wherewe found the race organiser putting up somearrows. Apparently some cretins had moved someof the arrows, sending us off in the wrong direction.Grr! Well now I knew the right way and suddenlyhad a lot of extra energy to burn. I set off for thelast half mile as fast as I could, coming through theline in third place in 9:57:26, about half an hourslower than I had hoped.The race was won by David Ross in 9:13:11 andsecond place was Nick Van Mead in 9:40:18. Bothguys looked incredibly strong when I saw them.Maybe if I had run the beach sections better andhadn't lost time at the end I could have been inwith a shot, but not today!Overall I was happy with my running and had afantastic day out.NORFOLK ULTRARace Organisor: AdventureHubWebsite Link: www.adventurehub.comDate of Event: 13th October 2012Event Type: Single StageDistance: 62 milesLocation: Kelling Heath, Norfolk CoastDescriptions: The run takes you across trails, shingle,beach and short areas of pavement/road plus someareas of single track wooden duck bards. Somenavigation is required.Race Results: www.adventurehub.com69 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

CAESARS CAMP ENDURANCE RUNSRACE ORGANISER | HENK VAN DER BEEKEVENT REPORTS | PAUL ALI, BRIAN FRIEND,PAUL NAVESEY, KELVIN GOWERCAESARS CAMP ENDURANCERUNSRace Organiser: Henk Van Der BeekWebsite Link: www.caesarscampenduranceruns.co.ukDate of Event: 20-21st October 2012Event Type: Single StageDistance: 30, 50 or 100 milesLocation: MOD training ground, AldershotStart Time: 12 Midday (50/100) 12 Midnight (30)Description: A 10 mile hilly looped course acrossmixed terrain of trails, paths, forested sections andwith some rocky and steep ascents and descents.Results: http://www.caesarscampenduranceruns.co.uk/results.htmlPHOTOGRAPH | BRIAN FRIEND70 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTCAESARS CAMP 50CAESARS CAMP 50BY KELVIN GOWERThese key races sure come round quick don`tthey? Before I knew it it`s October – which meantthe Caesars Camp 50. Why was I here? Well shortlybefore making the decision to pull out of my solorun at the TR24 – my 2012 target race I needed anew challenge. I choose this one because it fits – itwas laps (helpful when there is no support team),very local (less than 3 miles) , I knew the course(previous races 2 x 30M + numerous training runs)& that as I`m not very good with hills it will helpme to improve plus it`s 50 miles which is a longway Blimey - putting it this way.Training wise was poor but what sealed my place onthe start line & now dropping down to the Midnight30 was when I finishing the Farnham Marathon. Mylogic was that I could do 26.2M (not saying it wasplain sailing) then I could do 30 miles at night &wanted to be outside my safety zone......The race starts at Noon, this gave me plenty of timeespecially as my sleep pattern in race week was,even for me, was very poor. Most mornings I waswide awake just after 4.15am. My head thoughtswas racing, ideally not want you want in race weekKelvin GowerBloghttp://abloggerstalebymrk.blogspot.co.ukTwitter@Mister_KGCaesars 50 ResultFinish Time13hrs 55minsFinish Position:19/29 Finishersbut sometimes you cannot do anything abouttiming - I could not tell if was proper taper madnessor a personal matter that knocked me sideways &always has – and now as I`m writing this after therace I`m hoping it was the former but probably amixture of both but let`s hope it`s not a case of déjà71 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTCAESARS CAMP 50va (have I said that before??).Anyway just after 4am on race morning I was awakeso I put on a film - Forrest Gump – it just seemedthe right thing to do plus it made me relaxed.Shortly before 9.00am I nipped out for a bit of freshair & wandered over to Frimley Lodge parkrun. Veryinteresting to see from the other side of the fence. Igot backed & got ready. I had already sorted my kitinto smaller bags with food & drinks in a cool bag &transferred these to my race HQ (my car)..I got there & signed in – no jokes about doing thesmaller `fun` run & returned to the car (which Imanaged to park in a spot that was the furthestaway for Race HQ – a poor decision I later foundout). Even though I expected to see a few familiarfaces I still felt out of play – this was a properendurance race."I still felt out of play –this was a properendurance race"This thought was soon removed by the racebriefing, delivered by Henk. He sure does not sugarcoat things – his warnings were stern – and hisviews on littering the course is so spot on (don`t doit). BTW He doesn`t seem to like compression socks,backpack’s & garmins all worn together....congratsthat man !!!Looking back I am unsure how the race was actuallystarted – in previous years it`s something like...”3 –2 – 1 now f**k off you d*ckheads” – quite odd I juststarted to jog, there was no thoughts of “Ok, 50miles here I come” I had gone for what most werewearing – trail shoes, short sleeved top (I wore myClub vest) & compression shorts & around my racenumber belt I had two gels & tied off I had my buff& arm warmers. The start was nice & slow with manyearly walking breaks especially up the 1st steepincline and then up along the ridge and then thedip down before climbing onto the `Look out`...herewere the best views on the course. Also the firstarea where care need to be taken – down a steep,wet, muddy, stony tracks that I think catch arunners out later.Seeing as I had recently down a training run overthere the course conditions for the 1st half was nota real surprise. Soon enough I was at the checkpoint(5.5M in), I think I only stopped for a couple ofdrinks & some jelly sweets or something. Miles 7 – 9was the part of the course I had not stuck to when Icame over here on my recce runs...... blimey therewas a tight drop which already was very sloppy with(liquid) mud & was sure going cause problems later.Then after a flat section and a rise it was downtowards a real muddy section – shoe suckingsection – I know this as it took my right shoe offwithout any problem – one footstep later & I had72 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTCAESARS CAMP 50runners out later.Seeing as I had recently down a training run overthere the course conditions for the 1st half was nota real surprise. Soon enough I was at the checkpoint(5.5M in), I think I only stopped for a couple ofdrinks & some jelly sweets or something. Miles 7 – 9was the part of the course I had not stuck to when Icame over here on my recce runs...... blimey therewas a tight drop which already was very sloppy with(liquid) mud & was sure going cause problems later.Then after a flat section and a rise it was downtowards a real muddy section – shoe suckingsection – I know this as it took my right shoe offwithout any problem – one footstep later & I hadone wet, muddy sock – great."down towards a realmuddy section – shoesucking section, I knowthis as it took my rightshoe off without anyproblem "Then it was back towards the look out and somesolid tracks & path. We turned off (I rememberedthis as this was the cause of my bonus miles in myvery 1st trip over here), this track was even moretrickery than the one earlier & it wasn`t going toimprove. Soon it was less than a mile to go – whichwas good as I felt a couple of hotspots on my leftfoot – inside edge of the sole & tip of a couple oftoes – the toes I was surprised with as my MizunoWave Harriers II`s have a large toe box & the stepdrops causes a bit of toe bashing. I dropped off thefinal hill & checked into race HQ before going to thecar – see garmin connect to see how far I had towalk – what a dope. I sorted out the feet & after aclean pair of socks & a new top I felt a lot better. Ialso had about 175ml of flat coke & a muller rice.Out on lap two...I soon caught up these the 3 (1 x 50M & 2 x 100M)runners who were very experienced & having alaugh, which helped me relax even more. I cannot73 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013remember if I went off or if they did but suddenly Iwas alone – which was nice. Well not quite alone – Imet the Caesars Camp Cows along a smalltrack....lucky they played nicely & let me though.Soon enough I found the checkpoint & it answeredone thing – they had gone off ahead of me . I leftthem there. I looked at the garmin – 16 miles down.All felt good – no hotspots anymore, legs ok,running wise good & head was ok. I think I waslucky choosing a route through the mud field so norepeat of the previous lap & losing my shoe. Therest of the lap seemed to go quickly.Again transition was about 10 minutes, no food –new top & change of race belt with my lights (LedLenser H7 head torch & rear hazards lights). Nowsometime during this lap my head became a trip onits very own – weird thoughts time – The sun willcome out tomorrow song came out of nowhere &even more bizarre was where I got the `Cub scoutlaw` from – wow. I need to focus & keep my braingoing. They had coffee on the go at the checkpoint.I managed the mud slide track quite well again. Itook it on the go I thought I taken my safe routethrough the mud field but I hadn`t – big squelch &my shoe was gone – the right one & same resultsagain. I sorted that out & carried on – well within 3footsteps I lost it again – I mean LOST it ...a propertoys out of pram moment....I am glad no-one was near me. They could haveheard me but not in sight. I looked down – 27 milesjust gone – my 1st ultra for the year done. That waslike a new page – I felt much better. I realised thatif I was doing the 30 mile run I would be finishingsoon – I didn`t want to finish. Ok I was tired, thingswere tighten up but I hadn`t finished yet whichpleased me.I may have taken longer at this transition, I wanteda helly top & my gilet – as it happened within acouple of miles it started to rain. I was joined bythis South African runner – amazing to just listen &swop stories as the miles ticked off. I think at thecheckpoint he carried on. 35 miles in – this was agood point – my second furthest run. By now mywalking sections had increased. By now the trickypoints on the course were very bad – I felt for theSponsored by thehttp://JO

EVENT REPORTCAESARS CAMP 50100M runners & 30M guys. I saw one runner miss aturn so went after them - all I will say is iPod !!! Ihadn`t checked but the numbers of runners I sawwas getting less I could only imagine quite a fewhad quit. I made a deal with myself quite early onthat I wasn`t going to quit – I might be one of thelast 50M runners to finish but I wasn`t going to quit.Just before Race HQ at the last incline a runnerwent past – a 50M runner – who was just about tofinish 10hrs 25 mins or something. Instead ofgetting down about that I thought “hey that will beme soon....well soon in a few hours sense of theword”. I got a coffee & changed helly tops & put onmy Haglofs smock as the rain had not stopped &made my way out to my last lap.My time & cuts off`s permitting I had alwaysplanned to walk most of this lap – only reallyrunning the downhill sections. I thought I walkedfast but it took ages ....but each step I was gettingcloser. At the checkpoint I thanked them for theirwork & support – they casually accepted it but itdoes mean a lot. I also bumped into Andrew & wehad a good long chat – but soon enough I was backout on the course to finish it off. I walked with a100M runner for a while then suddenly I was at thebottom of the `Look Out` – so that`s a climb, flat,long downhill, tricky section, firm flat bit & the treesection & finishing straight to go till I finished. As Ineared the road & the last downhill to Race HQ a carwas driving up & I`m glad my torch had enoughlight for them to see me as I didn`t want tostop...they saw me & I ran through to the finish.Ok my last lap was not pretty & I would guess a 8Mwalk but I got the job done. I had gone out of mysafety zone, beaten the head demons & those selfdoubts that had crept in.I now have an `easy` 50M PB to break next time....Iknow I can do a better time74 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTCAESARS CAMP 100RUNNERS AT THE START OF CAESARS CAMPCAESARS CAMP 100BY PAUL ALIThis event first came to my attention about 18months ago and it’s fair to say that the event has abit of a reputation largely in part to the RaceDirectors Henk’s no nonsense attitude. Although Ihad missed out on entering last year havinglooked at entering too late I did pop down to seea few runners and turned up on the Sundaymorning to be greeted by the few people I cameto support sat around a camp fire with variousinjuries. I like a bit of a challenge and promptlyadded it to my list of “to do” races and entered assoon as I saw the race entries open.The race takes place on the Ministry of Defencetraining ground in Aldershot and the format is a setnumber of 10 mile laps with a 3 lap option whichstarts midnight and further 5 or 10 lap option whichstarts at mid-day on the Saturday. This year the cutoff for the 100 miler (which I was undertaking) hadbeen reduced from 30 to 28 hours. To make thingsharder for next year Henk had suggested theslowest finishing time this year would be the cut offtime for next year. I was glad I was doing the racethis year if it was going to get tougher and toughereach year.Paul AliBlogwww.ultraavon.comTwitter@UltraAvonCaesars Camp 100 ResultFinish Time25hrs 25minsFinish Position:5/9 Finishers (32 DNF)In terms of race plans and build up, I didn’t haveanything too specific. Due to a recent shin injury Ihadn’t quite completed the ideal training but theinjury wasn’t severe enough to stop me running75 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTCAESARS CAMP 100PAUL AT THE START OF THE RACEeach year.In terms of race plans and build up, I didn’t haveanything too specific. Due to a recent shin injury Ihadn’t quite completed the ideal training but theinjury wasn’t severe enough to stop me runningcompletely for a period so I had been ticking overwith lots of short easy runs and went in with theattitude that I’d rather be injury free and less fitthan carrying an injury. The big concern was theweather as the week before had seen heavy rainand I had anticipated pretty poor groundconditions in places particularly after a few lapswhen this would get churned up with lots ofrunners. My public goal was simply to finishparticularly as I didn’t want to underestimate therace but privately thought I could finish thiscomfortably a couple of hours before cut off (26hours) and maybe even closer to 24 hours with agood effort.I arrived at about 11am and registered, collected myrace number with bar-code and said hello to a fewfamiliar faces including annual attendee DaveBaker, Iveagh Jameson, Nicole Brown, Shane Benzie76 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013who were all taking part in the 100 mile race andJames Elson/Mimi Anderson who were on timekeeping/crewingduties.The 10 mile course follows a sort of figure of eightroute (simplistically speaking) and there is an aidstation just after the half way point. The start andfinish is in the car park where there are food andrefreshments (including hot food after dark) andalso which also provides easy access to your kit/careach lap.I had loaded up the boot of the car with spare kit,shoes, rain gear, blanket and some extra food/snacks. I had prepared a small food bag for each lapand had some bottles of drink ready. The plan wasto check in each lap and then grab a fresh drink,snacks and move on. I had planned at least onemajor stop at the half way point to change socksand get some hot food and then grab hot drinksduring the night as required."Henks pre-race speechwas quite amusing.."Henks pre-race speech was quite amusing. All I cansay is thankfully I wasn’t wearing a combination ofcompression socks, wearing a Garmin and carryinga hydration bladder otherwise you would have beensingled out for a few choice words! A few minuteslater we were off.The immediate goal was to get the first 3 laps donein 6 hours so I could collect my head torch before itstarted to get dark at 6.30pm. The first lap was quitecongested as runners headed along the route and itwas a little slow going up and down some of thenarrow areas but this soon spread out after the firstlap.I chatted to a few people on the first lap or two andran with Iveagh for a bit before he moved on aheadas I found my own rhythm and pacing by runningthe easier sections and power-walking the hills andtrying to take care on a couple of the trickierdescents. There were a few muddy areas which Ithought would become particularly problematiclater on with runners churning the area up but thatSponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTCAESARS CAMP 100was a problem for later.Surprisingly after the first lap, the runners becamepretty spread out. There were a group of runnerswho stormed off ahead and I knew there were agroup of runners behind me but quite early on I wasrunning with no-one around me. It didn’t reallymatter as the route was very well marked with signsat every turn and glow-sticks put out before it gotdark. The only navigational issue I had was quitenear the start where there was a sharp right handturn down a hill. I had been reading a text on myphone, missed the sign and overshot the turn andwas just starting to think I should have turned rightwhen someone behind me gave me a shout (thankyou). It was my own fault for being distracted onthat occasion and remiss of me to miss the turn onthe next lap again! After that, there were noproblems navigation wise you just had to rememberto keep looking out for the sign or glow-sticks whenit was dark.Between lap 2 and 3 I also had a confrontation witha cow that was blocking my path on a narrowsection of the track. Thankfully, after somediscussion he moved on allowing me to pass. I77 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013caught the scene on camera, which I will uploadwhen I do the video report.I was averaging about 2 hours per lap to start withwhich felt fine and finished lap 3 by 6pm (6 hours)where I grabbed my head torch and backup handtorch. The weather had just started to rain verylightly and I debated whether to take my rain jacketand compromised on a rain jacket with the sleevesremoved. I think it was around this time when I saidhello to Keith Godden who popped down tosupport and I saw a few other familiar faces/Fetchies at the start and finish area (Claire, Leila).Taking the jacket proved to be a smart move as therain started to pour continuously for the next fewhours and well into the evening and night. Thisdidn’t help the ground conditions in places whichbecame muddier and slicker and more churned up.There were a number of areas which were nowstarting to get boggy (I went in up to my shin atone point) and two areas near the end of the coursewhere it was really slippery and you almost skieddown the mud in places.It got dark quite quickly (within half an hour fromSponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTCAESARS CAMP 100light to dark) and I trudged around the next loop. Ifind trail running in the dark quite enjoyable attimes particularly when it’s not too late and I quiteenjoyed this lap. You have to take a bit of extra carefollowing the directions but having done a few lapsthe route was looking familiar by now and the glowsticks were well placed as you could pick out theone ahead in the distance.I finished this lap and decided on the sock changeand a hot drink a lap earlier than planned as my feetwere soaked through and I was conscious aboutfoot care. I swapped my sleeveless jacket foranother one (which unfortunately was mywindproof one not my waterproof) and headed outfor lap 5."Caesars was starting tobecome a lonelyexperience"The rain continued as I trudged around in the darkby now, the going was a little slower and I saw veryfew people to be honest, Caesars was starting tobecome a lonely experience. I had heard that quitea few people had started to drop out but didn’thave any idea of numbers to be honest and thiswasn’t something that was going to impact my owngoals anyway.I finished lap 5 by around 10.30pm ish (10.5 hrs) andhad to have a complete change of clothes as I wassoaked through. I decided to put some leggings (Ihad been in shorts to this point) on and sensiblydug out the waterproof jacket and went for anothersock change with the sealskinz socks which werealso well padded and helped make my feet feel alittle more comfortable. I had some hot food at thispoint and another coffee before I headed out.As an aside, I had practiced reducing my caffeineintake the week before to help me get through thenight. During the run, I was going to overload oncoffees and use gels with caffeine etc. Theexperiment was a partial success as I managed todelay the onset of sleep deprivation by severalhours but I did start to suffer in the early hours ofPAUL AFTER LAP 3PHOTOGRAPH | KEITH GODDENthe morning.I set out for lap 6 around 11pm and from this pointslowed as everything seemed to get a little harder.My only real complaint was sore feet. My legs didn’tfeel too bad and I still able to break into a jog, Iwasn’t feeling sleepy at all, had been eating quitewell but perhaps mentally didn’t quite have thedrive to keep pushing and running during the hoursof darkness.The next couple of laps were a mixture of joggingand walking. I do recall it being quite misty inplaces and felt as if my head-torch was reflecting backthe light from the mist in places and I started to use mybackup hand torch which I could shine from a lowerpoint onto the ground.Claire Shelley (who was doing the 30 mile runstarting at midnight) passed me when I was on lap7 and I trotted with her briefly before she carriedout. After only doing two laps, she was already78 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTCAESARS CAMP 100the morning.I set out for lap 6 around 11pm and from this pointslowed as everything seemed to get a little harder.My only real complaint was sore feet. My legs didn’tfeel too bad and I still able to break into a jog, Iwasn’t feeling sleepy at all, had been eating quitewell but perhaps mentally didn’t quite have thedrive to keep pushing and running during the hoursof darkness.The next couple of laps were a mixture of joggingand walking. I do recall it being quite misty inplaces and felt as if my head-torch was reflectingback the light from the mist in places and I startedto use my backup hand torch which I could shinefrom a lower point onto the ground.Claire Shelley (who was doing the 30 mile runstarting at midnight) passed me when I was on lap7 and I trotted with her briefly before she carriedout. After only doing two laps, she was alreadycovered in mud so heaven knows what I look liked. Iplodded around the rest of the lap and stopped fora warm drink before starting off for the next lap.Robbie Britton had now taken over time-keepingduties from James Elson as I checked through.What was much appreciated was the support of theguys at the start and finish point every time arunner came through, it was nice to look forward toa little lift and a well done even if you weren’t quitefeeling great or performing to the best of yourability!I bumped into Claire again who was debating withDrew (who was supporting) whether to head out forher final lap or not and we decided to trek the nextleg together. At this point (around 4am) the sleepdeprivation was starting to affect me and I wasstarting to fall asleep on my feet. Thanks to Claire’scompany I just about managed to stay awake forthis lap (which I’ve termed my “zombie lap”although I did start to drift off at the mid-point aidstation and Claire had to give me a little nudge tokeep me awake (still that’s preferable to Stouty’sapproach which is to punch me in the arm!).We pretty much walked that lap which was myslowest so far but that was my lowest point and I79 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013was appreciative of the company. Claire definitelyhad more running in her although she was cautiouson some of the descent which were getting towardsthe point of hazardous she easily trotted onafterwards to catch me up. Towards the end of thislap it started to get light and I had started to feel alittle more alert as headed back to the start pointwhere we said our goodbyes at the end of this laphaving finished the 30.At this point I had two laps to go and 8 hours tofinish them (approx 20 hours in) before the cut offso I knew that a finish was comfortable barring anunfortunately injury but wasn’t particularly lookingforward to trudging round another couple of laps tobe honest. My Garmin had run out by now so Idumped this and my torches into the car to get ridof any unnecessary weight.“I set off by myself anddecided to try and jog a bitof this leg purely on thebasis that the more I ranthe quicker I would finish”I set off by myself and decided to try and jog a bit ofthis leg purely on the basis that the more I ran thequicker I would finish. It was a partial success as Ifinished this lap about 45 minutes quicker than theprevious one around the 22.5 hour mark. As Itrotted to the start/finish point Robbie who wasdoing the timekeeping quipped I could do a sub 24hour if I did this last lap in 1hr 30mins…. er… nochance! I asked how Dave Baker was doing. He wasstill out on the course on lap 8 and had left 30minutes before me and I set off thinking I couldcatch him for some company. I grabbed a handful ofsnacks and set out for the last lap and started offwith a trot.I managed to plod the first half of the leg andcaught Dave as he was having a hot drink at themid-way checkpoint with another runner who waswith him. He was going to be there a few minutesand I decided to push on, I was less than 5 miles tothe finish and didn’t want to stop. However, thoseSponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTCAESARS CAMP 100last 5 miles were really slow and seemed to take aneternity! I don’t know if my mind had started towander knowing I was close to the end of the racebut every little hill felt like a stop-start effort and Ieven sat down and stopped for a few minutesbefore the last hill and chatted with a guy who wasout walking. I eventually made my way to the endand jogged towards the start finish to see theremnants of the camp site with the support teamstarting to break down the tents and tidy up. I hadhardly seen anyone for the last couple of laps andthought I must be virtually the last person out onthe course."I was genuinely surprisedto learn there were onlylikely to be 9 finishers outof 41 starters”The guys at the finish gave me a little cheer as Icame in and I was genuinely surprised to learnthere were only likely to be 9 finishers out of 41starters for the 100 mile race and I had placed 5thposition overall. I sat in the finishing tent and had achat with Adrian who had came out to support,Iveagh who had finished 3rd overall (great runmate, well done) and Robbie before heading home.The high level of drop-outs was a good indicationas to the conditions at this year’s event which wasin complete contrast to last year when conditionswere perfect. However, in all honesty I think myfinishing position disguised the second half of myrace which I think should have done a little better.Looking back on how I was feeling, there seemed tobe a lot of different elements which challenged youalong the way (wet, cold, mud, and sleepdeprivation) and individually I dealt with most ofthese (by fuelling well and adding/removingclothing when needed). Physically my legs actuallyfelt ok, no real injuries apart from sore really sorefeet from the stony paths and a few aches. Mentally,I was flagging at points and just had enough tokeep moving forwards but not quite enough to runas much as I wanted to. At the end of the run I feltrelief that it was over, no real elation and a slightsense of disappointment over the second halfeffort. The race was definitely a tale of two halves.On the positive side, I finished the race andprotected the no DNF record in a year where therewas a less than 25% finish rate in the 100 mile raceso perhaps I should just be satisfied with that.80 ULTRA TALES | NOVEMBER 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTCAESARS CAMP 50CAESARS CAMP 50BY BRIAN FRIENDAs a first year ultra runner it didn't take me longto discover that ultras can take me to differentplaces mentally, physically and emotionally thanrunning marathons do. Just the scale of thechallenge sometimes makes me doubt my abilityto complete an event, and the mind stuff thatgoes on has to be experienced to be believed. Onseveral occasions after the race, because of theintensity of the experience, I've had a surreal “didthat really happen” feeling. The Caesar's Camp 50was one such occasion for me.The appeal of the Caesar's Camp Endurance Runs(there are three distances: 50 and 100 miles thatstart at midday on Saturday, and a 30 that starts atmidnight) is that they are run on a 10 mile lap.Logistically this is cool because you just rock-upand park at the start/finish area, no crew needed(indeed, no crew allowed on the course). With anaid station at the start/finish and another at 5.5miles you don't need to carry much either. Butthat's where the convenience ends because this is atough 10 mile lap; in modern parlance it would belabeled “technical”.Brian FriendCaesars 50 ResultFinish Time11hrs 18minsFinish Position:4/29 FinishersThere are lots of climbs and descents, some ofwhich are significant, on very uneven ground thattest your fitness and mental resolve as you progressthrough the laps - but we like a challenge, don'twe?81 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTCAESARS CAMP 50The weather in the days leading up to the event hadbeen wet, but the day itself was fine for running -overcast and not too cold. Henk, the race director,gave an entertaining and colourful briefing. He hasthe reputation of being a bit-of-an-effort but it's alla show (I think!) His heart is certainly in the rightplace; putting on this event with all that thatentails, and then donating £8 of your modest entryfee to charity - how bad can he be? However, hesets us off with a unique parting shot that isn'tprintable in this magazine!It isn't long before the course reveals it's up anddown nature. We are on Army training ground hereand despite only being a spit outside of Aldershotthe area has a delightfully rural feel to it. A mile orso in we flatten out for awhile but soon have todetour round some large puddles before the first ofthe technical descents. Then some rolling terrainbefore another lift through narrow bracken pathsthat bring us up to a plateau with far-reachingviews across the surrounding countryside andFarnborough air base complete with planes takingoff. A pleasant distraction before we fall off theplateau down the worst of the descents. Thankfullythere's a fallen tree a little way down that you cangrab onto for a bit of brief safety before tackling therest of the ordeal.All this seems like fun on the first lap in brightdaylight when you're feeling fresh, but that isn'tgoing to last of course. I thought beforehand that Iwould have 3 daylight laps, a twilight lap and thenfinish with a night-time one; and that's pretty muchwhat happened. The rest of the lap is in similar vein,which keeps you very concentrated on where you'replacing your feet and the lines you take along themuddy tracks. Running through the trees is verynice on the early laps and the way is well marked.Then out into a clearing and up pops the aid stationat 5.5 miles and hello to the lovely people that aregoing to become friends during the next 10 hoursor so. Wash down some salty bits with flat coke andthen back to the ups and downs, trying to keep theeffort reasonable and not get carried away with thefirst lap freshness."...you get delivered to aright mucky stretch after aditch. It's hard work tryingto keep your feet alonghere"Another notable feature comes about 8 miles in.After climbing and descending a narrow paththrough bracken you get delivered to a right muckystretch after a ditch. It's hard work trying to keepyour feet along here, but once again it seems likefun this early on. Then it's more muddy puddling upand down as well as a bit of firm going before weget back to base and the end of lap 1. I have somemore salty bits and top up my bottle but can't resistsome chocolate crisp chunks as well - after all it's allgoing to get used isn't it? So, all in all a verychallenging lap that commands respect andconcentration, but it's marked well enough so if Ipay attention I'm ok. A check of the garmin tells me1hr 45mins and I'm off for lap 2.The next two laps go by quite uneventfully andbecome familiar as I pass through the same places.It makes sense to pay attention now because whendarkness falls it won't be so straightforward. As thecourse takes its natural toll and the miles add uplap 2 goes by in 1:51 and lap 3 in 2:08. At the end ofthe third lap timekeeper James Elson (CenturionRunning guru) tells me I'm third as I get myheadtorch and waterproof top. So far so good, butit's going to get interesting from here on! Onto lap4.If the first 3 laps were uneventful the last 2 wereanything but! While I'm on the dodgy descent withthe fallen tree my phone goes. I wait til I get to aflatter section before catching up with my daughterwho tells me she's getting ready to go out for thenight. Nice, have fun. As I'm talking to her I spook adeer who bolts off into the distant twilight. I haveto turn my headtorch on now and then it starts torain. A little while later a running friend rings me tosee how I'm doing and gives me a match report ofthe Brighton game. As I'm getting his tale of woe a82 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTCAESARS CAMP 50brown mass appears in front of me on a narrowpath through some trees - it's a cow! It startsrunning in the same direction as me so I'm trying toshush it out the way while still talking on the phone- what fun! Then things turn ugly. I start to getpainful stomach cramps and my headtorch dims. Ihaven't checked the batteries since I last used itand now it's gone onto save mode. I can just aboutsee where I'm going but it slows me down a lot - Ijust hope I can make it back to base before it givesout completely. The stomach cramps bring me to astandstill every quarter mile or so. I have to bendover and grit my teeth for 20 to 30 seconds whilethey pass and allow me to run again. Then I get tothe mucky stretch to find that the rain has made itworse. After slipping about for a few yards I end upon my butt! Eventually I do get to the end of lap 4but with all the faffing about it's taken 2:37. Jamestells me I'm now second which is a surprise. As I'mchanging batteries he changes his mind and saysI'm fourth, which is no surprise.WARNING: If you are of a delicate disposition youshould skip this paragraph. The stomach crampsconfused me because normally they would be asign that I need to go to toilet, but I didn't actuallyfeel the need. Then about a mile into lap 5 I thoughtI was going to let wind and it became obvious that Idid in fact need to go... and quickly! I found asubstantial tree, went behind it and did thebusiness (I had to turn my torch off so the couple I'djust overtaken couldn't see me when they camepast). Note to self: carry some toilet paper in future,bracken isn't very effective!Back to the trail and what a relief it is to be able toconcentrate fully on the job at hand again. The rainwas now coming down harder and turning thecourse into a nightmare; what was fun on thoseearly laps was now a very different propositionaltogether. As if the descents weren't hard enoughin the first place, they were now downrightdangerous with water running down them as well."As if the descents weren'thard enough in the firstplace, they were nowdownright dangerous"My dodgy knees were complaining because of allthe slipping and the whole thing was becoming abit of a trial. The aid station brought a bit of reliefand some shelter for a while, but I heroicallyrefused the offer of a cuppa and got back to thegrind with a mouthful of chocolate (I thought that ifI hang around there too long I might never leave).Back into the gloom for the final push and beforelong I'm trying to hold onto anything as I slidedown the bracken path that leads to the muckystretch at the bottom. This is now a quagmire andonce again I slide around trying to keep my feet andonce again I end up on my butt in the same place asbefore! See what I mean about going to placesmentally, physically and emotionally!!!So I'm sitting there in the mud and swearing at thenight. The trouble is that between me and the mudis my water bottle! Fortunately, I don't feel the needto use it again for some reason! The last couple ofmiles seem to take forever but I manage to keepmoving and even try to wash the clinging mud frommy hands in a puddle but it doesn't want to comeoff so I leave it. Eventually the lights of the finisharea come into view and gradually my worldbecomes a happier place as I make my final pushout of the rain and into the warm dry haven of thetent. I even let out a “yeehaa” as I finally stoprunning for the last time and go from beingcompetitor to finisher.Being able to sit down at last with the first ofseveral cups of tea is sublime. I pose for a photowith Henk and some nice people say nice things tome. Other runners finish and 100 milers come andgo as I tuck into some food; I feel awe and sympathyfor them as they go back out into that wet blackmess (there is no way that I could've done another 5laps). As the rain continues to beat down on thetent the runners for the midnight 30 assemble toget their pre-race briefing. I just feel sympathy for83 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTCAESARS CAMP 50this lot trying to navigate their way around 3 laps ofthat mess in the dark - fair play to them.I recall reading a write-up of this event by JasonHarrison in the TRA magazine who wrote that “if youthink that these races are soft option ultras you aresadly mistaken”. How right he was.For 11 hours and 18 minutes I'd enjoyed andendured this surprisingly difficult patch ofHampshire. I'd gone from the bright optimism ofmidday to sitting in the mucky gloom of night; but Iwouldn't swap it for anything. I don't think myknees would like me to do it again... but thatdoesn't mean that I wont! I ended up coming 4thout of 29 finishers. Only 9 heroes (Editors Note:Thanks Brian!) managed to get round the 100 withjust 8 completing the 30 (46 finishers out of 140entrants).I recover quite well – it's amazing what tea can do –and I start my drive back to Brighton. I rememberthat after my first 50 miler from Brecon to Cardiffearlier in the year I couldn't drive home because mylegs were too painful, I had to go back to B&B anddrive home in the morning!My intention now was to stop at the services on theM25 for some hot nosh, but while I'm on the move Idecide to keep going and sort something at home.As I'm cruising along in my nice warm car I shakemy head as I think about those intrepid souls stillout there battling the course and their demons.Then it occurs to me that I too am one of thoseintrepid souls, and a nice warm feeling of kinshipand belonging comes over me as I dwell on what afantastic community the sport of ultrarunning is. Ifeel blessed indeed to have found it and not beforetime (I turn 60 next year).84 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTCAESARS CAMP 50CAESARS CAMP 50BY PAUL NAVESEYAfter a poor run at this race last year I was prettykeen to run it well this time around. I had figuredout where I went wrong last time and had an ideaon how to do it better this time… well, I thoughtso anyway. The idea was very simple, don’t do likelast year and run myself silly in the first 20 miles.Arriving at Caesars Camp I registered, sorted my kitout and headed over to the briefing. I saw JamesElson on my way over and had a chat to him, havingbeen working with Centurion Coaching since themiddle of the year he knew what my trainingconsisted of and I said I felt pretty good for the raceand was looking forward to it.Onto the briefing. This is the part where Henk tellseveryone that he is only really there to witnesssome suffering, that he doesn’t approve of calfguards or garmins and that if anyone has anyproblems on course not to bother him with theirissues.Then on to the very elaborate start procedure. Henkgrabs a stick to draw a line in the dirt, encourageseveryone to stand a bit nearer to it then tells us toPaul NaveseyBloghttp://ultrapaulo.wordpress.com/Twitter@ultra_pauloCaesars Camp ResultFinish Time7hrs 42minsFinish Position:1/29 Finishers“F*ck off” and we are all off up the track to start lap1. Straight away there was a guy running fast upfront, I settle in just behind him, alongside DazCarter (Caesars Camp 100 winner 2011). I tried toremember my idea of not running too fast early on,as it felt easy I just kept going as I was. I went85 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTCAESARS CAMP 50through halfway at the same time as Daz and bythis point the leader was out of sight. I continued tochat to Daz as we ran and both agreed we wererunning too fast, we didn’t slow down though as Ithink we were both a little concerned aboutdropping too much time to the leader early on. Islowly put a small gap on Daz towards the end ofthe lap and came through the start/finish area in1:16 to start lap 2 currently 2 minutes 20 off thelead. Blowing my idea of starting slower this time asI was 2 mins faster than last year!The first half of lap 2 I was still running ok and wasby myself, at about 2 miles in you can see from thetop of a hill down to the bottom and along the trackwhere I could see an orange top disappearing intothe trees. I took a rough note of where he was andthe time on my watch so I could get a rough idea ofthe gap. As I expected it hadn’t changed much andwas still about 2 mins. Still running slightly fasterthan I had planned but feeling ok I made my waythrough the halfway checkpoint and into myfavourite half of the course. The 2nd half goes fromstoney tracks to a lot more forest single track. Notlong after the checkpoint I leave the forest to joinanother track and the leader is no more than 10seconds in front. A bit surprised a just continued asI was and noticed he wasn’t running nearly as wellas the last time I saw him. As soon as we hit one ofthe many muddy sections he slowed down a bit,then as soon as it was downhill he slowed down alot. I ran past, said hello and continued enjoying themuddy forest tracks like a long XC run Droppingdown over the start/finish area in about 1:19 thistime in front, aware that one of the early top 3 wasslowing already and also aware that Daz was stillmost likely very close.Grabbed a fresh handheld, a packet of Shot Bloksand set off for lap 3. The first half of the lap seemeda bit of a grind and I settled to hike a couple ofclimbs that I had run the previous 2 laps. I washiking at an ok speed so was happy to do that. I sawa couple of people on this lap but other than thatran up to the halfway checkpoint by myself. Back onto my preferred part of the course and felt I wasrunning better, probably no faster but was having alittle more fun. I saw another couple of people inthe 2nd half, the muddy areas were now reallychurned up and very slippery. Back onto the solidtrack for a run along to complete lap 3 in 1:32 and30 miles in 4:09. At this point James told me thatthe other 2 had dropped and I had a reasonablelead."Onto lap 4 and I didn’tfeel too great, the first halfof the lap was a real dragthis time"Onto lap 4 and I didn’t feel too great, the first half ofthe lap was a real drag this time. Once again Isettled into a hike on a couple of steep climbs inthe first half of the lap, starting to get a cramp onthe inside of my left leg I decided to keep runninginstead but with very small steps. The pace wasprobably similar to hiking but the smaller stepsseemed to help. I saw a few more people but it wastaking me longer to catch up to them than it had onthe previous lap. I headed up the last 2 short climbsbefore the halfway point and was feeling a littlebetter, maybe once again for going into the betterhalf of the course! It is better, I am sure of it Apattern seemed to be occurring and the 2nd halffelt more relaxed than the first despite the mudbeing deeper again this lap. A familiar trip throughthe woods and dropping down over the start/finish.I was running much better now but knew it was aslower lap at about 1:47.I grabbed a headtorch, fresh handheld and moreShot Bloks and set off. I was already running muchbetter than I had been for the previous 90 mins andwas just concentrating on running the climbs, evenwith very small steps, and stretching my legs out asmuch as I could on the flat and downhills. Imanaged to cover about 3 miles before switchingthe light on. It wasn’t really needed out in the openbut was very useful under tree cover where it wasnow dark.Apart from the first 2 laps this was the best Ithought I had managed to cover the first half,passing a few more people. Less frequently now butthey were typically appearing in pairs or trios86 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTCAESARS CAMP 50instead of individuals. I guessed these were 100runners settling in for the night. Through thecheckpoint, grabbing a quick swig of Coke and offinto the forest.I love a bit of headtorch running in the forest so wasreally enjoying myself, I knew my pace wasn’t nearlyas fast as early on but the running felt easy againand I was enjoying myself. That was more than goodenough for me. The muddy parts were now verybad, it was next to impossible to pick a line throughit in the daylight, by headtorch it was not evenworth bothering so just went for straight linesthrough it. A lot of it was deeper than I expected,only found that out when I sunk into it. The last halfa mile is on more solid ground, I was still able to runwell and was happy to be finishing the race runningstrong. Across the track, dropping down to thefinish I even managed a fast (for me!) finish.Very happy to have won and then James told me Iwas under the course record by about 28 minuteswith a finish time of 07:42.Most of all, happy to finally have a run I where I waspleased with my performance. Massively grateful toeveryone who helped/supported me and of courseeveryone volunteering at the event.87 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

