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ULTRA TALES CONTENTS112T184OCTOBER 2014, ISSUE <strong>13</strong>154 CHILTERN WAY ULTRA163 THE BOB GRAHAM ROUNDULTRA TALES NEWS2 Contents3 Editorial4 News & Event Results118 <strong>Ultra</strong> <strong>Tales</strong> Competition207 Next <strong>Issue</strong>EVENT REPORTS10 Mohican 10015 XNRG Round the Island18 10 Peaks - The Lakes25 Stratford Grand Union Canal Run27 Chiltern Challenge34 Race to the Stones37 Hardrock 10048 Coast 2 Coast <strong>Ultra</strong>59 North Downs Way 10080 RAT The Plague93 Run to the Castle100 Stour Valley Path 100km112 T184128 Ridgeway Challenge<strong>13</strong>4 CCC146 UTMB154 Chiltern Way <strong>Ultra</strong>171 10 Peaks - Brecon Beacons185 Thames Path Challenge187 Ladybower 50190 Cotswold Way Century192 THE US GRAND SLAMPHOTOGRAPH | ALAN LUCKERRUNNERS PROFILES31 Frank Womelsdorf77 Maxine Lock151 Neil MacNicol182 William RobertsonARTICLES23 Eat to Complete45 Support Crew98 50k (between Marathon & <strong>Ultra</strong>)125 DNF Corner163 The Bob Graham Round192 The US Grand Slam203 Marathon RoundupPHOTOGRAPH | FACCHINO PHOTOGRAPHY02 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


ULTRA TALESEDITORIALPaul AliKelly Lucas James Adams Sam RobsonAndy NuttallGemma CarterThank you to our regular contributors and helpersAndy Humphrey<strong>Issue</strong> <strong>13</strong>Hello and welcome to <strong>Issue</strong> <strong>13</strong> (October 2014) of<strong>Ultra</strong> <strong>Tales</strong>.Some of you may have spotted a refresh of thewebsite to focus on making issues of <strong>Ultra</strong> <strong>Tales</strong>easier to find and download. If you haven’t seenthe website then please take a look at this atwww.ultratales.comWe are also tweaking the e-zine based on yourfeedback and are working on making some of theevent reports more concise. However, we couldstill do with a greater range of event reports withour aim to have a report from every UK ultra eachissue so we still need your help.If you are interested in submitting an event reportto <strong>Ultra</strong> <strong>Tales</strong> then please visit the submissionspage on our website for details of how to do this.performance at the North Downs Way and my firstDNF at the inaugural T184.However, you can’t shout about the successeswithout highlighting the failures and this issuesguest ‘DNF Corner’ is written by yours truly whereI will cover my lessons learned from thisexperience.As ever, thanks to everyone who has submitted anevent report, downloaded or supported the e-zine.Paul@ultraavonI would also like to welcome James Adams andGemma Carter as regular contributors to futureissues of <strong>Ultra</strong> <strong>Tales</strong>.On a personal note, it’s been a tough issue(unlucky number <strong>13</strong>?) for me with one too manyraces this year leading to a disappointingContact Uswww.ultratales.comultratales@gmail.comwww.facebook.com/ultratales@ultratales03 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


ULTRA TALES NEWS & RESULTSHave any news to report? Email us at ultratales@gmail.comUK ULTRA RESULTS JULYRace to the StonesLakeland 50/100The Lakeland races are the Glastonbury of ultras,sold out now within minutes for next year’s races.The Lakeland 100 offers a brutal circular route in thelake district, climbing over 22,000ft on pretty toughtrail. The 50 miler is no walk in the park either.At 6pm the 100 milers set off into a nice warm night,in the middle of the next day the 50 milers set off inreally warm conditions which saw a lot of peoplestruggle. Then in Monty Python fashion summerwent straight to winter and it poured it down formuch of the night.It’s not unusual for a man to win the men’s race anda woman to win the woman’s race but it is unusualfor them to be married to each other. That’s whathappened here as Marco and Debbie Consani tookfirst place for the 100 miler. Thinking about enteringas a man and wife team next year? Think again.Unless you are Kilian and Frosty.Mens Results 100m1st Marco Consani 21:14:522nd Charlie Sharpe 22:47:563rd Lee Knight 23:21:48Womens Results 100m1st Debbie Martin-Consani 25:28:332nd Beth Pascall 25:44:303rd Nicky Taylor 29:37:08Mens Results 50m1st Kim Collison 07:48:012nd Marcus Scotney 08:06:423rd Danny Kendall 08:<strong>13</strong>:39Womens Results 50m1st Jo Meek 08.43:172nd Lizzie Wraith 09.18.223rd Bonnie van Wilgenburg 09:31:05Website: www.lakeland100.comThere are a lot of superlatives flying around out inultra world, the world’s toughest, the UK’s mosticonic ultra and other such descriptions but withmore starters than any other race in the UK therecan be little doubt that the Race to the Stones wasthe UK’s most mainstream ultra.Hundreds of people kitted up to the eyeballs totackle 100k of the ancient Ridgeway trail on a daythat was not quite as warm as last year.The results for the 100k non-stop race was asfollows:Mens Results 100km Non-Stop1st Scott Forbes 9.04.162nd Wyclef Forbes 9.06.153rd Max Wilcocks 9.21.<strong>13</strong>Womens Results 100k Non-Stop1st Sorrell Walsh 10.37.562nd Julia Donovan 10.45.373rd Maryclaire Tweedy 10.51.48Mens 100k Overnight (Stage)1st Tim Davie 10.56.152nd Mark Glanville 10.59.533rd Steve Evans 11.02.00Womens Results 100k Overnight (Stage)1st Sarah Travers 11.44.532nd Mary Narey 12.10.463rd Sarah Crombie 12.38.30Website: www.racetothestones.comT04ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


ULTRA TALES NEWS & RESULTSHave any news to report? Email us at ultratales@gmail.com12 Labours of HerculesThe 12 Labours of Hercules is a concept race forultra runners. Only 4 people did the whole distance.In their own words “The Labours are all at varyingdistances from the Race HQ. The closest is just half amile away (a 1 mile round trip). The furthest is 6miles away (12 miles round trip). By now you mayhave guessed that the rest all lie in distances inbetween. Add those distances together; 1 throughto 12, and you have a total of 78 miles. There may beno Mount Olympus in the Shropshire, but restassured the paths to the labours will neither be flator easy. There is 17,000ft of ascent and descent totackle if you choose to complete all 12. The 12routes will take in many of the impressive localpeaks and landmarks.”1 Stu Ruston 21:32:492 Barefoot Billyboy Craig 23:19:18= Carmine De Grandis 23:19:184 Paul O’Sullivan 23:46:04crying at the side of the road.A challenging 140 miles from coast to coast in lessthan 38 hours was all that was needed to separatethe race director from one of his cherished trinkets,runners were self supported with their loved onesfollowing them in a car or van, making tea, poppingblisters and giving it a lot of “there there”And amazingly 6 people made it. Perhaps he’s goingsoft in his old age, or perhaps right now he isplanting thistles on the hill.1st Martin Terry 31.582nd Chris Rainbow 31.183rd Jon Steele 35.55Website: www.cockbainevents.comNorth Downs Way 100Website: http://beyondmarathon.com/12-laboursof-hercules/UK ULTRA RESULTS AUGUSTCoast to CoastThere is nothing Mark Cockbain hates more thangiving out a medal, well that’s what you’d assumegiven by the finish rate at his races and the Coast toCoast ultra promised to leave many an ultra runner05ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014PHOTOGRAPH | STUART MARCH - CENTURION RUNNINGThe fourth running of Centurion’s first ever ultra, theNorth Downs Way 100 had 180 runners andvolunteers braving the rain and wind to get thecoveted buckle.The race lived up to the Centurion “big time”atmosphere that we are accustomed to and a properrace was happening at the front, with Ed Catmur,Dave Ross and Duncan Oakes swapping places forthe lead until Duncan pulled away to win.Jenni Ball won the womens race in her debut at thedistance.From the Centurion Website - “Back in 2011 this wasour first event, held alongside marathon and 50 mileoptions, on an out and back course to KnockholtPound and return. Little has changed in the interimSponsored by thehttp://