STORT 30RACE ORGANISER | CHALLENGE RUNNINGEVENT REPORTS | RICHARD ASHTON, LINDLEY CHAMBERS - CHALLENGE RUNNINGSTORT 30Race Organiser: Challenge RunningWebsite Link: www.challenge-running.co.ukDate of Event: 21st October 2012Event Type: Single StageDistance: 30 milesLocation: Bishops Stortford, HertfordshireStart Time: 9am (7 Hour Cut Off )Description: 15 mile out and back route followingthe River Stort along canal and river paths.Results: http://www.challenge-running.co.uk/results-1/PHOTOGRAPH | CHALLENGE RUNNING88 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORT STORT 30RICHARD AT THE START OF THE RACESTORT 30BY RICHARD ASTONThe Stort30, a nice out and back 30 mile run alonga picturesque canal, with some muddy trails andminimal elevation. This was to be my introductionto the world of ultra running.I chose this race after signing up to the Thames Path100 and then deciding I better do some ultras tobuild up to it. I only started running early 2010 afterbeing really overweight and never having done anyathletics in my life, but have become obsessed withanything that involves extreme endurance and thiswas the start of my journey to running 100 miles.Richard AstonTwitter@C3044700Stort 30 ResultFinish Time3hrs 29minsFinish Position:1/47 Finishers (1 DNF)Heading into the race I had been running somegood times in 10k races and half marathons andwith the size of the field had aimed at a top 3 finish.When I arrived I was feeling very excited but tiredfrom my biggest week of training to date and full ofa cold.My strategy was to try and hold 7 minute miles foras long as possible and hopefully run about a 3.30time but I really wasn’t sure how things would panout.The race started with two laps of the cricket fieldwhich pleased me as I was worried about gettingstuck behind runners on the canal path and tryingto battle through the bodies to get on the front. Iquickly established a small lead with a runner calledDave a South African fella. I realised that this wasgoing to be the man to beat and he was pushing on89 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORT STORT 30at a good pace, averaging about 6.55 min/miles, alittle faster then I was hoping for but we stayedtogether. I kept an eye on my heart rate which wasstaying around 160 BPM and I felt comfortable.The route was fairly straight forward but everytime Iopened up a little gap on Dave I often found myselfhaving to double check the instructions of the routeor wait for Dave to ensure I was on the right track."It was becoming apparentthat Dave and I werebattling for the win"This was a little frustrating at times but helped keepa steady pace which was feeling good. It wasbecoming apparent that Dave and I were battlingfor the win and even a little time wasted navigatingthe weir proved we both had a solid lead on thechasing pack. After getting to know Dave a little, Irealised he was quite an experienced runner withsome good performances under his belt and mygame plan was starting to get tactical.I felt that if he was on my tail to the end that hemight have more in his legs to finish me off, so Idecided that at the half way mark I was going topush on the try and open up a gap so that Davecouldn’t see me on the trail. The reason for this wasto hopefully de-motivate Dave from chasing medown, and also force Dave into having to do somenavigating of his own (a plan that was to work atreat as the race panned out).I also found it a real motivator meeting the otherrunners as I passed, getting a little encouragementand trying to encourage them as much as I could.Now I was on the home straight holding a pace ofabout 6.56 min/mile and my heart rate was holdingat 160 BPM and I was feeling good still, onlyproblem I was desperate for a wee, but even moredesperate for a win. So after much self talk Idecided to urinate whilst running, just hoping thatmy shorts would dry before I saw the next checkpoint.I was surprised just how much wee actually90 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORT STORT 30managed the run directly down my leg and into myleft shoe which squelched so much more eventhough it was already soaked with mud. Eventhough this was a small race which some peoplemay have not felt worth urinating on yourself for, itmeant everything to me and I was proud of my minisacrifice for the cause, it even helped picked me upand chase down that finish."I was proud of my minisacrifice for the cause"A fair bit of the trail was on very muddy terrain andI actually enjoyed suffering on it, imaging anyonechasing me suffering even more, cursing as theground tried to slip them up.My mind was transfixed on having to run up thefinal hill which was still about 5 miles away and thelap that one could enjoy running around the cricketfield at the end.I Had taken my eye off my pace per mile checkingthe actual miles run and my heart rate had droppedto 150ish whilst doing this so I quickly snapped outthe funk I had allowed myself to slip into and gotback to focusing on my pace per mile which hadslipped to 6.58 min/miles. I got my heart rate backup to 160 and held the pace.I kept looking behind for a body which was going tochase me around the field at the end but nothingcame. No one was at the finish and I had a slightpanic that no one would see me finish, but as I wascurling around the field I saw the shape of LindleyChambers appear. Just that one person to see mefinish was enough to record my time of 3:29:42.I was ecstatic, so chuffed to have won a runningrace, a past time which I thought was insane until2010 and was unable to even run 2 miles. My tacticshad even paid off, 2nd place came in 20 minuteslater and Dave was nowhere to be seen, in the heatof the chase he happened to take an unfortunatewrong turn which ended his chance of challengingto the finish. Not that I took much joy in his mistake,but was pleased I raced with my head as well as myheart and it all paid off.RICHARD RECEIVING HIS PRIZE FROMULTRAMARATHONRUNNINGSTORE’S KEITH GODDENThe ultra bug is coursing through my veins, I nowwant bigger, faster, hillier. I will be back to racemany more challenge running events as I found theorganisers wonderful people and thought the racewas a great day out.Roll on St Peters Way Ultra with the team in Feb, but nextup, Tour De Helvellyn.91 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORT STORT 30RUNNERS SET OFF AT THE START OF THE RACEPHOTOGRAPH | CHALLENGE RUNNINGSTORT 30BY LINDLEY CHALMBERS, CHALLENGE RUNNINGSo on the 21st of October I ran my first race as arace director, the Stort30 so I thought I would do ablog about the race from the director’s point ofview.BackgroundI have been thinking of organising a few trail racesof my own on routes I train on or think would begood race routes in my own area. There are fewultra races in the Essex/Herts area's and I thought Icould organise a few fun informal races on prettyroutes. In July this year I took the plunge and set upa company called Challenge Running Ltd and beganto organise my first race the Stort30.PlanningUntil you plan a race it may seem like a simple thingto do and not very complicated. It was morecomplicated and expensive than I thought. If Iwanted to do it well and put on a race that peoplewould come to and more importantly come back tothen I had to do it right. I set up a website andSt Peters Way Ultra ResultsMens Results1. Richard Aston 3hrs 29mins2. Nick Greene 3hrs 58mins3. David Ross 4hrs 15minsWomens Results1. Naomi Newton-Fisher 4hrs 57mins2. Susanah Pillinger 5hrs 1mins3. Anna Finn 5hrs 14minsEntrants46/47 Finishersemail addresses to advertise the race and company.I researched insurance and as I was doing this as acommercial venture the standard UK Athleticsinsurance was not going to cover it properly so Iused someone recommended by another race92 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTSTORT 30PRE-RACE BRIEFINGPHOTOGRAPH | CHALLENGE RUNNINGemail addresses to advertise the race and company.I researched insurance and as I was doing this as acommercial venture the standard UK Athleticsinsurance was not going to cover it properly so Iused someone recommended by another raceorgansiser though it was not cheap and I bought anannual policy in the end to cover all my plannedevents. I obtained a race permit through the TrailRunning Association and this took a bit of work toplan it all out and produce all the details in advanceto then apply for the permit.As my event was going to run along the StortNavigation which is managed and owned by theCanal and Rivers Trust so I needed to obtainpermission from them to run this event. This was toprove quite difficult as their was no other eventsusing this waterway and as my event is new it tooka few months to finalise this and included writingH&S policies and a full risk assessment and signingagreements to abide by several rules.I had to plan lots of things like organising kit andwriting the route description and booking myrunning clubs clubhouse as the start and finishvenue. All this was starting to add up both in theamount of time and money being spent on thisrace. This meant that I had to get more entries toensure I did not lose money on this venture."All this was starting to add up both in the amountof time and money being spent on this race"EntriesI had a limit of 100 runners on my permit and I didnot anticipate getting near this number as it was anew event. the entries came in slow and steady overthe next few weeks and slowly I began to getenough entries in to think it was a viable optionthat may actually pay for itself. Up until three weeksbefore race day race day I only had about 34 entriesand as there is a three week order time on the T-Shirts I guessed how many more entries I would getand ordered 50 T-Shirts.VolunteersIf this race was to go ahead and be a success then Ireally needed a team of willing and helpfulenthusiastic volunteers. I put out a request onFacebook and Twitter and on Runners World andFetcheveyone. What I got was a fantastic team ofvolunteers who were mostly runners who alreadydid ultra's or were thinking about it and wanted tosee what it was all about. A few members of myrunning club (Bishop's Stortford RC) also turned outto volunteer as well as the club lending me somesigns and equipment. I was of course helped asalways by me great family, Sue, Becky and Laura.93 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTSTORT 30RICHARD ASHTON COMING IN FOR THE WINPHOTOGRAPH | CHALLENGE RUNNINGRace DayAn early start on race day with me and my daughterLaura down at the start venue at 6:30am to startsetting up the venue. I had been out the eveningbefore putting up some signs and Allan Rumbleshad run the route the day before as a test of theroute description. At 7:30am runners andvolunteers started to arrive. It was really great tosee faces I already knew from other races and meetnew faces in the running world. I handed out kitand instructions to the volunteers and set them offto their Checkpoints and continued to organise therace and chat to runners. Then it was time for therace briefing, I waffled a bit about the rules andbroke the news about the two laps of the field onthe way out and one on the way back.Then it was nearly time for the start at 9am. I goteveryone outside and myself and Laura with theAirHorn stood at the start and then with a sound ofthe Horn they were off.Off they went around the field for two laps tospread out the field before getting onto the roadsand the canal side. Right from the off it was clearthat there were a few runners who were going togive this race a good bashing and they went offfairly fast. All the runners cleared the field and wentoff down the road safely with marshals looking afterthem at the few road crossings before they reachthe canal. Then they were of along the scenic partof the route and 28 miles of out and back riversidetrails.After the recent heavy rain there was a few sectionsthat had slippy mud on the top surface and thatmade for interesting running for a few runners inroad shoes and one runner who chose to wear 5fingers and slipped over in the mud andunfortunately had to retire from the race."There were a few sectionsthat had slippy mud on thetop surface... one runnerwho chose to wear 5fingers slipped over in themud and unfortunatelyhad to retire from therace"94 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTSTORT 30round the final lap of the field to finish in 3:29:52!Second came Nick Greene who had a cracking runand was smiling as usual. Third placed runner wasquite a bit back due to somehow getting lostfollowing a river on the way back and losing40mins!Then the runners started to trickle in at a steadyrate and they all had positive comments andconstructive feedback which made me feel muchbetter.Then came first lady Naomi Newton-Fisher whofinished in another great benchmark course recordin a time of 4:57:38.All the runner filtered in and even a little drizzledoes not dampen spirits and the free tea and coffeeafterwards seemed to warm most up afterwards.NAOMI NEWTON-FISHER, 1ST LADY FINISHERPHOTOGRAPH | CHALLENGE RUNNINGI popped along to each of the checkpoints to watchthe first runners through and ensure the CP hadeverything they needed. The volunteers were doingan amazing job and making the race fun for all. Thesweets and coke/squash were going down a treatand all the runners seemed to be enjoying the raceat the first 2 CPs. Sue and the girls were running theturnaround CP and doing a great job. A friend fromrunning club was helping out and his girlfriend wastaking great photos along the route. All was goingto plan and the weather was being kind. Thesweepers were doing a grand job of looking afterpeople even though they were not allowed a cattleprod as requested!They particularly helped a guy called Ozgur whohad some ITB issues and was struggling with flexinghis knee, they stayed with him for all the way backand he completed when he thought he would notmake it to the finish line. Thanks Ben and Allan.The FinishI then went to the finish and opened up the clubhouse building and started to prepare for the firstrunner coming in, it was Richard Aston who flewPeople stayed for a bit then showered and changedand headed off. The last two guys that came in wereMichael Crawley and Mike Inkster who used it as atraining run for Operation Long Run next year(please Google it) an epic non stop tag team runaround Britain.Thanks to www.ultramarathonrunningstore.com forsponsoring the prizes for first male and femalerunners and Keith for presenting the winners withthe Ultra Aspire Handheld bottles. Thanks.SummaryIt was hard work but in the end I think it was worthit and I hope everyone enjoyed the race and it goesfrom strength to strength and the numbers increaseto make this a regular race in the calendar. A bigthanks to all those that helped to make this the raceit was and will be in the future.Our next race is the much tougher St Peters WayUltra a 45mile off road ultra on February 24th whichwill take you across beautiful central Essex to thecoast.It will be a tough race that will require navigationand could be fun if the weather is bad. have a lookat the website on www.challenge-running.co.uk95 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTTHREE PEAKS ULTRATHREE PEAKS ULTRABY KARL ZEINERAnother week, another ultra. This race is new tothe ultra marathon calendar although organisinga race on the last weekend in October is not newto the race organisers as they put on the JedburghRunning Festival every year which incorporates aHalf Marathon and a 10k and this year for the firsttime an ultra marathon.With the clocks changing at the weekend mybiggest worry on race day morning was makingsure I got up on time, so I had set 2 alarms just incase. Myself and Michael Novicki were getting a liftwith Andy Johns and needed to be at HermistonGait car park by 6am. All went smoothly though andwe got to Jedburgh by 7:15am, registered andsorted our kit out. Race was due to start at 8am.There was also a short race briefing (although longfor ultra marathons) at 7:45. I wore my usual ultrarunning set up: Shorts, calf guards, trail shoes, t-shirt, gilet and arm warmers, plus cap and gloves.And for my kit I had my Salomon S-Lab pack. It wasnippy in the morning – around 7 degrees with a bitof a breeze and some drops of rain. Perfectconditions really. The gloves came off soon enough.My plan was to set of steady as I had done to greatKarl Zeinereffect at River Ayrand then pick it up later on if I feltgood.Apart from a minor hiccup at the start whereMichael, Caroline McKay and I were lining up at thewrong start line – we realised early enough – wewere off at 8am. Andy looked like he was running96 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://Bloghttp://www.dzfitness.co.ukThree Peaks ResultFinish Time6hrs 12minsFinish Position:5th

EVENT REPORTTHREE PEAKS ULTRAthe 10k and opened up a significant gap within thefirst few 100 metres. That was the last I saw of himuntil the end. No surprises there as he had wonRiver Ayr a few weeks earlier. I settled in in 10thplace. Can’t say I was taking it easy though. Pacewas around 4:30 min per km. The early section ofthe course is fast though and takes in parts of the10k/half marathon course which is on road. After weturned off that we were on trail and it became theultra I was expecting. What I didn’t expect was theextent of mud we were to face."What I didn’t expect wasthe extent of mud we wereto face"The worst part really was from km 5-12. By the timeyou had waded through some of it you had addedsignificant extra weight to your feet. I was stillrather surprised by the pace that I and others weredoing as I came through 10k in 54 minutes. I wasgetting worried that this would come back to hauntme. At 50 min I had my first significant “walk break”to take on food and have a toilet stop. 4 runnerspassed me at that point and 14th would be thelowest point I would drift to during the race. When Igot going again I settled in behind those runnerscatching up but not quite overtaking them by thetime I hit my next walk break. This went on for a bit.At 12km we hit a road section which wasremarkably welcome (I am not really a fan of roadsection in ultras) after all the mud. At the end ofthis we came through Maxton where I was beingbriefly followed by a car as I was running down toMaxton church to turn off onto the trails again.Running past the church I realised that the cars hadnothing to do with the event but people going tochurch on a Sunday morning. Us running past thereall splattered in mud must have been a sight.After a short series of planked walkways andwooden steps we had a lovely section to run alongthe River Tweed and after crossing the B6404 alongthe golf course which took us to St Boswells. By thistime I had lost contact with the guys ahead of meby when I looked back I was suddenly pursued by aguy in white. While I walk up the ramp from the golfcourse he seemed to be getting closer but once Ihad turned off at the top of the ramp I never saw97 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013him again. Phantom runner?A quick run down St Boswells High Street and thenreturned to the river bank. This section beingmuddier and with it being close to the river a bit ofcaution required in places to not fall in. It has to besaid that there are not many sections where youhave to walk because all of this is basically flatwhich in good conditions will make this a very fastcourse.As is customary for me now I’d have my feed breaksevery 25 minutes having something that wouldamount to approx. 80-100 calories and a quick drinkand then return to run. I’d always walk through myfeeds. Most of the Three Peaks Ultra is an out andback route to Newton St Boswells from Jedburgh(approx. 24km each way) with a 12km loop fromNewton St Bowells to take in the Eildon Hills (theThree Peaks).Unusual for me I needed 2 toilet stops on the runand these were not just for a pee. Have to say I amnot quite sure what was going on there as I amquite good at making sure my bowels are emptybefore a race (coffee is your friend here). So onestop each at the start and the end of the loopsorted things out and didn’t lose me too much time(2-3 minutes in total). No positions lost either. Sorryfor being a bit graphic.Off onto the loop I went which continued along theTweed for a bit more. As we had a long straight bitof river to run along I suddenly saw the threerunners that had passed me at my first feed breakahead of me. One of them seemed to be strugglingas seemed to be walking more than running. As Igot closer he suddenly was walking towards me. Ithought he had packed it in. What a shame for him!Then he turned off the path away from the river. Ilooked up and realised that there was a way markerpointing us away – he had gone too far. The othertwo had turned back as well. I was very lucky hereas I would have missed that turn too, concentratingtoo much on the footing in the mud.We started our ascent away from the river and Irather quickly regained three places and based onmy calculations was now in 11th. When we got tothe A68 crossing the guy running in 10thapproached the crossing from a completelydifferent direction. He had gone even further offSponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTTHREE PEAKS ULTRAcourse. He stayed ahead of me a bit longer yetthough. Although we all had our moment there ofgetting lost and that marker was slightly misplacedthe marking in general for the event was fantastic.Some of the best I have seen in ultra running.Remarkably actually some runners got lost muchlater in the race where you were really onlyretracing your steps.Before we started the ascent proper onto the EildonHills we had another mud delight to get through,then Rhymer’s Stone checkpoint and the lower partof the ascent was very muddy too. The Eildon’s aresteep and as with the ascents on the PentlandSkyline only walkable. On the way up I passed theguy who I believed to be holding 10th place –Fraser Scott. He re-passed me on the way down, weexchanged places again on the climb up the 2ndhill. The next time I saw him after that was at thefinish line. The third of the Eildon hills is rathersmall and very runnable. The views from top of thefirst 2 though were stunning even on a day were theweather wasn’t perfect. We had a bit of wind on topbut nothing unpleasant. When approaching the topof the 3rd hill I noticed I was closing in on anotherrunner who had just started the descent off the 3rdhill. As is sometimes remarkable with ultra running,I wouldn’t see him again until 7km later whencoming through St Boswells for the 2nd time.The descent off the Eildons was nice. A mix of trailsand land rover tracks followed by a long roadsections into Newton St Boswells to then rejoin theroute back to Jedburgh through St Boswells andMaxton. Coming through St Boswells the abovementioned runner in 9th place popped out of thelocal shop with a carton of fresh juice. I passed himbriefly before slowing down for a feed break myself.THREE PEAKS ULTRAWebsite Link: www.jedburghhalfmarathon.org.uk/ultra.htmlDate of Event: 28th October 2012Event Type: Single StageDistance: 38 milesLocation: JedburghDescriptions: A 38 mile race across the Scottishborders with around 8 miles on country roads and theother 30 on hillside tracks, forest trails, river paths andparkland.I re-passed him again going along the golf courseand just before we crossed the B6404 again I caughtand passed another runner. Based on mycalculations I was now in 8th place. I had about17km to go and the runner I just passed would bethe last runner I would see until crossing the finishline. Ultra marathon runner is definitely a sportwhere you have to love running by yourself.I turned off the river at Maxton (church hadfinished) ran strongly along the road section afterMaxton (one of the supporters shouted that I onlyhad 10k left; I thought that was a bit of anambitious estimate as I knew it was closer to 15). Iwasn’t looking forward to the approx. 8k after theroad section as that was the most prolonged mudwe had on the way out. Strangely though it didn’tseem as bad on the way back. I think I also learned athing or 2 about running in the mud, as you dowhen you have run the best part of 60k in it.I was running strongly through here and was tryingto work out how close to 6 hours I would get, mypre race target. My energy levels faded a bit with 5kto go but a few jelly babies kept me going as well asa surprise cheer from three ladies in the final forestsection. The mile markers were still out from thehalf marathon and 10k on the last bit of road backto the finish which although I had my Garmin onanyway gave you a good idea how far you still hadleft and a little boost too. I did run strongly up thelast km and finished in 6:12 hrs to be immediatelycongratulated by Andy. To my surprise I’d finished in5th (not 8th but then I couldn’t know whathappened to others ahead of me – stopping ofgoing off course) and only 4 minutes behind Andy. Ionly found out when the results came out that I wasfirst male senior. The winner – Craig Cunninghamfinished in 5:34 hours. Michael had a tough day andcrossed the line in just over 8 hours and CarolineMcKay came third in the ladies race.Congratulations to everyone who raced.The race for me really played out very similar toRiver Ayr even though it was a faster start but Isettled soon enough and a mostly strong finish. Ireally enjoyed the course too and even though I amnot a fan of tarmac the section were short enoughto just break up the course from the relentless mud.In drier conditions the course is likely to beconsiderably faster. Congratulations to the raceorganisers on putting this event on, greatmarshaling and good course marking too.98 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

RUNNERS PROFILEJAMES ELSON99 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

RUNNERS PROFILEJAMES ELSONCenturion Running’s James Elson tells us about his own Ultra Marathon runningWhat is your running background?I started running in 2005 in preparation for the 2006Marathon Des Sables, the Toughest Footrace on thePlanet. I started off my career running in what myopinion is the most scenic marathon in the UK,Luton – in 2005.When did you first start running Ultras and why?James ElsonBlogwww.centurionrunning.comTwitter@jamesselsonI ran the 2006 Tring to Town 45 miler in 2006 toprepare mentally for the long stage of the MdS. Wefinished 2nd last.When or where (at which events) are we mostlikely to meet you?At Centurion Running Events I suppose, as Iorganise them.What are your personal key runningachievements to date?Well. After the MdS I set myself a bucket list ofevents to finish, and have ticked most of them off.Very occasionally I run fast enough to surprisemyself but mostly my achievements are finishes. Myproudest accomplishment is breaking 3hrs in themarathon. Also, finishing Western States with norunning whatsoever in the preceding 3 months dueto a double stress fracture. Finishing the 4DesertsSeries at the Pyramids having been to Antarctica,Chile and China on route, finishing Badwater withmy crew and making the finish line of my first 100 atRocky Raccoon in Texas are all stand out memories.What was your best result or best raceexperience?one person who was asleep.What was your hardest race experience?The last 85 miles of BadwaterWhat are your future Ultra Marathon runningambitions?To get in to and run Hardrock 100. To finish theSpartathlon. Go back and finish the US grand slam,which I messed up two years ago by passing out inVermont with renal failure.What/when is your next event?My next big event is Rocky Raccoon 100 2ndFebruary.Finishing Old Dominion 100 in front of a crowd of100 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

RUNNERS PROFILEJAMES ELSONWhat is your typical approach or race strategyfor an Ultra Marathon event?I usually go out too fast and try to hang on. Up to50 miles this usually works. I have run 10 ,100 milersand am yet to have a good race.What does a typical training week look like?There isn’t a typical training week unfortunately butI'm most successful when I am consistent withtraining. I have no problem running my old faithful2 hour trail loop through the Hertfordshirecountryside every day that I can, where I amunlikely to encounter another living soul.What one tip would you pass on to peoplerunning an Ultra for the first time?Most amusing running anecdote?Actually it was in a half ironman. I’d never worn thewetsuit before and couldn’t breathe in it. I finishedthe swim dead last as I had to climb out of thewater to take the wetsuit off. It was absolutelyfreezing.Then I found out on the bike that I’d pinned my racenumber over my jersey pocket so couldn’t get anyfood out. My aero drinks bottle fell off the bike so Ididn’t have anything to drink either. I ran the runleg with my bike gloves stuffed up my shortswithout realising and got bad chaffing. That was my24th birthday.Eat, eat some more, and then before you get hungryor tired, eat some more again.Give us one interesting fact about yourself?I ate 74 Gu’s during the 2011 Western States 100.101 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

ULTRA TALES NEWSHave any news to report? Email us at ultratales@gmail.comLOST WORLDS RACINGwww.lostworldsracing.comTuscany Crossing – ItalyApril 27, 2013Tuscany Crossing takes you through the World Heritagesite of Valle d’ Orcia, one of the most photographed andtimeless landscapes in the world. Space is limited due topermitting restrictions so don’t miss this opportunity.The route will be a circuit starting and finishing at themedieval Castiglione d’Orcia, (Castle of Orcia). It will be onrolling hills, primarily on trail and dirt roads, trail andoverland. It will cross the centers of Montalcino, Pienzaand you’ll encounter row upon row of hills laced withcypress trees and a painterly display of shadow and light.Where : Valle de OrciaDistance Options : Ultras 100k/50k /25k (Team or SoloEntries)Terrain: 80% trail, single track, rolling hills, footpaths,country roads, mountain forests, castle and villages.Causeway Crossing – IrelandMay 4, 2013The 100k Ultra will start in Glenarm on the eastern shoreand will follow the roads and forest paths towards theworld famous Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge. From hereparticipants will follow go through Ballintoy and pastDunseverick Castle, along the Causeway Coast Way whichskirts the cliff path along the headlands of the GiantsCauseway and passes stretches of sandy beach beforereaching the turnaround at Dunluce Castle and retracingthe route back to the finish at Ballintoy, close to Carrick-a-Rede Rope Bridge.Where : Ireland, Antrim Coast, Giants CausewayDistance Options : Ultras 100k/50k/25k (Team or SoloEntries)Terrain : 85% trail, single track, forest, glens, coastal clifftrail, bogs, beach and headlands.The route is challenging and will be waymarked,following trails over a uniquely beautiful preserve area ona peninsula in the southwestern tip of Sweden.You will race through beech forest and along the coastalso going through the infamous Death Zone and thetowers of Ladonia, a unique and unforgettable micronationsituated on the coast.Where : Kullaberg, SwedenLadonia Crossing – SwedenMay 11 , 2013Distance Options: 50k (Team or Solo options) 12k/6kTerrain : 90% off road, single track trail, Beech forests,rugged coast in national preserve. Technical terrain.102 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

RUNNERS PROFILEMICHIEL HOEFSMIT103 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

RUNNERS PROFILEMICHIEL HOEFSMITMichiel Hoefsmit tells us about his Ultra Marathon runningWhat is your running background?Re-Started in 2008 to not gain weight duringvacation.MichielHoefsmitWhen did you first start running Ultras and why?2010, didn’t want to do a standard marathon. I’vealways been extreme, so thought give 50k a try.When or where are we most likely to meet you?MdS 2013 and SDW 100 miles 15 June.What are your personal key runningachievements to date?That I run. Ultra-running is a lifestyle, not expressedonly by the races you do.What was your best result or best raceexperience?What does a typical training week look like?Giving up smoking in August 2012 and taking 10minutes of my 8.2 mile Kingston upon Thames UK,Breakfast run. My first race ever back in 2009What was your hardest race experience?Every 5k seems to be hard. But my first 35miler inNorthampton. Torrential rain, getting lost.What are your future Ultra Marathon ambitions?UVU Jungle Marathon, Badwater, Sierra LeoneMarathon, Spartathlon, Gobi Desert, AtacamaDesert, Kalahari AugrabiesWhat/when is your next event?50K London Ultra February 2013What is your typical approach for an UltraMarathon event?Just chill and take it the way it comes.Swim, bike, run, weights, fitness/cardio, pilates.What one tip would you pass on to peoplerunning an Ultra for the first time?Just go for it. But pace properlyGive us one interesting fact about yourself?I find a 5k harder than a 50k.Most amusing running anecdote?When my running friends tell me to pay attention torunning rather than the ladies running as well.Michiel is raising money for Melanoma research:http://www.justgiving.com/MDHoefsmit-MDShttps://mydonate.bt.com/fundraisers/michielhoefsmit, http://www.melanoma-fund.co.ukRaising money for Melanoma104 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

NOVEMBER EVENT REPORTSPHOTO FROM THE 2012 BEACONS ULTRAPHOTOGRAPH | ANDREW BOXHALLEVENT REPORTSGlen Ogle 33 | Ian Smith, James Stewart, Karl ZeinerOxfordshire Way | Luke AshtonDruid Ridgeway | James EacottGower Ultra| Tom WrightBeacons Ultra | Neil Bryant, Carl Whitehead, KarlZeinerPiece of String Fun Run | Sam Robson, MimiAnderson, James Adams,Winter 100 | Paul Ali, Wendy Shaw, James Elson -Centurion Running,105 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

GLEN OGLE 33EVENT REPORTS | IAN SMITH, JAMES STEWART, KARL ZEINERGLEN OGLE 33Race Organiser: G33 Ultra MarathonWebsite Link: www.go33ultra.comDate of Event: 3rd November 2012Event Type: Single StageDistance: 33 milesLocation: Strathyre, ScotlandStart Time: 8amDescription: 33 mile out and back route followingforest trails and cycle paths starting and finishing inStrathyre.Results: www.go33ultra.com/results/results-2012PHOTOGRAPH | GLEN OGLE FACEBOOK PAGE106 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTGLEN OGLE 33PHOTOGRAPH | GLEN OGLE FACEBOOK PAGEGLEN OGLE 33BY IAN SMITH“Glen Ogle 33 Race Report – A View From TheBack!"The Glen Ogle 33 ultra is a fairly low key, friendlyrace from Strathyre (between Callander andCrianlarich) to Killin and back. Most of the route isgood trail or back roads and you get to run alongthe old railway line you can see from the A85 pastLochearnhead which is something I'd wanted todo for a while. There's a bit of climb but nothingexcessive and generally it seemed like a good raceto finish off the year with.Ian SmithTwitter@iantheowlGlen Ogle ResultFinish Time5hrs 46minsFinish Position:97/144 Finishers (9 DNF)There was a certain amount of CBA about this raceas it was my last race of the year but as I'd wimpedout of the Jedburgh 3 Peaks Ultra the week before,and it was my first race as a super-vet I thought I'dbetter just man up and get on with it!There seemed to be quite a few "ultra virgins" doingthis as their first ultra, and it is probably a goodchoice as it's a nice route, nothing too challengingand there aren't any long sections with nocheckpoints where you could get isolated or lost.Only the other hand, it is November in the ScottishHighlands so the weather is always a factor toconsider but the organisers landed lucky last yearand I was hoping they would have similar fortunethis year too.However the weather forecast wasn't great, plus107 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORT GLEN OGLE 33some of the course is a bit tricky to get to from themain road so my usual support crew wisely stayedat home in her bed and I travelled up on my ownwith the intention of just using drop bags at acouple of the check points.Driving up to the start there were a couple of heavyrain/sleet showers and things weren't looking toopromising, but when I actually got to the start itwas dry and clear again, and in fact other than onelittle hail shower the weather was pretty muchperfect for running (if not for spectating)Our club had a few people running so the timebefore the actual start was a blur of faces and chatand I ended up having to quickly get changedbefore the race briefing and after a short walk tothe start we were off.The first mile was uphill alonga forestry track and as I didn't really want to bewalking that close to the start I jogged slowly upthe hill trying not to exert myself too much. Thenext four or five miles to the first checkpoint wereundulating forestry track and there were plenty offamiliar faces so I was basically going from one chatto another as I overtook one or two and quite a fewmore passed me.That's one of the things I like about ultras (at themiddle/rear of the pack anyway) - most people arequite happy to have a wee blether and I ended upchatting to quite a few strangers as well as folks Iknew. When was the last time you chatted tosomeone in a road race? It makes the miles passquicker and takes your mind off the what you'redoing, and before I knew it I was at CP2 where thefirst of my drop bags was, along with the lovelyKaren who is RD for the Cateran Trail Ultra."There's always atemptation to linger toolong at checkpoints but Ihad a quick snack, refilledmy water bottle and ... wasoff on the next section”There's always a temptation to linger too long atcheckpoints but I had a quick snack, refilled mywater bottle and after a quick word with JohnnyDthe Fling RD it was off on the next section.I knew this bit was an 8/9 mile loop along a trailthrough the forest back around to the same CP but Ihadn't realised that there was about 4 or 5 miles ofpretty constant descent towards Killin and by thetime I got to the climb back up my quads and kneeswere protesting a bit.I did a walk/jog on this section and although somepeople were going past me on the flatter sections Iwould usually catch them up again on the steepclimbs as I was walking quicker. Just as I reachedthe highest point and was about to start thedescent to the CP I came across my friend Jo who I'dseen earlier and who was now limping along. She'dhad to pull out of the Jedburgh ultra the weekbefore with a knee injury and the same problemhad flared up again so I walked with her for a while.Back at the CP I grabbed the rest of my drop bagsupplies and set off back down the railway line. Myenergy levels had dipped a bit as they always seemto do around 18-20 miles so I had to force myself torun instead of just walking. The runners hadthinned out a bit by now and I was largely on myown as the few that I passed were going evenslower than I was and I wanted to try to keep goingas best I could. At the end of the old railway linethere is a switchback descent down to a lower leveltrail and again my knees and quads were protestinga bit.The next few miles were a nice undulating trail andapart from one wee wrong turn it was all prettystraightforward to get back to the final CP and mylast drop bag. While I was refueling I noticed that alady who had been with a small group just ahead ofmy going into the CP seemed to be struggling awee bit and when she left at the same time as me Iwalked with her just to check she was going to beokay. As it turned out she just needed a wee bit offuel and I discovered she'd actually done the triplecrown of the Fling, WHW and the Devil this year (Ithink) among other ultras so it was a bitunexpected for her to have a wee blip on a108 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORT GLEN OGLE 33relatively short race.I'd set myself a somewhat arbitrary target of 6 hoursand thinking the race was the full 33 miles I knew Iwas going to have to set a reasonable pace toachieve that. My new friend had a course PB fromlast year of just over 6 hours so was also keen to getunder 6. Pretty soon she'd perked up anyway andwe ended up running the rest of the way to thefinish, overtaking quite a few other as we went.In the end the course was measured at "33-ish" bythe RD :-) and so we actually beat our 6 hour targetby about 15 minutes :-)Once more there were plenty familiar faces at thefinish including another friend who'd had to pullout with an injury. I was actually feeling pretty goodat the end and even the quarter mile walk back tothe car was no problem.As it turned out afterwards the only residual effectwas that both my big toes were a bit bruised,presumably from the long constant downhillsections.After the race the local pub had laid on soup andhot drinks so after getting changed I headed alongthere to warm up as it was a bit chilly. A nice bowlof soup and a couple of mugs of coffee later I wasgood as new and headed back home.This was no-frills racing at its best - no medals ortee shirts, just a couple of chocolate bars and abottle of beer in the goodie bag, a bowl of soup atthe local pub and all the banter you could ask for -that's what it's all about surely?PHOTOGRAPH | GLEN OGLE FACEBOOK PAGE109 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTGLEN OGLE 33GLEN OGLE 33BY JAMES STEWARTSo there you have it. I am an an ultra marathonernow. After my botched attempt at the Clydestride40 in July I completed the Glen Ogle 33 thisweekend (3rd November). How would I describemy feelings? Hard to say really. I was delighted atthe end, relieved as well as I was starting to reallystruggle.The thing with an ultra marathon is the distance isonly one facet of the challenge. Generally theterrain and the elevation make for a different set ofobstacles for the runner to overcome. And the GlenOgle 33 had a bit of it all.The race started in Strathyre, some 20 minutesnorth of Callander. Registration on the morning wasslick and the temperature gauge in Cookie’s carcalling out 1.5 degrees was about right. It wascolder than a witch’s heart and didn’t the runnersknow it. After a quick change in to moreappropriate clothing I readied myself for the race.There were two key decisions I had to make:footwear and tactics.For footwear I went with my Asics running shoesand it was 100% the right decision. The route ismainly bike track and part roads with some trailthrown in. However, the condition of the forest trailis superb. Given the weather in week leading up tothe race it was surprisingly good. In fact, in therace’s 33 miles, there was only one puddle I couldn’teasily avoid.For tactics I ditched any rigid run/walk routine anddecided to run fast when I felt good and walk hillswhen I felt that was the right thing to do. I wasn’twinging it but I was thinking about mile 28 at mile3. The idea being not to go out too quick but whengood downhills allowed it to set myself free.Crucially, I tried always to feel as if I was runningwithin myself. I had no time target per se, sub 5hours would be amazing but the reality was Iwanted to finish more than anything. Indeed, beforethe race I suggested to Cookie that I could be 6hours given the temperature and the hills in sight.The use of the toilet block at the campsite waswelcome but whomever invents something that canJames StewartBloghttp://jamesstewart13.comTwitter@james_stewart13Glen Ogle 33 Ultra ResultFinish Time4hrs 43minsFinish Position28/144 Finisherstake away the smell of 200 hundred runners makinga final drop will be a millionaire.The start was a bit of a shock. Straight uphill, withthe first three miles averaging over 180 feet ofelevation gain each. Paradoxically, I think thishelped me consolidate my pre-race view which wasgo easy, go steady. Normally in a race if it is flat it isall too simple to get caught at a good pace at theoutset only to pay for it 20+ miles later. Of course,the hills do different damage.After that the course wound back down the hill andby the Rob Roy pub and then on to cycle path 7.Interestingly, it was only 15+ miles later whencoming down the cycle path that I realised howmuch of a hill it is. I was steady on the route and inretrospect should have considered a couple ofwalking stops, but I felt good. The condition wasgreat and the scenery absolutely spectacular. Theviaduct is a particular highlight as are the views ofLoch Earn going both ways.After the 2nd checkpoint at mile 11 the runnersstart hitting the woods and forest trail and theroute undulates more. It was here I took my firstwalking break. At mile 14 there were loads ofpeople starting to walk and I took the lesson from110 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTGLEN OGLE 33Clydestride here and it worked.All the while, I was loving my less important butnonetheless worthy decision of ditching the usualmix of heavy metal for the more soothing tunes ofAida, Madame Butterfly & La Traviata. I amabsolutely convinced tuning into these kept me incheck. That said, as I started the return from Killin toStrathyre two songs looped in my head. They wereComing Round The Mountain and The Bear WentOver The Mountain. I think you can guess why.The higher we went the more stunning the viewsand the light dusting of snow made the whole thingfeel very natural. However, whilst the views wereamazing the highlight for me was passing a groupof about fifty kids near the viaduct on the returnwho cheered and hi-fived me like I was Mo Farah.Makes me smile every time I think about it.The return is more downhill but not without itschallenges. I found a couple of the descents agonyand it hammered home the point a lot of ultrarunners make about the need for a good downhilltechnique. Quadalicious!As I clocked up the miles I went through themarathon somewhere near 3:47 and I realised myfive hour target was on. If I was to hit five hours Ireckoned I needed 60-65 mins in hand for the final10k but by then I was starting to seize and had adose of cotton mouth. I couldn’t face anymore foodand I had hit the least inspiring bit of the coursefrom the final checkpoint home. This is all road fromthe Rob Roy pub via Balquhidder. Apart frombrushing past Rob Roy’s grave these miles stretchedout in a painful, quad and calf taunting, final houror so. Speaking to a couple of people after the racethey felt it would be better if this was the start ofthe route. In theory yes but practically I would thinkit would be too much. 200 runners on that narrowroad plus the challenge around finding a suitablefinish area the other way round likely render it anice but unwise choice.Nonetheless, as I lurched from short run to walk acouple wizened old fellows approached from theopposite direction and told me that I was in 24thplace and the Garmin measured the remainder atonly 2.3 miles. I had calculated almost 4. This is thekind of boost supplement companies would die for.He tempered his good news by describing the nextmile as a ‘bastard’. Can’t have it all, eh?However, I dug in and was running at 8:30 mile pacein the last mile as I crossed the line somewhere near4:43. I heard the official timer say 4:42 something Ithink and will update when I have the final time. (Itwas 4:43.45).Also, my watch measured the course under 32miles. In long races like this it is easy to shave ofdistance as you take the racing line (hell, I’ve neverrun a race that is bob-on). Either way, it is a longbloody run.In the end, when I downloaded the race to mycomputer the elevation gain came out near 2,400feet. During the race it touched 3,000 according tothe live watch. Nonetheless, I had never run >1,000feet gain before.Coming in at the time I did was fantastic. On a high,a quick 20p shower at the campsite – with thanks tothe chap who funded my 3 mins of excruciatinglyhot, but blissful washing – was followed by a raceprovided bowl of red bean broth and a pint of HeadEast at the Inn At Strathyre. Delightful.So, that’s me no longer an ultra virgin* as the racedirectors described the handful of us at the start. Iam now an ultra runner and don’t you forget it. Iwon’t.“I am now an ultra runnerand don’t you forget it. Iwon’t”Big thanks to directors Bill & Mike for the day and toall those volunteers who supported. A labour oflove in many ways and wholly appreciated. I think Ismiled and thanked most of them on the wayround.111 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORT GLEN OGLE 33GLEN OGLE 33BY KARL ZEINERI had 5 days to recover from the Three Peaks Ultramarathon in Jedburgh before lining up for my nextultra marathon – the Glen Ogle 33 (GO33). It didn’ttake long for my legs to feel normal after Jedburghand this is likely to be partly thanks to the forgivingsurface we had there. I was by no means the onlyperson who was planning to race both events. Iknew of at least 4 others such as Craig Cunningham,Roly Mcraw, Caroline McKay and Michael Novicki).This was going to be the first time I would race twolong distance events so close together. Therefore Iwould just see how things went. I had little doubt offinishing though.Karl ZeinerBloghttp://www.dzfitness.co.ukGlen Ogle 33 ResultFinish Time4hrs 20minsFinish Position:13/144 Finishers (9 DNF)I got a lift to the race in the morning with CaroleFortune (her 2nd ultra after the D33) and Caroline.It was an 8am start so I had been up at 5 to havebreakfast. On the drive across the weather lookednot very welcoming with rain and sleet. The forecasthad been for snow which I strangely would havepreferred.Once we got to Strathyre we registered quickly, gotourselves sorted and caught up with a few friendsfrom the ultra marathon scene. After the race briefit was about a 5 minute walk to the start line. Therain had stopped by now and it was looking quitepleasant.As usual I lined up towards the front to get a goodstart and found myself in 9th place after the firstkm. Most of the first 2-3 km was uphill by the end ofwhich we were definitely warmed up. About 4k in Ihad my first (usual) feed/walk break and a pack of 8overtook me. Bang, I was in 19th place then. Afterresuming running I picked up a few places againbut then just settled in. Norry McNeill and Rolywere in the group as well but stayed ahead of me.After the initial climb and descent it was mostlyundulating until we hit the old Glen Ogle railwayline which then very gradually wound its way upthe valley. There is one exception to this: A smallseries of switchbacks which are seriously steep.What really confused me was that we had beenrunning along a railway line before the switchbacksand then were running along a railway line after theswitchbacks?! A train couldn’t have done that! Aftergetting home Fiona and I had a look and found outthat there were in fact 2 lines running in parallel,one above the other. As these are now being usedfor the national cycle network the switchbacks wereput in place for the cyclists. Anyway they are notvery pleasant to run on neither up nor down. Acouple more people overtook me here and once onthe upper railway line I settled into 21st place.My legs felt tired in a ‘we have done a lot of runningrecently’ kind of way, so I was happy to just plodalong and keep my place. There was a bit of snowon the path too which kept me occupied. The fieldhad spread out but with the railway line being quitestraight I could still see up to 8 runners ahead ofme. So, something to focus on.I was reasonably happy with the position I was in.Based on last year’s results (which looked fast) thislooked realistic and I reckoned I’d pick up the oddplace here or there.I got to the top of the pass, said a quick hello to themarshals but kept going as I didn’t need my dropbag I left there until the return leg. From here we’d112 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTGLEN OGLE 33do a loop through the forest which stretches downthe valley to Killin and then back to the top of theGlen Ogle pass.I started my descent in good spirits as I was lookingforward to a bit of faster running. The early part ofthe descent was quite unpleasant though as it wassteep and on tarmac so I was rather relieved when itlevelled out. I did manage to pick up a couple ofplaces from runners who had stopped at thecheckpoint. Heading towards Killin I caught up withanother runner from Glasgow and we had a bit of achat up until the point where we started the reascentto the pass. When we made the turn wesuddenly had 5 runners in front of us. This surprisedme as the last long straight seemed empty. I hadtargets ahead of me again. One target that was justteasing me all the way up the hill was Roly as Iseemed to get closer but never close enough beforeeasing off for a bit to eat.Going over the top (which is slightly higher thanthe pass) I caught Norrie who’d gone off too fast butwas still going strong. Based on my calculations Iwas now in 18th place. Keeping tabs on where youare placed is a great way to keep you occupied. Thegap to Roly though continued to increase. As a oneoff I decided to ignore my feed/walk break over thetop as I had a sense that the checkpoint (and mydrop bag) would be just round the corner. It wasslightly further and I got to have my next gel 10 minlater than scheduled. I spent literally seconds at thecheckpoint (thank you Lorna for your help here). Iremoved the empty bottle and zip lock bag andreplaced them with new ones and off I went again,consuming a gel on the way out. Quick glance back:I had gained another place with another runnerwho was taking his time in the checkpoint. At thetime I hadn’t realised that this was Roly. I am into16th. This is looking quite good now.One of the reasons I felt that a top 20 would be OKat this race was that last year’s times seemed veryfast and it appeared to be more a course forspeedgoats. Although I have decent pace I am notall out fast and excel better in tricky, technicalconditions as we had at Jedburgh. So to find myselfcreeping up the leaderboard was very pleasing.PHOTGRAPH | GLEN OGLE ULTRA"So to find myself creepingup the leaderboard wasvery pleasing"I was now heading back down the railway line andthe weather was getting continually better openingup some very nice views along Loch Earn. On theway down a group of scouts were walking up therailway line and this was the biggest crowd supportwe got all day. Thank you, scouts!The gradual descent was a pleasure to run on and Icaught another runner just before the steepswitchbacks (they are even worse on the way backdown when you have run over 20 miles) but wasaware of being caught by someone or so I thought.113 ULTRA TALES | JULY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORT GLEN OGLE 33It seemed to take ages for Kevin du Plessis to catchme. We were running at a fairly similar pace. Justbefore he caught up with me I passed Neil Youngwho was struggling with hip flexor problems butbravely kept going with a mixture of running andwalking to finish his first ultra marathon.When Kevin caught me we ran together until wereached Balquidder Station. I had briefly ran withKevin at the Highland Fling in April so it was goodto catch up again. I was in much better spirits thistime than I was then. Together we passed another 3runners, 2 of whom jested that we were cheatingwhen running uphill. Although Kevin had caught upwith me we had both slowed down a bit which hadhelped me. I did remember my feed during the chatbut due to the slower pace decided to ignore thewalk break. It appeared to work. Just beforeBalquidder Station I had gained a bit of strengthand Kevin let me go ahead. We had 10k to go. Sadlythe last 10k are all on tarmac along the road toBalquidder and then back to Strathyre – this isdifferent from the opening section. I am not a fan ofrunning on tarmac (a great example of this is how Igot on at the Speyside Way Ultra last year).I went into the tarmac section though feelingstrong and got on pretty well for the first half. In mynext walk break I glanced back to see Kevin andanother runner approaching. I returned to runningthough before they caught up. The gap was closingthough and I was hoping that when they caught mewe could head to the finish together. In themeantime we were closing in on another runner. Weall caught him with around 3km to go. At the timethough I thought we had around 5-6k left as per myGarmin but it turned out that the 33 miles wereactually 31.5 miles. The other runner running withKevin was Roly. Roly was going very strong and myattempts of staying with him over the last few kmsdidn’t last long. To my surprise though Kevin didn’tcatch me either.The last few kms of the Glen Ogle 33 do have a bitof a sting in them. The road section is 7kmreasonably flat and then 3k of up-down-up-downup-down.Ouch, especially on the down. Roly on theother hand was just bouncing along like Tigger inhis Hoka running shoes. I am not a fan of the Hokasbut the way Roly was going I had to wonder.Anyway based on my calculations I was currently in13th and had around 3k to go. After about 1k ofthose 3k a guy pointed to the left and said I hadanother 200 yards. I was surprised as I had alreadyresigned myself to finishing outside 4:30 hrs. In theend it was exactly 4:20 and 13th place. Roly finished1 place ahead of me in twelfth.Caroline finished 3rd lady again and Michael had avery strong run to finish just over 5 hours. Carolefinished in 5:20 hrs in her second ultra and whichshe calls her first real ultra. Also congratulations toHelen Falconer in finishing her first ultra in the sameyear that she did her first marathon.It was a great day of racing with good weather inthe end. The course isn’t difficult to follow butsignage was everywhere where it was needed andmarshals were great."You definitely can’t faulta race that has a beer inyour goody bag and avoucher for more beer inthe pub. Well done guys!"You definitely can’t fault a race that has a beer inyour goody bag and a voucher for more beer in thepub. Well done guys!A few days after the race my legs still feel tired, notachy but tired. They have done a lot recently. Nowthey just need to recover enough to get me roundBeacons Ultra in a decent time. Due to my positionin ultra marathons I don’t very often get theopportunity to chat to other runners whilst on thecourse. Due to the field being a bit bigger andmaybe more varied there were always other runnersaround which made for a less lonesome race. I cansee how company like that (in my case running withKevin for a few kms) can give you a rest and a boost.One more ultra to go then the season is over. Yay!114 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTOXFORDSHIRE RIDGEWAY ULTRAOXFORDSHIRE RIDGEWAY ULTRABY LUKE ASHTON7:30: After a quick rush checking out theTravelodge with mum and sister Sam, getting thesat nav to fire up, we make it to the meeting pointthat is just at the side of the road near a caravanpark in Wheatley Oxfordshire. Steve the UltraRunning director called me before to check I wason my way as the other runners are ready to start!Officially start time is 8am but as it now gets darkearly we can start once ready. I start to feel lateand that I am holding everyone up. I only see asmall group and knew as today is Monday lesswould be running but it turns out just myself,Kenneth and Kirsty attempting the 53m today.After a quick brief from Steve and trying to fastenmy number on with gloves, we have a few photos ofthe group and Steve checks we have our maps, GPS,water, phones and directions. I'm feeling rathernervous and rushed all sudden, it didn't help thatmy sister needed to know a time I would be at thelast check point and finish, I couldn't think straightor guess as I am not sure of the conditions of theroute or my navigation skills.... I just said I will textonce at CP3 incase they wanted to meet me at CP4.It's just getting light and there is still a thick mist ofmorning dew, the winds are light but its a brisk 3c.7:40 : Steve squeezes his horn and we walk off thenask which way... Not best start, I think we all stillsleepyheads! We jog up the road past the caravansand then over the bridge above the M40. The fieldsahead are covered with a thick mist and the sunriseis trying to peep through. Already we look aroundand then stop to take a look at the directions, wecan't find the path to the left and think we havepassed it or not seen it. This is not good! All three usstart to read back the first few steps. We agree itmust be the left through the field and not up thetrack to the farm ahead. One glance over tells us wewill get wet feet, a huge deep puddle is right belowthe style we need to climb over. No point hesitatingnow, I go in first with a splash and the cold waterfills my shoes and I grit my teeth of the suddenshock cold soaking into my socks! It feels like ice!Luke AshtonBlogwww.lukeashton.blogspot.co.ukTwitter@Ashton378Oxfordshire RidgewayUltra ResultFinish Time9hrs 38minsFinish Position:1/2 Finishers (1 DNF)We head across fields as per the directions thenclimb over a gate as the style cannot be seen in themist. Later we see it as we pass. A distinctive yellowarrow trail sign with Oxfordshire way written to theedges. The starting, stopping, reading and climbinggates is seriously adding previous time to how longwe will be out on the route to Swindon! Kennethstops for a toilet break and I chat to Kirsty aboutother races she has done this year and how shehopes to do. I'm glad to hear we are in agreementto stick together at least until we reach theOxfordshire/Ridgeway tracks as the directions seemrather tricky up to CP1. I decide there and then thiswill be an enjoyable scenic day out on the trails andbe used as a training practice at navigating! So farI'm pretty pants....After few more navigating our way around fields thesun has risen and the mist is lifting from the horizonand it looks to be a fresh sunny day but a cold one.No strong winds.8:40: After about 4miles and an hour on our wetnumb feet, passed wooded areas and hedgerowsthe route takes us through a dense green woodedtravel and eventually onto gravel passed large115 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTOXFORDSHIRE RIDGEWAY ULTRAhouses and out houses. We cross the next road andcontinue on the Oxfordshire way up muddy stonetracks winding up and through the countryside,pass more farms and plenty of pheasants on theroute. The three of us se relaxed running togetherat a steady pace of approx 8:40min/mile, aware thestart has slowed us considerably so.After about 7.5m on a now Tarmac road we take theRidgeway route to the right which is rather unevenstone below, taking it easy as pass morning dogwalkers, a smile and goodie morning goes down atreat here, plenty of replies back to us!9:30: After 9 miles or so on the track the directionssay to stay right-sign posted Swans Way . The trackonly goes straight ahead or to the right is a roadbut no sign, we follow the road and once at the endcheck again the directions. We stop as the trackshould go ahead through woods and eventuallyreach the first CP at 10miles. We have already goneover this so at a guess we are pretty close already.We can't see any signs of a tent/table marquee insight just a T-junction. Kenneth is rather aggravatedat the directions we are trying to follow and figuredthey should be straight forward as Steve put in hisemail to us. I figure we head back and just followahead on the track previous hoping for the best. Wehead back and turn right this time back onto thetrack that takes us through under growth of denseforest with large hedgerow to our right. A fewminutes later Kenneth shouts from behind 'I seethem'. Then there it is the land rover I saw from thestart which must be Steve's and further into thetrees a marquee with boxes and fuel available. Clickclick snap snap from the photographers as weapproach and they follow us up to the CP. The timenow is 9:52 and it has taken us 2hrs 11mins 10.89mcovered at an ave 12:07m/mile. My starting paceaim was 9/9:30m/mile...Heading out from under the trees myself, Kennethand Kirsty read over the next set of directionsbefore running off down the road. Staying on theright hand side facing any on coming cars, the roadgoes past Grundon the waste disposal company andthen after a few miles we reach a large round about,head right to the 3rd exit and towards Wallingfordthen past the Bell pub and some local village shops.As it is approaching mid morning the sun is shining116 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013and gives some warmth on my face from the coldtemperature. We carry on forward then over abridge and past the boat house pub. Just to the leftis a sign post for Thames Path, we continue on to acobbled road and then meet the water edge that isthe Thames Path. This track continues parallelthrough green fields, houses, apartments andkissing gates.After about 3miles and an enjoyable route of sightseeing I am in a comfortable pace now keepingsteady at 8:30m/miles, I look at my Garmin that onlyshows the time now, it is 10:55. I sudden have to goto the toilet, a very unfortunate thing aboutrunning sometimes is the well known sudden needto go quickly! I tell the others to run on I will seethemSponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTOXFORDSHIRE RIDGEWAY ULTRAsoon, they know the deal. I see a covered area oftrees and bushes and dash in to go. I am so glad Ipacked my trusty travel toilet roll and hand wipes!After I've managed to fix my bum bag and glovesback on I head back to the track and see a cutechocolate Labrador approaching, he seems veryexcited and happy and harmless, I say hello and askwhat he's up to, he runs along side me which I findvery comforting and actually like the company. Hesuch a happy fella and then picks up a big bottle ofwater that is just in the grass and carries it along. Ilol to myself that he thinks I maybe thirsty. Such aclever dog! I stop to take a picture to remember themoment. Few minutes up the track I see his owneron the wooden decking by the water and he goes togreet her.20miles or so I have already caught up with Kirstyand we walk together to have some energy gels.She tells me her hip has been playing up and thinksat CP2 she may have to pull out. She lives close byso it is tempting for her to just head on home torest. I wish her the best and was nice meeting herbut hopes she makes it further today. I pass aschool field and the kids are out on there break inthe playground. I run round the field but thenrealize the path leads to a private track so have toswitchback on myself. Damn. Once back thedirections are to carry on up the main road andOXFORDSHIRE RIDGEWAYULTRARace Organisor: Ultra Running LtdWebsite Link: www.ultrarunningltd.co.ukDate of Event: 5th November 2012Event Type: Single StageDistance: 53 milesLocation: Ridgeway, OxfordshireDescriptions: A run or walk covering the Oxfordshireleg of the Ridgeway path.Race Results: http://www.ultrarunningltd.co.uk/results/the-relentless-race-results-2012then right into Willow Court Lane which takes meup a stony trail up into the countryside hills ofOxfordshire.The track begins a steady incline up to theRidgeway trail and I remember on the elevationmap it ascends for some miles now onwards. Myquad muscles are starting to feel fatigued and tightalong with my energy levels. The slight hill seemsdaunting now but I just slow a little to a9:30/10:00m/mile pace as I'm only approaching halfway I need to save my leg power for the end if Iwant to finish strong! I open the Chocolate Gu gelwhich has some added caffeine for a lift followed byCliff shot blocks and water, I'm feeling ratherhungry so finish all 6blocks rather sharpish. As Iplod uphill the track begins to get muddier andwetter as I go, I slip and slide in places, tip toe andjump big pools of water and try to walk edges andgrab tree branches so not to slip, one point I skidand almost go flying head first but manage to getmy footing just in time. Once the hill finally levelsout some I take a few pics as I absorb the views formiles around me, nothing but rolling hills of yellowand green. I carry onwards and enjoy some downhillcruising speeds but it doesn't last long. The trailsoon leads uphill again on long grass with largetrack marks filled with mud and water puddles. Istick to the grassy edges. I can see from afarKenneth running in front. He seems to be doing awalk run ratio from what I can tell. As he goes froma speck to In clear view I eventually reach him andsee how he is doing. I mention it may only be us leftsoon as Kirsty having troubles. I make some lightconversation and run along side him for a fewminutes at similar pace. It's a therapeutic momentand rather pleasant like having a pacer with me. Thesilence is not uncomfortable, just the patter of ourfeet and smooth flowing movements seems to beour communication. I very slowly gain pace andeventually he is out of ear shot, he says will see meat the next one so I pick up a little and run alone atmy own pace.After a few miles I can see two people aheadcrouching in the grass and once closer I notice it tobe the photographers snap happy at me. Thefamiliar flags of Ultra Running and Steve's landrover is behind them. I'm rather relieved at this117 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTOXFORDSHIRE RIDGEWAY ULTRAstage as I'm feeling the lack of fuel and hungersetting in. Steve asks how I'm feeling and says I'mlooking really good! I add water to my shaker bottlethat has a blend of vegan protein, Maltodextrin andsuper green powder. I top up my Camelbak againand take some more Gu gels as back up. I still have9bars of my own so feel I have enough fuel in mybackpack to see me through. I see Kenneth runninginto the CP as I'm throwing on my bag ready to go.I've covered 24.86miles in 4hrs 29mins and its now12:05. I text my mum and sister to let them know Iam just leaving the CP.I head off to the road and up towards the track.Next stop in 8.2miles time. After a few minutes Iglance back and see Kenneth behind not that farfrom me. I can see large chimneys in the horizon tothe right in the fields. The cloud formation they areforming is rather amazing so I stop to take a photo.After 1.6mile the uphill track heads down under aroad and then back up to open space fields. Fromwhere I am the track ahead just looks never endingwith a steady ascent all the way. I start to feel thecold up here as it is so open spaced the wind haspicked up and is hitting my face hard. I cover mynose and ears with my buff, put my head down andtake one step at a time. Legs really starting to achesome now. Eventually as I approach what seems tobe a small car park in the fields I can spot thephotographers again on either side of the track inthere big red jackets hiding behind the camera lens.I pull my buff down to my neck once closer andthumbs up to them for a winning smile. They askhow I'm feeling and that I look good keep it up..."They ask how I'm feelingand that I look good keepit up..."Further up as the hill levels some but still has asteady ascent I pass a fellow female runner withstriking hi -viz yellow gloves, she only has a vest ontop and must be so cold or very used to it up here!We smile and say hey as we pass. I have to go thetoilet now so stop to go, rolling up the directions Iput them between my race number and jacketwhere it sits safely. I have some Gu gel as I stop for abreather, this is a sweet peanut butter flavour whichis delightful right now. I have a 9bar for afters and aslurp from my Camelbak to rinse my mouth andquench my thirst. I head on forward up the trackand notice the time is just after 13:00. I seem tohave made good progress now being on the righttrack and no difficulty in directions so my pace ispicking up some. After another mile I pass a largemonument on the Ridgeway which iscommemorating the Battles of Inkerman and Arms.I stop to take a picture, the scattered clouds frombehind cover the sun as it shines down making itlook shadowed. A few more miles pass and the onlysign of life up here is a small white farm house tothe right and a few passing walkers with there dogs.Another .4 of a mile up I can see another car parkapproaching and by the directions this should beCP3. I look for my directions and suddenly realisethey are no longer tucked behind my race numberand i hadn't even noticed i wasn't carrying them inmy hand. Shit they must have fallen out some3miles back when I stopped to pee! I figure I shouldask if the team have a spare copy... Closer in view Ican see the stand out flags and team.Time for somefuel. I text my mum and sister to let them know I amhere.The time is 13:22. 32.39miles reached in 5:46:44.Heading out from the car park to the road I take thenext left sign posted Ridgeway. The track remains tobe gravel stone but lots of mud in places as itprogresses uphill still. After few miles of a track thatseems to never end, past rows upon rows of treesand hedges. The mud gets very deep in parts and Ifind my shoes have clumped so much that I loosegrip and slip, slide for awhile. The puddles are miniponds of muddy water and as my feet never driedout from the first plunge I really don't fancy gettingmy socks wet anymore. I jump and tip toe aroundbest I can, use the grass verge to get some moretread but still slip, at one point I slide backwardsand have to grab a branch to steady myself. Now inusual circumstances I can laugh these moments offas I have experienced many a wet muddy race butas its just me out here all on my own with out a soleto be seen for miles around me I start feeling ratherlow and frustrated Its slowing me down. My feet arestill soggy and cold, my quad muscles and glutes118 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTOXFORDSHIRE RIDGEWAY ULTRAburn from 35miles of being on the go and I can feela dark hole swallowing me up out here in the mud! Islow to a trot then a walk then feel like just givingup altogether! All these questions fill my head likewill I ever be able to finish? Will I get lost again? WillI have to run in complete darkness out here? I can'tdo this? I want to rest....I come to a stand still and have some water, quite abit as I suddenly can feel my thirst. I have some Gugel the chocolate delight flavour, I suck out thesweet gooey gel, then have another quickly after. Istart to walk some further up the slippery track,after a few minutes I start a slow plod, then a trot,then jog then a slow run. The mud starts to ease offeventually and as I can feel the fuel start to fire upmy depleted body my outlook starts to look lessdull and brighter. Yes I can do this! Run Lukey!People are waiting for you at the finish and they bewaiting a lot longer if I don't start to get a move on!Damn I love running but I didn't like that momentback there! Well if that was a wall I hit I think I havebroken through it.... After about 4miles up the trackthe path leads down hill some under trees and thenslowly creeps back up again. The time now is 14:10."Damn I love running but Ididn't like that momentback there!"After passing a few cross road tracks and carryingon ahead up the Ridgeway I have to cross the nextroad and left following the sign posts again. Aminute or so up the path I can see a Farm and spota drinking tap sign. I stop to refill my Camelbak andthen have half of my Maltodextrin water I made atthe CP. I head back onto the track and already feelthe benefits starting to set in and my pace is acomfortable 8:00m/mile average reducing theoverall average mile so far to 10:45m/mile. The painand muscle ache in my legs and calves seems to bedull and persistent but my endorphins and focushas cleared my head and I'm just completely in thezone feeling very strong on my feet. This must be a2nd or 3rd wind I'm feeling as it just feels fantasticand like I could run forever!119 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTOXFORDSHIRE RIDGEWAY ULTRAThe Ridgeway track seems less muddy and justdried dirt tracks and stones now, the ascent seemsto be levelling out some and eventually after10miles from the CP I think that is the last of thesteepest gradient today. I notice the sun is shadedfrom clouds now and also the trees are more densein cover up here so the chill in the air is morenoticeable now, the sun is lower in the sky and itwill start to get dark soon as the winter nights aredrawing in. I see the track coming to an end and alane coming into view, the directions say that thenext CP is just left and then right by The Burjrestaurant. I reach a wooded car park and then thelane, carefully I check the road is clear and run onthe right side seeing The Burj in view at the bottom,I spot the Land Rover and Steve walks out to theroad to greet me clapping.“The time is 15:38. 44.81miles in 8:02:27”At CP4 I grab a chocolate and peanut butter Gu gel,refill my shaker bottle with water as it is only8.2miles until the finish and my Camelbak is missingthe bite valve so figure this will be enough. Stevejokes that its nothing for me that distance and willsee you very soon at the finish. I notice my sisterhas text that they were out of signal and got my lastmessage late so will have to drive to the finish, Ialso see that I have been tagged by my sister at TheBurbury Inn which is the finish. Best get a move onthen!....I head onto the main road staying to the right sideof the road and use the grass edges whenever a carapproaches me. As it is now getting darker and thesun is just sitting on the horizon I turn on my lightthat is around my waist so I can be seen. I shortlyhead over the M4 bridge and reach a T-Junction,turning right then crossing the road for signs toChiseldon. Again this is road so I have to use thegrass verges quite often as there is more trafficcoming form this direction. I look over to the rightand the valley below is of tiny villages and hugefields, the sky is turning orange to pink and it glowsover the Wiltshire countryside. It looks stunning andI am so happy to appreciate the views after aglorious sunny day of running. At the next road Icross straight over passing a Farm shop and thencarry on forward up the track which now is cycleroute 45.The road goes off to the left and the cycle routebecomes track then soon after 4miles it starts tobecomes rough gravel track and then reaches theRidgway track. Grateful to be off road again I enjoythe views of the hills around me and head up thetrail but slowing slightly as it starts to ascend again.I pass a few footpath on both sides but I’m lookingfor a sign (Millenium Trail) on the right, I have yet tosee any but by the directions it should be any timenow... I gulp down some water careful not to spill alldown myself and then a peanut butter Gu gel, I’mfeeling sharp and focused enough so can give thecaffeine gel a miss now. My legs remind me how farthey have travelled today and I have some musclesoreness and discomfort growing above my knees,come to think of it my left knee is starting to achetoo.Up ahead I can see some trail sign posts and it lookslike a road, nothing about a road on the directions.Once I reach I stop to check the paperwork. No signpost (Millenium Trai) l start to worry it must havejust been the footpath I passed on the right somemiles back? I curse myself for not taking the gambleback then but also with a GPS watch running Icannot gauge the distance I have gone unless Ikeep my phone in my hand, I am already down to30% power left. I make a decision to head on theroad down the hill which is parallel to the footpath Ishould have taken except it is a road not trail.I figure if I stay on this road I will eventually meetthe A4361 that The Burbury Inn is on. The roadbends round corners like a snake and begins a steepdescent, I can’t help but speed up as gravity pullsme down but have to jump up or stop onto thegrass verge to the right whenever cars approach. Itsuddenly has become very dark and the sun alreadyhas set, the cars in front dazzle me with there brightheadlights so I just jump up on the verge when theyapproach. I can see cars driving across on the roadup ahead but it still looks a good mile away fromme. I carry on down the hill and start to think that itmust be the120 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTOXFORDSHIRE RIDGEWAY ULTRAA road approaching I’ve just over shot the footpatha mile or so tops so I will be coming into the finishfrom behind everyone I think...As the road approaches closer I can make out thesigns and see the A4361 so turn right onto the roadI need and again stay close to the grass verge as Ican. This is one busy road and the cars whizz pastme. Eventually a few minutes up the road and I cansee a white building with a big pub sign next to it,please be it, please be it I say to myself... I can justmake out the sign as I adjust my seyes to read it andit is The Burbury Inn... Yes I made it.!!!I shout hello and my sister sees me first, ‘there he is’she laughs, quickly Mum, Steve and thephotographer’s turn around cheering and clappinglooking very surprised and ask what happened. Iexplain how I was looking for the Millenium Trailbut realised too late it was the footpath I alreadypassed. Steve’s says it doesn’t matter I still finishedbut just added a few miles on the way! Thephotographer’s ask me to go back up and runthrough the finish so they can get the winning pic. Irefuel with coconut water, banana and a Cliff bar fornow. I am just feeling thirsty at the moment and thehunger will come soon enough. I can’t wait to getout of these soggy socks and stretch!back home.I would like to thank my Mum and Sister forpatiently waiting and coming along for the journeyover the last two days, my loving partner for thepositive messages before catching a flight today.Ultra Running for a great experience and fantasticsupplies and support throughout the day, and lastlymy amazing running group Bosh for all the updatesand comments on Facebook.Without the support and encouragement from myrunning buddies, family and friends I would neverexperience, enter races or get to win these fantasticevents. Life would be rather boring without runningin my life.Another first place finish with my 2nd Ultradistance. I am so chuffed and excited that not onlydid I get to finish today I also managed to come infirst. Not that we had lots of competitors. If I couldtake off the slow start getting lost and lack ofnavigation skills this would have been an evenquicker finish but I had such an amazing day andhave learnt so many things along the way.My biggest obstacle was breaking through thenegative, low moments and focusing on themindset that I WILL finish today and it doesn’tmatter in what time, just getting the fuelling andtraining correct was my goal and it worked. I receivemy winning trophy, medal and tee. Lots of picturesand then a big goody box Steve makes up for me.We bid farewell to the Team as they wait forKenneth to come in. I pass on the offer of pie in theInn as its now peak traffic we have a long journey121 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTDRUID RIDGEWAY ULTRADRUID RIDGEWAY ULTRABY JAMES EACOTTThe Druid Ridgeway Challenge: 3 days and 86 milesof undulations, mud and in parts technical trailfrom Ivinghoe Beacon in Buckinghamshire toWroughton in North Wiltshire.Now I am no newbyto ultras, having competed in the Atacama Crossing’08, Jungle Marathon ’09, the North Downs Way 100’12 and a host of other UK based ultras as well as aSingle and Double Ironman and long distanceswims, but I haven’t taken part in a multi-day racesince March this year at the Jurassic CoastChallenge – a race at which I was gunning for a Top5 finish until, 5 miles into the last day, I fell on aparticularly steep descent and rolled my ankle.What followed was a hobble to a Personal Worst 8hour marathon. Still, the scenery on the South WestCoastal Path isn’t half glorious.I have always raced to ‘complete’ rather than‘compete’ and this is something I’ve worked hard tochange in 2012. With that in mind, I’ve beenworking with a fantastic coach since May and havegiven more consideration to my diet. The Ridgewaywas my final race of the season and I wanted tofinish the year with a bang.Training over the past few months, since theNDW100, has been a rollercoaster of highs andlows. I was left surprisingly (or maybe not sosurprisingly) burnt out from the 100 and althoughI’d had some good tempo sessions since, my longesttraining weekend was a measly 15 miles followedby an 8 miler on Sunday. Plantar fasciitis andAchilles issues have niggled for a few months andmy running form has taken a pounding as productof altering my technique to compensate for thepain I was experiencing. I have also been workingto switch to something vaguely resembling a paleodiet.Having said that, I’m not what you’d call astrict eater and I have really just been trying to cutdown on carbs, refined sugars and grains. This hasproved tough, but my energy levels have increasedmarkedly and I’ve shifted a layer of fat which isalways helpful.This was my first XNRG event and I’d heard nothingJames EacottDruid Ridgeway UltraResultFinish Time11hrs 59minsFinish Position:2/110 Finishers (50 DNF)but reports of a slick, well-oiled machine churningout some excellent races. The concept is simple –run for the designated distance each day, passingthrough three checkpoints en route which werestocked with a smorgasbord of treats, while yourovernight bag is transported to the finish whereyou sleep in either a school hall or leisure centre.Fully catered and with a couple of interestingpresentations and seminars each evening, this raceproved to be excellent value for money.Day 1: Registration and pre-race briefing took placeat a farm near the start where the bunch of misfitsin the elite start gathered. The range of charactersthat toe the start of an ultra-marathon never fails toamuse me, and we did look like a group ofoddballs…though to be fair this was emphasised bythe fact that a few were half way through theirMovember campaign. Some had cultivatedimpressive ‘mouth brows’, while others fitted moreinto the ‘face fungus’ category. Either way, we werea frightening bunch.A ½ mile minibus trip took us to Ivinghoe Beaconwhere skies were clear and winds were blowing.Day 1 was the longest and, I’d heard, set to be the122 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTDRUID RIDGEWAY ULTRAtoughest - it did not disappoint. On hiking to thetop of the beacon, the couple dozen athletes stoodshivering for a few minutes before the off. Wecharged down the hillside – Mel Gibson would havebeen proud. The first six miles are probably thelumpiest of the course, with climbs steep enough tojustify a power walk and descent of such gradientthat the knees and thighs took a hammering. Threemiles in and we hit a road. Left or right? I didn’tneed look up and think for myself, as I could see thelead group ploughing down the road to the right.Sometimes mindless individuals, the ultra-runnercan often be compared to the common sheep, andthis instance was no exception as we all went in hotpursuit of the lead runners, disregarding the mainrule of ultra-running – run your own race.Predominantly encompassing pacing and nutritionstrategies, this also includes making your ownnavigational decisions.Half a mile of pounding tarmac in the wrongdirection, we all bleeted as we realised we’d gonewrong and turned around to make up the time. Aspar for the course (with sheep too, probably…though I’m no farmer) the panic of going off coursemeant we set off in the correct course at a blisteringpace, assuming that belting out 06:15 minute mileswould redeem us and the ultra-Gods wouldn’tchastise us for our stupid mistake. A clearlyunsustainable pace, we were all left feeling ratherknackered after 8 miles, but a rhythm was soonfound and the field stretched out.Mistakes happen, and if nothing else an alreadygood-value-for-money race just became even moreof a bargain for the extra miles. Once a comfortablerhythm was found, the miles ticked by and I beganto enjoy myself as I chatted to the ever friendlyultra-running community and we passed throughscenic villages and over rolling countryside. Thehills continued until about the 22 mile point where Iknew the worst was over and the trail graduallydescended all the way to the finish. This is all welland good, but by mile 26 I was gagging for a steephill to justify a walk. My sore foot and generaltiredness caused my posture to become hunchedwhich in turn resulted in increased bone-jarringthrough lack of good foot placement.I wasn’t sure of my positioning towards the finish123 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013because a couple of waves had set off earlier thanus and I was unfamiliar with my competitor’s faces.One mile from the end, I passed the last person I’dsee for the day and hit the road heading intoWatlington. I actually had a lump in my throat as Icrossed the finish line and my Garmin ticked over31 miles. I came under the finish banner in 4 hoursand 18 minutes. I was delighted.Later that evening on hearing I’d finished 3rd, justtwo minutes behind the second place and tenminutes behind the leader, Justin, I felt nervous.Had I gone out too hard? Indeed my legs were shotbut I hoped they’d recover. Had I completelyunderestimated the challenge of the three days?That evening I went to sleep on an inflatablemattress I’d been lent (which I discovered graduallydeflates over a period of about 7 hours as I woke upwith my elbows digging into the floor) thinkingabout whether I’d made the cardinal sin of goingout too fast and if I would pay for it the next day.Only time would tell, but I certainly felt prettyrubbish and didn’t think I’d manage much morethan a shuffle the next day.Day 2: The profile of Day 2 was quite appealing.Largely downhill for 8 miles before 10 miles ofrelatively flat trail as the course followed theThames with the final 8 miles showing a gradualascent.I knew the ascent would hurt, but that was a longway away so I focussed on making time while thegoing was good. The first few miles were spentbreaking the legs into some sort of a run. To mysurprise (and delight) I worked into a good rhythmand after 3 miles I found my stride. I caught the2nd and 3rd placed runners 9 miles in and knewthat I had to press on. After a couple of miles withcompany, I pushed the pace and left them behind.Throughout the day, as I passed those who hadstarted in the earlier groups, I’d hear “you’re not faroff first place, keep going”, “he’s only just ahead”and “he’s working hard, go catch him” – all of whichare wonderfully encouraging. I stepped on the gasand was running at threshold pace, dying to seeJustin around each corner. This moment nevercame and I reached the finish at the top of a finaluphill slog, after 26.8 miles and 3 hours 42 minutes.We finished at the top of a rise on the Ridgeway andSponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTDRUID RIDGEWAY ULTRAwaited for enough runners to arrive to fill a minibusbefore heading down into Wantage to the leisurecentre.The refugee camp was to take shape in a sports halland after some recovery nutrition and a shower, Ispent a good 30 minutes stretching and using afoam roller in a bid to postpone any stiffness for thefinal day.whole world of effort. By that I mean that as long asboth runners are running, the difference in speedneeded to make up even just 10 minutes is quitelarge and the effort needed to sustain the requiredpace is huge.I finished the day 6 minutes behind Justin and myhard work over the best part of 15 miles probablygained me around 4 minutes.My feet were uncharacteristically sore and I wasconsidering some self-treatment with needle, but Ithought otherwise and refrained. I wasn’t plaguedwith blisters, but most of my toenails had turnedblack as a result of considerable downhill runningand jamming my feet into the ends of my shoes.Never mind, one more day and they can have aslong as they want to recover.“in long distance running,what may appear to be asmall time margin is in facta whole world of effort”Today I learned that, in long distance running, whatmay appear to be a small time margin is in fact aDRUID RIDGEWAY ULTRARace Organisor: XNRGWebsite Link: www.xnrg.co.ukDate of Event: 59th - 11th November 2012Event Type: Multi StageDistance: 86 miles / 3 DaysLocation: Ridgeway, Ivinghoe Beacon to WroughtonDescriptions: 3 Ultra marathons over 3 days alongBritains oldest road.Race Results: http://www.xnrg.co.uk/results.htm124 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Day 3: The final furlong - 28.5 miles of typicalRidgeway terrain and scenery. There were no steepascents or descents, but the chalk underfoot waseither solid like concrete and therefore jarred thelegs, or sticky and muddy resulting in core musclesworking overtime to keep you upright. Theridgeway is very rutted between Wantage andWroughton so the importance of correct footplacement was heightened as a twisted ankle was areal possibility - the memories of the JCC earlier inthe year were in the forefront of my mind.With two days of tough running in my legs, I wentfor the conservative approach and decided to runwith Danny and Matt (who were 3rd and 4th overallrespectively) for as long as I could in the knowledgethat if I kept with them I should keep my 2nd place.The alternative option was to hit the trail hard in anattempt to make up the time the Justin, who nowhad 15 minutes on me. I knew that if I went downthis route, I’d have to go out all guns blazing tostand a chance of closing the gap. Taking thisapproach would hugely increase my chances ofblowing up and finishing further down therankings. It wasn’t worth the risk, hence mydecision for the conservative tactic. As predicted,Justin set a blistering pace which solidified mydecision to let him do his own thing. A group of 4of us, including Danny and Matt, set off at 07:30mm- a fair old clip having covered the best part of 58miles over the past 48 hours. I struggled to keep upif I’m honest for the first hour, so I put on sometunes and retreated into my little world and justtapped out the miles. I found my groove by the 9mile point (how is it that the more you run, thelonger it seems to get into the flow?) and we stucktogether through the first two checkpoints. About16 miles in, Matt made a move and tore apart ourlittle group. I tried to stick with him and in doing soopened a gap between myself and Danny who wasSponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTDRUID RIDGEWAY ULTRAleft behind me. Matt, however, was motoring and Iwasn’t going to catch him. Knowing I had a good30 minutes on him, I felt comfortable letting himgo. But a lot can change in an ultra, so I kept mypace as high as I could, safe in the knowledge that ifI stuck to my rhythm and maintained my speed hewouldn’t be able to close the gap in the standings.His move split us all up and this made the goingtougher – running on your own is never easy thislate into a race when each mile is a grind. Withabout 4 miles to go, the ascents which qualified as‘walkable’ became shallower and shallower andeventually Danny caught me up. We ran the lastfew miles of trail together and hit the road with 2miles to go. One last punishment was in store, aswe hobbled down a steep descent to really finish offthe legs. We cruised into Wroughton and Dannygot the sprint finish on me, but I crossed knowingI’d finished second overall. 28.5 miles in 3 hours 59minutes and I was happy. I was delighted. Icollected my runner-up trophy with pride and wassmug to see my official time was just 4 secondsunder the 12 hour banner.out for each day.How I’d alter my training. My overall training in thelead up to the Ridgeway was not particularlyconsistent and I went into the race thinking I lackedthe mileage in my legs to complete it. Tempo runsand speed sessions have been good, however, and Ithink these are what have really upped my paceover the last 6 months.Endurance is something I think I’m lucky to possessin some capacity already – both from simple hardwork and perhaps a small iota of natural ability –but the addition of speed work has transformed myseason and I look forward to taking this into 2013.My best finish to date against a fairly strong field,too: Justin is well known in the UK ultra-scene andis one of the nicest blokes I’ve met and Danny wasthe highest placing Brit as this year’s Marathon desSables – 23rd overall. He’s heading out to competein his 5th next April and I’m confident he’ll nail it.Aftermath9 days on and my muscles have recoveredwell. My knee and foot will need a couple of weeksfully rested to recover, but I’m happy to sit and givemy body the time it needs!XNRG put on a superb event and I’d highlyrecommend this family-run company to anyone.What I’ve learnt. My nutrition strategy is (at last)pretty effective.I have weaned myself off gels and sugars andpredominantly eat protein flapjacks and simplecarbohydrates with little variation and I stick towater in my bottles. In this kind of race, recovery iskey and I made sure I took on plenty of protein andcarbs within 30 minutes of finishing each day. This,combined with a good warm down, stretching anda masochistic session on the foam roller sorted me125 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