ULTRA TALES NEWS & RESULTSHave any news to report? Email us at ultratales@gmail.comwith the exception of the course extending now as apoint to point all the way to Wye in Kent, rather thanreturning to Farnham. And the fact that we had 37finishers in that first race. 3 of them started againthis weekend. We also welcomed back 114 returningCenturion Runners and 89 volunteers, of which 57had either run or volunteered with us before,exemplifying the level of community we are lucky tohave at our events.”Mens Results1st Duncan Oakes 17:04:122nd David Ross 17:45:483rd Jeremy Isaac 18:01:2924 hour was a new idea, a 24 hour race in themountains of the lake district that involved runningto check points in teams of two to gather points.Unsurprisingly no ultra running records werebroken. The race was won by Aurello Antonio Oliverad Angel Garcia with 390 points – whatever thatmeans.Website: http://www.spitfirescramble.co.ukStour Valley Path 100Womens Results1st Jenni Ball 21:54:502nd Katharine Ganly 25:50:433rd Rosie Williams 25:37:30Website: www.centurionrunning.comJoust 24“Jousting” – said the Brummie to the bee. When Iheard of a 24 hour jousting race I was intrigued, butactually it is one of a number of 24 hour races thatfill the UK summer months in anticipation of nothaving a football team to watch at the World Cup.The Joust 24 hour was won by Ian Radford with 22lapsWebsite: http://www.ultrarunningltd.co.uk/thejoust24hr.htmlThe Spitfire ScrambleThe Spitfire Scramble involved running 5 mile trailloops in Hornchurch and was won by Ellen Cottomwith 18 x 5.5 mile laps (you do the maths) and byNicholas Mace with 17 laps24 hour races offer a good way for runners to seehow far they can go in a nice controlledenvironment with all of their comforts close tothem. Not however when they are organized by therace director for the Dragons Back race. The MarmotPHOTOGRAPH | ANDY SIDDERSInto its second year now a wonderful 100k of Suffolkcountryside was enjoyed by around 150 runners ona fine sunny day. It was moved forward from lastyear to avoid ploughed fields and was won quiteconvincingly in the end by Daniel Hendriksen,leading all the way.By the way of all the runs I have done this one hasthe nicest pub on route. I can’t remember what itwas called but it’s nice.Mens Results1st Daniel Hendriksen 09:382nd Chris Seymour 10:4<strong>13</strong>rd Ryan McCrickerd 10:48Womens Results1st Michelle Gordon 12:382nd Mairi Struthers 12:533rd Naomi Newton-Fisher 12:56Website: http://www.svp100.co.uk06 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


ULTRA TALES NEWS & RESULTSHave any news to report? Email us at ultratales@gmail.comRoseland August Trail (The Plague)Ring O FirePHOTOGRAPH | (c) CHARLES WHITTON PHOTOGRAPHYWhy would you name an ultra after a horrid thingthat makes your skin turn purple, you stomach turninto knots, your head delirious with fear andparanoia and your personal hygiene regress to thatof Rab C Nesbitt?Oh right…Well anyway the Cornish Coast is as beautiful as it ishard and no one was going to have an easy time ofit. Don’t do this to qualify for the Spartathlon. DOdo this if you love breathtaking scenery.They have another race in January – the “Arc ofAttrition” – why would you name an ultra with aword that means “a wearing down or weakening ofresistance, especially as a result of continuouspressure or harassment”Ohhh right……Womens Results1st Charlie Ramsdale 12:34:041st Sarah Morwood 12:34:043rd Rebecca Morgan 15:07:19Mens Results1st Rick Keefe 12:34:522nd Robert Hicks 12:37:063rd Doug Murray <strong>13</strong>:24:55Website: http://mudcrew.co.uk/event/inov-8/07 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014After a very successful first year the Ring O Fire wasback to give ultra runners much more pain thanthey are used to experiencing when the Ring o Fireis mentioned. The island of Angelsey is <strong>13</strong>5 milesaround and you have to run it in three stages overthree days. The course is tough and possibly thehardest multi-day the UK has right now.Mens Results1st John Knapp 23:252nd Dion Leonard 24:56Womens Results1st Val Swinger 23:442nd Carol Morgan 27:40Website: http://www.ringofire.co.ukThe Ridgeway ChallengeAugust is jam packed with ultra events, theRidgeway 85 has the right to say “I was here first” toall these young pretenders. It’s still going strong,still costing less per mile than most bus journeysand still providing a feast for those that want to runalong what was essentially the Roman equivalent ofthe M4.“The Ridgeway Challenge continual running event is86 miles along a 5000 year old trackway through theChiltern Hills and North Wessex Downs (along Grim’sDitch for several miles); Barbury Castle andLiddington Castle (hill forts) en route; way markedthroughout; 9,000 feet of ascent; most check pointsmanaged by local running clubs.”Mens Results1st Nathan Montague 12:<strong>13</strong>2nd Paul Radford 14.143rd Mark Denby 14.25Womens Results1st Paula Hewitt 19:402nd Rebecca Shuttleworth 19:523rd Jen Jackson 19:58Website: http://www.tra-uk.org/ridgewaychallengeSponsored by thehttp://


ULTRA TALES NEWS & RESULTSHave any news to report? Email us at ultratales@gmail.comT184 Endurance Runultra runner in need of food and she’s only gone andselfishly eaten her whole steak too! I know, doesn’tbear thinking about.A new race in the calendar that caught manypeople’s imagination was a simple self supported184 mile jaunt form the Thames Path Barrier to thesource. It was warm and 69 runners set off likemules carrying their provisions for what could bemore than two days of running.This race was hard for all that took part and claimedthe scalp of a legendary UK ultra runner who hadnever DNF’ed a race before despite finishing some ofthe most brutal challenges there are. (Editors Note:Not sure about the "legendary" but I definitely didfail this one!)The race was won by Karen Hathaway in 47:18.Womens Results1st Karen Hathaway 47:182nd Anne Green 72:323rd Nina Smith 76:46Mens Results1st Keiron Coulter 49:592nd Kevin Mayo 52:433rd Richard Hurdle 58:55More and more women seem to be getting intoultras and winning things and I for one don’t like it.My biggest objection is that imagine my wifebecomes an elite ultra runner, we go for steak andchips at our favourite steak place, upon finishing offmy meal I look across at her plate in anticipation ofmy plate being replenished by another half a steakand some chips. However because she is a winning08 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Website: http://www.t184.co.ukUK ULTRA RESULTS SEPTEMBERTooting Bec 24 Hour RaceTooting I imagine is a bit like Leadville in Colorado.It has absolutely no reason to exist anymore exceptthat once a year there is a huge race where peoplecome along and run around their town. Tooting Becis actually one of the longest running ultras in theUK. It’s usually an event that is used for anyone withdesigns on being in the British <strong>Ultra</strong> Team.The weather was good, the course was flat, therewere no last minute course changes and not manypeople got lost and in the end the podium wasoccupied by three females.Thin edge of the wedge I tell you. Hmmmmmwedges.Womens Results1st Fionna Ross 144miles2nd Isobel Wykes 142miles3rd Noanie Heffron <strong>13</strong>2 milesMens Results1st Michal Masnik 127 miles2nd Simon Smith 122 miles3rd Richard Kimmens 121 milesWebsite: http://run.runandbecome.com/selftranscendence-24-hour-race/Chiltern Challenge 100/200kIt takes some balls to sign up to a 200k race,particularly if it’s the first ever edition. That’s theproblem with ultra runners, many of them don’teven have balls. But at least 8 did for the inauguralChiltern Challenge 200k and only one finished,David Pryce in 36.51There was more success in the 100k version, with 6finishers.Sponsored by thehttp://