GOWER ULTRAEVENT REPORTS | TOM WRIGHTGOWER ULTRARace Organisor: Endurance LifeWebsite Link: www.endurancelife.comDate of Event: 10th November 2012Event Type: Single StageDistance: 34.6 milesLocation: Talgarth, Brecon, WalesDescription: A 34.6 trail ultra comprising coastal,beach and moors.Race Results: http://www.endurancelife.com/results.asp?title=CTS11-12%20%20Gower,%2012.11.11&results=2011_cts12_gower.htmPHOTOGRAPH | CHARLES WHITTON PHOTOGRAPHY126 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTGOWER ULTRAFIRST CLIMB UP RHOSSILI DOWNPHOTOGRAPH | CHARLES WHITTON PHOTOGRAPHYGOWER ULTRABY TOM WRIGHT1956 saw the birth of Yiannis Kourus,undisputedly THE greatest ultra road runner ofthe modern era. That same year a small peninsulathat clings to the western edge of Swansea earnedthe title of Britain's first Area of OutstandingNatural Beauty. Composed of farmland, highmoors, rocky coastal bays and long sweepingbeaches the Gower Peninsula is the perfectsetting for trekking and trail running alike. I spentmuch of my informative years camping, climbing,surfing and exploring this mystical Welsh landwith it's collection of castles, caves and cairns. Theprospect of returning to run my first official ultrahad me quite intoxicated.This was the fifth year Endurance Life had run astage of the Coastal Trail Series on the Gower andthe third time the ultra category would be included,accompanying the more sober 10K, half marathonand marathon. The event was a sell out by Octobertestifying to the ever growing popularity of coastaltrail running. The headquarters were based inMiddleton, a small village on the periphery ofRhossili where the village hall would betransformed for the day into a warm haven for themuddy trail running fraternity.Tom WrightBloghttp://life.tomwright.me.ukTwitter@tomwrightGower Ultra ResultFinish Time6hrs 50minsFinish Position:8/19 FinishersHaving convinced my partner and her sister to enterthe half marathon we decided to make a longweekend of it and hired a cosy cottage just 200yards up the road from event HQ. This also gave us a127 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTGOWER ULTRAchance to recon the area the day before the eventand me to regale the family with hyperbolic storiesfrom my lost youth. A rather adventurous circularstroll up the southern ridge of Rhossili Downprovided our first views of the stunning beach andiconic Worms Head. It also gave a portent ofSaturday’s run as we waded through thick mud andflooded streams and stumbled down the steep risewe would ascend the following morning. Heavy rainswept in from the Celtic Sea and we made haste forthe cottage and a warming bowl of pasta and red. Iendured a second sleepless night as I struggled tofind comfort in the springs of the bed while mullingover my checkpoint targets.The morning couldn’t come quick enough as the6am alarm call finally broke the silence. The bed haddone my back an injustice and it was an agonisingstruggle rising. This didn’t bode well. I had alreadyconvinced myself that recurring Achilles tendonitiswas not a major issue. In the six weeks since theAtlantic Coast Challenge I had spent threerecovering and struggled my way through three 30mile weeks only managing to break 12 miles once.But no physical malady would deter me today. Thischallenge was an essential stepping stone on myjourney and a prerequisite for events I hoped toenter in 2013.I tiptoed around the cottage frantically packing andunpacking my Slab-12 pack while consuming teaand pain killers. Nadia and Milly weren’t starting till10:30 so had no need to be up at 6am and heavenforbid what might happen if I woke the twotoddlers in the house! Leaving my kit I took a quickdash down to the village hall to register. Plasticsheets lined the corridor with a sign requestingthat: “all shoes be removed.” Endurance Life clearlyknew what was in store. The venue felt unassumingcompared to previous CTS events with a small stallselling kit and another one selling tea and energybars. The air was also calm and relaxed thanks tothe small number of runners gathered at this earlyhour. The ultra category was clearly growing inpopularity with close to 50 runners on the start list.I was expecting considerably less since only 25runners had finished in 2011 and only 15 in 2012.Did this merely confirm a high rate of attrition? Theonly familiar name was Mark Steinle, formerOlympic marathon runner, who had been settingimpressive records across all the CTS ultra events. Iwondered whether Dan Doherty’s equallyimpressive 5:01 record from 2011 would fall.Registered, my dibber and number collected, Ireturned to the cottage to do some moreUNPACKING and don my gear. Kit requirements arevery relaxed and minimal for these events so Icouldn't figure why my 12 litre pack was close tobursting. The unpredictable Welsh weather anduncertainty about my nutritional needs were toblame. I settled on packing a spare merino baselayer, my rain jacket, gloves and hat. The air wasmild but I could get cold very quickly if I resorted towalking the latter half of the course. The weightcame from 3 Clif bars, 2 Bounce balls, 2 9-bars, 6gels, some Nuun tablets and a pack of toothdecaying Clif shots. I think the calories totted upOK.A large number of runners gathered under the starttent for the briefing. A rather drawn out affair asJames, replacing the absent Gary, relayedconsiderable information pertaining to themarathon for the 20 or so runners who had chosento take the early start. Since we would run themarathon course followed by the 10K it seemedpertinent. It was cold comfort learning that some ofthe crew were out on the course checking thesafety of the route after the torrential downpours inthe night. We were offered a few minutes to wadethrough the mud and manure to the porta-loosbefore the first runners were heading out on thecourse. Time for me to grab a quick photo and thenI joined the back of the queue and at 08:37 I wasfinally on my way.The distance, a paltry 34 miles (55K), might only beat the entry level of ultra-running but this was myfirst official ultra race. My planning of the coursehad been typically meticulous with a strategy for 6legs, each of which would provide unique anddiverse challenges.128 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTGOWER ULTRATOM PICTURED AT THE STARTStart to Hillend Campsite CP1 (4.47 miles. 49:11)Thanks to the previous year's photos I was preparedfor the mud that lay in wait at the end of the firstfield and I sniggered slightly at everyone daintilyside stepping round the edges as I ploughedstraight through the middle. Mud would be arecurring theme of the day so why struggle to stayclean at the first hurdle? Half a mile down a gradualhill and we were on the coast path winding our waywest passing the impressive limestone cliffs of FallBay. I worked my way past a few of the marathonrunners and nervously edged around a couple ofcanicross runners. Nice doggie! A steep valleydescent to sea level and we caught our first glimpseof Worm's Head. Looking majestic and arced by afaint rainbow piercing the grey clouds. I recalled thetime I had raced from the Devils Bridge with myDad to beat the encroaching tide and get backacross the causeway. It was exciting and perhaps,unbeknownst to me then, the first indication of apredilection for coastal running. There followed asteep unexpected climb to the lookout hut. Thenthe track to Rhossili village as the sweeping goldensands of Llangennith came into view, a double arcrainbow hanging over the beach, with the darkshadow of the Down looming. An awe inspiringview.The runners had dispersed considerably when Ireached the foot of the climb and I power marchedthe steep 1:4 gradient alone munching on a Clif bar.Despite the rain, the ground was still fairly firmunderfoot. I took note expecting a far differentterrain when I next pass this way in 6 or so hourstime. Over the first rise awaited Charlie, the eventphotographer. A perfect spot to capture theexertion of the climb on each competitors face withthe postcard backdrop of Worm's Head. I stoppedfor a chat and posed for a photo. As Charlie rambledon about the late start and his busy schedule Ialmost forgot I was only 3 miles into a long day. Thefirst shivers of a chill were more than enoughincentive to say farewell and stride on to the top.The 106 m ascent to the Beacon got the heartpumping but was nothing in comparison to thedescent at the northern end. Following half a mileof waterlogged rubbly terrain on the summit wefaced a swift climb to the last cairn followed by a129 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTGOWER ULTRAgradual descent that all at once became a nearvertical drop. I took heed of Kurt Dusterhoff's reportof the 2009 marathon here and diverted to theovergrown edges of the path putting quite somedistance between myself and a group of runnersstruggling on the slippery path. My research hadcertainly paid off. I was a little over confident in mytechnique and nearly took a slide as I cut across thepath to make a beeline for the first checkpoint. Mytarget had been 50 minutes and despite the briefinterlude with Charlie I was just under. With 2 litresof water still on me I had no intention of stoppinghere and moved out quickly.Hillend Campsite to Cheriston Wood CP2 (6.08miles. 1:05:07)It was quite surreal passing through Hillendcampsite where I had spent many a weekendrevelling in my youth. What would my former selfhave thought of this parade of runners. Back thenan endurance run was a half mile dash across thelow tide sands with 9 feet of polyurethane foam andfibreglass under my arm, my hand half frosted tothe board applying just enough pressure to stopthe cross-shore breeze from sweeping thesurfboard from under me. 'You are mad, but welldone' exclaimed a passing walker. Was this reallyany madder than winter surfing in Wales? Iacknowledged with a nod as the course signagedirected me into the dunes and onto the expansivelow tide sands. The sand was compact underfootand with quite some distance between me andanother runner I put on some music (Last of theMohicans - thanks for the tip Dan D!) andreminisced. Reaching the far end of the beach I wasgreeted by a mountain of debris piled up againstSpaniard Rocks. Indicative of Llangennith'snotorious longshore drift, this gathering of flotsamwas not something I recall from a decade ago. A sadreminder of the disregard we show to ourenvironment.The course then wound through more dunes, theslippery decked path leading into BroughtonBurrows and a slow gradual climb over farmlandtracks and road. My steady pace felt good as Ipassed quite a few other runners. However, afteronly a few hundred yards on the tarmac I could feeltightness in my Achilles. This was mortifying. I hadjust passed 9 miles and this was exactly the issue Ihad faced the last few weeks in training. I shortenedmy stride to lessen the stress on my ankles and justtried to ignore the growing pain.“My steady pace felt goodas I passed quite a fewother runners”Fortunately we were soon off the road again turningonto the steep muddy trail that hugged the side ofLlanmadoc Hill. The thick mud alone made runningdifficult but at least concentrating on my groundingtook my mind off my Achilles. Several runners werestruggling to keep their footing. Undergrowthclimbed high on both sides of the narrow path sothere was little room to manoeuvre anywhere butstraight through the middle of the mire. The finalclimb to the summit offered another opportunity topower walk and munch a blueberry Clif bar. Passingthe bulwark remains on the summit I caught upwith Richard from Tunbridge Wells Harriers. Westruck up conversation. This was Richard's first CTSultra event having done one 40 miler previously.Normally I run solo and rarely chat for long, buttoday was set to be a much longer outing thanprevious runs. I quickly realised chatting helpedguarantee we were moving at a sustainable pace.Furthermore it kept my thoughts away from myAchilles. We soon covered training regimens, calfguards and trail shoes. I learnt that Richard hadoriginally come from the area and likewise spentmany a day surfing the Gower seas, albeit a decadeor so earlier than me. He had recently come veryclose to 1:30 at half-marathon and had a clear goalto be a top 3 finisher in the V45 category. His targetwas 6:30. I didn’t see fit to share my somewhatslower running times but did confess, in light of thenagging pain in my ankle, certain doubts aboutfinishing today. I was taking every checkpoint as amilestone, trying to reel in my competitive urges,and just focus on reaching the marathon marker atleast.Anyway we seemed to be running a similar pace fornow and it wasn't long before we dropped into thenext checkpoint, which, with all the chatting, I have130 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTGOWER ULTRAvery little recollection of.Cheriston Wood to Nicholston CP3 (5.36 miles.55:50)James had described the next section as a “chanceto stretch the legs.” A quick climb over Ryer’s Downand then we would join the Gower Way on a longgradual ascent from sea-level to the summit of CefnBryn at 188 m.We were marshalled on up the hill by way of morethick bog. The shoes and legs were already heavywith mud. The added exertion pulling the legsthrough the squelchy terrain left me panting a little.Now mid morning the air was hotting up and therewas little breeze as we started the 3 mile climb tothe summit of the limestone ridge. Richard stoppedto remove his jacket while I carried on slowlyallowing him an opportunity to catch back up. Itwas about this point I had predicted Oli might comepast us at the head of the marathon. (If he washaving a good day). As it turned out he ran the halfinstead. Looking back down the hill we were beingcaught quite quickly. The first runner I had seensince we left Llanmadoc Hill and indeed it was themarathon leader, triple iron man, Peter Cusick. Hesoon powered past us looking strong.Once together again we seemed to pick up thepace. Perhaps subliminally urged on by Peter. Mywatch reported a 9:30 minute pace. WhereasRichard’s newer Garmin read 11:00 minute pace! Wediscussed the fallibility of our GPS. We werecertainly stretching the legs a little.The climb was long but gradual and easy going andwe were rewarded with some stunning views ofboth coasts of the Gower. Sitting just below theridge to the south was the King Arthur Hotel wheremany a Sunday lunch had been consumed. Had Ibeen alone I might well have diverted a fewhundred yards north to take a photo of Maen Ceti(Arthur’s Stone) but that was not on the agenda.The path was littered with deep pools which weweaved around, jumped and occasionallynegotiated head on. Gave the trail shoes a washand my trusty Inov8s drained reliably quickly.Passing the summit we veered south-east down afast gravel track to the next checkpoint atNicholston. Two further marathon runners passedus - Andrew Coulthurst and Luc Jolly. For a briefmoment my brain overruled my legs and I picked upthe pace to tail these two into the checkpoint whileRichard took a more controlled approach. Catchinga toe I nearly took my first dive of the day butmanaged to right myself.Nicholston to Horton CP4 (6.13 miles. 1:14:01.)As I took an unfathomably long time untangling myheadphones and filling my bottles I overheard Lucchecking he was still on for a sub four hour time. Ifelt slightly undeserving of the presence of themain marathon contenders and inexplicably struckup conversation with the marshals to find out ourcurrent position in the ultra category. Surprisinglyonly 15 runners had passed by including myself andRichard. There was certainly no-one else on our tail.But there was still a VERY long way to go!We struck on for the south coast and Oxwich beach.Several hundred yards down the road I realised Ihad left behind a half eaten Clif bar and my luckysweat band. Doh! Although I also took this as a signmy brain was a little fuzzy so focussed onconsuming more water over the next few miles.Oxwich beach felt a lot longer than the mile or so itwas. For the first time, pain had passed from myAchilles to my legs which were feeling heavy. Istarted to doubt my chances of finishing. Richardwas primarily talking to me. I tried not to giveindication of my growing suffering and justfocussed on getting off the beach. Then I caughtanother toe on a pebble and this time hit the sandydeck. I got up, brushed down and promptlyapologised to Richard for my indiscretionexplaining my notorious habit for tripping. Welooked back at the far end of the beach to begreeted with a stunning view of Three Cliffs Bay andPwlldu Head. Perfect opportunity for a photo(which sadly didn’t do the vista justice).Next came the infamous Oxwich steps. A goodexcuse to power walk albeit slowly as the stepswound on indefinitely up through woods. Theywere littered with leaves and at times dangerouslyTHEVERY131 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTGOWER ULTRAFOLLOW THE RAINBOW. THE COURSE HEADS OVER THE DOWNAND THEN FOLLOWS THE BEACHslippery. Then a long winding muddy leaf coveredtrail. Richard was clearly struggling a little on thedownhills and I put some distance between us onlyto stop at the far end of the wood for a quick relief.He passed me and this time I let him go. Port Eynonheadland looked a long way distant and I was reallystruggling now with little desire for conversation.We were finally on coast path that would lead us allthe way back to Worm’s Head.I put on some heavy music and just dug deep. 20miles and already I was walking more than I shouldbe. The mental struggle had begun all too early.Morale was further sapped as more marathonrunners passed and then a detour that routed us anextra half mile inland. I passed Richard again as hestopped to get some food from his pack andpushed on over the last half mile to the checkpoint.There was a level of urgency to my peripateticwanderings as I had arranged to meet my 4 year olddaughter, Olive, with in-laws, at Port Eynon roughly4 hours after the start. That had been myoveroptimistic target for the next checkpoint andwith our late start and an ever increasing amount ofwalking I was falling behind. For a relatively flat legthis had been long and arduous.Horton to Hillend Campsite CP5 (9.84 miles.2:13:13.)Despite the deadline it was vital I filled my pack andboth bottles as the next checkpoint at Hillend couldbe 2.5 hours distant. Fortunately the checkpointwas empty although the slow valve on the watertank didn't help my turnaround. Richard came in a aminute after me and was out first as was anotherrunner Niall who we had reeled in through OxwichWoods. I joined Richard on Horton beach andconfessed I was shot suggesting he should push onalone now. I didn't want to hold him back. Did Ithink I would finish? I delved deep for some Zen likerepost but merely came out with a shrug. How wasthe Achilles? My legs hurt so much the Achilles wasof minor concern!The sun sat low in the sky and the beach felt coldand desolate. I thought Olive would have long goneand my emotions sunk. Would she ever see herDaddy running? Then in the distance I caught sightof her walking off the beach. I kicked, wavingfrantically. Olive saw me and ran over for a cuddleonly to recoil as she realised I was muddy, sweatyand rather smelly! I stopped for a quick chat. Heruncle, Rob, told me the lead runner had gonethrough 50 minutes ago. Like I was planning tocatch him! Then Olive pulled from her pocket a132 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTGOWER ULTRAbeetroot shot that I had forgotten to take atbreakfast. Nitrates weren't top of my list of needsright now but there was certainly somethingmentally rewarding from our encounter. Downingthe shot with a grimace and saying my farewells Ibound off along the beach with a renewed vigourto track down Richard and Niall.Passing Culver Hole we came across another ultrarunner sat on the ground. He had cramp and lookedvery beaten. There was little help we could offerbeyond encouragement. Runners certainly seemedto be dropping now and I thought of the words Roboffered me on Port Eynon beach: “Remember it isNOT last man standing. Stay within your limits!”Maybe it was after all.distance on the others, Emily included.Then as I turned a corner for one more climb I saw asign ahead tied into the fence with a water tank satbeneath it. This was the decisive moment when Iwould decide if I truly wanted to be an ultra-runner.It was a no-brainer. I had come this far and wasn’tgoing to stop now. I took a quick photo and turnedleft to rejoin the course I had run 5 hours earlier.Emily shouted after me offering up a couple of gels.I was well stocked for food still so gratefullydeclined her offer and congratulated her onwinning the marathon (assuming she would not becaught with only half a mile to go). I consideredwaiting for Richard but there was no immediatesign of him and now I had a new target.The one factor that had been favourable so far wasthe weather but all that was about to change. As weclimbed onto the high cliffs above Longhole Cavethe skies turned dark. A heavy storm was comingour way and there was nowhere to hide. I donnedmy jacket just in time as the heavens opened. Thecombination of horizontal rain and ice cold windwas excruciating on the face. Running wasimperative to stay warm and at an excruciatinglyslow pace I struck on. I passed another ultra runnerwrapped in a mountain coat. Walking slowly helooked very cold and very miserable! As the rainblew through I was back alongside Richard who wasalso looking cold. I offered him my spare gloves buthe declined.The miles were ticking by slowly as we traversedvalleys wondering where the marker, heralding thelast mile of the marathon, was. Niall started to lagbehind and another runner was catching us up. Itwas Emily Canvin, the lead woman in the marathon.I had a quick chat and she told me about her ownultra experience two years earlier. Never again shesaid! The breeze was still blowing fresh but therewas no more sign of rain. At 27.5 miles we finallysaw the '1 mile to go' marker. A fairly typicalEndurance Life marathon! I was starting to feelmuch stronger now. The undulating terrain was farmore to my liking than the monotony of the flatbeaches. I was running well on the downhills andpower walking the steep climbs. Music drove me onand I kept my mind from wandering to my physicalstate. I looked back to discover I had put someI had covered 28 miles in 5:25. If I could completethe next 10K in sub 90 minutes I might yet break 7hours. The next 2 miles passed surprisingly quickly.Worm’s Head, the climb to the lookout hut, the longtrack to Rhossili. The car park was full of runner’spacking up to head home. I doubt many noticed thelowly ultra-distance runner pass them by. Startingearly, and finishing late, I felt like a shadow. Almostmythical. The ultra-runner, heard of but rarely seen!Brushing aside these delusions my mind focussedon the task at hand. My second and final ascent ofRhossili Down. Was there enough strength left inthe legs for the last major climb. The path was nolonger hard underfoot. Cut up by several hundredrunners it was yet another slippery mud trail. Iconcentrated hard on just putting one foot in frontof the other. The Garmin reported a 45 minute pace!Half way I took a breather and could see Richardjust approaching the start of the climb. I pushed onto the top. Further mud and water followed. Havingconsumed a gel as I crawled up I now feltinvigorated. Graced by yet more stunning views asthe Pembrokeshire south coast unfurled in thedistance.Leaping from stone to stone and aimlesslysplashing through the puddles I began to thinkback over the day’s journey. I felt privileged atexperiencing all that the Gower has to offer. Fromthe steep climbs to the rolling valleys. The mudfused trails to the soft golden sands. What a course!133 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTGOWER ULTRAOne more perilous descent to Hillend campsite andI was finally dibbing my timing chip for thepenultimate time.Hillend Campsite to Finish (2.75 miles. 32:42.)“About 2 miles to go but it could be 4”, the marshalexclaimed! I didn’t stop for a second. The finish wasalmost a reality. There was enough fluid left in onebottle to see me through. Again I was on new trail.Another muddy path hugged the base of the Down.Rounding a corner I passed another marshallcoming my way who seemed very unsure abouthow far was left. This left me feeling a littleuncomfortable. Endurance Life are notorious foradding a little extra at the end!As the path opened onto White Moor I was in noway prepared for the terrain I endured for the last 2miles of the course. Bog, marsh, swamp. The path aflooded testament to the several hundred 10K andhalf marathon runners that had passed by ahead ofme. At times I was knee deep wading throughwaterlogged moorland. Other times, blinded by thelow lying sun, I found myself deviating way offcourse unable to discern the ground level markers.The path gradually wound it’s way to the top of ashallow rise. I told myself that would be the endand pushed on. Only to discover the same expanseof marshland ahead of me as I had already covered.Looking back there was no sign of Richard or anyother runner. Ahead just marsh.My toes were numb with cold. My feet dragged. MyAchilles throbbed. My thighs felt cramped. My backached. My mouth felt dry. Despite all this suffering Ihad the widest grin on my otherwise strained face.Surreal as it seemed, I was enjoying wading my wayto the end of my first ultra. It was a fitting tribute toa course that had delivered mud worthy of MudRunner!As I hit the track leading down to Bucket’s Hill theecstatic emotion became all to much and a tearcame to my eye. Despite the rigours of the coursemy legs were happy to stride out and for the fasttime all day I ran fast. I passed the warm littlecottage we were renting. Lights were off. Nobodyhome. I crossed the main road in Middleton makinga beeline for the village hall. There was onemarshall and otherwise all seemed quiet. Had everygone home already!The signs directed me down a track to the bottomof the field. One more loop to do. I was spurred onhearing my name on the breeze. The family must beat the finish line. Fortunately a high hedge hid mefrom them. I was unsuspecting of this last little loopand all energy had been spent on my little burst ofspeed down Bucket’s Hill. So I slowed to a jog for 50metres and then as I rounded the corner, the finishand family in sight, I put on another burst of speed.Squelching through my last few metres of mud.It was 15:27 and I had been running, walking,crawling for 6 hours and 50 minutes. I might nothave been last man standing but, to my surprise, Ihad come 8th. I picked up my medal, a verywelcome Clif mint builder’s protein bar, posed for afamily pic and then made good use of the hoseprovided by Endurance Life to clean my trainers andlegs. Fifteen minutes later as we hurriedly made ourway back to the cottage Richard came past. He wasthe first M45 to finish! I had an urge to wait andcongratulate him but shivers had taken hold andthe warm bath and a cold beer beckoned!ResultsAs it transpired, Dan’s record time was safe. MarkSteinle didn’t run. Nor, it would appear from theresults, did a lot of other starters as there were only19 official finishers. The event was won by LeePester in 6:02:37 closely followed by Jason Brewerin 6:03:53. Just over a minute after all that distance!The first lady home was Henrietta Bolton Carter in7:20:03. Luc Jolly finally reeled in Peter Cusick towin the marathon in 4:12:38. Emily won thewomen’s marathon in 4:57:02. Nadia and Millycompleted their muddy half marathon and Nadiacursed me most of the way home! Although I amsure she enjoyed it really.Sat in the bath, nursing my throbbing legs andpontificating on the day, I could think only onething. What next! Hopefully see you at a 50 milersoon...134 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

BEACONS ULTRAEVENT REPORTS | NEIL BRYANT, CARL WHITEHEAD, KARL ZEINERBEACONS ULTRARace Organisor: LikeysWebsite Link: www.beaconsultra.comDate of Event: 19th November 2012Event Type: Single StageDistance: 45 milesLocation: Talybont on Usk, WalesDescription: A mixture of canal road and mountainrunning taking in the disused rail track and fire roadsin a circumnavigation of the Talybont area.Race Results: http://www.beaconsultra.com/raceresults135 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thePHOTOGRAPH | CARL WHITEHEADhttp://

EVENT REPORTBEACONS ULTRABEACONS ULTRABY NEIL BRYANTThe Beacons Ultra is an end of season race and is abit of a social including the infamous pub quizlate in the evening after the last runner hasfinished.. The weather was mild and dry, butduring the journey it began to rain, and by thetime we arrived in Talybont to register it wastorrential. There was a huge amount of surfacewater on the roads so the going would be prettyboggy the next day. Now, I would normally thrivein such conditions, but I was a little concernedwith the slipping and sliding around that wouldbe happening the next day. My ankle really wouldbe getting tested in extreme conditions. Was Imaking a wise decision to run? I decided to havefaith in my thought out reasoning and not listento this panicy reaction.We checked into the youth hostel up the road witha third runner, Richard who was running his firstultra and was sharing the room with us. Then it wasback into the village to eat in the pub. We met upwith Jules here too while I ate loads and had a pintof ale while we talked about all things running. Itwas then back to the youth hostel to prep andsleep.It rained a lot during the night but when we awoke,it had stopped. There was a bit of a chill but Idecided to wear just my X-Bionic Fennec shirt witharm warmers and shorts. I remembered from theprevious year that a few of the runners who hadachieved some fantastic things over the year got amention from Martin Like during the race brief. Iknew that Martin and Sue had been following myjourney across Europe and had sent some verypositive messages while I was doing it, so wasexpecting a mention. Martin did mention it, and Igot a round of applause from the rest of the runnerswhich was very nice. It’s really rewarding whenpeople show their appreciation for your efforts,especially when they are all ultra runners.I pulled on my thin gloves as we walked to the canalwhere the start was, though didn’t expect them tostay on long once we began. I would normally goNeil BryantBlogwww.ultrarunninglife.comTwitter@runningneilBeacons Ultra ResultFinish Time8hrs 9minsFinish Position17/125 Finishers (14 DNF)near to the front at the start, but wasn’t too surewhat to do today. I wasn’t here to race and with mygeneral weakness, post TE and my dodgy ankle Idecided to place myself in the centre of the pack.We were off! There was 5km down the canal beforewe turned off and started to climb. The pace at thefront was predictably fast, which for a minute ortwo was difficult to watch, but sense took chargeand I slid into a comfortable pace as the frontrunners disappeared out of sight. The canal waslong but I was grateful for the easy start for myankle before the more challenging terrain. Finallythough I was directed off and straight into therather long climb. I was really happy to be back outon the trails and the fact that is was wet and muddyjust added to the fun. My fitness and strength feltvery low though and I was soon puffing and pantingand feeling the strain. I still had the mindset preUTSW. The problem was that the body had beenbroken down slowly over the 64 days of TE. Todaywas a day where I would have fun, not take anyrisks, and hopefully make it through the withoutsuffering any further damage to my ankle. I caughtup with Jules as I power walked up the hill. Wechatted a bit before I continued ahead. I said I’d see136 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTBEACONS ULTRAhim again on the descent. Sure enough he caughtme up on the downhill as he was getting irritatedwith the poor grip on his shoes. We stayed togetherfor 10 minutes or so and once onto the fire trackthrough the woods, which seems to last forever, afew runners ended up clumping together till therewere around 6 of us. I felt as though the pace was alittle out of my comfort zone so let the pelotoncontinue without me. Today was not going to beeasy by anyones standards.I eventually made it out of the woods and after thelittle bit of road was back on the trail. Then it wasthe long but easily runnable climb up to the gapwhich is the highest point of the route. I found anice steady pace and slowly made my way up. As Igot to the top I realised that the next section was afairly long and technical, rocky descent. Last year Ienjoyed this part, but this year was going to be adifferent story with my ankle. As I went over the topI felt myself go rigid. I focused on staying loose andmaking very careful foot placements. My speed wasstupidly slow, but as many runners glided smoothlypast I told myself that this was not a race for me. Iwas here for the fun and the testing and exercise ofthe ankle… oh, and the social that night.I awkwardly made my way down the everlasting andawkward descent. I must admit that I didn’t enjoy ittoo much and I was happy to finish with it. Well forthe first lap anyway! There was a huge amount ofrelief too. I was very happy that my ankle could takesuch testing terrain though. I wouldn’t celebratejust yet though as I still had around 30 miles left!That is if I decide to do the second lap. Anotherreason why I wanted to do this race was that I couldeasily drop out at the half way point should myankle be bad.After the worst/best of the downhill, the weatherwas ideal for running and we even saw a little sun. Ikept on plodding around. Unless somethinghappened along the remaining relatively nontechnicalpart of the first lap I would continue for asecond. After a struggle on the road for a couple ofmiles it was back onto the canal for 8km. This wasreally testing. I felt exhausted and my quads werereally sore. I was going to pay for this for at least aweek! The good news was that my knees wereabsolutely fine. My feet on the other hand were verysore. I wish I could improve this issue. I passed thehalf way point cp, topped up a bottle and grabbed acouple gels before continuing. I felt good with thefact I was beginning a second lap.The second lap was a fairly solitary affair which wasnice as it let me slip into a slow and manageablepace that would get me to the end. I was lookingforward to finishing a hopefully uneventful race,getting showered and putting on some warmclothes but I wouldn’t be happy till I crossed thatline. It was a real struggle the second lap, but therewas something different about it. The first lap wasconfusing to pace. My normal pace was nonsustainabledue to my state so after much hardwork, by the time I was on the second lap, I wasconfident that I had found the ‘correct’ pace for theday. It was slow, but I had no doubt that it wouldcarry me to the end. I had a 30 second walk on thewoodland trail and also on the steady climb up tothe gap and probably a few more I have forgottenabout. The downhill was really tough on the secondlap as my feet were really sore. I again watchedpeople seemingly effortlessly glide past me.I had a few slight twists of both ankles, but theywere both fine. I finally got to the bottom of all thetechnical stuff and let myself begin to feel somerelief that the ankle had held up ok. The remainingsection was pretty much all fields and road finishingoff on the canal of course. I now fought off the urgeto walk and kept up the pace as consistently aspossible. I was guessing my position to be in thethirties. When I finished for the day I was exhaustedbut elated to still be in one piece.During the prize-giving which I was of course wellout of (I was told I had come 17th which I waschuffed about!), Martin called me up and presentedme with a very generous gift token to his shop. Iwas gob-smacked. I so love the friendliness and thecamaraderie of the ultra scene. Everyone wantseveryone to succeed and will help them do that ifpossible. There is a huge mutual respect amongstus all. We know how much you have to go throughto achieve in this sport.The rest of the day was spent eating and drinkingale in the pub. The quiz finally began at around 11and was great fun even though I was half asleep. Idon’t like to repeat races unless there is a reason,but I can see myself doing this for a third time as itis just such a good laugh and a finish for the season(if such a thing really exists)137 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTBEACONS ULTRABEACONS ULTRABY CARL WHITEHEAD"Beacons Ultra a tour of a fool over Tor y Foel"I was both looking forward to and was also a littleconcerned about running this again this year aslast year I was not in a good place with my fitness/health and this race was the proof it in that it tookme nearly 9 hours to do the course, I know that isstill a respectable time but my level of physicaland mental commitment was sorely tested on thesecond lap as the big hill almost broke me and Ihad to have a serious talk to myself to prevent mefrom just turning around and hobbling the 3 milesback to the start/finish point.This year I had slowly been getting myself back tofitness and trying to create a good base to begin toput some quality sessions in, and so enable to getmyself back to something like the speed andendurance I had before. So, having recovered fromwhatever was wrong with me (still not known) Ihave had six months of steady build up and feel Iam on the way back to where I would like to be.The race followed almost the same route as everyCarl Whiteheadyear it has been run(5) except for a small detour toprotect an area of ash trees from crosscontamination with hundreds of feet runningthrough them. This made the course by my Garmin138 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://Blogwww.carlwhitehead.blogspot.co.ukBeacons Ultra ResultFinish Time8hrs 16minsFinish Position18/125 Finishers (14 DNF)