ULTRA TALES NEWS & RESULTSHave any news to report? Email us at ultratales@gmail.com1st Kate Rennie 14:522nd Melissa Arkinstall 14:523rd Jan Soderkvist 15:56Website: http://www.challenge-running.co.uk10 Peaks Brecon Beacons100 which was won by Nathan Montague in 19.31.Mens Results1st Nathan Montague 19.312nd Patrick Devine-Wright 19.552nd Damian Hall 19.55Womens Results1st Mel Hawker 24:102nd Laura Darby-Jones 25:143rd Emily Cook 26:11Website: www.cotswoldrunning.co.ukWinning the Ronseal award for “doing exactly whatit says on the tin” the Brecon Beacon 10 Peaks was arace over, …. Erm, ….. 10 peaks. In the BreconBeacons. This is a beautiful and challengingstomping ground for many ultras and the army.Won by Erik-Sebastian Krogvig in 11.01 and almost 2hours ahead of second place. The first lady was BethPascall in <strong>13</strong>.12Website: www.10peaks.comCotswold Way 100Race Directors!If you would like to see your race reports featured infuture issues of <strong>Ultra</strong> <strong>Tales</strong> then please send a write upof your event (along with some photos) by email to:ultratales@gmail.comResults collated by:James AdamsBlogwww.runningandstuff.comTwitter@jamesradamsAnd finishing off the month was the Cotswold way09 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


MOHICAN 100EVENT REPORT | LUCJA LEONARDMOHICAN 100Race Organiser: OMBC EventsWebsite Link: http://ombc/net/Date of Event: 21st June 2014Event Type: Single StageDistance: 100 milesCut Off: 32 HoursLocation: Mohican State Forest, OhioDescription: A 100 mile trail run made up of 4 lapswinding its way through the Mohican Memorial StateForest.Race Results: https://ultrasignup.com/results_event.aspx?did=2872010 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTMOHICAN 100MOHICAN 100BY LUCJA LEONARDWhen our friend, Peter (Princess) Joergensen,suggested we join him on a trip to America to runthe Mohican 100 we didn’t really take into accounthow soon it was after running Marathon DesSables but wanted to give it a go. And let’s face it,any excuse that results in ending up in New York &Philadelphia for shopping and food is a winner inmy book. So the plans were set and we were off.My training wasn’t tailored for a 100 mile event,with MdS in April that was the event I was trainingfor, so coming back from that was more aboutrecovery and holding my level of fitness which Ihoped would be enough to get me through my first100 miler. I probably averaged about 50 miles aweek between April and June, with one weekincluding running the Edinburgh Marathon as atraining run, in particular practising using gels forrace fuel which I hadn’t done for quite a while dueto stomach upsets in the past.The Mohican 100 is the 5th oldest ultra runningrace in the USA, with many claiming it is tougherthan Western States (obviously I am not qualified toLucja Leonardcomment….yet!). It is an automatic full pointsqualifier for UTMB which goes to show how tough itactually is. Traversing 95% trail along a challengingcourse made up of 4 laps (2 x 26.8 miles & 2 x 23.2miles) winding its way through the lush 5,000 acres11 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://Bloghttp://runningdutchie.wordpress.comTwitter@RunningDutchieMohican 100 ResultFinish TimeDNF


EVENT REPORTMOHICAN 100that makes up the Mohican Memorial State Forest, ithas to be the most beautiful trail I have ever hadthe privilege to run. Absolutely stunning, mostlysingle track trails through heavily covered woods.Switch back trails taking you up roughly 1,000mascent (and descent) every lap through gorgeousforestry, past lakes, under waterfalls, jumping fallenlogs, running along rivers and even including ahand over foot climb up a massive set of tree roots!We chose to stay in the nearby town of Mansfield,which was only about a half hour drive away, but inhindsight would definitely arrange to stay in theMohican Adventures Cabins located directly acrossfrom the finish area to make it even easier. The racestarted at 5am on Saturday 20th June, so alarmswere set for 3:30am to ensure we were at the racestart in time. The weather was quite difficult tojudge with some light rain to welcome us at thestart but it was already so muggy! I decided to stickto my X-bionic shorts with a short sleeved top anddonned a buff for my head to keep the cool off. Ishouldn’t have bothered with the buff, within 5minutes of running I was absolutely dripping insweat and the buff was off and put away for good.There was loads of runners starting with just a pairof shorts not even a shirt so that is a pretty goodindication of how warm it was, due to the densecover the sun never really came through the trees infull light so the sunglasses I had in my bag were awaste.A head torch was needed for the first hour and ahalf especially with the forest being so dense it didtake a while for the light to be strong enough toturn the torch off for good. But oh my; howbeautiful it was as the light came through.Absolutely stunning, the forest was shrouded inmist and had an ethereal quality about it and thiswas certainly the most magical part of the day.I ran the first lap strong, I had my race plan oftaking on fuel every half an hour worth 30g of carbsto keep me going and this certainly worked for me.I had a mixture of gels to take with differentflavours from Torq, High 5 and Hammer, along witha few ‘real food’ options such as Torq bars andbounce balls along with a few treats like Doritoscrisps and a donut (planned for later in theevening). There were checkpoints roughly every 5miles, all of which were really well stocked with icecold water, Hammer Heed, coke, ginger ale and avariety of snacks such as orange segments, pretzels,sweets, turkey sandwiches etc and of courseHammer gels (the event was sponsored by Hammer)and all the checkpoint volunteers were superfriendly and always willing to help.The route was absolutely beautiful, I made sure Iwas looking around and soaking up the beauty of itall. The ascents and descents were steep thoughand I started to regret my choice of shoe size. Withthe humid heat my feet were swelling a lot morethan I have experienced ever before (even in MdSand Kalahari I didn’t have this problem) and thiswas causing my left big toe to be very sore,meaning I was running on the side of my foot to tryand take the pressure off my toe, causing then asore ankle, all compounded on the descents.Covered Bridge was the 3rd checkpoint along thetrail loop which stored your other drop bagensuring I could maintain my nutrition plan bypicking up my packed mini bags I had preparedwith gels/food I had brought with me. It also meantI didn’t need to take long at checkpoints or eatmuch of the checkpoint food provided, just the oddorange segment which tasted a treat in the heat.The temperature was certainly rising and thehumidity was high, I’m taking a guess thetemperature would have been in the 30’s withabout 90% humidity so it was thirsty work whichwas a bit of my downfall. I was running with myUltimate Hydration <strong>Ultra</strong> Vesta which had thesupplied 10oz bottles (284ml) on each side. Oneone side I was using this for purely water and on theother I alternated between Torq Energy andHammer Perpetuem (both high carb energy drinks)so my water intake was too low, I was constantlyrunning out of fluid before each checkpoint, andeven though I was drinking a cupful or two of waterat each checkpoint as well I still ended updehydrated through my second lap.The laps started and finished at the MohicanAdventures checkpoint so this was the location forthe other drop bag, so on finishing the first lap inabout 5.5 hours, as 2nd lady I found out whilstthere, I restocked with my fuels and headed off to12 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORT MOHICAN 100DION PICTURED DURING THE MOHICAN 100plenty of cheers of support. Still feeling strong Iheaded out feeling great and positive that I wouldcertainly be completing this race. About halfwaythrough the 2nd lap my ankle/toe was starting tobecome increasingly painful and mixed with thedehydration things were starting to look desperate.“When I got to HickoryRidge checkpoint (47.3miles) I was struggling. Isat in a chair, which is acomplete no-no at thispoint”I was still in 2nd lady position at Covered Bridge(41.8 miles) but soon after that I started to slowdramatically. When I got to Hickory Ridgecheckpoint (47.3 miles) I was struggling. I sat in achair, which is a complete no-no at this point andhad a cup of the most delicious salty potato soup totry and kick start things. It was here that I started toget overtaken by quite a few runners. A lovely ladyat the checkpoint recognised me, and knew thatDion, my husband, was ahead of me. She said thatshe had seen him at this checkpoint but he wasn’tlooking good and was possibly going to drop whichwas a shame as he was in 7th place after 50 miles.Little did I know at this stage that he had beenpeeing blood again (he had the same issue at MdS).I think hearing that switched a little mental switchin my head and the last 6 miles back to the start/finish were a long battle of my thoughts; should Idrop or shouldn’t I? I had to grab a stick along theway to help me get down the hills as my toe justcouldn’t take any more pressure. 2 1/2 hours to dothose 6 miles and I made it back, completing lap 2.Dion is super positive for me, telling me to eat anddrink something, sit for a bit and think about what Ireally want to do. Always thinking that there is nopoint doing lap 3 if you can’t do lap 4. I thoughtback to my last 6 miles and how long and painfulthat was; I could do one more lap I thought, but nottwo. So I dropped! There is roughly a 40% drop rateon this race, and as we sat waiting for Princess tocome through, we witnessed lots of peopledropping out as well. During conversations throughthe race with other runners it became quiteapparent that most people were here on their 2nd/3rd attempt as a minimum so I didn’t feel too badabout the decision. Live to run another race right?<strong>13</strong> ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTMOHICAN 100We sat for hours waiting for Princess, we’d eaten thefood in our drop bags and decided to get some realfood while we were waiting. It was getting late andsoon it would be completely dark and therecertainly weren’t many food options locally so Dionheaded off to the local Pizzeria and came back witha massive, delicious pizza and a couple of beerswhich we enjoyed while watching the fire fliesflutter about in the remaining light. It was trulyamazing to watch other runners coming throughafter their 3rd laps now, looking strong andcertainly heading out for strong finishes.Totally inspiring!We were getting very worried about Princess andwere constantly doing laps in the car up to a fewspots we knew you crossed to see if we could findhim and finally we spotted him so I got out andwalked/hobbled with him to the start/finish againwhere he also decided to drop. He was asleep in thecar before we had driven even 5 minutes.The decision was right to drop out, this was nevermy ‘A’ race so I didn’t have a desperate need tofinish and I was always mindful that I have a 100kmrace, Race to the Stones, on the 19th of July (lessthan 4 weeks after) to run as part of The NorthFace <strong>Ultra</strong> team so I also wanted to remain ready forthat.But I can tell you now that this will be my ‘A’ race in2016. I’m going back, in fact all 3 of us are goingback to finish this bad boy and get that belt buckle;stronger, fitter and wiser than before! It doesn’twork in my plans for next year as it is too soon afterTransvulcania which I have already registered for soit will have to be the year after, but I will be backand then it will not beat me!What a steep learning experience the race was. Ithas certainly cemented my thoughts on nutritionand I am really pleased with how that worked forme so I will be taking that learning with me forwardto future races.Of course with every race you learn somethingmore about yourself and come back with a renewedvigour to attack your training plan to make yourselfan even better and more competent runner. And asa race recommendation, would I recommend it? Youbet I would, it was fantastically well run and I wouldhighly recommend giving it a try to win the holygrail of ultra running – a belt buckle, somethingthat alludes me for now but stay tuned for the nextattempt!14 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


XNRG ROUND THE ISLANDEVENT REPORT | DAVE LOCKYERXNRG ROUND THE ISLANDRace Organiser: XNRGWebsite Link: www.xnrg.co.ukDate of Event: 21st - 22nd June 2014Event Type: Multi-StageDistance: 70 miles / 2 DaysLocation: Isle of WightDescription: A run around the Isle of Wight over 2 dayswith 2000 metres of ascent.Race Results: http://www.xnrg.co.uk/results/2014/round-the-island-2014.aspx15 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thePHOTOGRAPH | XNRGhttp://


EVENT REPORTXNRG - ROUND THE ISLANDXNRG - ROUND THE ISLANDBY DAVE LOCKYERThis was my first attempt at a multi-day ‘ultra’. Infact it was only the second organised run I’dentered, having taken up running 2 years earlierin my early forties and completing a the 50k5-4-3-2-1 which had me hooked. I chose theRound the Island because it was geographicallyclose and I was fairly familiar with the placethrough a number of MTB outings there. It alsooffered me a bit of a stretch beyond the 50k andseemed like a well organised event. The eventtakes a clockwise course around the Island Coastalpath over 2 days, with an overnighter atBrighstone and over 2000 metres of ascent overthe 2 days. Day 1 coincides with the iconic Roundthe Island yacht race which takes an anticlockwiseroute.I opted to travel over early on the ferry on the daythe race started. Most runners arrive the nightbefore and have an overnighter before the start butI decided to sacrifice an early start for a night in myown bed. This meant, however, that I ended up inthe late starters aka the ‘elite’ runners who wereexpected to maintain a sub 9min/mile pace. This, Iwas to discover later, was rather ambitious but itprovided a taste of what seasoned runners arecapable of. The race start/finish point was at theultra (no pun intended) modern Cowes High Schoolwhere we met the organisers, donned our racenumbers and were debriefed. I was able to meet afew of the disconcertingly small number of latestarters. There were only about 20 of us and I felt abit of a charlatan as we were taken to the chainferry point for the start. The forecast was for hightemperatures and unbroken sunshine. The completelack of wind didn’t bode well for the sailors andpresented a potentially tough day of running for us.As the chain ferry touched land we started and Iimmediately fell into the tail end of the pack, tryingto keep up with runners who were clearly fasterthan myself. The run begins with an uphill roadsection that, under the glaring sun, soon began tofeel like hard work. I was caught between trying tofind my own pace and not lose sight of the packDave LockyerRound the Island ResultFinish Time15hrs 23minsFinish Position21/50 Finishersahead of me. From Cowes the route heads towardsWooton and in this early section I hooked up withanother runner, Mike, with whom I ended uprunning the entire 2 days.By the time we hit Ryde it was baking and everycheckpoint was an opportunity to douse myselfwith water, drink and discover that pretzels, whilst agood source of salt, are very hard to swallow! Wekept a steady pace and began to pass a few of thegroup that had started out earlier. This was good formorale as we had lived for quite some time with thereality that we were at the back of the last group toset out and had no idea how far ahead the otherrunners were. Culver Down was the first section ofascent and I wanted to run it rather than walk. I’dcompleted the 5-4-3-2-1 without walking at all andhadn’t appreciated that, on a course which waslonger and involved much steeper ascents, walkingthe ‘ups’ is actually prudent. This was one of themany lesson I learnt from my new found runningbuddy, who had a lot more experience and had,amongst other events, completed the MDS. At thenext checkpoint it all started to become ratherdifficult. Having pushed myself to run up and overCulver Down my calf muscles started to cramp and I16 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTXNRG - ROUND THE ISLANDbegan to feel very sick. I’d been drinking acarbohydrate solution which is something I hadn’tdone regularly in training and, coupled with thenow significant heat, it began to disagree with me.This slowed the pace down and meant I had to runup the inclines very carefully to avoid cramping andcope with being on the verge of vomiting for acouple of hours until my stomach began to settledown.The good start to the race which we felt we’d made,covering about 20 miles in 3 hours, began to fadesomewhat and yet we still managed to catch otherrunners and make that all important ‘relentlessforward progress’. The coastal views were fantasticand when we reached Ventnor we caught site of thethousands of yachts, bunched tightly andstruggling to find enough wind to take them to thefinish line. After a steep climb from Ventnor up ontothe downs the course levelled off a little and Imanaged to find something of a ‘2nd wind’ andpicked up the pace once again. This part of thecourse follows the southern coastal line from a highvantage point and with such a clear day the viewswere stunning.At about 38 miles we crossed the finish line whichmarked the end of day 1. It was the furthest I’d runin a single day and I was pretty shattered and sunscorched. We pitched our tents, showered and Ienjoyed a thermos of iced recovery drink which I’dpacked in my overnight bag. My stomach was stillfeeling very unsettled and I found I had to forcemyself to eat solid foods. The Xnrg guys cheeredeveryone who continued to cross the line and hadorganised an inspiring talk by Ed Chapman whoshared about the Bhutan <strong>Ultra</strong>, which sounded likethe ultimate adventure. I also discovered that I’darrived in 16th position in just under 8 hours, whichI was pretty chuffed with and meant I would jointhe later runners on the following day. That nightwas unsettled to say the least! For some reason Ineeded to empty my bladder every hour. I’m stillnot sure what was going on but I guess I may haveovercompensated due to the heat and drunk toomuch, although I didn’t need to do this during theday.The following morning it was a case of trying tomove very stiff limbs, pack the tent and again forcemyself to eat some solid food. I’d decided to avoidmixing any carbohydrate with my water and thiswas a good decision as my stomach was much morecomfortable on day 2. My legs, however, were notcomfortable and it was struggle to keep themmoving. Running with Mike helped but I felt that ittook a lot of effort to just keep going. The viewswere, once again, outstanding as we ascendedTennyson Down to the needles and then headedNorth towards Yarmouth.Day 2 was a case of getting to the next checkpointand mentally staying focussed. I withdrew intomyself somewhat and just tried to keep moving. Theguys at Xnrg had helpfully organised an extracheckpoint due to the heat and this meant I couldbreak the day down into even smaller pieces whichhelped. What didn’t help was that the coastal pathhad been diverted in places and involved manymore road sections than I would have liked. Halfway through the day we seemed to settle into moreperiods of walking, particularly on these roadsections, which seemed to sap all the fun out of theexperience and made my already sore feet feel evenworst. In between the roads there were someenjoyable stretches of singletrack which were thehighlight of that 2nd day.By about noon I think I realised I was definitelygoing to finish and somehow settled for that ratherthan aiming for any particular time goal. We finallyreached Cowes after 7 hours and 24 minutes to becheered in by those who’d arrived before us. Afterhobbling to the showers and back we headed toCowes for fish and chips and to catch the ferry backto the mainland.Overall I managed to finish in 21st place in a totaltime of 15hrs and 23 minutes. To put that intoperspective Nathan Montague won the race in 9hrs24mins which was actually faster this year than thefirst yacht around the island! As my 1st multi-stageultra I was pleased to have finished and felt I’dlearnt much over the experience. event whichwasn’t pretty…A big thank you to the guys at Xnrg for a greatweekend!17 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