EVENT REPORTBEACONS ULTRA46.4 miles and I feel (backed up with other runnersthoughts that the detour although not muchlonger, added another long incline to the race andso created a bigger challenge to the runners but“HAY” why do we do this stuff not because its flat.Well we set off at 07:30 along the canal and myselfand Kevin who was in the same team as me startedat a steady pace and did not get sucked into thesprint for the start of Tor y Foel at Llangynidr andboth of us had the aim of a solid first lap and thensee what we had for the second lap."had the aim of a solidfirst lap and then see whatwe had for the second lap"Kev and I stayed to together until we topped thehill and then I pushed on as I knew I had betterspeed down the hill but knew Kev would catch meagain on the flatter section of the old rail line. Imanaged to reach mile 11 before Kev and anothercouple of runners caught up with me and we ran asgroup almost all the way up the Gap Road to thesaddle and as the terrain dropped off again, away Iwent and that was the last I saw of Kev until theend but was always expecting his footsteps and an“Alright sham” behind me as I know how tough arunner he is (Irish farming stock) .So I managed to do lap one in 03:40 and washappy with that in that I was not spent and myhead felt strong to enable me to take on the 2 mileclimb up the big hill. I was proud of myself that Idid not stop once on the hill and just maintained asteady walk/plod to the top, this done I descendedas fast as I could (not as fast as the first lap) andbegan to work hard along the Tal-y-bont trackabove the reservoir.My wife Alison had parked up at the 11/34 milepoint where you need to turn onto the Taff Trailgiving plenty of encouragement which I feelalways helps when your body is knackered.I had been running on my own since the start ofthe second lap and felt I could have benefited witha run buddy to know just how slow I had becomeas I felt I was just running on auto-jog at this stage139 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTBEACONS ULTRAso I decided to, “look round, I know it’s not always agood thing to do, but as I could see other runnersnot too far behind it gave my incentive to pick upmy pace and work hard up to the saddle for thesecond time.Just as I reached the saddle I was joined by thesecond place lady Sallie Holt and we had a quickchat then I was off again in my free-fall run downthe rocky slope.At the bottom of the hill is the last checkpointbefore the finish so I had some food and filled mywater bottle for the last time and just got my headdown and tried to run as strong as I could for thelast 6 miles."filled my water bottle for the last time and just gotmy head down and tried to run as strong as Icould"At Llanfrynach I caught up with Gary Davies andwe ran together for a short while then I thought Ihad better push on if I could as if he had a secondwind I would have little to chase him down with, sooff I went and tried to push the pace as much as Icould, as I reached the bridge onto the canal atPencelli I AGAIN looked back and Gary had madesome time and distance up (he told me at end hehad also put the hammer down to try and catchand I thought “I made the right decision”).So onto the towpath and just two miles to go, I donot think I have concentrated on driving my legsforward as much in any race and was lucky to get aclear space between me and Gary. I wasconcentrating so much that I did not see Alison onthe bridge until she shouted at me to push all theway in. I finished in 18th place overall and in atime of 08:16:54, I am happy with that at this stageof my training but fully intend on working toimprove throughout the next 9 months until my50th year and then I would love to try and competewith the other V50’s out there, and let the racingsnakes do their own thing.The third member of our team and best runnerJustin Young had a brilliant race to come in with atime of 07:12:53 and sixth place, he had mixed withsome quality runners and given a great account ofhimself and I would like to say well done for a greateffort.Kevin was not too far behind me in 25th place in atime of 08:33:05 and looked strong all the way intothe finish.A great race with great people and a VERY friendlyteam to organise and run the day. It was worthstaying up until silly o’clock in the morning to getthe teams place.140 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTBEACONS ULTRABEACONS ULTRABY KARL ZEINERBeacons Ultra was going to be my second ultramarathon which I had already done previouslyand therefore knew the course and had a bit of afeel for what awaited me. I had done Beacons in2011 and finished in 7:49 hrs and 19th position. Ididn’t have a good race last year and was hopingto draw from that experience this year.I went into Beacons off the back of a series of goodraces having completed River Ayr Challenge 10weeks earlier in 6th, Three Peaks Ultra in 5th 3weeks before Beacons and a 13th place at Glen Ogle33 6 days after Three Peaks. I also had a good run atthe Pentland Skyline. So confidence for a good racewas high. The above mentioned ultras werebetween 33 and 41 miles long and I feel I havereally nailed a good strategy for getting throughthese well and planned to apply a similar strategyat Beacons: Steady approach in the first half andthen pick up the effort if possible, feed every 25minutes, walk the feeds – nothing else.One of the mistakes I made in this race last year wasKarl ZeinerBloghttp://www.dzfitness.co.ukBeacons Ultra ResultFinish Time7hrs 44minsFinish Position:12/125 Finishers (14 DNF)that I went off way too fast. The start of the racedoes lend itself to that as it is a flat 5k along theMonmouth canal before turning off and starting thefirst climb up Tor Y Foel, approx. 2km in distance141 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTBEACONS ULTRAand just over 400m of ascent.Beacons is a 2 lap course so even if you are new tothe race you will have a good idea after lap onewhat to expect in lap 2. The lap consists of theabove mentioned flat start followed by a very steepclimb. You then drop around 300m beforereascending to the Gap. The descent off the Gap isquick followed by roughly 7 flattish kms to start/finish. With the exception of the first climb it is avery runnable course.The initial forecast we had was going to be fortorrential rain but as the race got closer the forecastgot better and in the end we had a near perfect daywith just a bit of drizzle at the start.We made the long trek from Edinburgh down to theBrecon Beacons in 2 stages. Stopped off for thenight in Ponteland and then got to Brecon YH justbefore 6pm on Friday evening, a bit later thanplanned. We met up with Pete who also was on oneof the Elagen Teams organised by Daz Carter andheaded into Talybont together to register and getdinner.We got back to the hostel just after 9 – chilled andhad a chat with some of the other runners whowere staying there including Martin who went on tofinish in 3rd the following day.As I wanted to see if I could get all the mandatorykit into my Salamon S-Lab backpack I had alreadypacked everything before we left Edinburgh, sounusually had nothing particular to do and got tobed nice and early. My bag contained full bodywaterproofs, hat, gloves, compass, map, whistle,head torch, spare batteries, first aid kit, spaceblanket and a 2nd warm layer just in case. On top ofthat I had all my food: 2000 cals in the form of gels,energy chews, shot bloks and jelly babies. A littlebit of extra energy was in my drink which I wouldcarry in a fuel belt separately.As a change from previous races I was planning tosee if I could take on more than 200 cals per hour.Usually I had settled for just under 200.Race Day morning we got up at 5 had breakfast, gotto Race HQ for around 6:30 and met up with the restof the Elagen crew that Darryl had assembled. It142 ULTRA TALES | JULY 2013KARL PICTURED WITH TONY AND ANDYwas good to catch up with new and seasoned ultrarunners pre race. The race briefing was straightforward but did include one bit of note: A diversionwhich would make the route a bit longer and add alittle bit of extra re-ascent. According to Martin –the race organiser – not much!Off to the race start, then a 3, 2, 1, go from the raceorganiser and we were off.As mentioned above, I set off at a more moderatepace than last year and settled in roughly 15thplace letting those that were faster or thought theywere faster get away for now.I realised half way along the canal path that I hadn’tset my timer on my Garmin to beep at me every 25minutes. This could have been disastrous as I wouldno doubt skip feed breaks. So once the first 25 minwere up and we were at the start of the climb up toTor Y Foel I reset the watch to get the timer. It didmean that whenever I looked at the Garmin now Ihad to add 25 min to race time and 5.5k to racedistance to stay in the picture. I still knew whatposition I was in thoughI powerwalked up the climb just as 95 % of theothers did. I did see the lead woman at the timetrying to run up which puzzled me. On this lap mypowerwalk was mostly slower compared to thecompetitors around me and I lost a few places onSponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTBEACONS ULTRAthe way up. Once over the top I regained some ofthose. I had a good descent, came past thecheckpoint and continued further down until thestart of the re-ascent. This climb along a forest roadis very gradual and therefore very runnable. Therewas a group of about 8-10 running roughly 500mahead of me and slowly moving away. I had settledin around 20th place and felt reasonably good butnot particularly speedy. The last few races weremaking themselves known.Once I had come out of the forest the weatherseemed to have turned for the worse (or I had onlyjust noticed) and I was hoping that the forecastweather would catch up with us soon. By now thecompetitors had spread out and I was running onmy own sticking to the above mentioned formula ofrun 25, walk, eat and run again. At the start of theclimb up to the gap I came past Jackie who was outsupporting and she told me I was in 24th posisiton,a bit further back than I thought. One of us waswrong – I went with Jackie’s count though as Idecided that would be more reliable.Heading up to the gap was nice as compared thelast year the weather was brightening up and weactually had a view. In theory I could also see howfar behind the next competitor I was but that wasn’tvery encouraging. I think I picked up one place onthe way up but then was able to pick up anothercouple on the way off the Gap.I made a mistake during the descent: It is amazinghow little things can make a big difference. I hadpassed another runner on the descent and becauseI wanted to hold position I held off with my nextfeed break initially until the descent flattened out.The next bit was tricky though so I decided to feedafter that. In the end I had nearly skipped a full 25minutes, doesn’t sound like a lot really and at thetime didn’t seem to have an immediate impact. Afew kms later though when we reached the flatsection before hitting the canal and then along thecanal I was struggling, I had slowed down quite alot. Looking back I can quite clearly point thereason for the struggle to the lapse in feeding as itturned out to be the only part in the race were I raninto problems.Before I got into problems though I had a nice chatwith Neil Bryant who had only recently done theTrans Europe Foot Race from Denmark to Gibraltar– an absolutely awe inspiring achievement.The part after the descent off the gap looks roughlyas follows: tarmac road, fields and woodland,followed by another tarmac road section and thenthe canal. Some of the woodland section were themuddiest I have come across in recent races. Therest of the course actually wasn’t too bad andremarkably got better during the day.When I reached the canal I had a long feed walktaking on a decent amount of energy and also mynow usual Pro Plus tablets that I take afterapproximately 3 hours of racing. I continued tostruggle up to about 1km beyond the halfway pointand then something switched. It wasn’t me thatnoticed at first as I still felt I was struggling alongbut I passed a couple of runners and one of them143 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTBEACONS ULTRAsaid: Got a 2nd wind? My answer was: doesn’t feellike it! But something did switch as it didn’t takelong for me to open a considerable gap. At the halfway point I had dropped to 28th place and wasstarting to doubt if I would make it into the top 20. Ireached the start of the climb back up to Tor y Foeland as in the previous lap powerwalked up this. Myconservative approach on lap 1 seemed to bepaying dividends now as the gap to those behindwe widened and I was quickly closing in on anumber of runners up ahead. By the time I hadsummited Tor y Foel. I was back into the top 20.When I came past checkpoint 4 which is half waydown the descent I’d calculated that I was in 16thposition. Everything was starting to look good.Fiona was waiting for me at the top of the forestroad and had kept a tab on positions. She told methat I was in 13th. Wow, three places better than Ithought I was. Again I was a bit confused butdecided to go with her count reasoning that acouple of runners must have dropped out after lap1. Sam Robson who ran the Piece of String Fun Runa week later was one of them, sensibly.Being in 13th I was well inside of what I was hopingto achieve (a better position than in 2011 andanother top 15 finish). I was being pursued by Chrisover the next few kms who had broken away fromhis mates to run at his own pace. When he caughtme we ran together for a bit but then he slowed fora walk break. Although I did the same just momentslater he never caught me again.I had a good run up to the gap again catching onerunner who was mixing his run up with quite a lotof walk breaks. With that I was in 12th and didn’tsee another runner on the course. I enjoyed thedescent off the gap, the sun was out, legs werefeeling pretty decent and the technical bit wasgood fun too.When at the bottom I realised that I was beingpursued by another runner and was getting worriedthat my 12th place was under threat. It was the guywho I had overtaken on my way up to the gap – 2ndwind for him then. Although I knew he was there ittook him ages to actually catch up with me.Even before I knew that he was closing I hadplanned on making it a strong finish if I feltreasonably good. Oddly when this guy did catch meI can’t say I really felt up for a strong finish at firstand I was happy to let him go.144 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013We chatted briefly and I said something along thelines of planning on a strong finish. He thought hedidn’t have any more in him and would just stick tothat pace. Either he slowed at this point or Isubconsciously sped up but my legs felt as if theywere given a new lease of life. I literally put theafterburners on and went for a sprint finish. I shouldadd at this point I still had 5km to run, so thisturned into a 5km sprint. Sprint being a relativeterm as a sprint at the end of a 74km ultra is still notfast compared to a sprint finish at the end of a 5k.But looking at the stats after the race I managed tohold 5 min/km for those 5km.There were a few very small rises on the tarmacroad and then the bridge over the canal but apartfrom that those last 5k were flat. Remarkably verylittle of that hurt, my legs actually started to feelbetter the faster I seemed to run. I thought tomyself this is how runners and triathletes feel whenthey are sprinting for the finish line and all the paingoes away. For me it crowned an incredible 2months of racing. I finished on a huge high note ona perfect autumn day. I well and truly made sure Igot my 12th place. The guy I left behind finished 2minutes behind me.I crossed the finish line after 7 hours and 44minutes, 5 minutes faster than in 2011 and 7 placesbetter. The course was a bit longer, conditions wereharder and the diversion added a bit of extra reascentwhich makes the improved time look evenbetter.In 2011 my 2nd lap was 40 min slower than the firstlap. This year the 2nd lap was only 2 min slower.This is mostly down to a much more sensible pacingstrategy. With the exception of the hiccup justbefore the end of lap 1 my nutrition was very goodand to my surprise I ate virtually all of the nutritionI had taken with me only leaving 1 jelly baby, 3 shotbloks and 1 cliff bar gel (I tried one and decided Ididn’t fancy another). Overall more than 2000calories consumed. If it wasn’t for the hiccup therace time may have been a little bit better yet.Hydration wise I had planned to take 900ml in 3fuelbelt bottles (2 Infinit Nutrition and 1 flat coke).The plan was to refill these at the checkpoints whennecessary. There never came a point that I neededto refill. I made do with 900 ml for the entire 7:44hrs of running. Fiona does liken me to a camel attimes. Quite useful, being a camel!Sponsored by thehttp://

WINTER 100EVENT REPORTS | PAUL ALI, WENDY SHAW, JAMES ELSON - CENTURION RUNNINGWINTER 100Race Organiser: Centurion RunningWebsite Link: www.centurionrunning.comDate of Event: 24th Nov - 25th Nov 2012Event Type: Single StageDistance: 100 milesLocation: Streatley, BerkshireDescription: 4 x 25 mile out and back legs fromStreatley along the Thames Path and RidgewayNaitonal Trail.Results: http://www.centurionrunning.com/results/PHOTOGRAPH | STUART MARCH - CENTURION RUNNING145 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2014Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTWINTER 100WINTER 100BY PAUL ALIThe Winter 100 was a new event by CenturionRunning and involves 4 x 25 mile out and backlegs. The event was scheduled to start fromStreatley and run west along the Thames Path toDays Lock and back followed by a second legheading east along the Thames Path to Readingand back. The final two legs would see runnerstravel north along the Ridgeway and backfollowed by a southern Ridgeway leg.The pre-race plan had been to aim for a 22 hourfinish which would represent a new PB. I hadbanked a few miles in the build up to the event, hadrecce’d each leg and had no injury concerns at all.The only downside was that I had completedCeasars Camp 100 about 5 weeks earlier and was alittle uncertain whether this would have an impactduring the later stages of the race. I had beenhoping to cover the easier first 50 miles in around 9hours leaving 13 hours for a mid-point stop and thesecond leg. What could possibly go wrong?I travelled down to the event with fellow clubrunner Wendy Shaw who was also participating inthe event. We registered, went through the kitcheck and then I said hello to a few people beforeRace Director James Elson gave the pre-racebriefing. Unfortunately, the original course wasgoing to be diverted away from the Thames Pathwhich had flooded and with steady rain predictedfor the next 16 hours or so it was only going to getworse.The Centurion team had some contingency plans inplace but I’m sure there was a lot of last minutework involved in getting aid stations and volunteersin place and course markings amended. Despite thepoor conditions, the team definitely wanted to getthe race on as long as this did not impact the safetyof the runners.I should also mention that the “Piece of String” funrun event was also taking place at the same timewith about 10 hardy runners having set out at midnightin a race where they were not told of theexact length which was a secret only known to thePaul Ali146 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://Blogwww.ultraavon.comTwitter@UltraAvonWinter 100 ResultFinish Time23hrs 48minsFinish Position:16/31 Finishers (44 DNF)Race Directors, messrs Elson and Adams. Therunners instructions were simply to run tocheckpoints until they were told to stop! It waslikely that we would see a few of these people onthe course.The modified route was going to be 2 x 12.5 milelegs following the Ridgeway and then heading toWallingford steering away from the Thames Path,followed by the original Leg 3 repeated twice (2 x25 miles) and then finishing with Leg 4 (1 x 25miles) I was pretty comfortable with the directionshaving recce’d the route but knew Leg 3 wasprobably going to be slower than the originalplanned route. With the steady downpour, courseadjustments and ground conditions I mentallystarted to revise my initial goals from 22 to 24hours.Following the weather advice, I wore a base layer,running top and put on my rain jacket and decidedto carry a fleece top. All of my backpack contentswere wrapped up in sealable plastic bags to keepthem dry. I had prepared a small number of foodbags which I could access at race HQ with a fewfavourite snacks and a handful of gels although I

EVENT REPORTWINTER 100had planned to grab snacks at checkpoints aswell.We lined up outside the Morrell Room in Streatleywhich was the base of operations and set off overthe bridge and towards the Ridgeway as the rainstarted to pour. I started near the back as usual andovertook a few people as I settled into acomfortable pace and ended up running along withWendy Shaw and Allan Rumbles who was aiming tofinish his fourth Centurion 100 miler and earn thecoveted Centurion Grand Slam award (a very largebelt buckle).This leg was quite runnable as the first mile or sotook you over paths and roads from Streatley andthen towards the villages of South Stoke and NorthStoke and then onto Wallingford. There were acouple of muddy fields along the way but this legwent quite quickly and I was happy to cover asmuch as I could in the daylight.We ran to the first Checkpoint in Wallingford andpassed a few of the “Piece of String runners” on theway and were greeted by Ryan and Nicole dressedup in Santa outfits (amongst the other volunteers)who were manning the aid station. I checked in andchecked out quite quickly and headed back toStreatley.I arrived back at Streatley, checked in and checkedout quite quickly and started on the repeat of thefirst leg. With the out and back legs, it was good tosee other runners out on the course and give a littleacknowledgement. It was also interesting to see thelead runners performing (something which I don’tnormally see!) and noted how they were relentlessin their desire to keep running and to keep pushingforward.The rain was still at a steady downpour as Irepeated the same leg again and once againheaded out on the same route towards Wallingfordand back again. The only points I recall was that itwas still raining and unfortunately I managed totake a slight diversion on the way back whichadded an extra mile to my journey. It was a sillylittle mistake as I had been rummaging around inmy backpack for some snacks as I followed the pathahead when I got to a hill and a road junction Ithought, “this isn’t right” and headed back the sameway. When I got back onto the right path I saw arunner head left and another runner head right aspeople were heading out and back in bothdirections. I did pause for a moment thinkingshould I go left or right but then tagged along witha couple of runners (Mark and someone else) whowere heading back to Streatley. At that time, I feltlike a bit of a fool for making a silly mistakeespecially as I had recce’d the route and there wasan instant desire to up the pace to make up for losttime which was pretty pointless as I still had 80miles to go.I caught up with Allan Rumbles who had wonderedhow I managed to get slightly ahead and thenslightly behind him and we spent a bit of timerunning and chatting as we headed back toStreatley which marked the completion of the first25 mile leg although in reality it was longer by 2.5miles or so due to the course diversions.I didn’t tarry too long at Streatley and headed backout to the Ridgeway leg (leg 3) which we were nowgoing to repeat twice.I was running by myself for a bit but saw theoccasional runner as people were coming back fromthe opposite direction. Heading through thecovered Grims Ditch area meant it was now startedto get darker and with floor covered in leaves and alot of exposed tree roots I thought it prudent to getmy backup hand-torch to give me a clearer view ofthe footing ahead.A short while later I bumped into Mark again whowas tracking another chap. Unfortunately, Mark hadleft his head torch in his kitbag at Streatley bymistake and was tailgating the chap ahead. Wechatted briefly for a few minutes before I realised Ihad my head-torch and lent Mark my hand torchwhilst I dug out the head torch (the benefits ofcarrying mandatory kit) and we both ploddedtogether to the checkpoint. It was still continuingto raining as it had been for several hours now.This part of the route saw the Ridgeway route gothrough two large fields which I can only describeas quagmire. Unfortunately, we had to go throughthis there and back and repeat this a second time,147 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTWINTER 100PAUL AND WENDY SHAW PICTUREDPHOTOGRAPH | KERRY AYLMER148 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTWINTER 100nice.When we got to the checkpoint, we spottedAnthony Low there who had been at the checkpointfor a while and I think had decided to call it a daythere.On the return leg I had decided to have a majorstop at Streatley to change my socks and put onsome dry kit for the night leg. My waterproof hadkept my body dry but my clothes were dampthrough sweat and I felt better about having somehot food, dry clothes and checking my feet whichwere completely soaked but the Drymax socks I haddid seem to drain the water out of the sock.I bumped into Jerry Smallwood and Gemma whowere sweeping this section and said a quick hellobefore continuing on. At some stage I hooked upwith Allan and Wendy again somewhere along thisleg and we arrived at the checkpoint at the similarsort of time. Wendy immediately headed out againas she had decided to get another leg completedbefore a kit review/sock change whilst Allan and Ihad some hot food and changed some clothes.This was probably my longest stop (perhaps 25mins) but I felt better after a stop and I headed outwith Allan following a few minutes later who wasgoing to catch me up for the company. I startedwalking at first to allow Allan to catch me up but asthis first section was the most runnable I decided torun a bit more. Allan caught me up a few miles laterand we headed along the route together.A little while later we were heading towards theGrims Ditch area and I was starting to feel a littleunwell. A little while later I stopped to throw up.Allan who was a few yards ahead kindly asked if Iwas ok… as he ran off in the distance, thanks mate!I slowed to a walk and trudged into the nextcheckpoint. I fell over once and ripped my leggingsaswell. Wendy passed me on her return leg at somepoint here. I was still feeling unwell and starting tofeel some early signs of hypothermia, my teeth werechattering uncontrollably, my hands were shakingand I was starting to feel really cold. I knew I wouldhave to sort myself out at the checkpoint if I wasgoing to have a chance of finishing this event.I think Mark caught up with me as we got to thecheckpoint close to each other. I had a few hotdrinks, ate some biscuits and fruit (which thankfullystayed down) and took out my spare fleece from mypack and put this on (again another reason why youcarry mandatory kit). I then decided to startheading back after a few minutes as I didn’t want tostop moving for too long and get too cold. I askedMark if he was heading back but he decided to takea bit longer at the checkpoint.I pretty much walked the rest of the route back toStreatley which was slow going. It was still raining,my feet were soaked again. On a more positive noteI felt a little better up with the aid stationrefreshments and an extra layer and now had theshivers under control although I wasn’t up for muchrunning to be honest. The rain, well it wasrelentless.On my way back, I managed to take the same slightdetour again but quickly realised this and only wentthe wrong way for a few hundred yards this timebefore turning round.“Mentally, I was flagging.My surface thoughts wereall about stopping orhoping that the race wouldbe called off so I couldstop”Mentally, I was flagging. My surface thoughts wereall about stopping or hoping that the race would becalled off so I could stop without having to quit butdeeper down I knew I would carry on. On theapproach to a few of the checkpoints, I would focuson a little mantra of tasks I would complete at thecheckpoint (food, water, socks, batteries, food,water, socks, batteries) to keep the mind active.At the North Stoke aid station I was recognised as“Batman or was it Robin?” (as the conversationwent) and John Whittaker kindly emailed me aphoto he had taken of us about 70 miles into the149 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTWINTER 100TP100. I also bumped into Jerry Smallwood againwho had traded in his sweeping buddy Gemma foranother partner. I don’t think I was quite as“chipper” as the first time I saw him!I got back to Streatley around 2.30 – 3.00am whereStouty was going to meet me and pace (plod) withme for the last leg. I changed clothes once againand had some soup and chatted with a couple ofguys at the aid station. I didn’t want to make toomuch fuss about feeling unwell as there was a slightfear I would get pulled out of the race. After a fewwords of warning from James Elson about howwindy and exposed the last Ridgeway leg would beand after putting on fresh clothes (about 4 layers),Stouty and I headed out for the final leg.I wasn’t feeling great and knew this was going to bea steady march to the end. It was frustrating that 25miles was going to take me 6-7 hours and mythoughts were all pretty grim at that point.“It was still raining as ithad been for the past 17hours or so but as we gotonto the Ridgeway the rainwas replaced by aferocious wind”It was still raining as it had been for the past 17hours or so but as we got onto the Ridgeway therain was replaced by a ferocious wind right in theface which buffeted and battered us as we trudgedalong the Ridgeway path.The Centurion team had laid out an extra aidstation about 6 miles into this leg in view of theconditions but I preferred to carry on and not wastetime if at all possible.We arrived at the next aid station about 8 miles intothis leg where James Adams was waiting for SamRobson to finish the “Piece of String” fun run. Samhad been running since midnight the previousnight and his journey would be over soon. Fantasticachievement Sam (and Wouter who had alreadyfinished), well done and sorry I didn’t catch you onthe day.After sitting in the back of the van which acted asthe aid station, the strength of the winds wasapparent as the van was being rocked by the winds.I had a couple of cups of tea and some biscuits andthen left the checkpoint with Stouty. Walked 50yards and then threw up again, the wind kindlysprayed the contents of my stomach well away fromme and I stood hunched over for a minute or tworegurgitating those teas before Stouty persuadedme to go back to the van and sit down for a fewminutes which I did. I drank a bottle of water andsat in the van for a minute as another runner andpacer arrived, the runner was looking really coldand shivering and I recall two thoughts; “getmoving or you will get cold” and “put on a braveface as you don’t want to be pulled out here at the83 mile checkpoint”. So after a couple of minutesstop, a “quick yes, I’m ok” to the marshals and thenStouty and I trudged on.My sleepy phase started to hit me around now and Iclung onto Stoutys waist pack a few times to keepmyself from dropping off as we plodded the next 4miles to the checkpoint at the outward spur. Halfway there and we saw Wendy and her pacer Kerryon their way back, Wendy was looking cold butdetermined and was on course for a top 10 finishoverall and 2nd lady so despite the conditions wasdoing really well.We continued on with both Stouty and I slippingover several times in the mud and puddles beforewe got near the furthest checkpoint and saw AllanRumbles heading back. We eventually made it tothe checkpoint, turned and headed straight back.The wind was thankfully blowing against our backsand pushing us home, only 12.5 miles to go and thiswill finally all be over.It started to get light on the way back, the winddied down and the sun came out, it was still prettycool in the morning but the weather had totallytransformed from the previous day and night.Stouty and I continued past the next “van”checkpoint and trekked the final 8 miles back. I had150 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTWINTER 100one further moment with about 5 miles to go whenI thought I was going to throw up again butmanaged to hold it in as Stouty kindly whipped outhis phone to take a picture (we nearly had a 2013Piece of String entry photo just there!). Wecontinued to pass several runners who were ontheir out and I felt for the people who still had a fewmore hours to go but at least the weather hadimproved making it more bearable.All I was thinking about to that point was gettingback to the finish, getting warm, having somethingto eat, a nice soak in the bath and some sleep. Wewere getting close to a 24 hour finish based on thetime (my Garmin had run out of power after about18-19 hours) but I was having these thoughts that Ididn’t really deserve a sub 24 hour finish or thebuckle as I hadn’t run enough in the second half ofthe race. I thought to myself if we make it, we make,if we don’t then we don’t.Chatting with Stouty, I was in that mentallyweakened state (or is it an honest appraisal?) whereI was contemplating revising my race schedule for2013 and avoiding the long long runs.“I was in that mentallyweakened state (or is it anhonest appraisal?) where Iwas contemplatingrevising my race schedulefor 2013 and avoiding thelong long runs”However as we got closer I knew I would be guttedto miss out by a few minutes and so with about 2miles to go I forced myself to run in little spurts.Thankfully, the last mile or two is downhill but witha bit of encouragement from Stouty I ploddedtowards the finish at the Morrell room.I entered the room to be greeted by a few familiarfaces. Wendy and Allan were both there (Allan withhis Grand Slam buckle, well done!) and Wendy hadindeed finished 2nd lady and 8th overall I think.James gave me a well done and handed me theCenturion buckle and technical and t-shirt.How did I feel? Relief! No disrespect intended toJames and the Centurion team (including all thevolunteers) who did a fantastic job in getting therace on and for some great support at the aidstations but it was one of my most miserable raceexperiences! Physically, my feet were really sore, mylegs didn’t feel too bad but my stomach as all overthe place. I couldn’t face anything to eat or drink atthe finish.Following a tough old slog at Caesars Camp 5 weeksago, I felt a real lack of enjoyment as the eventturned into another battle to finish from thehalfway point and I felt a sense of disappointmentthat more of an effort wasn’t made in the secondhalf of the race.Looking back at my races in 2012, I’ve run theThames Path 100 (heavy rain), Wales trek (rain andmud), Run 24 (the exception), Ridgeway (storms andrain), Caesars Camp (rain and mud) and Winter 100(rain, mud and strong winds). It’s been a prettymiserable year running wise with my longer racesbeing the most challenging.The final result was a finish in 23.48 in 16th placeout of 31 finishers so another consistent mid-packposition although I have to say at no point did Ithink I was in a race or racing at all (a lack ofpressure from being a comfortable mid-pack runnerperhaps?). Unfortunately there were 44 DNF’s whichwould have largely been down to the weatherwhich was relentless.Finally, a few acknowledgements in no particularorder.James & the Centurion Team – fantasticorganisation to get the race on and working aroundthe necessary course amendments and greatsupport during the event. I did notice the effort theteam went to during the event to make thingseasier (marking the North Stoke aid station withtape to make it more visible following a couple ofcomments from people saying they missed it,sending out the guys on the last Ridgeway leg to151 ULTRA TALES | NOVEMBER 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTWINTER 100set up an ad-hoc aid station etc). Top class eventsand well recommended.The volunteers – Amazing support, enthusiastic,energetic and very supportive even after hours andhours of standing around in the wind and rain. It’sgreat to see more and more familiar faces at theseevents, which creates a great communityatmosphere. I really enjoy the race day support andatmosphere.The runners – well done to everyone who towed thestart line but particularly Allan Rumbles (who I ranwith for quite a bit) and Tremayne Cowdry (whokept I crossing numerous times) on getting theirGrand Slam awards. Well done to Ken and Andrewwho were the other two Grand Slam finishers.Fellow Reading Jogger Wendy Shaw also had agreat run to come 2nd lady, superb effort! Specialmention to the Piece of String runners aswell,tough, tough event.Finally, my running (walking) buddy Stouty formeeting me at 3am and getting me home on thefinal leg as I was slowly disintegrating in front ofhim. I probably would have slogged it out solo buthe made it a bit more bearable on the last leg.Thanks mate.in use. If anyone wants to let me know whichones they were using then please do so. My£8 bargain head torch was pretty bright butabsolutely tore through several sets ofbatteries so I’m thinking of investing insomething more energy efficient. There werealso a couple of guys with some sort of chestlight which looked good aswell.* Trainers, my feet were really sore. I would beinterested in hearing people’srecommendations for trainers that aredurable in wintry conditions but give thefeet a bit more comfort from the miles andmiles of running.Finally, that’s my race season over for 2012. I justhave a silly target of 3,000 miles to complete (on2,738 after the Winter 100) and that’s me done forthe year.Thanks to Kerry Aylmer for the pre-race photo.Sorry to say that I didn’t take any pictures or videosduring the race because of the constant rainFinal thoughts and a couple of questions.* 100 mile races are not easy.* There’s a big difference between a 50 miler and a100 miler.* Having a decent waterproof top was essential.* The importance of carrying mandatory kit in raceshis time of year was apparent. The use of thespare hand-torch and fleece was evidence ofthat.* Try not to hang around at checkpoints but if youhave to then have a purpose or a list ofthings to do and then go. There were a fewpeople who started to settle intocheckpoints and then found they had evenless desire to carry on.* There were some seriously powerful head-torches152 ULTRA TALES | NOVEMBER 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTWINTER 100WINTER 100BY WENDY SHAWSo Winter 100 was here, the race I had beenwaiting for, my chance to see if I really had what ittakes to handle 100 miles or if in my previousattempts I had just been lucky. A lot of thoughtand preparation had gone into this race. I hadrecce’d the course, checked conditions along theThames Towpath a few days before. Shoppedaround and tried on numerous pairs of trail shoesto find the pair that were just right. Tried all sortsof combinations of hydration pack with kit to findthe most comfortable combination at the leastweight. Printed maps, studied maps, discussed theroute with fellow runners and really felt I had thisthing under control. Then it began to rain, andrain, and rain.The race itself was appealing as it uses Streatley asthe Central base with 4 out and back 25milesections. The first 2 (50 miles) along the Thamestowpath and the second 2 along the Ridgeway. Myrace plan had been to run as fast as I could to getthrough the first 2 familiar, flat, daylight legs alongthe Thames as fast as I could, maybe 8 hours, thenwrap up warm and complete the night stages overthe slightly more challenging Ridgeway as fast, safeand comfortable as possible.Race morning began well, after a good sleep,breakfast, all set in the car on time and picked upfellow runner Paul Ali en-route. We noticed thesignificant height of the Thames on our drive downand the forecast was for more rain. When we arrivedat race HQ the news wasn’t good. The Thames hadflooded and we were now being re-routed invarious diversions on and around the Ridgeway. Myfast 1st half had already gone out the window andthe idea of persistant rain and flooding had nowmade this race more about survival to the end thanrace to the end. I was confident in my kit choicesand decided to stick to my original plans of lighterkit (Páramo Fuera Windproof Smock) for the 1st halfand wrap up later on.We set out from Streatley on our 1st short leg toWallingford Bridge and back, I started with Paul asWendy ShawBlogwww.wendyshaw.euWinter 100 ResultFinish Time22hrs 58minsFinish Position:8/31 Finishers (44 DNF)figured I would rather stick with someone till Ifound out where we were heading!! We passed Mimiand some of the Piece of String runners, thenjogged and chatted our way into Wallingford and itwas nice as we approached the Wallingford Bridgeto see the front runners on their way back, I made amental note of how many ladies we passed as thiswas to be my only way of gauging my progress forthe rest of the race. I was currently about 4th ladywith 93 miles to go and feeling well I was happy inthe position and settled down to run my own race.As usual on the way back to base I got the standardWendy 10 mile stitch, I had a giggle about this asPaul Ali & Allan Rumbles cruised on past, I expectedwe would all catch up again soon and we did. Oneof the nicest things about this race was with eachout and back you met all the other runners, thosewho were in front, those who were behind, despitethe harsh weather there was a good atmospherethe first 25miles anyway. The 2nd short leg toWallingford was uneventful. The roads were gettingmore flooded, the paths and fields were gettingmuddier but I was warm and felt good. My newshoes seemed to be doing the job although an oldcallous on the sole of my foot was pinching so I153 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTWINTER 100decided to play safe and get a compeed on it at the25 mile mark. I bumped into Paul on my way backin, he had taken a detour and had now lost sometime but was looking strong. I had packed my kit insuch a way I knew exactly what to grab for each legand that saved me a tremendous amount of time. Ihave terrible cold hands so chose to change mygloves each time I returned to HQ, my feet weresoaking wet but very comfy so I left them alone.I believe I left HQ on the 25-50 mile leg as 2nd lady,I knew it was highly unlikely even with 75 miles togo that I would catch the first lady, she was lookingreally strong, but 2nd lady was just fine, I just had tofocus on holding that position and focus is what Idid. No room for error now. Then I stubbed my toeon a tree root and launched myself through the air!!Thankfully it was a soft landing apart from somegrazing to my knees and elbows!! Time for aheadtorch!Legs 2 & 3 were through Grim’s Ditch, a verypicturesque area but full of hazards for tiredrunners especially as the ground was now more likesoup and visibility was poor. I decided to take mytime, short careful steps, just get to the end in onepiece. I was now running on my own and had beenfor some time. The previous recce runs of this routewere invaluable. I could concentrate on my feet andnot worry about getting lost. At the end of this legare 2 ploughed muddy fields, I caught up with somerunners here who were unsure if they were on theright path as it really doesn’t look like a route at alland the fields were now so waterlogged it wastough going getting through them. Then ontocrossing the golf course, hard enough in the daytime but at night the markers were impossible tosee. Thankfully the team had hung some glow sticksfor us and after a couple of runners had been overand back a trail was starting to be made throughthe lawn. Sorry green keepers that came out thefollowing morning!! Just before the turn aroundpoint I was most surprised to pass Paul Ali andAnthony Low. I didn’t think I had made that muchprogress but it was apparent maybe they wereslowing down. I was appreciative of some companywith Allan Rumbles and another chap on the wayback down. It was very dark and unfamiliar by nowso the team work of lights together and a bit ofbanter really lifted spirits. I jogged into Streatleyand the 50 mile point with Paul but he had decidedto take a snack break and I just wanted to press on. Igrabbed my warmer coat (Páramo Ladies’ VelezAdventure Light Smock), hat and gloves andheaded straight out the door. Time was catching upwith me, I needed to get moving. I worked reallyhard that leg but even so I still failed to make anyground up however I was still on for a respectabletime and I was still feeling well which was the mainthing.The final leg, Kerry met me at Streatley to keep mecompany for the last 25. James warned us that wewere heading into some strong winds up on theRidgeway, but they were far worse than strong theywere soul destroying. I left at 75 miles with a skip inmy step, I returned at 100 completely broken! Kerrydid his best to guide us, I did my best to stayupright. My torch light was fading rapidly but Ididn’t want to stop and change batteries as the coldwas just waiting to get you. We had to keep moving.Reaching the top of that leg was the most relief Ihad ever felt, it took hours to get there, one stepforward, 2 steps back. I was cold, foot sore andreally tired. I wanted to run back down but myvision wasn’t great, with the weather I hadn’t beenable to wear my glasses, something I have found sohelpful when you get tired. We marched as quicklyas we could to the bottom. We passed Paul who wasbattling on with his buddy Paul Stout, we didn’tstop at the mid way check point just yelled out mynumber and carried on. It was mission get home.It’s amazing how you can change your plans on themove. We were now at least on plan k. I hadn’t seenany other ladies for a long time so I was still on for2nd lady, it was just how long it took me to get toget to the finish. We ran the last mile, it waseverything I had left and the relief to arrive back atthe hall was immense. After some porridge, coffeeand some time with head in hands everythingstarted feeling better. Ken came in only 20 secondsbehind me I hadn’t seen him for hours!! Paul arriveda while later looking as tired as I felt but happy tobe finished.A tough but fantastically well organised andsupported event, I was lucky to finish, I was lucky Igot it right on the day when so many things couldgo wrong.154 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORT WINTER 100PHOTOGRAPH | CENTURION RUNNINGWINTER 100BY JAMES ELSON, CENTURION RUNNINGThe format for the race was a series of out and backsutilising the Thames Path and Ridgeway NationalTrails. Streatley and Goring are uniquely situated onthe confluence of both National Trails, offering up acourse consisting of 4 different 25 mile out and backspurs, each covering a new section of trail."During the precedingweek, a huge amount ofwater fell.... causingwidespread flooding"Winter 100 ResultsMens Results1. Richie Cunningham 17hrs 14mins2. Nick Weston 18hrs 01mins3. Martin Bacon 19hrs 04minsWomens Results1. Jean Beaumont 20hrs 23mins2. Wendy Shaw 22hrs 58mins3. Nicola Newton 27hrs 39minsDuring the preceding week, a huge amount of waterfell on the South West, Wales and the Midlands,causing widespread flooding. On Friday afternoon,we arrived in the area to monitor the height and flowof the river Thames. The entire area was under floodalert, a status designed to get people ready to thinkabout evacuating an area should the water continueto rise. Meeting with an environment agencyrepresentative in Benson on Friday evening, we werewarned that according to calculations the river wasEntrants31 Finishers / 75 StartersRace Results: http://www.centurionrunning.com/results/2012/winter-100-2012-race-report/winter-100-2012-results/155 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORT WINTER 100still on the rise. We visited and ran a half a dozensections of the course on the Friday evening and inall cases, the river was exceptionally high but stillbelow the point of breaking its banks. We returnedto HQ to set the Piece of String Fun Runners off (notalong the Thames) and worked on contingency plansshould the Thames Path become unsafe.By 6am Saturday morning and despite no additionalrain falling overnight, Benson Footbridge had beenshut and the river had spilled it’s banks in numerousplaces. Perhaps worst of all was the section afterWallingford which had gone from above water tounder at least 18 inches within the space of 8 hours.The principal danger with a flooded path is one’sinability to see where the path extends and wherethe riverbank lies. An easy miscalculation can see arunner take a step off of the bank and in to the fastmoving, freezing cold river. The original course wassimply too dangerous to run.Our contingency plan was conveyed to the runnersat the race briefing at 0930 on Saturday morningwith the assurance that whatever happened duringthe day, a 100 mile race would still be held. AllThames Path legs would be abandoned, including ashort stretch of the 3rd spur along the Ridgewaywhich also skirts the Thames and was under water.The new course would instead make two 14 mile outand backs to Wallingford via the Ridgeway, beforerunners would tackle the original 3rd spur twice,ending as before with the 4th spur still in tact. Thetotal distance would grow to 102.5 miles.Whilst the briefing was being held, course markerswere busy covering the new route in time for thefirst runners coming through. Without theirflexibility and hard work the race would have comeundone early on. As planned, at 10am runners set offon their first 7 mile stretch to Wallingford. Earlyleader Anthony Low held a solid 8 minute mile paceand looked strong, hotly pursued by many of thepre-race favourites, Martin Bacon, RichieCunningham and Terrence Zengerink. Perhaps theonly surprise was that 6th place overall was beingheld by Jean Beaumont the lead lady. By the timethe runners returned to Streatley at mile 14, MartinBacon had taken the lead, which he held almost untilthe return to Streatley at mile 28. By that pointRichie Cunningham had edged in front and wouldn’tRUNNERS SETTING OUT AT THE START OF THE RACEPHOTOGRAPH | CENTURION RUNNINGrelinquish that advantage at any point from thenonwards.Richie is one of the finest ultrarunners in the UK. Hehas an incredible pedigree behind him having twicewon the West Highland Way Race a true classic ofthe UK calendar. He runs for Team Pearl Izumi andhas raced all over the world with great success. Hedoes it all with an unassuming attitude, a fine racingstrategy and a kind word for every other runner outon course. With the new course layout, runners fromthe front to the back were passing each otherthroughout the race and encouraged each otherequally throughout.The rain had begun just before the start of the raceand became heavier at certain points throughoutthe day. Out on to spur 2 and 3, both eastboundlegs on the Ridgeway, the Grims Ditch & ploughedfield sections became torrid, muddy and extremelyhard going. As the day wore on, runners began todrop under the intense mental and physical strainof the race. 14 hours of darkness with heavy windsand rain lay ahead, conditions that many found156 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORT WINTER 100CENTUTION RACE DIRECTOR JAMES GIVING THE PRE-RACE BRIEFINGPHOTOGRAPH | CENTURION RUNNINGsimply too much.Richie, however, remained unphased. His pacing wasalmost metronomic as he powered out on to the 4thspur along the Ridgeway, 77 miles in and with just12 hours 20 on the clock. The race behind hadchanged shape numerous times. Nick Weston, 3rdplace at this years SDW100, began to show his sub10hr Ironman class as the day wore on and battledhis way in to 2nd. At one point he looked to begaining on Richie but made only a few minutes backin to a lead that was already over 40 minutes strong.In the end Richie was able to stretch home in afinishing time of 17:14:10, a phenomenal effort giventhe horrendous conditions. Nick followed home in18:01:17, a super performance, with Martin takinghis second Centurion 100 3rd place of the year in19:04:39.The ladies race had looked fairly open before theevent, however there was one name I had beenunfamiliar with prior to the start. Jean Beaumontdominated things from the get go. Similar to Richieshe worked hard all day, leading from wire to wireand powered through to an overall time of 20:23:46.Wendy Shaw looked cool, calm and totally preparedthroughout the race bagging her third sub 24hr 100mile finish of the year and taking home 2nd place in22:58:25. She worked all the way to the line to breakthe 23hr barrier. Third lady was held by the battlingMary Heald until the cold just became too much andshe unfortunately had to drop late in to the race atBury Downs, with 17 miles left to go. That left thedoor open for Nichola Newton who ran in a smiling27:39:28.5 runners began the day hoping to become the firstgroup to take home the enormous Grand Slambuckle, awarded to those finishing all 4 Centurion100 milers within a calendar year.Having each finished the TP100, SDW100 & NDW100,David Bird, Allan Rumbles, Tremayne Cowdry, KenFancett and Andy Miles all toes the startline lookingfresh and ready to get the job done. Unfortunately,the conditions that took a massive toll on the otherentrants, also hit the Slammers just as hard. DavidBird was forced to pull out of the race at Swyncombebut showed what an incredible person he is bytaking it in his stride and wishing all of the otherguys the best on their own attempts. The remaining4 seemed to have an air about them for much of therace, perhaps a quiet knowing smile that comes withexperience. They each looked totally in control oftheir own destinies and ready to take a break, sittingback on the achievement of a lifetime. Ken made ithome first. As per our previous interview with him,at 62 he dominated the slam from the start of the157 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORT WINTER 100year eventually finishing all 4 races under 23 hrs. Histotal time for the 4 events a little over 86 hours.Allan came home next, breaking 24 hrs for the thirdtime this year, his total time at 95:32 for the 4.Tremayne ‘Dill’ Cowdry came next, struggling withachilles problems since the NDW100 he made thisone look easy, getting stronger throughout the year.He came in with 26:30 on the clock for a total time of101:38. Finally, Andy Miles who it seemed hasn’tstopped smiling all year again did things at his ownpace, enjoyed the whole experience and came inwith 28:21 on the clock for a total time of a littleover 111 hours. These 4 guys became pioneers andthere will be almost 5 times that number taking onthe challenge in 2013.The stories at the front bely the stories at the back.As is always the case, 100 mile races are equally asmuch about those who fight for up to 30 hours toget the job done. This race was no exception.Having toiled through 75 miles of rain, freezing coldand treacherous mud, the elements had one finalbattle to throw at the runners – the wind. As thenight wore on, the wind grew and to a phenomenallevel out on the Ridgeway. The aid station atSwyncombe was totally destroyed in the wind,leaving volunteers operating from vehicles wherethey not only continued to feed and tend to runners,recording times and communicating with HQ, butmaintained the supply of hot drinks to the tired andcold runners. Nothing more could ever be asked of agroup of volunteers.At Bury Downs (mile 83/92), it simply becameimpossible to tie anything to the ground. Instead, weparked one of the crew trucks on the ridge andoperated our aid station from the back of it, bringingrunners up and out of the wind and in to shelter inan otherwise totally exposed section of path. Atemporary additional aid station was added bywilling volunteers through the night betweenStreatley and Bury, and at the furthest point on thecourse, Chain Hill, a previously wind sheltered checkpoint experienced a change in wind speed anddirection which destroyed the shelters there. Again,a crew van was relocated to that site to act as asheltered checkpoint for the runners. All in all thevery spirit of the UK ultrarunning community cameout in force to maintain the safety of the runnersand allow them to fulfil their dreams of running 100miles in one go. Nothing more could have beenasked of any one out on the course and as a result,no single runner experienced cold related illnessesthat required treatment during the race.Finally, as the dark lifted around 7am, so the rain andwind began to depart leaving clear blue skies andbeautiful welcome sunshine. The runners out on thecourse pushed on to the finish one by one and werewelcomed home with open arms. Scott Brockmeierfinished his 24th 100 miler of 2012, his first in the UKwith the preceding 23 having been run in the US.The final runner, Spenser Lane, had departed out onto Spur 4 with just 10 minutes to spare under the cutoffs. At Bury Downs mile 83 his margin had reducedto 3 minutes. He held that same margin through mile87.5, 91.7 and eventually made it home in a totaltime of 29:56:50, 3 minutes and 10 seconds underthe cut and making it the closest final finisher to the30 hour cut off we have yet had at one of our events.Spenser crossed the line in 31st place from a startingfield of 75, for a finishing rate of just 41%. Despitetheir being only 3800 feet of climb in the entirecourse, the conditions had taken a huge toll on thefield.This was a true Winter 100. It would have beenimpossible to hold the event safely without theincredible work of the 50 volunteers. I would like tothank each and every one of them for their effortsacross race weekend.158 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