CLIF BAR 10 PEAKS - THE LAKESEVENT REPORT | PAUL SMITH - 10 PEAKSCLIF BAR 10 PEAKS - THE LAKESRace Organiser: 10 PeaksWebsite Link: www.10peaks.comDate of Event: 28th June 2014Event Type: Single StageDistance: 48km/73km/100kmLocation: Keswick, CumbriaStart Time: 4.00am/5.00am/6.00amDescription: A fell face taking in the ten highestLakeland peaks with three different distance options.Race Results: http://results.sportident.co.uk/home/event.html?eventid=82837a0a-0e7f-41fd-9286-fab83a1e8dfeCATHERINE LITHERLAND PICTUREDPHOTOGRAPH | WWW.SPORTSUNDAY.CO.UK18 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTCLIF BAR 10 PEAKS - THE LAKESNICI SPINKS PICTURED WITH THE RACE DIRECTORSCLIF BAR 10 PEAKS - THE LAKESBY PAUL SMITH, 10 PEAKSA light breeze, clear visibility and 20 degrees wasthe forecast enticing the 260 entrants to leavework on Friday evening and travel to Keswick,ready for the early morning start of the Clif Bar 10Peaks race in the Lake District. As it happened,injury, traffic and family commitments managedto claim some 50 of them, but there were still over200 keen competitors chomping at the bit at firstlight.The forecast did not let us down for the 5th editionof the Lake District race held on the weekend of28/29 June. With 3 distances to choose from (48km,73km or 100km) and ascent ranging from 3200m onthe short course to nearly 8000m on the Xtremecourse, there was something for every ultradistance mountain lover. This was proved by theenormous variety of competitors that showed up -sponsored athletes; record holders; Bob Grahamlegends; hardy regular ultra runners; those that hadattempted the race many times before but not quitesucceeded and new-comers doing their first reallong distance mountain race. Each and every one ofthem with their own personal goal, equally asimportant as everyone elses.4am saw the 32 Xtreme entrants set off from raceHQ in the centre of Keswick on their 100km journey,straight up Blencathra. With a time limit of 30 hours,a steady pace was to be set early on. No-one wasreally sure how the race was going to pan out, butall were aware of the presence of likely podiumcontenders such as Nicky Spinks (who seems tohold most of the UK <strong>Ultra</strong> records going) andYiannis Tridimas (an absolute legend, with moreknowledge of the Lake District mountains thanGoogle).Once at the top of the first peak they were to followa similar line to the Bob Graham Round, through thefirst feed station at Threlkeld and up onto theDodds, before Helvellyn, Fairfield and Seat Sandaltook them down to feed station 2 at Steel End CarPark. From here they would follow an identical routeto the Long Course, up to High Raise then off toBowfell and Esk Hause (feed station number 3). Afew competitors had already pulled out before thispoint and another few would exit here too. NickySpinks was the first to arrive at Esk, in just over 819 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTCLIF BAR 10 PEAKS - THE LAKEShours. A few guys were close on her heels so localknowledge was going to play an important part.There were a collection of runners all passingthrough close to the 9 hour mark, one of which wasYiannis, who whilst in his late 60s was proving thatendurance really does stay with you. After a rockhopping zig zag between a few more peaks, Scafellwould leave them with a long descent into Wasdaleand feed station number 4. A long climb up to RedPike saw Nicky with an hour lead over her nearestrival Paul Nelson. Ben Thompson was 15 minutesbehind Paul trying to hold on to 3rd spot. Pillar andKirk Fell were the next two peaks that needed to beconquered and then on to feed station number 5 atBeck Head. A nice run into Honister followed wherehot food and plenty of supplies were available,should they wish to stop.The leaders did not hang around long, desperate tohold on to their positions, but many of the fieldwould spend half an hour here, rehydrating andtaking on some hot food. A few more would admitdefeat and request the minibus shuttle back toKeswick – not the front runners though, straight upDale Head and off to Maiden Moor. Nicky had nowgained an hour and a half lead on Ben and Paul,who were now running side by side, content withthe company and support of each other. ThroughKeswick and straight up the steep side of Skiddaw –a cruel way to finish but this was never made to beeasy! What should be a pleasant run down theSouth Eastern side and back to Keswick was verypainful for most, with sore toes and quadsscreaming for the finish line. Nicky ran in to thefinish in an amazing time of 18 hours and 26minutes, 1 hour and fifty minutes ahead of Ben andPaul in joint second place. Just less than half of thestarters managed to complete the full course, butevery single competitor had a great experience, inwhat had been ideal conditions. In case you werewondering, Yiannis cruised home in a little over 23and a half hours and in 7th place overall – what alegend!The Long Course runners were bussed to Swirls CarPark and set off for the summit of Helvellyn at 5am.Knowing that they had 27km less to run than theXtreme runners, they could afford a little morespeed early on. A group of 3 front runners soonformed and led the way through the first feedstation and off up to the rocky peaks of Ill Crag andthe like. Last year’s winner, Tom Hollins, was well oncourse to smash his previous PB, yet found himself20 minutes off the lead group ascending Lords Raketo Scafell – the course record was surely going to bedestroyed. Through Wasdale and up Wind Gap toPillar and then off to Beck Head, where some muchneeded water had been hauled up the mountain bythe marshals. The three leaders, Jonathan Albon,Ross Litherland and Erik-Sebastian Krogvig, cameinto Honister together but Jon was keen to crackon. He left the other two stocking up from theirdrop bags that had been forwarded by theorganisers and set off at pace for Nichol End Marine,arriving nearly 15 minutes ahead of the other two.This lead was added to by a further 10 minutes overthe next leg up and down Skiddaw, although Jonwas half expecting to be caught as he said he hadlittle left to give. The course record did getdestroyed, by well over two hours! This new recordof 10 hours and 50 minutes will take some beating.Equally impressive was Catherine Litherland’sperformance finishing in 5th place overall in a timeof <strong>13</strong>.20.58 smashing Angela Armstrong’s 20<strong>13</strong>record which stood at a shade under 15 hours.Second place female on the Long course was SueSavege running in the FV50 category in a time of15:46:25.20 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTCLIF BAR 10 PEAKS - THE LAKES10 PEAKS - RED PIKETONY HOLLAND PICTUREDPHOTOGRAPH | WWW.SPORTSUNDAY.CO.UKHUW PRICE PICTUREDPHOTOGRAPH | WWW.SPORTSUNDAY.CO.UK21 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTCLIF BAR 10 PEAKS - THE LAKESA far more emotional experience was had by manyother long course competitors. Tears of joy andrelief were shared as competitors finished the eventhaving previously been beaten by the course. It isvery humbling to put a medal around the neck ofevery competitor, especially those that triumphedafter 2 or 3 years of trying – Respect!The Short Course sounds as though it should be theeasy option, but don’t be fooled. Essentially it is theLong Course minus a few peaks (Scafell, Pillar andSkiddaw), but at nearly 50km and well over 3000mof ascent it is a very tough mountain ultra thatwould see 25% of the 80 strong field not completethe course (a similar percentage to the LongCourse). Huw Price came through CP1 with nodoubt that a race was being run. With 6 or 7 runnersall within 5 minutes or so of his time however, thiswas not going to be a one man race. He did manageto build a 20 minute lead by Esk Hause but half adozen others were fighting out the other podiumplaces. Huw’s lead extended to over half an hour byHonister and the 4 closest runners now seemed tobe running together. Robert Henderson couldn’tquite keep with them however and the other threebattled on to finish within a minute of each other’stimes. Paul Turner, Steve Clarke and Rob Harpershared second third and fourth.One of the moments of the day has to be the 6 or 7long course competitors sprinting the last few milesto the finish with just 10 minutes to spare beforethe 5am cut-off time. Fighting for breath, ignoringthe pain, sweating profusely, with 70km already intheir legs but so determined to finish within 24hours – way to go guys! Well done to all entrantsand Marshals, and for those whose day didn’t quitego according to plan - there is always next year!....orthe Brecon Beacons 10 Peaks event on the 6th.Clif Bar 10 Peaks - The Lakes ResultsShort Course (48km) Mens Results1. Huw Price 7hrs 52mins (CR)2. Paul Turner 8hrs 33mins3. Steve Clarke 8hrs 34minsShort Course (48km) Womens Results1. Jasmin Smith <strong>13</strong>hrs 6mins2. Kelly Ward 15hrs 9mins3. Jessica Spears 15hrs 37minsLong Course (73km) Mens Results1. Jonathon Albon 10hrs 50mins (CR)2. Ross Litherland 11hrs <strong>13</strong>mins2. Eric-Sebastian Krogvig 11hrs <strong>13</strong>minsLong Course (73km) Womens Results1. Catherine Litherland <strong>13</strong>hrs 20mins (CR)2. Sue Savage 15hrs 46mins3. Lorna Young 19hrs 23minsXtreme Course (100km) Mens Results1. Paul Nelson 20hrs 15mins (20secs)2. Ben Thompson 20hrs 15mins (28secs)3. Richard Lendon 21hrs 25minsXtreme Course (100km) Womens Results1. Nicky Spinks 18hrs 26mins (1st)2. Annie Garcia 28hrs 24mins3. Rebecca Morgan 29hrs 17minsRace Results: http://results.sportident.co.uk/home/event.html?eventid=82837a0a-0e7f-41fd-9286-fab83a1e8dfe22 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


ARTICLEEAT 2 COMPLETEAndy Mouncey talks about “fuelling during an ultra running”By Andy MounceyIt became increasingly apparent as I picked throughthe wreckage in the aftermath of my DNF at theSpine Race in January 2014 that while mine is(eating) most of the time, there have also beenregular occasions when it just isn’t. This realizationhas been a bit humbling as I thought I’d got thisthing nailed – and hey, aren’t I supposed to besome kinda expert here?Four other things have happened since then toshake this cozily constructed belief:• I created and applied a new reviewingtemplate that caused me to see my SpineRace attempt differently• The final content for my new book ‘So YouWant To Run An <strong>Ultra</strong>’ was the food-fuelsection and that research gave me pause forthought• I was poked and prodded on this subject bymy audience at Keswick Mountain Festivalrecently and that forced me to check myanswers in a very public way• My www.itera.co.uk adventure racingteamies and I sat down with Sarah Gartonwww.nutritional-vitality.co.uk atwww.wholesomebee.co.uk in Settle evenmore recently and that gave us all pause forthoughtAs I’ve written about previously the short versionon my Spine Race fun and games was that I simplydid not eat and drink enough to do the relentlessforward motion bit and keep warm. The solution isto eat more pies and wear a thicker cardigan. Butit’s the bit before that that’s the key:How on earth did I - an experienced and informedparticipant who had a clear and compelling goal tofinish the damn thing – allow myself to get into thatstate?The key to arriving at any valuable answer is to askthe right question in the first place – and thatmeans rising above the usual What Went Well? WhatWent Wrong?So I came up with something else* that revealedthe real culprit for the first time:SHORT TERM THINKING CAUSED BY UNCHECKEDCOMPETITIVE TENDENCIESSomething that apparently I’ve been honing all mylife:‘Andrew’ noted a junior school report from the1970’s ‘likes a challenge.’So much so that on occasion everything else goesout the window. I can become consumed in thethrill of the chase, the tactical micro-battles, andthe joy of moving as well as I can through thelandscape. Even when I’m well into a downwardspiral I know can do bloody-minded and get to aninterim check – though the cost can be great andsometimes terminal. There were two significantoccasions – that’s right only two - in my Spine Racewhere short term thinking became the basis for mydecisions – and I paid for them both in the end.Reading other race reports from The Spine it quicklybecame clear that one thing I wasn’t doing thatmany other folks were – race winner Pavel probablyanother exception – was stopping to eat at pubsand cafes along the route. Even the kids in theschools part of the project thought that was abitdaft. Except to me it’s a race – and I don’t stop atpubs when I’m racing – ‘cos it’s a race! If that staysthe same then I only have one alternative: Carrymore – and accept all the implications that bringswith it.The book writing forced me to see this trend goingback years:23 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