PIECE OF STRINGEVENT REPORTS | JAMES ADAMS, SAM ROBSON, MIMI ANDERSONPIECE OF STRINGRace Organiser: James Adams, James Elson -Centurion RunningWebsite Link: http://www.centurionrunning.com/pieceof-string-fun-run/Date of Event: 24th - 25th November 2013Event Type: Single StageDistance: ?Location: SE England, route unknownDescription: A run 'til you drop event wherecompetitors are not told the distance or time.159 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thePHOTOGRAPH | MIMI ANDERSONhttp://

EVENT REPORTPIECE OF STRINGPIECE OF STRINGBY SAM ROBSONThis weekend I took part in the inaugural Piece ofString Fun Run (billed as the "world's mostpointless race"), a novel idea for a race from thefevered mind of James Adams and co-organisedby James Elson of Centurion Running to run inparallel with the Winter 100. The main concept forthis race is that when it starts, none of the runnersactually know how far they will be running. Therace organisers devised 5 routes of differentlengths, ranging anywhere from 100 meters to1,000 miles, and one would be picked at the startof the race.To enter, runners were asked to send in photos ofthemselves looking as miserable as possible, andthe organisers picked the 16 most horrific looking.Whilst I don't have any photos of me lookingmiserable (at least not running-related photos), Ihad recently performed a toe-nail-ectomy with apair of pliers (as you do) and documented theprocess. If you particularly want to see it, just scrollright down to the bottom of the post - my feet havenever been my sexiest feature! The starting list is anamazing "who's who" of ultra-endurance athletes,with world record holders, deca Ironman triathletes,Sam RobsonBlogwww.constantforwardmotion.blogspot.comTwitter@stupid_runnerPiece of String ResultFinish TimeFinisher!cross channel swimmers (there and back again),and... me. James did say that there was one"sacrifical lamb" in the list - I suspect that I knowwho that was!The race route was devised in such a way that we160 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTPIECE OF STRINGwould be given a section to run, head off and run it,then either be given the next section or else becongratulated for finishing. The race itself is held inStreatley at the intersection of the Ridgeway andThames Path National trails, with access to severalother nearby trails including the Chiltern ValleyWay. This gives plenty of scope for keeping theseloops interesting and varied.Peace of MindThe main idea here then is psychological. The onlyinformation that we had been given was to be inStreatley at "midnight on Saturday"*. We had noidea what kit we would need, whether we wouldneed provisions, or even whether we need the nextweek/month/year off of work! And then when weactually start running, how do we pace ourselves?Do we set out fast just in case the distance is short,but risk burning out? Or do we pace for a 100 milerand end up with the slowest 5 km time in history?My approach leading up to the race was quitesimple; just don't think about it! I figured that mindgames don't work if you don't over-think things. SoI went into the race with the expectation of runninga really, really long way, aiming to run at whateverpace felt comfortable. I didn't use my Garmin,aiming instead to run on feel alone. And I had about60 hours worth of audio books to keep meentertained - my brain is not a place I want to be fora long period of time with nothing to distract it! Interms of kit, I had no idea what I would need, so Iended up just taking everything I own to be on thesafe side. As it turns out this was not much incomparison to a lot of other runners!Since we would be starting at 00:01 on Saturdaymorning, I had originally planned on taking Fridayoff to spend the day sleeping. Unfortunately Iended up having to go in for a meeting, so insteadwas up at 6am - 18 hours before we would evenmake a start. Bugger. I turned up at Streatley andmet up with Mimi Anderson and Alex Flynn, twoother amazing runners who had signed up for thisamazing/stupid race. Alex is an amazing guy whohas been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, andcurrently works incredibly hard to raise money forresearch by taking part in endurance events aroundthe world building towards running 10 millionmeters. He is running in Shanghai in a week, so haddecided to pull out of the Piece of String race tomake sure that he was fresh.Mimi and I headed off to the Morrell Rooms, whichwould be the base of operations for the weekend.We just caught everybody heading out for a curry,and managed to get into the hall to start our prep. Inoticed that James had his über secret casecontaining the race information with him at alltimes - I'm surprised that he didn't have ithandcuffed to his arm!People gradually started to arrive and we all gotourselves set to go, whilst still not really knowingwhat we letting ourselves in for. There had been afew people who had pulled out of the race, and inthe end there were 10 runners taking part in thefirst Piece of String race. We wouldn't need dropbags as we would be frequently returning to themain hall, so that kept things simple. The weatherhad been pretty terrible all week and so the Thameswas looking pretty scary and had burst its banks inseveral locations. Coupled with the fact that evenworse weather was expected all day and night onSaturday, the race organisers were desperatelyadjusting the race routes to limit the time spentalong the river for both the Piece of String andWinter 100 races. This caused a few issues, limitingthe sections that could safely be run without fear ofa runner collapsing into the rushing waters in themiddle of the night.As the start time of 00:01 approached, we had ourrace briefing (basically consisting of "please don'tdie out there") and were assigned our fate. As theonly person to send in their photo late, I was giventhe "honour" of condemning my fellow runners. Ihad the choice of 5 envelopes; one with a ball ofstring, one with a g-string, one with a scienceystring-theory image, and two other string relatedimages that I can't remember. I got a little DerrenBrown about this, wondering if they would have putthe worst one into the envelope most likely to catchmy eye, so avoided the g-string and went for thesciency one. Of course, knowing my geekiness theycould have been banking on this... James Elson'slittle smirk as he opened it didn't do much for myconfidence.161ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTPIECE OF STRINGWith a sudden lack of fanfare, we were told to "getgoing" and headed out into the night along theridgeway until we found the checkpoint, where wewould be given our next instructions. My one andonly game plan at this point was to be the first intothe first checkpoint, just in case that would be theend of it! I found myself running with WouterHamelinck who I had run with previously at theSDW100. We were also caught up by Peter Cusickand kept up a good pace together. I had cheatedslightly and had the Winter 100 route on my Garminwhich made navigation a bit easier for this section,and I was able to stop Peter and Wouter frommissing a pretty abrupt turning. Although after thisI dumped the watch and stuck to using the map.After crossing under the A34, we saw the lights of acar up ahead. A slightly cheeky little sprint meantthat I just made it there first - but this was not theend. Not by a long shot! I quickly topped up mywater and said "hi" to Jennifer Bradley, and weturned around to retread our steps back toStreatley. Wouter and Peter were looking reallystrong and pushed on, but I decided to hold back abit now that I knew that we could potentially be infor a long haul. Racing this type of event is oddbecause on the one hand if you want to win, youronly option is to always be in front. But there's nopoint in being in the lead if you don't finish. It's atoughie. From here on in, I was on my own.Our next section was a nice pleasant run around theChiltern Valley Way, incorporating a few little hills,some woods, and some trails. The wooded sectionswere pretty difficult to follow at night, as the "path"was more a case of following the bit straightthrough the woods with slightly fewer trees. Arrowspainted on the trees helped to keep us on track, butit was still easy to lose your bearings in the pitchblack. At one point I found myself following whatappeared to be the path, but abruptly ended in aclearing with signs of delinquent youths. I couldjust about make out the road, so simply set mycompass to make sure I was going in the rightdirection, ploughed straight through, then followedthe road around to get back on track. As it happens,I was only off by a small amount, so must have justmade a small mistake.As it turned out, our next task was to run the same162ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013section again, so I would have an opportunity tocorrect my mistake. Well, you would think soanyway. But I actually ended up cocking things upand ended up out on a different road than the one Iwas expecting. A little backtracking soon sorted theproblem.I returned to find out that quite a few people hadalready pulled out. Lee Chamberlain hadunfortunately suffered some stomach issues early inthe race, and a few others I believe were pushingthe cutoff points. People were starting to arrive forthe Winter 100 and it was great to catch up with afew friends like Jo Kilkenny, Mark Cockbain, DrewSheffield, and Allan Rumbles who was out to be oneof the first to complete the Centurion RunningGrand Slam. The buckle you win for doing that ispretty damn immense, and I'm intrigued to know ifit is actually usable on a belt. They would makefantastic plates though.Next we ran a section incorporating both theThames Tow path and the eastern side of theRidgeway. Despite a diversion to avoid the worst ofthe flooding, there were several sections wheregetting through involved wading knee deepthrough the Thames. Wouter and I just ploughedstraight through, but some of the other runnerschose to find diversions and run whatever sectionsthey were able to. It was around this sort of timethat the weather that we had been warned aboutstarted. It wasn't too bad, just a little drizzle. But itwas only set to get worse as the day progressed.Still, for a race called the "Winter 100" I can't helpbut think that this is the perfect weather! On thereturn leg, I caught up with Peter who had injuredhimself a few weeks earlier and was now havingproblems getting moving. After checking that hewas okay and didn't need anything, I continuedback towards Streatley. I was surprised to find thatMimi, Mick Barnes and Chris Ette had gotten inbefore me, having chosen to not risk being draggedout to sea in the raging flood waters of the Thames.Our next little jaunt followed the start of theChilton Valley Way, before diverting off north eastonto the eastern section of the Ridgeway again.This section was good fun, and involved somesurprisingly tough hills. Navigation outside of thewoods was going well, and I was plodding alongSponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTPIECE OF STRINGquite nicely. I had started the day already feelingquite tired, and felt like I was coming down with acold. Not a great start to what could end up beingthe longest distance I have ever run. But so farthings were going well. My legs felt great, andwhilst my chest ached it did not feel any worse thanit had when I started. The Winter 100 was in fullswing and as I approached the checkpoint atWallington I passed Jo. She was looking good, butwas having trouble with her knee so was thinking ofpulling out if it didn't get any better. I arrived at theaid station to find Ryan Brown (winner of theSDW100) in full Santa Clause regalia. After a quickchat I headed back out for the return leg. As I laterfound out, we were supposed to have been sent ona different route for the return leg, taking a moredirect route along the Thames path. Howeverneither Wouter nor I were told this so ended updoing the full reverse section. Doh!Piece of sh*tI'm pretty sure that there was another section but Idon't remember what it was... In any case, by thispoint it was starting to get dark and the lack ofsleep was starting to catch up to me. I decided tosacrifice a little bit of time and went and laid downfor half an hour to recharge. I was also soaking sodecided to change my clothes to a fresh set. It'samazing the difference this made, and when I leftfor the next section I was feeling really positiveagain. Unfortunately, this section was bloodytough, for several reasons. Firstly, since it didn'tfollow a particular named path, it was easy to takethe wrong footpath and end up off course.Secondly, we were back to running through thewoods in the dark, and this time for large periods oftime. And finally, the weather was particularlyhorrendous by this point, turning most of the forestroutes into an unrunnable bog. Between having tocheck and recheck my navigation (using a"waterproof" map case which proved to beanything but), and being constantly stopped deadin my tracks by the sludgy mud, running was almostimpossible. This in turn led to me getting colderand colder, and hence more and more miserable. Iwas not having fun.When I came into Nuney Wood, I was finding itdifficult to work out my precise location. I had myiPhone with me, so used the Maps app to try andpinpoint my location. Unfortunately, the app doesnot automatically orientate itself to North as Iexpected, as I found out after running in the wrongdirection trying to find the path that I should havebeen on. By this point I was cold, tired, p*ssed off,wet, and generally not having fun. Annoyingly mylegs were really not tired at all - I just felt like Icouldn't use them. I phoned James Adams to lethim know that I was having issues and was thinkingof pulling out, and he told me that Mimi, Mick andChris had gotten off course and so this section wasgoing to be a bit of a write off. He said that if Iwanted to carry on, I could head back along theroads. Two of the aid station crew, Jany and Matt,were kind enough to drive along with me to makesure that I wasn't taken out by a car along the way.Once I got going I started to feel good again. I wasstill wet and tired, but I was able to move and keepmy body temperature up. In fact, I was moving waybetter than someone who had just run over 80miles had any right to, with a nice fast pace that gotme back into Streatley in no time. There was onlyone small moment where I very nearly fell asleep onmy feet, but luckily the oncoming traffic woke meup...Piece of cakeI arrived back into Streatley, walked back into theMorrell Rooms, and saw Wouter sitting there withhis shoes off. This was it! I had made it to the end.And not a moment too soon as the lack of sleep wasreally taking its toll and I wasn't sure that I could goon for another loop.Yeah right!As if it would be that easy. Wouter was just taking abreather before heading back out again back alongthe Ridgeway. I decided to have some soup and tryand psych myself back up again to get back outthere, and saw Jo had decided to pull out to avoiddamaging her leg further. It was a shame for her,but no doubt she will come back stronger for it.She's aiming to take on the Viking Way again nextyear and give it a right good pillaging! She saw me163ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTPIECE OF STRINGfall asleep and nearly fall off my chair, and gave mea good kick up the arse to get moving.So off I went, back along the Ridgeway, with adisturbing sense of dejá vu having run this exactroute more than 24 hours ago. But now the weatherwas much worse. I have never encountered winds asstrong as those that had built up around theRidgeway, and found later that it had resulted in afew missing gazebos throughout the day (I like theidea of the gazebos running free along the plains...).Annoyingly it was well and truly a head wind,making running into it very tough going. It was alsovery rainy, but as long as I could keep moving andavoid cooling down it was fine. Unfortunately,between the wind and the churned up bog that hadresulted from runners going backwards andforwards along the route, and my increasinginability to ignore the fact that I had not slept in 48hours, I was finding it difficult to do anything morethan something of a zombie shuffle towards thenext checkpoint. One problem with being able tosee the checkpoint from a distance is that you neverfeel like you're getting any closer to it! As Iapproached the checkpoint I passed Wouter, whowas still going at a hell of a pace and heading backtowards Streatley. Obviously this wouldn't be thefinal section then.I arrived at the mini checkpoint to find LukeCarmichael and Paul Rushden waiting for me. Inoticed that I had stupidly left my water bottle backat the Morrell Rooms, so Paul very kindly leant meone of his own. My next task was to run a little 10km loop down through the village of Compton tomake up for the discrepancy in mine and Wouter'sdistances. But before I did, I had to rest briefly, andwas kindly accommodated in the car for anotherquick half hour break. Once again, this had a hugebenefit, and I set off down the hill at quite a lick(although this was mostly because it was bloodyfreezing otherwise). Whilst only a small village,finding my way along the exact footpaths wasdifficult with the scale of the map, but I just mademy way out to the outskirts and went from there. Icame back to Luke and Paul expecting to be told tomake my way back to Streatley, but instead was toldto continue along the Ridgeway for 2 miles to thenext checkpoint. Okay then, I obviously need to do164ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013JAMES ADAMS CONGRATULATES SAM ROBSON AT THE FINISH2 miles and then head back to Streatley. As I ranunder the A34 again, and saw the lights in thedistance (more than 2 miles away I might add!), Iagain had that weird dejá vu feeling. Runningtowards the checkpoint was tough going, as thewind and slight incline made it feel as if I wasgetting nowhere!The wind was so loud that I couldn't hear a thing,and with all of the headtorches I couldn't seeanything either. I ran right up to the van to get outof the wind and was finally able to take in mysurroundings. James Adams was there."I guess you know what this means, don't you?"Actually no! Since I had started falling asleep on myfeet, I had arrived into every checkpoint hoping itwas the end. But this was the one checkpoint whereI knew it wasn't (having seen Wouter earlier). Showswhat I know.Yes indeed, after over 30 hours of running, I hadsurvived the inaugural Piece of String Fun Run. Infact, of the 10 runners who started, only Wouter andI hung on till the bitter end. A lot of people havecalled this race the "Barkley" of the UK (and the lowcompletion rate might add to that comparison), butthis isn't really fair. Firstly, despite the effects of therain, the Piece of String race is run over what, inBarkley terms at least, are several orders ofmagnitude easier than candyass trails. Andsecondly, whilst Laz (the race director at Barkley)actively wants people to fail against the course,James genuinely wanted everybody to finish. ItSponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTPIECE OF STRINGmust have been really difficult to remain silentabout the length, either when trying to convincesomeone in pain to carry on (whilst knowing therewere another 200 miles to go), or when pullingsomebody out (knowing that there are only 2 moremiles until they are finished).But realistically, that's the game. The main thingthat kept me going no matter how I felt is theknowledge that, if I pulled out only to find therewere only 5 miles to go, I would be really pissed off.More to the point, my wife Jen would be pissed offbecause I wouldn't be able to shut up about it!Piece of p*ss?So what did I do right and what did I do wrong?First the right stuff. Well I guess the most importantthing is that I ran until I was told to stop. That'ssomewhat important. All the way leading up to therace, I think that I had the right mental attitude; justrun! I wasn't thinking about times or distances, andwas planning on it being stupidly long so that if itwas short it would be a nice surprise. I think thatthis is probably the most important mental aspect.Also, the weekend before I had held off on my usualcompetitive nature and pulled out of theLikeys Brecon Beacons ultra after the first lap tomake sure I came into the Piece of String nice andfresh. Finally, it helps having people who can giveyou that swift kick up the arse that you need if youstart moaning.one.And this is not the way to run this race. If you startthinking about the finish, you might never getthere. Get comfortable and run until somebody saysstop. In some regards I might even say that this isthe most pure form of race. No pacing strategies.No timings. No GPS. Just running to the best of yourabilities for as long as you can.All things considered I had a lot of fun. I gotthrough an entire volume of Stephen King's DarkTower series, got to run through some nice trails ina different part of the country, got to meet somegreat people, and got to take part in and completea race that is the first of its kind. I feel a lot bettertoday than I have any right to. I've still only slept forabout 4 hours in the last 74, yet don't feelparticularly tired. My legs are a little stiff, but onlyas bad as they feel after my usual 30 miler. And Ihave one small blister to show for my troubles. Buthey, you'll get no complaints from me! Would I do itagain? Yes, of course! The weather couldn't becrappier, and barring some kind of injury I don'tthink I could start off feeling any worse. Plus, thereshould be some great pictures of me lookingmiserable now for next year's application!So how long is a piece of string? That's going toremain a secret I'm afraid, but needless to say thatthis year it was a really, really long way. Next year?Who can say! You'll just have to enter and find out.But it certainly wasn't my best race ever. Wouterstonked through like the running machine that heis, but there were times when I was hanging on bymy finger nails. Whilst James has decided to notpublish times and positions, merely saying thatthere were 2 finishers, I can safely say that Wouterwon! I started the race with a lack of sleep whichproved to be my major downfall, and annoyingly Ihave also been coming down with a cold for thepast few days. If you had asked me how I felt aboutthe race a week ago I would have said that I feltgreat. If you had asked me on Friday, I was worried.In that regard I am glad that I managed to pushthrough the bitter end despite this, but I wouldprefer to have started feeling fresh. After about 60miles, I started hoping that each loop was the last165ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTPIECE OF STRINGFLOODING ON THE COURSEPIECE OF STRINGBY MIMI ANDERSONNow safely back home I can reflect on my last raceof the year “Piece of String”This was the inaugural Fun run known as the Pieceof String dreamed up by James Adams who in turnpersuaded James Elson of Centurion Running tohost the race along side the Winter 100. The ideais quite simple the runners have no idea how longthey are going to be running for, it could beanything from a quick dash to weeks, thepossibilities were endless.To enter the POS we had to send an email statingwhy we wanted to run the event, together with themost miserable looking photo we could find ofourselves. Apparently about 50 people applied fora place and 16 unlucky individuals were chosen.When I saw the start list I began to feel slightlynervous, the list of achievements was outstanding,Decca Ironman, double crossing of the Channel,running across countries, good grief this was astrong field of individuals.How do you prepare for a race when you don’tknow how long it’s going to be? People were tryingMimi AndersonBlogwww.marvellousmimi.comTwitter@marvellousmimiPiece of String ResultFinish TimeDNFto second-guess the distance, lots thought it mightbe the entry fee but that would be far too simple forJames Adams. Mentally for me, as long as the racewasn’t longer than 3,200 miles everything was OK.The distance wasn’t the issue, however when itcomes to racing I’m a fairly organised person and I166 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTPIECE OF STRINGdid find the lack of being able to be organised quitedifficult, but decided that the best option was totake oodles of kit to cover every eventuality anddistance together with enough food to feed anarmy (we had been instructed in an email to bringfood and enough for friends!!). Thanks to X-BionicsI had awesome kit and on my feet I wore my usualcombination of Toetoe Socks and Wigwam Socks,which works and my new Aspire pack. We had beentold to bring a couple of maps with us, these I hadmarked up with the START together with the W100CPs, and this might make navigation slightly easier.I also popped in a sleeping bag in case I needed toput my head down at any point during the race.With the car loaded up I headed towards Streatley.I met up with Sam Robson and Alex Flynn at about6.30pm in Streatley where we went to the pub, hadsomething to eat before heading back to the Hallwhere thankfully we bumped into the raceorganisers who were off to the pub for theirsupper, they gave us the keys which meant thatSam and I could unload our cars and get a bit ofsleep.Runners began to trickle in bringing with themhuge plastic boxes of food and kit, perhaps I hadn’tbought enough! Some of the runners had alreadypulled out leaving 10 of us “idiots” to attempt thisfun run. I was the lucky one with 9 men to chase!About 20 minutes before we were due to set off wewere given our race briefing which was short andsweet then Sam Robson was given the job ofselecting one of the 5 envelopes which would beour “piece of string”The weather over the past few days had beendreadful, flooding up and down the country, whichmeant that the various routes that had beenplanned for the Winter 100 runners and us had tobe changed from a safety point of view, which wasgoing to make our fun run even more interesting!At 00.01 on 23rd (24th really) armed with the firstset of instructions we were sent on our way, beingtold that at the CP we would be given our nextinstructions. Thankfully the rain and gale forcewinds weren’t due until about 9am so although coldit wasn’t wet. Our first section was up onto theRidgeway heading towards Bury Down. The front167 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013runners went off at a very fast pace, I was quitehappy running at a good but comfortable pace. Iran for the first section with Lee Chamberlain, greatto catch up on his plans for next year, 4 of us wentslightly wrong missing a turning, thankfully notvery far so were soon back on track again. Havingrun under the A34 we spotted the headlights of acar where Jennifer Bradley greeted us, checked wedidn’t need anything before sending us back toStreatley for our next instructions. The returnjourney Lee dropped back a bit, I shouted to him tosee if he was OK which he replied he was so I washappy to continue with Chris and Mick.I’m not one for spending time at CP’s but on thisrace everyone appeared to be far more relaxedwhich was marvellous. The boys seemed far toorelaxed, drinking cups of tea, chatting, eating; ittook a bossy woman to get them going again! Wewere given our next set of instructions, whichwould take us on a muddy, hill route round theChiltern Way, which also included some rathercreepy woods. This section required navigationthat you would have thought with three peoplereading maps would be easy! (Giggles to myself )The first section was pretty straight forward,however we ended up on a road that we shouldn’thave been on and after a lot of running up anddown the roads to try and work out where we were(about 4am) we found ourselves back on trackagain. I laughingly said to the boys that it would bevery funny if James sent us back on this route whenwe get back to Streatley – it’s the sort of thing hewould do and guess what, that’s exactly whathappened!The second loop was a little more interesting thanthe first as it was now getting lighter so we couldenjoy the views as well as get even muddier andthought perhaps that we might be able to find thecorrect route this time – not a chance. All three ofus were looking for the sign but missed it again, canyou bloody believe it, a bunch of useless runners wewere!Back at Streatley I changed my top but left my socksand trainers as they were, although my feet werewet, they felt good so no point in changingsomething that is working well. More food, teas,chats and trying to persuade James that he couldSponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTPIECE OF STRINGtap me on the shoulder any time to say finish (fellon deaf ears!) we headed out towards the Ridgewayon the other side of the Thames. The route wasdiverted because of the flooding. I was shocked athow much the river had risen and the mount ofwater in the fields, it reminded me of 2001 when Iran the Thames Meander, the Thames was soflooded then we had to run mainly on the roads.Mud, mud, glorious mud, a hippo would have felt athome. We wadded through one gate but decidedagainst going through the next section, as wecouldn’t work out how deep it was (a walker saidthe water had gone up over his wellies). We rangJames to see what he had to say. Our main worrywasn’t about getting wet, but more concernedabout the bad weather was due and so didn’t wantto get stuck or put ourselves into a potentiallydangerous situation, especially as the rain that wasforecast had just begun. We were told to return tobase where we would be given our next set ofinstructions, but he would devise a route for uswhich would make up for the miles we missed –more than happy with that.With new maps and instructions the three of us setoff in the rain and cold towards Wallingford, whichwas a CP for the W100 runners. To be quite honest Idon’t really remember a lot of this section apartfrom the fact that it seemed to go on for a very longtime. We started on the Chiltern Way then I thinkmeandered towards Woodcote, onto the Ridgeway(which was thankfully marked with tape) then ontoWallingford. However, about 4/5 miles away wepassed Wouter running towards us, which meant wewould also be coming back this way. Once onto theRidgeway everything was going well, runningcomfortably, feeling good, but it seemed to betaking too long to get to Wallingford and we keptseeing W100 runners who we had seen not thatlong ago, something was wrong. We asked therunners where the CP was and they said about 3miles back there, a bit of a flat moment for me butthere was nothing for it but to retrace our steps.When we got to the place where we had gonewrong it was very obvious, instead of turning sharpright and going under a small road tunnel, we hadcontinued along the Ridgeway back towardsStreatley – plonkers!Arriving at the Wallingford CP was the highlight ofthe race, we were greeted by Santa (Ryan Brown)and his little helper dressed as an Elf - Nicole Brown,both gave me a marvellous hug, which was muchneeded. This was a bit of a low point for me, notbecause of the distance or even lack of knowing thedistance, I was frustrated at getting lost and cold,no thoughts of giving up just a low point. Nics andRyan sorted me out, the boys tucked into food andhot drinks were the order of the day – a greatfestive CP thanks!I was delighted to be told that our next section washeading back to Streatley but following the W100marked route rather than the way we had come,this was such a boost we set off with a spring in ourstep, no navigation for a bit, marvellous.Due to the lack of mileage on the Thames section,James had devised a 5 mile route for us to run,thankfully all along roads but was hilly. It waslovely being able to run and all three of us enjoyed168 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTPIECE OF STRINGthis section to be able to stretch our legs. To keepus motivated we pretended it wasn’t raining butnice and sunny. We did have a discussion aboutcold baths at one point; we had all tried them andhad come to the conclusion that the weren’t for us,we were obviously hot people!More hot drinks back at Streatley, a completechange of tops plus I added a few more layers, as Iwas bloody cold at this stage. Next section was totake us out towards Sonning, Reading. Well whatcan I say about this section. It was pissing with rain,the wind was picking up but we were very carefulon the navigation side going through the woods.Trying to find the correct bridle paths and footpathsin the dark was very difficult, plus to make it moreunpleasant it was like wading through treacle insome parts, ok nearly all of it! We got quite colddoing this section as running was difficult due tothe amount of mud and navigation required, but allwas going well, until for some reason we headedNorth instead of East and ended up after 8 miles ofrunning in Woodcote. The three of us stood under alamp, cold, wet, pouring with rain trying to workout where we should be heading (its amazing howyou can make the roads on a map fit where youare!!!). Thankfully just up the road was a pub so wepopped in there to sort ourselves out. We took ourwet gear off which festooned the pub radiatorswhile we looked at the maps. We finally rang Jameswho told us to take a different route which shouldbe the same distance as heading towards Sonning(thankfully I had my garmin on so was able to provethe distance we had done) We ran down to ourfavourite road Beech Lane and from there did thereverse route of the Chiltern way that we hadalready done twice. It was very odd doingsomething the other way round, you think you aregoing to recognise the route but we had toconcentrate or would have missed a turning, boydid it look different that way round.Another deja Vu moment returning to Streatley, butit had a lovely warm homely feeling to it at thisstage of the race. Another change of clothes,popping waterproofs on radiators to try and drythem out (dry a waterproof out, hahaha!) more foodand hot soup were consumed by the three of usbefore being sent out again towards the Ridgeway169 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013loop we done at the beginning. By now it really wastipping it down – I know I’m banging on about theweather, which is very dull, but it was very wet! Ihad a hat on with a Buff on top to keep my earswarm and the hood of my jacket up to try and keepas dry as possible. My gloves were soaked throughwithin seconds, but we kept going nice and steady.All three of us were having problems with the sleepmonster and Chris was having a bad time, but weran as much as possible to keep warm stayingfocused on the car lights ahead. The car turned outnot to be a CP but crew telling us that our CP wasabout 2 miles away.My body temperature wasn’t warming up; you knowthat feeling when your bones are cold? That’s how Ifelt, cold to the core, but there was no choice but tokeep going. Eventually the lights of the carappeared in the distance and like any CP at night itnever seemed to get any closer! Mick ran onslightly ahead to make sure the car heaters were on;we all piled into the ambulance, took off our wetclothes and tried to warm up with a tea or two. Ididn’t know what to do, I couldn’t warm up even inthe Ambulance, I was shivering so much I couldhardly drink my tea (thankfully it had a top on sodidn’t spill) and we were told that the next stop wasat 4 miles away. Chris and Mick had decided to stopat this stage, which mentally was a tough call forme. Before the call was made I needed to think inmy head, be true to myself about how I really feltand if I stopped that was fine, but I had to be happyit was the right choice when I woke up in themorning. I hate having to give up, but physicallythe cold had got to me and I genuinely didn’t feelthat it was safe for me to continue the way I felt,pathetic maybe, but it was the decision I had madeand the call was put in to James – it was about 2amon Sunday morning, a very low point for us all.When we arrived at the home CP I sat in a chair notquite knowing what to do, I was so cold andshivering I bent over towards my lap to try and getwarm. Claire Shelley said she didn’t recognise mewhen I came in I look so awful, but Jo Kilkenny andClaire got my dry kit, took me into a small room andgot me changed, they were simply marvellous.That was it, my race over. I hadn’t completed thePOS, I had given it my best but obviously by bestSponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTPIECE OF STRINGwasn’t good enough. I would like to say a veryspecial thank you to Chris and Mick who wereamazing company and it was a real privilege to runwith them. James Adams thank you for thinking upsuch a wonderful idea and looking after us so well,your love for what you do is very infectious and youmade each one of us feel special.James Elson and James Adams put on two amazingevents in terrible conditions but their first prioritywas always runners safety, this they did 100 percent and help was always there when needed. To allthe support crew, what can I say, a big hug andthank you to each and every one of you. It waslovely seeing the RD’s from other events in the UKthere to support the W100 runners and us, verymuch appreciated.I got home yesterday, saw HWMBO and promptlyburst into tears, the emotions of the weekend justcame flooding out. I know I made the right decisionso can live with that, it was a tough race under verytough conditions, but one little bit of me is verydisappointed, or perhaps I’m just feeling sorry formyself?Would I do it again? YES no question, how would Ichange things? I don’t think I would change the wayI prepared for the race, (although how do you trainfor this type of race!) My plan had always been togo at a steady pace as I wasn’t in a fit state to runfast, weather – you can’t change, but I was asprepared as I could be; my head space was good –so far as not knowing the distance was concerned; Ididn’t like getting lost; navigation was a real issue,which I wasn’t expecting to be quite so hard, thatmade me feel frustrated, but dealt with thefrustrations and the bad moments (usually dealwith my bad moments by feeling quite tearful, thenits gone, done and dusted). As for kit etc I had thebest and enough – so more than happy. The ONLYbit of kit I didn’t have and would have liked waswaterproof gloves! I’m not used to spending so longat CP’s but this wasn’t a normal race or normalconditions and under the circumstances would dothe same again. If I’m having issues with myself Idon’t talk but tend to be quiet until they are sortedin my head, then I’m fine.There are always lessons to be learnt which willmake me a stronger and better runner.How long is a Piece of String?170ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTPIECE OF STRINGCOMPETITORS (VICTIMS) READY FOR THE START OF THE RUNPIECE OF STRINGRACE DIRECTORS REPORT BY JAMES ADAMSWe arrived in Strealey on Thames at about 9pm onFriday night, the river was wild, trashing the sidesof the banks with a roar. We had plans in this townthis weekend but were given a very clear earlywarning that we humans would not be runningthe show this time.Strealey is in an very interesting location, it sits onthe UK's most iconic river at a point where thewater cuts through the "Ridgeway", an 85 mile chainof hills and high ground stretching from the west ofEngland almost to the capital. Streatley sits low onthe river but it is surrounded by high places,wonderful forests and meadows. Armies andPilgrims marched along this high ground thousandsof years ago, it was the ancient M4. The river wouldhave brought trade and culture from afar. This placewas a crossroads for ancient England. It was also theideal place to hold an interesting race.They have no idea what they are doingThe location of Streatley, on a flat river path and inthe middle of challenging hills and trails presentedan ideal opportunity for James Elson of CenturionJames AdamsBlogwww.runningandstuff.comTwitter@jamesradamsRunning to create a unique 100 mile race, whererunners would run out and back 25 miles each ofthe 4 spurs of the town, heading north on the riverand heading back, then south on the river andreturning, east on the Ridgeway and back andfinally west on the Ridgeway and finishing in the171 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTPIECE OF STRINGtown.It was also the ideal location for something a bitdifferent alltogether. A race I thought of as a way ofchallenging people who may have already beenchallenged in all the conventional ways. We don'thave mountains or jungles or deserts or tundra, wehave the Great British winter. Without needing touse words like "hardest", "toughest", "longest","wettest", "highest", "hottest" or anythingelseisestwe wanted to put something on that would still besomething to some of ultra runnings most resilientcharacters.And so we devised THE WORLD'S MOST POINTLESSRACE.This idea came to me a while ago when I thoughtabout what drives me to the finish of a race.Whether I am running a 10k, a Spartathlon or acrossthe USA there is always a point where I want it all toend. All the time in these cases I think about howmuch time I have remaining, I can usually estimatebased on the distance I have to cover. I imaginedwhat it would be like to take that comfort away, tonot know what is left. I am not sure how I'd be ableto deal with this. I wondered if others could edalwith this.Soon after I expressed this idea in an interview withSimon Freeman I heard from my friend andCenturion running race director James Elson, hesaid he loved the idea and we should just do it. Iagreed straight away and started to think abouthow we would practically construct a race that I donot believe has been tried before. The Piece ofString Race was born.We had huge fun devising the routes, picking therunners, setting the rules and talking on and onabout it but leaving out one detail, the overalldistance of the race. Ultra runner friends and evennon running friends were constantly intrigued bythis concept and keen to know the answer, how farwas it? We would not say. In fact we did not yetknow.I got to the hall around 9 pm and the only personthere was Peter Cuisick. Sam Robson and MimiAnderson were around the town somewhere. Wejust dumped some stuff and headed to a curryhouse for a final relaxed meal before the carnagestarted. While eating our food Wouter Hamelinckcame in and we insisted he joined ud for the lastrelaxing meal he may have for some time.I met Wouter in Knoxville Airport after we had bothfailed to complete the Barkley Marathons. I failed alot more than he did. We went through the list ofstuff we had done as you do in these situations andWouters list was practically a list of everythingeveryone wants to do. Hardrock, Tor Des Geants,Grand Raid, Trans Gax, Himalayan 850k, TheDragons Back. He runs 100 milers about everyfortnight. He is a phenomenal athlete who justseems to turn up to every event he can find just forthe joy of it. I told him about this race in the airportand was delighted to see him put in an applicationfor the race.On entering the hall again we saw Mimi and Sam.James and Drew started looking at maps andfiguring out diversions the the Winter 100 courseand I was going to have to follow their lead as thePOS run shared much of the same course. This racewas supposed to be hard without these weatherconditions. Looked like these runners had signed upfor something even more miserable than weintended.The start briefing felt unusual. It felt like by tellingsome of the most experienced ultra runners aboutsaftey was making them suck eggs but it wasessential to let them know what they were gettingthemselves in for. Even though the whole point wasthat they didn't know what they were gettingthemselves in for.An idea we came up with to decide the length ofthe route was to have 5 different distances hiddenin envelopes and for one of the runners to selectthe distance and hence condeming their fellowcompetitors to whatever misery was inside. Thispriveledge was bestowed upon Sam Robson whodidn't quite send a photo of his suffering as waspart of the race entry criteria.He picked the envelope and James and I looked andgrinned at what was instore. Was it the longestdistance? The Shortest? In the middle? No one will172ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTPIECE OF STRINGever know.At 12.01 10 brave explorers left the Morrell roomand headed out onto the Ridgeway path which theywere told to follow until further notice. The pathsends in 50 miles at Swindon. Were we about tomake them run to Swindon? Was that too cruel?We sent Andy Humphrey and Jen Bradley to somepoint along the ridgeway, I said to Jen to make sureshe finds the correct spot otherwise all the runnersmight die. They made it ok. We relaxed a littlebefore the storm in the room at just gone midnight,James slept as in 6 hours he'd have 100 otherrunners coming in to try their luck against theBritish winter.I got texts that the runners at the frontwereabsolutely going for it, reaching about 9 milesin 1.10. Over that terrain its a very quick pacethough they knew there was a chance that the racemay only be a mile long and so the competitiverunners made sure they were near the front always.This was not a way to pace a race. Or was it?While they were out there Rob Westaway and I drewup their next maps, a lovely 11 mile circular routemostly on the Berkshire Circular. It was gorgeous inthe daylight and in nice weather, not too sure I'dfancy it in the dark and wet mind. Wouter, Peter andSam were the first runners back and I gave themtheir maps and sent them on their way. Theyseemed keen to stick together at the moment.Around 20 minutes after Mimi, Mick and Chris camethrough, looking in good spirits.I heard early on that Lee was having stomachproblems and during the second loop I got a callfrom him saying that he was not going to ocntinue.This was a shame as he was one of the runners whowas most looking forward to this. We managed toget him picked up from a road in the middle onnowhere and bring him back to base.We chose Lee because of his ultra runningpedegree. Anyone who can run on a treadmill for aweek is worthy of this test. Lee held the worldrecord for this until very recently and I think ishaving a go at reclaiming this next year, afterhaving a crack at the spine race. He made anambitious attempt to run the JOGLE in world record173ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTPIECE OF STRINGtime and has won other ultra marathon events. Itwas great having him here and hope that he comesagain next time.The leaders were going so fast that there was achance that they would finish loop three beforesome of the runners had finished loop two. This wasgoing to cause a problem as when designing theroutes we tried to make sure that the runners neversaw each other after the start, unless they wererunning together. The changes meant that therewas a chance runners could get lapped and hencethose behind will know they have another loop todo at least.Inevitably this happened but did not think it was abig deal at first. Some of the runners got lost in thefirst loop but most had managed to get around thesecond time without too much bother as it startedto get light. It was really muddy underfoot and at10am as promised it started to piss it down whichwas going to cause all sorts of problems later on.The 4th loop was a run along the ridgeway pathtowards Wallingford and then they were supposedto run back down the Thames with the bulk of the100 mile runners who would have started aboutthen. The timings worked OK except that the pathhad to be diverted to avoid the river and much of itwas waterlogged. James gave the instruction that ifyou can not see the river bank then avoid. DrewSheffield and Tim Adams had run over the course inthe morning to make sure it was OK but the heavyrain and the rapidly changing nature of the routemade it difficult.Mimi, Chris and Mick returned from this loop havingnot completed the whole mileage due to not beingable to get through the water. They were veryhonest about it and we said that we'd deviseanother loop for them to make up the miles. It wasobvious now that it was going to be hard to reallyknow what was going on in this race as selfsufficiency was the key.“Who would have thoughta race where no one knowswhat's going on would beso difficult?”Who would have thought a race where no oneknows what's going on would be so difficult?One thing that struck me as the runners came inand left was that they had all proved why they werepicked to run this experiemental race in the firstplace. We didn't necesserily want to pick an "elite"starting line up but we needed to pick runners whowere capable and proven of looking afterthemselves. The race was to test the hypothesis thatit would be very hard to finish a race where youdon't know how far you have to go but also the raceformat itself was being tested. Could a race like thisreally work? Where runners came and went withdifferent instructions each time, where even thosehelping out could not know fully what was goingon? I was delighted to see that all the runners weretaking this race in the spirit it was intended, as atest of psychology but also a test of race format. Allten runners justified their selection from the 50 oddapplications we got to take part.We started to announce cut-offs, with an estimatedfinish time in mind for the leaders and the openingtimes of some of the checkpoints we had to imposea schedule. At the end of loop 3 in looked like Tom,Niall and Robert were going to struggle to make thecut off for loop three but they actually sped upconsiderably (after Tom removed the house he wascarrying on his back) and came in at the end ingood time. Unfortunately loop 4 proved to be toomuch and they came in after the cut off weadvertised. They were disappointed but relieved atthe same time. Rob and Niall had been sufferingwith stomach problems as Lee had early on.I had never met Tom, Niall or Rob before, I knewabout them through forums and word of mouth andthey were all a privilege to meet. Tom was a joy,really pleased to be part of the race and thankful ofthe idea. He made some suggestions about how to174ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTPIECE OF STRINGmake it even harder, for example not letting runnersknow how far the loop was. This was something wewere playing around with but couldn't do in theend due to the weather. Niall (pronounced Neil) andRob were outstanding too, they were both looking abit pale by the end and all three were looking to tryagain the next time. They would all be more thanwelcome.Loop 5 was to be a nice 13 mile trail heading backtowards Wallingford. It was light now and we didn'tanticipate many problems. Wouter finished loop 4way ahead of anyone else and Sam was now insecond, Peter came in third but was going to dropout due to injury. I think he expected the race to beshorter than it was. It was a great shame to see himgo too.The route was lovely. In the daytime. In the sun.This was the first time I met Peter Cusick. I haveseen his name on finishing lists of some reallytought stuff such as the world deca ironmanchampionships in Mexico and the GUCR. He was alovely man and very fast runner and it was a realshame to see him drop out. Hopefully next yearhe'll come back.So we were now down to five. Wouter tearing it upright at the front, Sam not far behind and thenMimi, Mick and Chris running as a group. Thesethree were given an extra loop to do to make up forwhat they missed in loop 4. Alex Flynn was on handto help divise something that was a long slog up ahill and back down again. Alex was supposed to berunning this event too but pulled out during theweek as he had other race commitments. I had reada lot about Alex before this race. He has beendiagnosed with Parkinsons disease and has takenup some epic challenges to raise awareness andfunds for the cause. It was a pleasure to meet him atlast and he was really helpful over the weekend,popping in to give support and offer advice.I had also never met Chris Ette and Mick Barnesbefore but again knew that they were incrediblytough athletes. Chris Ette is the son of Eddie Ette,the first person to complete the Arch to Arctriathlon of running from Marble Arch to Dover,swimming the channel then cycling to Paris. He hadrecently completed a deca ironman. Mick is aveteran of many hundred milers and a very strongcharacter.I've known Mimi for a while now. I had her and acouple of others in mind when I thought up thisrace and was delighted to see she was one of thefirst to sign up. She thought it was a joke at first.She has achieved more than pretty much anyone Iknow, world records, race wins and all sorts ofadventures. I really wanted to see how she wouldfair in a race such as this. She sounds so relaxedwhen outside of running but as soon as she is in thearena she is super focused and determined to finish.Loop 6 was going to be evil. Rob and I had ran thiscourse two weeks ago and found a nice trail run toReading, about 13 miles away and the intention wasthat they would do this really hard section,intercept the Winter 100 checkpoint on the Thamesat Reading and then head back along the river, aneasyish 12 miles. However the flooding of the rivermeant that we could not do this and instead, afterabout 70 miles of running we had given the runnersa really really tough marathon to do, out and backalong the trails, in the dark and with horrific mud.This is where the string started to unravel.It was not the intention to make the race this hard. Iwanted something that was predominatly on "easy"trails without the need for navigation. I knew thisbit would be very difficult. Wouter can follow a mapwith extreme precision, I have never seen anythinglike it. Sam is quite handy too and set out on theloop sometime after. Mimi, Mick and Chris did their"penalty" loop before setting out. We sent Jany andMatt off to a pub near Reading to man thecheckpoint. They were brilliant in helping over theweekend.It soon became very clear as the rain thrashed downthat this loop was a bad idea and in retrospect Iwould not have done it had we known just howmuddy it would be. I was anticipating that perhapsthe fastest would do this bit in 5 hours but it wasmore like 8. James and I decided to cut the loopshort and Mark Cockbain and Alex were sent to apoint that made it 10 miles instead of 13, theproblem was that Wouter had already passedthough at that point. He was on his way back when175ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTPIECE OF STRINGSam was intercepted and told to go back. Theothers ended up doing something else entirely.“This wasn't supposed tobe about the navigation,the mud or the rain butabout the distance and theuncertainty”I wanted to keep people in the race as best I could.This wasn't supposed to be about the navigation,the mud or the rain but about the distance and theuncertainty. I didn't really have an idea as to howmany people would finish, I didn't want no one tofinish, that was not the point. I wanted to createsomething unique that would challenge some ofthe runners that had done it all before. I didn't wantto send them into a mudbath and make things hardjust for the sake of it. It was really hard trying tokeep it all together at the same time as trying tomake it a race where everyone was doing the samething. I asked Dick Kearn whether he thought thatorganising races was stupider than running theseraces. He replied that the former certainly ages youfaster.Wouter returned from the evil marathon not longbefore Sam did though Sam had done less of theroute. Wouter then left onto the Ridgeway whereMimi, Mick and Chris already were having beendiverted. It was all a bit of a mess. I got a call fromMimi saying that they were on the Ridgeway andsat in an ambulance and deciding whether to dropout or not. It was a really tough call but all threedecided to call it a day then at around midnight,they had been going for about 24 hours.The EndgameWouter and Sam headed onto the ridgeway wherethe rest of the run as to take place. James and I hadspent some time thinking about the endgame,where and how we were going to finish this. Theloops now were going to be on the "easily"navigable trails on the Ridgeway and they would bein amongst the 100 mile runners. With various outand backs along the path and then a short 5 milecircular on the Berkshire trail we invented. Whenboth runners left Streatley I was given a lift to a partof the Ridgeway where I was ready to tell therunners that it was all over. Sam was given an extraloop to make up for some of the miles he missed onthe death marathon. I was looking forward to it allbeing done.We headed out, the rain had stopped but the windwas vicious. Atop a beacon on the Ridgeway Iwaited for the runners to arrive. I got to a lorryparked up a hill and spoke to some people who saidthey had not seen a runner come through for hours.The leader of the 100 race Richie Cunningham andsecond place Nick Weston were through but therewas no one else in sight. I managed to get somesleep in the ambulance before I saw runners comingit.I had been up since 6am on Friday morning, it wasnow 3am on Sunday. I rarely felt tired, I was buzzingall over the place and a bit stressed by trying tokeep everything together. I was clearly tired thoughas was James Elson who still had till 4pm to keepgoing to. Sometimes I was speaking in tongues, atsome point I asked James "can you rememberwhere I left the clip board" to which he repliedlooking at his watch "about 15 minutes I think". Nowit was the final few miles and I was almost over. Pauland Luke were onhand to help out at thepenultimate checkpoint which of course therunners didn't know. Those guys too were brilliantfor dedicating their saturday night to staying in acar in the middle of freezing nowhere to help thisrace happen.Wouter came through, looking releved to havefinished and glad that he was not going to miss his4pm train. We were trying to keep it all under wrapsbut in total he would have run about 115 miles,perhaps more. Jany and Matt bundled him into thecar to drive him back to the base and I waited forSam.I met Sam earlier this year at the pilgrims challenge.I didn't know at the time but he was the guy who Iread about in the news who ran the LondonMarathon and then ran home to Cambridgeshire. Iwas glad when he applied to be in the race and was176ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTPIECE OF STRINGalso very glad that he was going to be one of theonly two finishers in the first edition of this event.We could see headlights in the distance but theytook an age to get here up the hill. Sam actuallyhad a half hour sleep only a few miles from the end.Obviosuly I doubt he would have done this if heknew the finish was only an hour away.When he finally came through with some other 100mile runners he looked a little suprised to see me.The conversation went something like this;Sam - "ahhh, Hello" (not quite twigging that thiswas the only time I had left the Streatley baseMe - "I guess you know what this means?"Sam - (looking a little lifted) "Is that the end?"Me - "Yes it is, congratulations".Then there was a hug, not too much of the soppystuff but a sense of relief from us both I think. Samhad finished the inaugural Piece of String Fun Runand no one died. Telling a finisher that they werefinished was what I had looked forward to for thewhole year I had this idea.to have that covered. Dick Kearn, Drew Sheffiled, JoKilkenny, Claire Shelley, Paul (Ultra Paolo - sorry Idon't know your second name), Richard Lendon. Somany people around to help out at this crazy event.I'd like to thank all the runners too. Like I saidearlier you all demonstrated why you were chosento participate and it would be great to see you nexttime.Mostly I think James Elson deserves a huge welldone. In the space of two years your races havebecome the standard to meet. It does not supriseme that your races fill up in days. Your dedication toputting on a great but safe event for ultra runners isunrivalled and if there were a poll for "UK racedirector of the year" I reckon you'll clean up.In fitting with the ideals of the race we are notgoing to publish official finishing times, rankings ordistances. All that we are going to say is that in theinaugural Piece of String race 2012 there were 10starters and 2 finishers.This was just before sunrise.And so the endless race came to an end. It was thefirst time I have tried my hand at race directing andhave learned so much. There are a load of things Iwill change for next year but it made me feel greatto already be talking about next year. A lot ofpeople seemed really captivated by this race andalthough I don't think I got the answers to thequestions I originally had when I set 10 runners onthis challenge I think there is now an appetite tocontinue this pointless race.A few thankyous. All of those who helped out. JenBradley, Andy Humphrey, Rob Westaway, Gemma,Mark Cockbain, Alex Wilson, Jany Tsai and Matt, AlexFlynn. Keith Godden who was a really great personto have around and a calming influence whenthings seemed to be going wrong. Many of therunners here were geared up in the great things hehas on his website . Paul Rushden and LukeCharmichael were fantastic in taking on that laststation in the middle of the night and it was great177ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