ARTICLEEAT 2 COMPLETE• 2003 Enduroman Arch To Arc (London-Paris)triathlon and getting carried away on asection on the road run during a lovely calmnight between 20-35 miles with lots ofdownhill accelerated the trashing of myquads that eventually forced me to walk thefinal 17 miles to Dover• 2010 and my first Fellsman outing over 62miles in the Yorkshire Dales. I wrestled withCompetitive Bloke all day repeatedly stuffinghim back into my pack when he emerged totry sabotage my ‘complete not compete’goal. I won – but he took me the full 12rounds• 2011 UTMB in grim conditions. 30km in andI’m already very cold. I recover but the spiralhas started. Throw in some less than totalmotivation and I will DNF at halfwayThen there’s the flip side of being conditionedenough for this ultra game so that you’re running adiesel engine that gives you lotsa miles for verylittle intake: The early warning signals are hiddenand you are well practiced at being frugal.‘So how much fluid are you all taking in an hour?’asks Sarah Garton recently.There’s a pause as adventure racing teamies JoeFaulkner, Jill Eccleston and Sharon Mcdonald and Ilook searchingly at each other, do the maths andcome up with very little. Sarah fills in the gap:A glorified picnic punctuated by bits of runningand walking.Let Competitive Bloke have his head and finelybalanced equilibrium can quickly become marginal– and after marginal comes pain and suffering andthat, as all disciples of Yoda will tell you, will leadyou downwards to The Dark Side.Once the slide begins is it possible to completelyrecover it? Well, that depends…As Paul Fowlerwww.onehundredpercentswimming.co.uk put it tome as we were comparing cold experiences aftermy Keswick gig:‘I was well prepared, highly motivated and it really didmatter, and yet there still came a point where I couldnot fight the physiology.’* Get To The Bottom Of ItAre you ready to reflect with certainty and get theto real reasons behind your race underperformancesand DNFs?Email Andy andy@bigandscaryrunning.com and hewill send you the key questions he constructed thatallowed him to make the knowledge breakthroughhe talks about in this piece. In return he would liketo feature your case study in future writing on thissubject so other people can benefit.‘About 800ml?’Er, no Sarah. That would do each of us for at leasthalf a day on the hill actually…Ah.Herein lies another part of the problem: Focusingon becoming more fuel-efficient by steadilyreducing the amount we eat and drink in certaintraining sessions has meant that when the energyrequirements go up (e.g. when racing / in cold/changeable weather and if we are solo for longperiods) our habits lag behind. That’s right: We havebecome less used to eating and drinking frequently– which is what we were doing when we firststarted this ultra game! Remember those first races?Andy MounceyWebsitewww.bigandscaryrunning.com24ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTSTRATFORD GRAND UNION CANAL ULTRASTRATFORD GRAND UNION CANAL ULTRABY ANIA GRUSZCZYNSKAThis was my first ever ultra event, a "safe" distanceof 50k chosen to dip my get a feel for the beyondmarathon distance; a sort of dress rehearsal inpreparation for the key race of the year,Ladybower 50 at the end of September. I wasquite nervous beforehand and unsure how I wouldbe able to handle the distance but I ended the dayon a real high (finishing second lady helped, too!).To start with, I loved how informal the event was -there were only 68 entrants, and it was nice to seesome familiar faces, mostly in "100 marathon club"T-shirts that I am beginning to recognise from theevents I've done in preparation for Ladybower. Therace headquarters were at the Stratford-upon-AvonCricket Club where we could leave our bags; hangout before and after the event and mostimportantly, had access to proper showers whichfelt very civilised. There was a cricket match goingon at the day of the race, so that ensured ongoingentertainment for race widows awaiting the returnof sweaty and hungry runners.The entrants had a choice whether they wanted torun in the competitive race (starting at 9 a.m.)where prizes would be awarded or the noncompetitivesocial run which had a staggered startbetween 8:00 and 9:00 a.m. The 44 non-competitiverunners could also choose to run a slightly shorterroute of 28 miles. I started off in the maincompetition and the 24 of us set off to the words ofShakespeare recited by Chris Seeney, the racedirector. No chip timing or any other gimmicks, butwe did have to make sure that our bibs would bemarked at the turn-around point to prove we haveindeed done the distance. It was a couple ofhundred yards to reach the canal and from thenonwards we stayed on the towpath.Stratford - Preston Baggot (Miles 1-9)Thankfully, the event didn’t require any navigationas the route was mostly straightforward out-andbackalong the Grand Union Canal, with only oneslightly awkward loop which was very clearlymarked. Basically, as long you could see the canal,AniaGruszczynskaTwitter@akgruszczynskaStratford Grand UnionCanal <strong>Ultra</strong>Finish Time4hrs 22minsFinish Position5/44 Starters (2nd Lady)you could safely assume you were on the righttrack. Mentally, I tried breaking it down into smallersections just to make sure I wouldn’t be toooverwhelmed about the need to go 5 miles beyondthe longest distance I've ever covered. Obviously,this was nothing to some of the seasoned ultraveteransamongst the participants - we did haveRory Coleman with us, with 848 starting bibcorresponding to the number of events he'scovered already but I knew that at some point Iwould be entering unknown territory.Funnily enough, it was the first third of the racewhich felt the worst, I found it quite difficult to findmy stride and the towpath on that section of thecanal was quite overgrown in places and not themost comfortable to run on. The first aid sectionwas at about 3.50 miles at the footbridge betweenBishopton & Wilmcote but I didn’t feel the need tostop. At about 6 miles, we passed the EdstoneAqueduct which happens to be one of the earliestcast iron canal aqueducts in the country and is thelongest in England. We carried on to the next aidstation at Preston Baggot where I grateful for achance to grab a cold drink, the day was really hotand the water in the hydration vest was gettinglukewarm. The vest wasn’t strictly necessary as the25 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTSTRATFORD GRAND UNION CANAL ULTRAaid stations were very well stocked with a greatselection of sweet and savoury snacks but I wantedto make sure that the Nathan vest I recently boughtwould work for Ladybower without any nastysurprises of the chafing kindPreston Baggot - there and back (Miles 10-20)As mentioned before, I tried mentally breaking therace into three parts and the second part wasprobably most social as at that point we startedcatching up with some of the runners who startedout earlier. Part of the course included an out-andbackloop with you could see runners eitherheading towards the turn-around point atRovington Bridge or returning from it. There was adrinks and food station at the main junction atKingswood/Lapworth with wonderful marshals whodidn't bat an eyelid when I asked for help retrievingsome snacks from a zipped pocket at the top of thevest as I didn’t want to faff around with taking it off(however, lesson learnt - put snacks where they canbe easily reached!).During that section, I also had a couple of briefconversations with other runners, including a reallynice chat with Jo Summers about the RomeMarathon which was her first event and will be herhundredth, too and she even managed to ensurethat this would be her race number. I am notactively planning to join the ranks of serialmarathoners yet but it is something on the bucketlist and hopefully one day that coveted vest will bemine, too. I just need to stick with the strategy ofincorporating marathons into the ultra trainingplan, seems to be working out great so far as youget a training run complete with aid stations,company of other runners, not to mention a medalat the end. I also initiated a rather naff exchangewith a group of runners I passed somewhere alongmile twenty and loudly warned them that there wasa fellow idiot running behind and proceeded toshare my favourite saying with them "any idiot canrun a marathon but it takes a special idiot to run anultra marathon". It seemed vaguely appropriate atthat point and it made all of us laugh.Somewhere on the Grand Union Canal - Stratford(Miles 11-31)The third part of the race was, in a weird way, mostengaging one even though I was on my own formost of the time. I was really grateful for not havingto deal with any complex navigation, because eventhough on the way back we were on the exact samebit of the canal as earlier in the morning, my slightlymuddled brain didn’t really recognise the route. As Igot past the Edstone Aqueduct I realised I wouldsoon be past the magic 26 mile mark which feltquite exciting and I was reassured by the fact thatI've been able to run pretty much for most of thetime and only stopped to walk very briefly for theaid stations. The final miles did seem to take forever,though - I didn’t have a Garmin on me so every nowand then I would ask people on the barges aboutthe distance to Stratford-upon-Avon. My legs feltreally heavy with two and a half miles to go but Istuck to the mantra of relentless forward progressand just carried on, very glad to see another runneras I was nearing towards the finish - or ratherhoping I was near the finish! Fortunately that wasthe case as Mike and I soon spotted John Turnerwith a stop watch and I learnt at that point I wassecond lady, with a finishing time of 4:22:02. Iwalked back to the Cricket Club with Mike andcalled my girlfriend with the happy news, shethought at first that the call was bad news as shewasn’t expecting me until at least a half an hourlater. We spent a very pleasant couple of hours atthe Cricket Club, refuelling and hanging out withthe runners who were steadily trickling in. I was oncloud nine for the rest of the day; I loved theatmosphere and the boost to my confidence for theupcoming 50 miler. The race director was hinting atwanting to organise a much longer event next year,if he does, I will definitely be at the starting line!STRATFORD GUC ULTRARace Organiser: Broadmeadow RunsWebsite Link: http://www.broadmeadowruns.co.ukDate of Event: <strong>13</strong>th July 2014Event Type: Single StageDistance: 31milesLocation: Out and back course on towpaths along theGrand Union Canal.Race Results: http://www.broadmeadowruns.co.uk/results/results_<strong>13</strong>0714.pdf26 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


CHILTERN CHALLENGEEVENT REPORT | RICHARD STILLIONCHILTERN CHALLENGERace Organiser: XNRGWebsite Link: www.xnrg.co.ukDate of Event: 19th July 2014Event Type: Single StageDistance: 50kLocation: Princes RisboroughDescription: Looped route around the Chilternsencompassing hills and fields and some scenic views.Race Results: http://www.xnrg.co.uk/results/2014/chilternchallenge-ultra.aspx27 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thePHOTOGRAPH | RICHARD STILLIONhttp://


EVENT REPORTCHILTERN CHALLENGECHILTERN CHALLENGEBY RICHARD STILLIONA word on weather – you may live in a desert or ajungle, I don’t! I am acclimatised to England andholiday in cooler climates, namely Scotland, sothis race, to me, was very hot and very humid!Rather than expand, XNRG – the multi-dayspecialists - have contracted for this race and laidon a one-dayer! Labelled as an “Intro-<strong>Ultra</strong>” as it isjust over the 26.2 mile mark, this race could, ofcourse, be for anyone. I personally chose it as aprep for a couple of long ultras that I have comingup and with XNRG hosting in their own back yard ofthe Chilterns, this promised to be a well organised,well balanced looped race – hilly, scenic, woodland,fields – challenge, and it didn’t disappoint!With a few e-newsletters prior to the race, we weregiven our start times. There are three start times;8am for walkers, 9am for general runners (me) and10am for the elite end. The check-in was at PrincesRisborough School with plenty of parking andfacilities. There was complementary tea, coffee andhot chocolate in the main hall at check-in beforeour briefing.Richard StillionThe start was just above the school on the IcknieldWay. There were many “Ways” on this route, theaforementioned Icknield, Ridge, Chiltern and South28 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://Bloghttp://richyla.wordpress.comTwitter@RichylaRichardChiltern Challenge ResultFinish Time5hrs 58minsFinish Position39/149 Finishers