RUNNERS PROFILEWENDY SHAW178 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

RUNNERS PROFILEWENDY SHAWWendy Shaw tells us about her Ultra marathon runningWhat is your running background?My 1st (2nd, 3rd, 4th & 5th) marathons were theForces March 2010. I was a Mum of 2 determined toget fit. In 2 ½ years I have now run 32 Marathons, 2x 50 milers, 1 x 45 miler, 3 x 100 + milers and theForces March (5 Marathons in 5 days) 3 times.Wendy ShawBlogwww.wendyshaw.euWhen did you first start running Ultra’s and why?After running a couple of marathons (notparticularly fast) I realised I enjoyed the zoned outtime so much I could just switch off and plod awayto the finish without thinking how far it was or howtired I was. I just kept going. I am still trying to findout how far I can keep going before I stop.When/where (at which events) are we most likelyto meet you?Single stage 50 or 100 mile events or fast flatMarathons. Thames Trot 50 in February and theCenturion 100 mile series are becoming favourites.What are your own key running achievements todate?4th Lady in 8:01 at the Thames Trot 2011 (My 1stUltra), 2nd Lady in 23 hours at Grimsthorpe 105 (My1st 100m) in 2011. 2nd Lady and 8th overall atWinter 100 2012 in terrible weather conditions. 3:25Marathon at Luton in 2011. (My marathon time in2010 ranged from 5-10 hours!!)What was your best result or best raceexperience?Winter 100 2012. Finished 2nd Lady and 8th overallwith only a 31% completing the race as theconditions were so bad. The crew were determinedto provide us with a 100 mile race and those whosurvived were totally focused on beating theelements!!What was your hardest race experience?TP100 2012. I was running fairly well until my littletoenail came off and attached itself to my sock atabout 70 miles. I could barely walk for about 10miles and again the weather was terrible so it was areal battle to stay warm whilst hardly moving!!What are your Ultra Marathon ambitions?I would like to keep competing in 50-100 mileevents and hopefully improve my finishing timesand positions.179 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

RUNNERS PROFILEWENDY SHAWWhat/when is your next event?Thames Trot 50 in February 2013What is your typical race strategy for an Ultra?I like to run as fast as I can whilst my legs are freshand we have good light then settle into a jog/powerwalk when the light is gone, legs are tired andtemperatures drop. I spend a lot of time preparingfor an event checking the route, conditions, aidstations, suitable kit choices etc.What does a typical training week look like?I have just started more structured trainingincorporating speed and endurance training. Priorto this my training would vary wildly from week toweek depending how I was feeling and mycommitments with the children.What one tip would you pass on to peoplerunning an Ultra Marathon for the first time?Get to know the course.Give us one interesting fact about yourself?I currently hold the World Record for the ‘FastestMarathon by a Mascot (female)’ 4:06.06 dressed upas a big hairy dog named Alfie !!Most amusing running anecdote?“Only those who will risk going too far can possiblyfind out how far one can go.” – and I haven’t had aDNF’D (yet!)Anything else you would like to add?I was one of the Olympic Torchbearers in July,running through a local village, Theale. I wasnominated for my charity fundraising work. So far Ihave raised several thousand pounds though myrunning challenges and hold a variety of volunteerposts including Treasurer, Sighted Guide &Fundraising Event Organiser. I am also a volunteerAthletics Coach.180 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

Brutal 10 Enduro Run, 22nd June 2013A 12hr enduro run, over about a 10km route . Starting at 21:00 22 Juneand finishing at 09:00 on the 23 June, you can enter as a solo, pair orteam. This will be a fantastic event for friends to team up, set up campand complete this mammoth race. And a chance to try out your nightvision goggles, head torches and ultimately your stamina.We’ll have free camping facilities, on tap tea and coffee and all nightcafe. A marquee, ample camping facilites and a real party atmosphere.And to finish off we’ll be hosting a kids 2km free run for the rest of thefamily on the following morning.Entry Options: Solo, Pairs or Team.Where: Surrey (location yet to be disclosed)Start Time: 22nd June 21.00pmFinish Time: 23rd June 09.00amWebsite: http://www.brutalrun.co.uk/dates/brutal10-enduro181 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

RUNNERS PROFILEIAN THOMASPHOTOGRAPH | SUSSEX SPORT PHOTOGRAPHY182 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

RUNNERS PROFILEIAN THOMASIan Thomas tells us about his Ultra marathon runningWhat is your running background?I started racing in earnest in 2008/9 and have racedever since all distances from 5k to marathon, that isuntil 2011 when I took on my first Ultra ‘TheMarriotts Way Ultra (36m) Although I won in a timeof 4:51 I realise I’m a new kid on the block and havea tough learning curve ahead. 36m is kids stuff Iguess in Ultra terms and this was a small filed in avery low profile race.Ian ThomasBloghttp://ultraian.wordpress.comMy first running club was an INTERNET based club‘UKNETRUNNER’ which I thoroughly recommend toanyone who’s lifestyle doesn’t allow them to join atypical running club.Having moved to Norfolk from the Midlands andbeing able to commit some time at least to clubbased training sessions, I now run for NorfolkGazelles. Another great club with an impressivehistory.When did you first start running Ultra’s and why?In 2011, as I wanted to see what I was capable ofWhen/where (at which events) are we most likely tomeet you? I have secured a place at the GUCR 2013and am considering the Country to Capital as a prepevent.What are your own key running achievements todate?Achieving my first sub 3 marathon (2:58:20) atAbingdon in 2011 at the age of 52 and improvingon that in 2012 at Abingdon in 2012 (2:57:35) age53. I know they’re fun runs by comparison but hey.Winning the Marriotts Way Ultra (36m) in 2011 in anew course record of 4:51 (This informal event issmall and very low profile incidentally)What was your best result or best raceexperience?Best and only Ultra to date ‘Marriotts WayUltra’ (36m)Best race experience is difficult as it’s between myfirst sub 3 marathon winning my first Ultra andsmashing my Half Marathon PB at Colchester in2012 (1:23:50)I’ve also competed in the Round Norfolk Relay forthe last 4 years (197 mile continuous relay in 17separate unequal multi-terrain stages. It’sconsidered the ultimate club challenge) I’ve alwaystook on stage 12 (19.67m) which means running inthe dead of night between about 1 a.m and 3 a.mish dependent upon team progress of course.183 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

RUNNERS PROFILEIAN THOMASWhat was your hardest race experience?Marriotts Way Ultra 2011What are your Ultra Marathon ambitions?Nothingset in stone, but would really like to conquer theGUCR 2013 first, although may also be doingCountry to Capital. If I succeed at the GUCR Iwouldn’t rule out Spartathlon and similar events,although I have no intention of stopping racing allother shorter distances.What/when is your next event?GUCR in 2013Possibly also the Country to Capital, but undecidedon that yet.I have many other shorter races before GUCR ofcourse from 5K to Marathon.What does a typical training week look like?Building to 90-125mile weeks, which I’m scheduledto hit by January as prep for GUCR 2013Sandwich Long Run sessions planned every fewweeks of 30m/30m, 30/25, 40/30 Along those linesanywayWhat one tip would you pass on to peoplerunning an Ultra Marathon for the first time?Pace yourself sensibly, but what do I know. I’m on asteep learning curve having only ever run one!Give us one interesting fact about yourself?Hold the course record for the Marriotts Way Ultra(36m course – 4:51) I ran a ridiculously positive splitto achieve it so reckon I could improve on that my10 minutes plus.The course is now 37.4 because of an enforceddiversion due to a Badgers Set, but I couldn’t run itthis year due to illness.Most amusing running anecdote?Travelling 90 miles ish to race the Stebbing 10m in2010. I was running great and on course for a goodtime, but was forced to stop dead midrace when Idiscovered I’d lost my car key from my shortspocket. As I walked disconsolately back along theroute in a desperate attempt to find said key, itmiraculously appeared in my ‘back’ pocket! I’dforgotten I was wearing a different pair of shortsthat day and hadn’t lost it at all. It was the strangestmix of emotions as I, on the one hand, was elatedthat I could get back home, but gutted that my racewas ruined for nothing! Suffice to say it was damagelimitation time as I rejoined the race and managedto still finish in a creditable time given myimpromptu walk break of several minutes. I stillmanaged to see the funny side as I ran those last4-5 miles.Anything else you would like to add?Goals are to continue to challenge myself across alldistances (within reason) and be the very best that Ican be. I’ve been fortunate that I have still managedto PB year on year and I’m hoping I have a few yearsleft of improvements yet before the inevitable slowdown starts.(now 53)184 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

DECEMBER EVENT REPORTSPHOTO FROM THE 2012 BEACONS ULTRAEVENT REPORTSUltra Brecon 40 | Guy Mawson, Ceri RobertsBarcelona 24hrs | Vicky HartAcross the Years | Jennifer Bradley185 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

BRECON 40EVENT REPORTS | GUY MAWSON, CERI ROBERTS,BRECON 40Race Organiser: Might Contain NutsWebsite Link: http://www.mightcontainnuts.com/events/welsh_ultra_running_series/Date of Event: 1st December 2012Event Type: Single StageDistance: 42 milesLocation: Talybont on Usk, WalesDescription: A 42 mile off road route in the BreconBeacons.Results: http://www.mightcontainnuts.com/events/results.html186 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORT BRECON 40BRECON 40BY GUY MAWSONAlmost exactly a year ago I rocked up at Talybonton-Uskat 6am to run 40 miles around the BreconBeacons. At the time I’d done a few ultras, butthey were all relatively tame, trail oriented, nottoo hilly or muddy.The Brecon 40 was an eye-opener! Miles of kneedeepbogs, massive climbs and rocky hard descents– real off road stuff, in fact it was a lot like all the fellraces I’ve done – strung together. However, I metsome great people on the run, some of whom I’vekept in contact with – and one who inspired me torun the legendary 2012 Fellsman, a race that I stillsay is the toughest, most dangerous and hardcorerace I’ve ever done.I wasn’t going to do this race, and was actually gladwhen I saw it had sold out – the bogs werehorrendous last year… But, then MCN posted onFacebook that someone had cancelled and therewas a spare place – bugger… I wasn’t doinganything that weekend, my mates might be doing itand it was only £38 – so I was in. Apparently MCNhad upped the distance to 42-or-so miles for anadditional UTMB qualifier point too, 2 extra miles –bargain.Guy MawsonBlogwww.blogs.sandomenico.co.ukTwitter@Guy_MawsonBrecon 40 ResultFinish Time9hrs 55minsFinish Position:52/112 Finishers (11 DNF)One week before, the rain was biblical. Then, we gotlucky and there was a week-long cold spell – raceday dawned and the usual 5:00am Saturday alarmcall arrived with a hard frost. The drive to Talybont187 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORT BRECON 40was dicey, and I nearly skidded off the road and intoa ravine which was exciting…At the start I met-up with my buddy and registered,the MCN crew obviously recognised me from lastyear which was nice. I piled on the extra layers, skimittens and headed to the start area in the darknessfor the start at 7:30am.“It was blooming cold atthe start, but as they say –there’s no such thing asbad weather – only badclothing choices”It was blooming cold at the start, but as they say –there’s no such thing as bad weather – only badclothing choices, and after Fellsman I’ve learned mylesson so was nice and toasty, and the ski mittenswere keeping my fingers warm, (I suffered minorfrostbite at Fellsman!) The first 10 miles wereundulating, nice and firm underfoot, the sun cameup, the skies were clear and it was pretty bloodybrilliant.I’ve been playing with the paleo diet recently withgood results, so have been running low carb for acouple of months and had good results so far –especially at a recent marathon in Valencia. Today,my nutrition was 9bars, (nut & seeds) and sausageswith a gel or-two where they were available. Myplan, as ever was 150 calories every 30 minutes, so Ihad my watch set to beep ever half hour to remindme to eat.It stared to get cold at around 10 miles, so the coatswent back on, then it started raining while we weretrudging up a massive hill. Once we were past thatthere was a nice downhill to CP3 where we movedup a few places.I’ve noticed, (in general) ultra runners are rubbish atdescending… Perhaps it’s because I’ve been a fellrunner – but that’s where I make up positions –always downhills. So we picked up a few places onthe descent and passed through CP3 – the next 7188 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORT BRECON 40miles was what I was dreading, it was the knee-highbog section!I needn’t have worried, the bogs were frozen solid.We just breezed over them, I was so happy – this wasthe bit I hated last year, then it was down into theforests before heading to the marathon point andthe next checkpoint. It was a milestone as there wasonly one, (relatively) big climb left – the steps up toPen-y-Fan.Still feeling good we ascended the 500m or-so up tothe highest peak in South Wales, but skirted aroundbefore the summit to start what I can only describeas the best descent of my running career. I’ve donethis descent a couple of times before but today itjust flowed – I fell a few times on the slippery terrainbut it was so much fun! My friend managed to keepup with me, cursing me for flying down the hill – butI know he enjoyed it really…chasing pack – they wanted to take us down! Wefinally got off the hills and mud and onto the canalwhich marked a couple of miles to go, there was agroup of runners ahead of us, the hunted hadbecome the hunters!With 800m to go we picked up the pace, took downthe group of runners in front and ran into the finishin just under 10 hours. Not an amazing performance,but a great day out, nice and easy – and consideringI’m doing the Lanzarote marathon next weekend,just what the doctor ordered.This is the 4th MCN race I’ve done, I love them… Theorganisation is faultless, they remember you and areso friendly. Yes, they’re hilly, muddy and very tough –but who cares… I’ll be back for more in 2013!CP6 was at the bottom, this heralded then end of thecrazy terrain, (though – again, it’s all relative – therewere plenty of hills still to go – probably another1,500′ or so) and from here it was about 10 miles togo… We picked up another lad who ran with us tothe finish somewhere around here too.Last year, this is where I met my mate, and we werein bits at the time, so it was in nice to be feelinggood this time around. There was a fair amount ofswearing when the hills appeared and make nomistake, the final 10 miles were not easy!“There was a fair amount ofswearing when the hillsappeared and make nomistake, the final 10 mileswere not easy!”The light faded with about 4-5 miles to go, so it wason with the head torches, and a slog to the finish.We’d passed a few people and were trailblazing, wefelt like we were being stalked with our head torchesleading the way… It was true after talking to the189 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORT BRECON 40BRECON 40BY CERI ROBERTSAlarm went off at 04:30, despite my excitement Ireally could have stayed in bed. After working 4night shifts this week I could have done with therest, but I had other things planned. Cereal andcoffee then a 5 bacon rasher sandwich, notforgetting the brown sauce, and I was in my carfor the hour ish trip up to the Brecon Beacons forthe Might Contain Nuts Ultra Brecon 42-WinterEdition.Amazing drive up, clear night with a bright moonpromised for some decent weather for the daysactivity, although you never can tell in the Beaconsas the weather can turn pretty quickly. I arrived atTal-y-bont, got registered, had a chat and coffeewith some of the others then popped back to mycar to get changed and then made my way down tothe start line in the early morning mist. It was stilldark but getting lighter so I didn't bother with anylights, not many did.As we lined up, facing uphill, at the start line we gotour briefing and then off we went. I didn't reallyhave a plan in mind, just hike the hills, run what Icould and walk if I needed and then hopefully bag asub 10 hour run. Training had gone ok, mostlyCeri RobertsTwitter@NurseCarefullBrecon 40 ResultFinish Time9hrs 15minsFinish Position:34/112 Finishers (11 DNF)consisting of running back and forth work with theoccasional long run when I could fit it in. I couldhave done with some more hill and long runsessions but with work and family sadly my runninghas to take a back seat. A saving grace for me is myjob, working 12 hour shifts as an A&E nurse helps a190 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORT BRECON 40lot with conditioning, lots of time on my feet!Acouple of miles in I met Natalie, who I spent most ofthe race with. First check point came in good time,just as the sun was rising behind us. Lucky for usthe low temperature had hardened the ground up alot so I was able to keep up a good pace. Not longafter CP 1 as we were descending down into a valleyI came across Natalie, who had pushed ahead, witha runner on the floor. He had gone over on his ankleand couldn't walk on it. So me and another runnerLeigh got under his shoulders and helped himdown, with natalie carrying his kit. 20-30mins ofstruggling down some steep muddy switch backswe arrived a a farm where the owner was justleaving for town and agreed to give our guy a lift.Even though us 3 were the first on scene to help theinjured runner every one who passed us offeredhelp, pain killers, gels, water and were even willingto hang around for more support or take over fromus. Its humbling to be part the the ultra runningscene with attitudes like that all around you. Sowith our guy in safe hands the 3 of us set off withsome time to make up and defiantly got into racemode spending the rest of the day pushing hard tomake it up. CP 2 came and went nicely and thenCP3. I had run from here to CP5 a couple of weeksago and to say bog is an understatement. But likeearlier it had hardened up nicely in the coldweather so I made some good progress over herewhich I was quite happy with.Even though I was feeling strong I made sure I heldback and got some food down me as I knew whatwas coming after CP5. The format for the day hadbeen myself pushing hard on the hills ahead of natand then she would overtake me on the flats or atcheck points where I would catch her up later on.However when she said for me to go ahead as shewas filling up at CP5 I respectfully declined as Iknew the ascent from Story Arms was going to be191 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORT BRECON 40hard and it would make all the difference going at itin a pair. Well boy did I make the right decisionthere as having a partner for this section provedessential, we kept a good pace hiking most of itwith a bit of running in the middle part thatdescends into a valley. I had to laugh, it was eitherthat or cry, as we hit the turning at the top, i thinkwe were passing the marathon mark at this point.So all down hill to CP6 and I must say that Iespecially can't wait until next year to run this bitagain, the decent was so scenic it was amazing,breathtaking.“Only a half marathon orso to go and most of theclimbing done, easy now,right? Nope.”Only a half marathon or so to go and most of theclimbing done, easy now, right? Nope. Started tofeel it now, CP6 to 7 were mostly a struggle, had acouple of low points but the free gels and somefood helped me to push on. These low points arealways "fun", they are what make these eventsworth while for me, being low on energy in themiddle of nowhere all adds to the adventure. I don'tfeel like that at the time though, it's more a case ofthinking of every possible way to get out of thesituation.passing a couple more runners.Getting dark now we should have got our torchesout but with the lights of the finish in sight weploughed on and got home in 9hrs 15mins. Ecstaticwith that time, and walking into the cafe to a roundof applause felt awesome. Will book some annualleave before any future races as I felt ok after butdefinitely could have done with being a bit morerested before.Nutrition wise I was quite happy. Two pink ladyapples, nice and juicy. Two mini pepperamis. 5 goahead crispy slices and yoghurt breaks, savoury butwith fruit and sugar for a little lift. I never use gelsbut took 2 of the free GU samples they gave us, Iused one and it really helped. The consistency wasgood and tasted ok. I'll be ordering some for thefuture events.A great event with some great runners. My first MCNevent and defiantly not my last, planning on doingrounds 1, 3 and 4 of their race series next year. Topmarks to the MCN team for showcasing ourbeautiful country in this way and allowing us toexperience it.A couple of miles past CP7 I passed a guy who saidwe were a about 3-4 miles from the finish and that asub 9hour finish wasn't on the cards, I looked at mywatch and saw it was 8hrs 40mins. Now I've run sub20 for 3 miles easily in the past and that seemed tofix in my head and made me run hard despite how Iwas feeling. I knew I had no chance but still I wentfor it. Well I caught up with Nat who had pulledaway earlier, and a couple of other guys that hadpassed me. Then me and nat just pushed andpushed to the end, leaving the others behind and192 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

BARCELONA 24HREVENT REPORTS | VICKY HARTBARCELONA 24HRWebsite Link: www.corredors.cat/24horesDate of Event: Sat 15th - Sun 16th DecEvent Type: Single StageTime: 24 hrsLocation: BarcelonaDescription: A 24 hour time based challenge aroundan athletics track.Results: www.corredors.cat/24hores193 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTBARCELONA 24HRBARCELONA 24 HRBY VICKY HARTA few months before I 'fell' pregnant, I ran theTooting Bec 24 Hour Track Race. I ran a lot betterthan I expected. I put it down to two things - myWest Highland Way training and stubbornness. Itwasn't the perfect race however, a lot of thingswent wrong, from pretty early on; so even before Ihad finished at Tooting I knew I was going to runanother one. Unfortunately 24 Hour races are notexactly ten a penny so I had to look abroad: Francebeckoned. Entry sent.Then fate intervened, and along came Annabel.Despite the wreck that pregnancy and childbirthleft my body in I was determined I would ventureback into the world of 24 hour races. So I enteredTooting again. I didn't know how I was going to fitin the training and at the time could barely run amile but the mission was set.Vicky HartBlogwww.vickysrunningblog.blogspot.co.ukBarcelona 24hr ResultFinish Distance101.9 milesFinish Position:34/91 FinishersFast forward to September and once again fateintervened. The Hart family had been floored by anasty stomach bug so there was no trip down toLondon. Perhaps it was a sign I should have takenmore note of.Another race was found and plans were set inmotion to head to Barcelona in the middle ofDecember, a last gasp attempt to get one donebefore my first year of post-baby running was over.On Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th I took part in the194 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTBARCELONA 24HRBarcelona 24 Hour Track Race. The 24 hour race isthe flagship event of the two-day running festivalthat takes place each December. This year was the9th successful hosting of the event and there was agreat buzz of excitement leading up to the festivalwith some of the world’s premiere ultra-runners onthe entry lists for the various races to be held overthe weekend. Top billing went to Brit Lizzy in at thedeep end though as it was the first time he had everbeen to any race, of any length! (I maybe shouldhave broken him in with something a bit shorter!)The race started at 12 noon on Saturday 15thandthe basic concept is to run as far as you can aroundlaps of the athletic track until the final horn soundsat 12noon on Sunday 16 th December. The distanceis recorded by special electronic chips worn on therunner’s shoes which record every lap that is runand the winner is the person who has run thefurthest at the end of the 24 hours. To break up themonotony a little, the race changes direction every3 hours. The 12 hour and the 24 hour races tookplace on the 3 outside lanes of the track, whilst therelay and all the shorter races took place on theinside lanes.Often in these types of races runners set off too fastand suffer for it later on when their legs are tootired to keep going. I was aware of this so set off ata deliberately steady pace with a specific target forthe first 6 hours. Because of this I found myselfbeing lapped regularly by other runners but knew Ijust had to be patient and run my own race. Thispaid off in the 2nd 6 hours as I became aware that Iwas gradually starting to pass people who had beenlapping me earlier. I felt strong and was runningcomfortably. After 3 hours I started taking a 1 lapwalk break every 30 minutes to refresh my legs.This was when I would take on my food and drink.There is a danger in a track race that you can eatand drink too much as the opportunity is alwaysthere, so I made a decision pre-race to make sure Ionly took on a small amount of food and fluid eachhalf hour. At Tooting I had started being sick afteronly 6 hours so this was a concern, but everythingfelt fine at 6 hours and the plan seemed to beworking.I felt like maybe this was going to be a good racefor me. At 12 hours I was pretty much bang on mytarget with 106km. I had had some blister issues at9 hours but soon got those sorted. I made a quickphone call home at 11pm during my walk break(10pm UK time) just to let Paul know I was doing okas I knew he would be worrying about me.All 24 Hour Race runners were also given an officialclassification for the first 12 hours of the race aswell as their final 24 hour result. My official 12 Hourclassification of 106.115km would have given me5th place overall in the 12 hour race so that is prettypleasing. I was on target at half way.Before the race I had said there were only fourthings that could go wrong - my legs, my head, mybowels or my feet. I could cope with one or two ofthese going, but if all four went then I would be upthe proverbial creek.Well, the feet tried, but failed to stop me. My legswere doing ok, and my head was in a good place; sothat leaves my bowels. Gory part alert!! The troublestarted at 2am (14 hours into the race). My stomachwas starting to go and my bowels were churningaway. Not unusual for an ultra as you'll know.However, I have had painful medical issues sinceAnnabel was born and these had weighed heavy onmy mind before the race, and made me questionhow sensible it was for me to be running ‘long’ultras so soon after a difficult pregnancy andchildbirth with complications. Thirty or forty milesis one thing, but aiming for one hundred plus isquite another. Was I putting my health in danger inpursuit of such an extreme quest?I did write a detailed paragraph of my medical issuebut then decided it really was far too muchinformation and deleted it. All I will say is that itinvolved a lot of blood. It really unsettled me and Idid consider pulling out of the race, but I haveworked so hard this year and made so manysacrifices that I couldn't just walk away. I had to getsomething from this race to make to make it allworthwhile. At the very least I had to come awaywith a PB.My head, my legs and feet could have run but myinsides could not. So I marched. I marched withpurpose. I had 10 hours left and I had to make every195 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTBARCELONA 24HRminute count. I was disappointed that I wasn'tgoing to achieve my A or B targets but I had to keepmy head together and whilst I still had strength inmy legs I wasn't giving up on my C target of a PB.The same stubbornness that saw me through 100miles at Tooting Bec got me through the final milesat Barcelona. When dawn broke with only a fewhours left in the race I knew I would achieve mytarget so I was able to ‘enjoy’ the final hours andsoak up the fantastic early morning atmosphere. Ireached my PB with an hour to go. With no chanceof reaching my other targets I made sure I made themost of the time left (thanks to Richard Brownmaking sure I didn't just stop) and I took my cameraround the track getting some 'action' photos. Mindyou, the action was pretty slow by that time ha ha! Icheered on the other runners. I regarded with greatadmiration the GB train of John Pares, Matt Morozand Robbie Britton. (see Matt's blog for a greataccount of the train). I walked and jogged roundwith my marker and my Saltire.they have done it 13 months after giving birth. Thatis something I can always be proud of and is a storyI can tell my daughter Annabel when she is older.A big thank you goes to my brother for being agreat support crew at his first ever race no less! Welldone to everyone who took part and to the raceorganisers for such a fantastic event. I met somewonderful people at the race. The Brits didamazingly well. Well done to Izzy on her 12 Hourrace win, to Helen Taranowski on her 6 Hour racewin (and new GB record!), to Matt on his 3rd place,Robbie on his 4th place, to John on his 6th placeand to Garfield on his 45th place.When the final horn was sounded we all droppedour markers which would indicate our finaldistances. Huge cheers and applause broke outaround the stadium and we all congratulated andhugged each other. We were all exhausted and invarying amounts of pain, but we all shared a specialbond at having gone through such a gruellingexperience together. There is a special bondbetween runners of a track ultra. It doesn’t matterwhat level you are at, you are all in it together,literally. Nine-minute milers are running alongsidefifteen-minute milers for the entire race. All the upsand all the downs are shared with everybody. Thescenery may not be up to much but the atmosphereand the support from fellow runners cannot bebeaten.In the end I was relieved to have run a new PB,recording a distance of 164.125km (101.98miles)which is 2.312km further than I ran at Tooting Bec. Ihave to be honest though, I was really surprisedand pleased to discover I had finished so far up thefield being 5th lady and 34th overall out of 91runners.It was a memorable event for me, for good reasonsand bad reasons. Not many people can say theyhave run over 100 miles, and even fewer can say196 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTACROSS THE YEARS RUNACROSS THE YEARS RUNBY JENNIFER BRADLEYAt the start of December I started to think aboutmy New Year’s plans, I had a couple of Londonparty invites but New Year’s Eve is one of my leastfavourite evenings (those who know me well willremember the ‘smashed face after drunk-congo’incident that saw in the Millennium, oh and therewas the ‘drunk-Marilyn’ night; just 2 disasters thatprompted both my hatred of the New Year and myeventual sobriety) and started looking at the ultracalendar to find a race to run. The US looked tohave the only events to see out the year – and itseemed fitting to end 2012 in the same country I’dspent nearly a third of the year running across. Soafter a long time figuring out logistics, especiallyflights, I decided on the Across The Years race inArizona – a State I’d never been to. Closely secondwas the Peanut Island race in Florida which I maylook at another year (and it’d be good to catch upwith Mike Melton who times that race.) Across theYears had good reports from various US friendswho’d run before – including Mike, John Price andJuli Aistars. It was billed as a friendly, wellorganisedrace and they were certainly right.Having booked my flights pretty late I opted forflying in on the Friday night, starting running on theSaturday morning at 9am … running for 72 hours …finishing at 9am and flying out at 9pm on theTuesday. This prevented me having to re-mortgagebut may not (with hindsight) have been the bestidea.The week before Christmas I finally succumbed tothe office cold and for the first time in a long timewas confined to my bed – sinusitis had set in. Panicalso followed that I really didn’t have long to getbetter! I was still sniffly and a bit snotty as I got theplane but had an ok flight and got to the pre-racehotel about 9pm… 12 hours to race start! Feelingmassive deja-vu I headed to bed at the ComfortSuites, in a room that looked the same as nearly allmy summer stays! Unfortunately I didn’t have agreat night’s sleep – though I had already adjustedwell to the time zone by having a very long day twoJenniferBradleyBloghttp://runningandbaking.comTwitter@jenniferbradleyAcross the Years RunFinish Distance:204.7m / 72hrsFinish Position:9/68 (3rd Lady)days before and a big lie in on the Friday.Breakfast was a little bizarre – a room filled withultra runners I’d not met before but knew I’d bespending the next few days with, everyone lookingrather apprehensive and most of them knowingeach other. It felt a little like being in the room of asecret society that I was going to be joining. So Ifocussed on something I do well – eating, in answerto the question ‘what do you eat ahead of a 72 hourrace’ I’d say muffins, bagels and some oatmeal.Having this race just after Christmas already helpedthe carbo-loading! Sitting waiting for the shuttlebus to the race venue about a mile away I metGeorge Biondic and his wife who were lovely. I had2 small bags, they had about 6 boxes and 3enormous suitcases, so I asked it they were local –they’d flown from Canada and I was a little worried Ihadn’t brought much gear. I later found out Georgewon the 72 hour race in 2010 and he was using allhis own food etc to prevent any stomach issues.Luckily I can eat nearly anything and so relying onthe race aid station was not a problem – in factwhen we got to the start the food and drinksavailable were incredible, I would not be lacking for197 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTACROSS THE YEARS RUNdays before and a big lie in on the Friday.Breakfast was a little bizarre – a room filled withultra runners I’d not met before but knew I’d bespending the next few days with, everyone lookingrather apprehensive and most of them knowingeach other. It felt a little like being in the room of asecret society that I was going to be joining. So Ifocussed on something I do well – eating, in answerto the question ‘what do you eat ahead of a 72 hourrace’ I’d say muffins, bagels and some oatmeal.Having this race just after Christmas already helpedthe carbo-loading! Sitting waiting for the shuttlebus to the race venue about a mile away I metGeorge Biondic and his wife who were lovely. I had2 small bags, they had about 6 boxes and 3enormous suitcases, so I asked it they were local –they’d flown from Canada and I was a little worried Ihadn’t brought much gear. I later found out Georgewon the 72 hour race in 2010 and he was using allhis own food etc to prevent any stomach issues.Luckily I can eat nearly anything and so relying onthe race aid station was not a problem – in factwhen we got to the start the food and drinksavailable were incredible, I would not be lacking foranythingI was not going to struggle for treats during therace! I also met Tammy and Tristam Massie whowonderfully gave us a lift to the start rather thanwaiting for the bus – they ferried me to the airportafter the race as well and are a really generouscouple who helped me enormously, especially as Iknew only a few people. Tammy ran the 48 hourrace on the first 2 days (and placed 3rd) and Tristamran the 24 hour race on the third day – a great tagteam. Seeing Tammy on the third day helping outhaving run 130 miles was amazing, her energy islimitless.We arrived at the Camelback Ranch – a large (140acre) sports facility with 13 baseball fields, somewith big stadia which is the spring training facilityof the Chicago White Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers.I picked up my packet with number and found myalready-pitched tent I’d hired for the event, this wasjust one of the things that attracted me to the race– enabling me to go from airport to hotel to eventwithout having to shop for a tent. The sun was justcoming up and there was frost on the ground –198 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013though by the time we started at 9am it felt lesschilly. The temperature changes in this desert raceare definitely a large feature – it went from nearzero overnight to about 20 degrees in the day,which was pleasant in the sunshine. Thankfully myfriend Cat who lives in Surprise, Az (very hard to saywithout an exclamation mark!) brought me asleeping bag and blanket which was essential.At about 8:55am people gathered for the start, thiswas my first timed event over 12 hours and I’d notrun for longer than 21 hours so felt nervous at thethought of running for so long. Though I like loopedcourses (can’t get lost, easy to get aid, always knowhow far you’ve gone) I was apprehensive about aone mile loop. It was clear most runners had runthis event before – most seemed to have done the24 or 48hours before if not the 72. I set off at my ‘Ithink I can run forever like this’ pace and completedthe first marathon in 4:30, feeling comfortable. Iknew I would struggle in the night section soputting in the miles in daylight seemed a sensibleSponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTACROSS THE YEARS RUNplan. Many were walking sections but I’m a rubbishwalker so running as much as possible was also inmy (rather sketchy) plan. One thing I hadn’t reallydecided on was my sleep plan – I was going to runas long as possible, then try to only get 45 minssleep and go again. I got to 70 miles by 10pm anddecided to take a break, it had been dark sinceabout 6pm and I was starting to feel tired – I thinkthe flight the day before took a little more out ofme than I’d thought. Getting into the sleeping bag Ijust couldn’t get comfortable – my feet were sorefrom the gravel surface of the run route, it felt like acheese grater had been used on them. This was tobe a theme over the three days; I only had a coupleof blisters but lots of runners suffered with somereally nasty feet issues. I awoke just before 11pmand it was cold, really cold and I was even moretired so I decided to get more sleep and set thetimer for 6 hours. With hindsight this was too muchand I should have forced myself out at 11pm to putin a couple of more hours but that’s a lessonlearned. So I got up very fresh at 5:30am andstarted running about 6am, running at a good paceand feeling great. I had gone to bed in 5th positionoverall, first woman but as nearly everyone else hadrun/walked through the night I was now 16th and3rd woman. As I ran round a few people seemedsurprised at my speed and I kept telling people I’dbeen asleep for a long time. I managed to climbACROSS THE YEARS RUNRace Organisor: Aravaipa RunningWebsite Link: www.aravaiparunning.com/acrosstheyearsDate of Event: 29th Dec - 1st January 2013Event Type: Single StageTime Limit 72 hoursLocation: Phoenix, ArizonaDescription: Loops of a 1.05m track/path aroundCamelback Ranch Sports facility.Race Results: http://www.aravaiparunning.com/ultracast-advanced/back up to 10th position by 9am, and I’d made it upto 85 miles for the first 24 hours, down on my planbut not far off. Then day 2 started and we had lotsof fresh-legged runners join for another 24 hourand 48 hour race. By now I’d run with a lot of thepeople on the course – my way to stave offboredom was to get chatting to everyone – and itwas good to hear the various running histories ofthis group of very experienced ultra-runners. Forexample there was Ed in the jester suit who I’dthought was a bit of a joker, turns out he holds therecord for the most marathons run in a year (135).Eoin Keith from Ireland was also good to chat toand we covered lots of European ultra events. MarieBoyd, an Australian living in California, was alsogreat to pass the time with. I also chatted to manyof the US runners – many who’d travelled far to getto Arizona too, and some who were fairly local. Ispent some time with Paul Bennot, previous racedirector, and learnt a lot about the race. Also it wasgood to see Ed Furtaw (of the ‘Frozen Head Ed’ fame– he wrote a book about the Barkely marathons.)and chat about Barkley. Once again proving youcan’t go anywhere without someone knowingJames Adams…The day passed fairly well though I slowed down alot from my speedy start. Ian Sharman who I knowfrom London turned up as well – to run the final day24 hour race – so it was good to see him and catchup as he accompanied me on a couple of laps. Aswe got into nightfall the sky seemed to be gettingcloudier and about 12pm it started to spit a little.For me that signaled my next big break. I’d taken acouple of 30 mins during the day to have my feetup but really needed sleep now. So I set the alarmfor 45 mins and again struggled to get to sleep, infact didn’t at all. So once again decided to sleep forlonger and had a 5 hour rest; not much sleep but atleast time off my feet. Again I got up well justbefore dawn at seven and by the 48 hour mark I wasat 140 miles and not feeling any worse than at 24hours (and as Ian commented I’d have won the 48hour race with that).So then the final day. It was again cold in themorning but the temperature got up and was about20 degrees by 1pm. I ran ok though my feet feltbeaten up. Early on I managed to trip over a tiny lip199 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTACROSS THE YEARS RUNon the concrete – obviously not lifting my feet upvery high! And I scraped my knees and hands withgravel. I was picked up by the group who werearound me and with just my pride mainly hurt Iwent to clean up at the medical tent. So a change ofclothes later and I was out again running, thoughmainly jog/walking now. The air was really dry and Ifelt a familiar dryness in my nose and throat. Whilstvisiting a porta-loo I blew my nose and… yepstarted a heavy nose bleed. So back to the medicaltent, where the kind medic commented that mostpeople had come in with leg and foot-related issuesbut not me! He suggested I sit for 20 mins and he’dcheck on me again, I said I could walk a lap in 20mins so off I was with gauze stuffed up my nostrilsand a baffled medic shaking his head after me. I dida few laps like that changing the gauze every lapuntil it dried up. Then I remembered that Vaseline isgreat for stopping my nose drying out, a little latebut still I applied some.“About this time as it wasmid afternoon I started tore-evaluate my goalmileage”About this time as it was mid afternoon I started tore-evaluate my goal mileage. I had originally hopedto run 100 miles the first day and then over 50 thenext two but it looked as though I was actuallybeing more consistent – and sleeping a lot morethan I’d hoped. With 85 the first 24hrs, 55 the next Ihad decided I would be content with 180. But I felta lot fresher than I’d imagined on the third day andwent to bed at 1am with 188 miles on the board.One of the reasons I managed so many miles on thelast day (a total of 65 in the final 24 hours) was inpart owing to staying up to see in the New Year atMidnight – which was great to toast the New Year(with non-alcohol cider though there was aChamapagne option too!) and then do a lap witheveryone. I went to bed at 1am and realised I couldprobably have done this the first night if I’d notbeen so tired from the flight. Though it’s hard toknow if I’d had less sleep whet I could have done. Ihad 22 hours rest and sleep in the 72. Much more200 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013than everyone else – and ended up in 9th overall. Areally good example was set by Martina Housmanan 8-time participant at ATY and a formidableathlete. She can no longer run owing to bad kneesso race-walks, and takes no sleeps just a couple of20 min rest breaks in the whole event. She finishedwith just under 200 miles and it shows that if youSponsored by thehttp://

EVENT REPORTACROSS THE YEARS RUNcarry on through the night you can rack up moremiles going slower. I noticed that both Vikena andCharlotte who were second and third women spenta lot more time on the course than I did, gettingprobably less than 10 hours rest. As one runner, RayK, said, ‘maybe if you slept less you’d run more…’but as it was my first event of this type I’m glad Ienjoyed it without feeling absolutely dead on myfeet. Plus given how bored I get walking I’m notsure I could bear to walk through the whole night.One of the great things about the race was that theloops meant you saw everyone a lot – and it wasgreat to watch Joe Feyes and Eoin Keith battling itout and both getting over 300 miles, with Joebeating the course record (previously held by ultrarunninglegend Yiannis Kouros) and becoming theworld record holder with 392 miles. Vikena Yutzbeat the previous US record as well with 254 milesand Charlotte Vasarhelyi now holds the Canadianwomen’s record. Watching Vikena and Charlottework together at the end to get them both over thetheir record marks was brilliant – I still can’t believehow cheerful and bright eyed they seemed on thatlast morning.work!)I learned a lot. Especially about myself as a runner. Iam a pretty good multi-day runner; this isn’tsurprising given the summer I’d had, but I waspleasantly surprised how my legs hardly suffered,though my feet took much of the toll. In fact I’m sorecovered I’m off to run a 50 mile night run tonightwith a couple of friends. I also learned that a 11hour flight takes longer than I thought to get over. Iwas pretty dehydrated and tired from the flight soonly having 12 hours between landing and startingrunning is not enough.Would I do it again? Yes. If I’d been asked half waythorough the second day, No. There’s a 6 day eventnext year so I might go back for that, or I might dothe 72 hours again. I was intending to try to getquicker this year and do less ultras but I reallyenjoyed this event and think there’s a lot more forme to do.Thanks to Aravaipa Running for a great event – wellorganised and a really good atmosphere. My trophyand buckle are in pride of place on my mantelpiece.Pre-race goals:- experience a long timed event (check)- get better at walking and night running (er, tbc…)- try to run over 200 miles (check – I did stop at 200miles with 90 mins to go, then decided to call it aday. But I wanted to celebrate by visiting the properinside toilet (which I’d only gone to twice as it wasabout 30m off the course!) about a quarter of theway round the course so though if I was going thereI might as well complete the lap… then Joe, Ed andRay were still going round and I joined in withthem, enjoying the banter and knocking up another3 laps.)- figure out a sleep plan; as little sleep as possiblewithout destroying me (check but needs more201 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

RUNNERS PROFILECARL WHITEHEADCarl Whitehead tells us about his Ultra marathon runningWhat is your running background?I have always loved outdoor running(fatherworked dogs on shots) and after school I workedin a pool and then joined the army where I beganto compete in the Battalion running and Triathlonteams eventually completing my PTI’s coursebefore leaving the Forces.Carl WhiteheadBlogwww.carlwhitehead.blogspot.co.ukWhen did you first start running Ultras andwhy?I began in 20xxxx and not being a quick runnerbut being bloody minded helped a great deal aswell as being “trained to endure” a long time onyour feet in adverse conditions.When or where (at which events) are we mostlikely to meet you?The round Rotherham(home town)Lakeland 50/100 a race I am passionate about(DNFed due to injury) so unfinished businessRidgeway races, I live close to middle of trail.What are your personal key runningachievements to date?Pennine Challenge 2nd placeRound Rotherham 10th placeBeacons Ultra 3rd and 4th place team over 3 years.What was your best result or best raceexperience?What was your hardest race experience?Lakeland 100 I fell on black sail pass and pulledgroin I then managed to keep going to 60 milepoint where I had pull to prevent long term injury.What are your future Ultra Marathon runningambitions?I turn 50 next August so would like to compete inthat category and try to achieve top 10 places inmy age group in the 50+ mile racesWhat/when is your next event?Yorkshire Ultra at Whitby on 26th Jan 2013Pennine Challenge 2nd place on a tough and wetcourse with some good ultra runners202 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

RUNNERS PROFILECARL WHITEHEADWhat is your typical approach or race strategy for an UltraMarathon event?I work on the tide principle of let the masses move away along withthe racing snakes then maintain a steady pace and try to not slowdown as much as the other runnersWhat does a typical training week look like?I always try to do fast run a hill or interval session and a steady longerrun depending on upcoming racesWhat one tip would you pass on to people running an Ultra for thefirst time?Start slow then reduce your speedGive us one interesting fact about yourself?I am also a zoologist so can often tell other runners what interestingplant or bird they may have seen on a raceMost amusing running anecdote?While following close behind a runner on a 50 mile race along theThames one year when it was flooded I did not see him carry out asmall jump as he had seen the landing pontoon so I promptlydisappeared into the water and because in was so cold it was only acouple of seconds before I had vaulted back out of the water and ranthe last 16 miles cold and damp.203 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

ARTICLE RUN ACROSS AMERICA BY TRAILRUN ACROSS AMERICA BY TRAILBY JENNIFER BRADLEYFollowing in the footsteps of previous TRANSAMsof old and the more recent LA-NY races the year2012 saw a new route and foot crossing of the US.Organised by Mike Samuelson of Tennessee the runbegan at on the 30th May 2012, with a total of fourrunners taking part. Mike had covered all 3300miles of the route by foot and bike over the trailsand by car for the road sections; the route wasdesigned to include as much of the long distancetrail paths as possible - canal tow paths, formerrailroads and footpaths. The run averaged 42 milesper day starting around 35 miles in the first twoweeks and ramping up to 45 miles in the laterstages.Mike, aged 42, is an experienced ultra-runner withover one hundred 50+ mile finishes and joining himwere Marty Sprengelmeyer, Justin Faul and JenniferBradley. Marty, aged 65 from Iowa, is a veryexperienced runner having completed the 1992TRANSAM. He unfortunately had to pull out of therun after the third day as he had knee issues whichled to very long days walking and this wasunsustainable. Marty stayed to help crew for anadditional two weeks. Justin, aged 33 from Arizona,JenniferBradleyBloghttp://runningandbaking.comTwitter@jenniferbradleywas a very good runner - quick and strong - withseveral high placings in prestigious US hundredmilers. Justin suffered with sever tendonitis fromthe start of the run, then had rhabdomyolysis andeventually succumbed to bad back pain and had toleave the run on day 29 having covered over 1,000204 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

ARTICLERUN ACROSS AMERICA BY TRAILmiles. Jennifer, also aged 33, is the least experiencedof the starting group with only one 100 mile finish(Thames Path 100 2012) and over 80 marathons andseveral multi-day events in her 6-year runningcareer. Jennifer and Mike both suffered, butsurvived, several injuries. Jennifer tore her quad inthe second week and endured some long dayswalking but eventually returned to running. Mikehad Achilles and foot issues but managed the painand overcame them to finish.Starting out at the West coast of Washington Statethe weather was cool and wet, with 18 out of the first20 days seeing rain. Then through Montana and intoWyoming the temperature climbed and much of theremaining run was in high temperatures (over 35degrees) and little rain during a drought and heatwave that was rampaging across the Mid-west.The route headed east through Washington, Idahoand Montana. Running through Washington wasmainly on trail and used the John Wayne PioneerTrail - a former railroad with an often rockyunderfoot path. In Idaho the route followed theCoeur D'Alene Trail in a beautiful area of outstandingscenery and lots of wildlife, including eagles andmoose. Wildfires in Montana meant the route had tobe diverted into Wyoming earlier than anticipatedand logistical changes in areas of sparse populationand few hotels meant a lot of driving and travellinghad to be completed before the start and after thefinish of each day. All the 600 miles in Montana wererunning on road and 'The Big Sky' State certainlylived up to its name. Wyoming and South Dakotawere full of ranches and landscapes familiar to wildwest film fans. Nebraska saw the appropriatelynamed Cowboy trail for several hundred miles, andthe start of a monotonous period of corn, soya beansand cattle fields.Iowa, Indiana, Illinois and Ohio were in the midst of aprolonged drought and heat wave which saw themercury go well over one hundred degrees (above36 Celcius) and local talk fixated on poor crop yields.West Virginia was entered and exited in one day,then Pennsylvania and Maryland traversed on canaltrails and some wonderful countryside. The runners205 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

ARTICLE RUN ACROSS AMERICA BY TRAILreturned to the road to enter the final State ofDelaware and finally arrive at the Atlantic Ocean onthe 17th August 2012.On completing the 3302 mile transcontinental runJennifer became the first British woman to run acrossAmerica; one of the 230 people to have done so, the20th woman.The total time for the run was 720 hours and 27minutes. Mike and Jennifer are the first trans-America runners to make significant use of trail onthe route - using over 1,000 miles of trail.Jennifer is talking about her massive adventure atthe XNRG Pony Express in May - see website for moredetails: www.xnrg.co.uk/ponyexpress2013.htmJennifer's blog, updated daily through the run, is at:www.runningandbaking.comThe full route details can be found at:www.runacrossamericaontrail.comThe run could not be completed without the help ofmany people - friends and family of the runners.Crew included Mike's wife Heidi for much of the timeand Jennifer's parents came out to help for the finalweek.Several US ultrarunners provided their time to help -found through The Dartmouth Ultralist.206 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

GEAR REVIEWDRYMAX MAX PROTECTION SOCKSDRYMAX MAX PROTECTION SOCKSBY PAUL ALIPaul AliBlogwww.ultraavon.comTwitter@UltraAvongood test of some of the harder conditions you aregoing to experience on a run. The picture to theright shows the state of the socks after the race.Following use, the socks felt comfortable to wearand had sufficient amount of padding (althoughunable to comment how they feel after several usesand washes at the moment). The conditions of theWinter 100 meant my feet got completely soakedand covered in mud during the run and there wassimply no way to avoid this. Whilst the Drymaxsocks were not waterproof, they did a reasonablejob of draining the water from my feet so I didn’tfeel like my feet were constantly squelching around.During the Winter 100 event I had the opportunityto try out the Drymax Mini Crew MaximumProtections socks.The design and construction of the sock is designedto minimise the chance of blisters during long runsby keeping the feet dryer and minimise the amountof friction between skin and sock. Mesh panels onthe top of the sock aim to release sweat vapour outof the top of the sock and shoe and keep the feetcooler and drier.After 50 miles of running, I had decided to changethe socks anyway to a fresh pair (as well as the restof my kit due to the wet conditions) and as Ichanged socks and examined my feet (beneath thelayers of dirt) I was pleased to report no blisters sothe socks had passed their initial test.I was pretty satisfied with the performance of theDrymax socks and would definitely use their socksagain. I might experiment with some differentversions for summer/winter conditions.The Drymax socks are available from theULTRAmarathonRunningstore.The socks were described as medium density. Thesocks were less padded than the Sealskinz socks(which can be described as thick with littleflexibility) I wore later in the race but felt morepadded than Injinji Mid-Weight Toe Socks which Ihave used on previous long races of 100 miles inlength. Whilst the Injinji Toe-socks helped preventmy toes rubbing against each other, I have foundthey do not offer enough padding and feel a bitthin after a few uses and washes.Prior to the race I went through my usualpreparation of placing compeed plasters on anyusual hotspots on my feet and whilst notnecessarily recommended, adding a layer ofsudocreme over my feet prior to putting the sockson. I put the Drymax socks through 50 miles of theWinter 100 (see recent report) where the groundconditions were extremely wet and muddy and a207 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

RUNNERS PROFILEJAMES ADAMSPHOTOGRAPH | JOHN KNOX208 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

RUNNERS PROFILEJAMES ADAMSJames Adams tells us about his Ultra Marathon RunningWhat is your running background?Ran my first marathon on 2000, then again in 2003and 2004 but was never really a regular runner until2005 when I joined the Serpentine running club.Races I have completed;150+ marathons/ultrasJames AdamsBlogwww.runningandstuff.comTwitter@jamesradamsGrand Union Canal Run (145 miles - 2008, 2009)Run the Moose (300k in 6 days in Canada – 2008)Marathon Des Sables 2009Spartathlon (153 miles - 2009, 2010, 2012)Badwater (135 miles - 2010)Los Angeles to New York race (3220 miles – 2011)When did you first start running Ultra's and why?Ran my first ultra in 2007. I just got bored ofchasing marathon PBs and also I heard about a racecalled “Badwater” which sounded too crazy to bereal. I became obsessed with doing that race.When/where (at which events) are we most likelyto meet you?tough race.Running from LA to New York last year wasobviously the most significant running experienceof my life so far. I really had no idea what to expectwhen I set out from LA on a cool rainy day butrunning thousands of miles, meeting new people,seeing new places and discovering just how far Ican go.Any trail marathon/ultra in the UK particularlyEndurance Life races and XNRG events.Oh, and every September for as long as I live you’llsee me on a highway somewhere in Greece.What are your key running achievements todate?In terms of athletic effort I think my threeSpartathlon finishes are my proudest. That is such aI am also very proud of my blog. I’ve been writingup my races since my first marathons and I love thatI can look back on how I felt before running amarathon, the first ultra, the first really long ultra,Badwater, Spartathlon and then Trans USA. I lovegoing back and reading about a guy who wasanxious about running 26.2 miles on some roads ina city who then got wrapped up in this world ofultra running. Then running in mountains, acrossdeserts, through forests and eventually across a209 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

RUNNERS PROFILEJAMES ADAMSPHOTOGRAPH | JOHN KNOXlarge country. I really do think it’s a good documentof what a “normal” person can achieve.when I have quit early though such as theUTSW100.What was your best result/best race experience?There are so many. One I’d pick out was in my firstGrand Union Canal run (145 miles) in 2008. I’d neverrun more than 55 miles before yet I seemed to flythrough 100 miles and beyond but ended upgrinding to a halt at around 120. I thought it wasover, I had nothing left and my brain had given uptoo. I sat at a checkpoint for ages thinking aboutexiting the race. I then just decided to get up andrun no matter how much it hurt. It hurt a lot butafter a few miles the pain disappeared and thenafter a few more miles I was actually running quitefast and then after a few more miles I got sooverwhelmed with the transformation I just burstinto tears. That was a significant moment in my life.I’d gone from down and out to running again andbeing back in it. That sequence gave me theconfidence that I can do anything.What was your worst result/worst race/hardestrace experience?Worst Result – Not sure whether I have a “worst”result. Anything I finish is a good result and I learnfrom each race. There have been a few recent timeWorst Experience – The Marathon Des Sables. I wasill with a chest infection going out to do the racebut I was already in a bad mood at having to pay somuch money to be pushed around like cattle as partof a large marketing event for what is actually afairly easy race to complete. Didn’t enjoy it at alland would recommend runners with a genuine loveof running to avoid this one.Hardest race experience - New Mexico during theLA-NY run. I had diarrhoea for 4 days but still had torun about 50 miles a day. It was horrific, I wasdetermined not to give up but I was living in fearthat I’d just pass out at the side of the road and getremoved from the race. I’ve had low points in racesbefore and dealt with them quite well but neverlows that last 4 days.What are your Ultra Marathon runningambitions?I have nearly finished a book about my running andwould like to get that published.I have also recently started doing a Psychologydegree with a view of getting into sportspsychology. I am really interested in how the brain210 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

RUNNERS PROFILEJAMES ADAMSaffects human performance, having learned a lot onmy ultras. I would love to get more involved in thescience of that.Oh and some running ones?I want to finish Barkley. I am no way near fit enoughto complete it right now but would like to give thata proper go again. I want to run across some othercontinents. Probably Australia next, with the next 3years maybe. I’d like to run JOGLE on trail and Iwant to finish 50 Spartathlons before I die.What was your last event and how did it go?It was the Spartathlon and it went very well. I hadpersonal doubts about it this year, I didn’t feelmentally prepared or strong as I have donepreviously. It was a hot year, the lowest finishingrate ever but there is something about that racemore than any other that just transforms me. Therewas never any doubt that once I started I was notgoing to give up, I was either going to finish or getpulled out trying.What is your next event?The next big race I have is the Northburn 100 inNew Zealand. It’s going to be tough, 8000m ofascent in the mountains.Later this year I am attempting two of my favouriteraces back to back. In May I’ll be running fromLondon to Birmingham (145 miles) along the canaland then I will run in the Grand Union Canal Raceback to London, 290 miles in total. It is going to bea completely new experience for me.Then in September I am doing the same thing withthe Spartathlon, running the 153 mile race fromAthens to Sparta and then turning back andrunning to Athens. That will be by far the hardestthing I will have attempted. Except maybe Barkley.PHOTOGRAPH | JOHN KNOX211 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://

ULTRA TALESNEXT ISSUENEXT ISSUEArticle ContributionsUltra Tales is put together through the contribution of articles, photos, runners profiles and event reports submittedby members of the Ultra Running community. We need your contributions each and every issue to keep thiselectronic magazine going. Contributions should be sent to the ultratales@gmail.com email address in a textdocument format (word document for example but text included in an email is fine) with photographs sent in a .jpgformat.Please also include your name and a small photograph of yourself so we can credit you with the article. If you aresubmitting an event report then please include details of the race as shown in the articles (i.e. website link anddetails of the event, distance etc). If you are submitting several photographs then please ensure that individualemails are less than 10mb in size. Please ensure that you have permission to use any photographs you submit. Ifthese have been taken by other people for you, then please let us have their name and we can credit them with thephotograph.Issue 4 - ContributorsThank you to the following people who contributed an article to this issue of Ultra Tales and thanks to everyonementioned separately for the various pictures which really do make the e-zine: James Adams, Mimi Anderson, LukeAshton, Richard Ashton, Jen Bradley, Neil Bryant, Lindley Chambers, James Eacott, James Elson, Brian Friend, KelvinGower, Nick Ham, Vicky Hart, Annette Helliwell, Michiel Hoefsmith, Andy Humphrey, Trevor Kavanagh, RorieMcIntosh, Guy Mawson, Henry Morris, Paul Navasey, Ceri Roberts, Sam Robson, Wendy Shaw, Ian Smith, Ian Thomas,Carl Whitehead, Tom Wright and Karl Zeiner. Apologies to anyone I have missed out.Issue 5 - March 2013Our next edition (Issue 5) is planned for release in March 2013 and will cover race reports from events taking placefrom January to February 2013. If you are participating in an Ultra running event over the next few months thenplease send us a write up and photo by 28th February 2013. We would love to have a report for every UK ultraevent (and reports for overseas racers are welcome too).Download links to future issues of Ultra Tales will be communicated via the website www.ultratales.com , Twitter@ultratales and the Facebook page www.facebook.com/ultratales.Finally, thank you for reading and supporting this e-mag! If you have any feedback, comments or suggestions thenplease let us know.Disclaimer: Ultra Tales is put together through individual contributions by runners and members of the Ultra Running community. Anycomments that may be found in the electronic magazine are the express views of their individual authors.Ultra Tales makes no representations as to the accuracy or completeness of any information contained in the electronic magazine orfound by following any link contained in the electronic magazine.Ultra Tales will not be liable for any errors or omissions in this information and will not be liable for any losses, injuries or damagesfrom the display or use of this information.212 ULTRA TALES | JANUARY 2013Sponsored by thehttp://