EVENT REPORTCHILTERN CHALLENGEBucks as well as the ubiquitous Bridleways.“I decided I’d go out at thefront and see whathappened…”I decided I’d go out at the front and see whathappened. Not overly fast, but just to avoid therush! We soon came to a road, crossed that andthen came to a set of stairs, not dissimilar to theBox Hill ones on the North Downs, although thesewere in pretty good condition, unlike Box Hill. Idon’t know whether it’s accident or design, but Neil(RD) seems to like a start on a hill – I guess it getsthe heart going!It wasn’t long until people were overtaking me andthe (very well marked) route took us into a wood. Ithad been very hot all week but rained the nightbefore and it was raining a bit when we set off. Thisincreased the humidity, so when I went into thewoods I found it pretty stifling. I was sort of hopingfor the sun to come out, so the humidity mightdrop, but then with the sun out, it would becomeunbearably hot. No pleasing some people, I guess.I came out of some woods and started a descentand a cracking view appeared, this is what trailrunning is all about for me. The rain had stoppednow and the sky overcast.I didn’t get many photos sadly and there was onlyone at the start and one at the finish from XNRG –obviously too quick for them….ahem….so I’veincluded a picture of my risible superficial “injuries”that I acquired. I was running through a sectionthat was a tad overgrown with some thick grass andafter a while I was thinking that the bottom of mylegs were sore. I looked down and shock horror Iwas bleeding! It must have been the thick grass –it’s why they’re called blades, see?!.I wandered through many a field and at first I putmy right hand down with the image of MaximusMeridius, father to a murdered son, husband to amurdered wife and all that. After a few fields,however, the novelty wore off and I was cussing thePHOTOGRAPH | XNRGgrain that was now getting stuck in my socks andscratching away at my heels and ankles.The course was well marked but I nearly took thewrong turn twice. One was where a bush/tree hadblown over and was hiding a kissing gate, a few ofus had to literally limbo under the bush to getthrough. Another point, I committed a cardinal sinof following the person in front.I saw a red and white tape marker, but went past itas I could see runners in front. There then appeareda lot of other runners in front which reminded meof a pack of dogs roaming the countryside! Wewere all a bit lost. I mentioned the tape I’d seen justbefore and the “pack” went off – they were the frontrunners, and they were away, now on the correctroute, before I got to the tape.I remember running on the Chequers’ grounds,there were lots of warning signs for us not to stop.This was the Prime Minister’s country residence, so Iwas wondering if us ultra-runners had guns trainedon us as we ran through the grounds! I alsoremember running down into Great Missenden. Theroute just skirted round the town, but I’ve beenthere a number of times as it’s the place that RoaldDahl lived and is now buried. My family are bigfans.It’s common in these races to yo-yo past runnersand I yo-yo’ed with someone called Howard. I firstbumped into him as we were on a wooded29 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTCHILTERN CHALLENGERidgeway section. I remember the humidity inparticular here as it was almost misty as we ranthrough. Towards the back end of the race I prettymuch stuck with Howard and I thank him forcarrying me (psychologically, not physically) roundtowards the end.The heat had pummelled me to be honest and Iwould have given anything for a breeze or a mildshower. I was happy with what I’d drunk and takenon food-wise at the aid stations, but I was justfeeling the heat, pure and simple. We – me andHoward – came to a field with a sign saying 1K togo. To be honest, I didn’t have the energy to “beast”it to the end.Just near at the finish there was a mountain. Alrighthill. Alright, slight incline in a field, and I lookedbehind me and saw about four runners coming up.And then going past! We came out of the field andthe front of these runners pointed out that therewas the finish.“I’d aimed at a sub 6 hourand got in at 5.58.17, sothat would do just nicelythanks!”I’d aimed at a sub 6 hour and got in at 5.58.17, sothat would do just nicely thanks! A medal waswhipped round my neck and a bottle of water putin my hand as I crossed the finish line but I really,really needed to sit down. I wasn’t feeling ill, I justwanted to sit down.I suddenly found a few medics around me seeing if Iwas okay, which was really nice of them to check onme. I hauled myself up eventually, showered andhad some amazing home made cake and a cup oftea from Anna.tester, I can’t recommend it enough.Thank you to all at XNRG – the information prior tothe race was good, the aid stations were wellstocked and wo/manned by exceptionally polite,attentive and encouraging helpers, the course waswell marked (and you had a course map) and theThubron’s were really welcoming as usual.A great race and England’s green and pleasant landat its best!A thoroughly enjoyable day out in the country ishow I would sum up this race, and I understand thedate is already set for next year. Whether you’rethinking about your first ultra, fancy a change ofscenery from your usual runs, or training forsomething bigger and want to use this race as a30 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


RUNNERS PROFILEFRANK WOMELSDORF31 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


RUNNERS PROFILEFRANK WOMELSDORFFrank Womelsdorf tells us about his introduction to <strong>Ultra</strong> marathonWhat is your running background?I’ve been doing athletics since I was about 12,trying everything from decathlon to 800m but as Igot older settled on distance running and steadilymoved up from half marathons to marathons andnow ultras.FrankWomelsdorfTwitter@F_WoWhen did you first start running <strong>Ultra</strong>s andwhy?I ran my first ultra in 20<strong>13</strong> (Round the Rock, Jersey48mile) because I wanted to do somethingdifferent from road running and was quite curiousabout this “ultra running” thing that everybodyseemed to be talking about.When or where (at which events) are we mostlikely to meet you?You’ll most likely see me running around SWLondon or doing Three Parks on Wednesdays withmy fellow Serpies.What are your personal key runningachievements to date?Finished my first 100k race in 2014 (Race to theStones) in just over <strong>13</strong> hours, ran a sub 3 hourmarathon in April 2014What was your best result or best raceexperience?The best experience was when on the last fewmiles of my first ultra I suddenly realized that if Itried, I could still run reasonably well. First lessonin how important the mind is in ultras.What was your hardest race experience?My 100k debut this year, another good learningexperience: not taking care of wet feet made for avery painful hobble in the second half of that race.What are your future <strong>Ultra</strong> Marathon runningambitions?I guess like most people, I’m fascinated by some ofthe big races around the world (Western States,Spartathlon, GUCR) but these are still very distantgoals for me, so for next year I want to run my first100miler (TP100) as well as the UltimateTrails 110krun in the Lake District.What/when is your next event?Not sure yet, probably either Country to Capital inJanuary or Thames Trot 50 in February.32 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


RUNNERS PROFILEFRANK WOMELSDORFWhat is your typical approach or race strategyfor an <strong>Ultra</strong> Marathon event?Try not to go off too fast! I’m getting better atpacing myself but overall I just try and enjoymyself out there and take the time to appreciatethe usually beautiful surroundings that we findourselves in.What does a typical training week look like?you can still go if you just give it a shot.Give us one interesting fact about yourself?I’m a decent baker and once Masterchef winnerShelina said my cheesecake was one of the bestshe had.So watch out for cakes if I happen to be helpingout at a checkpoint.4-5 runs a week, with at least one long one on theweekend, roughly 50 – 70 miles a weekWhat one tip would you pass on to peoplerunning an <strong>Ultra</strong> for the first time?Just try and keep running, it’s surprising how fast33 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


RACE TO THE STONESEVENT REPORT | LUCJA LEONARDRACE TO THE STONESRace Organiser: Race to the StonesWebsite Link: www.racetothestones.comDate of Event: 19th - 20th July 2014Event Type: Single StageDistance: 100kmCut Off: 36 HoursLocation: Ridgeway Path, Chiltern to AveburyDescription: A 100km 1 or 2 day run along theRidgeway National Trail to Avebury.Race Results: http://resultsbase.net/Results/IndividualResults.aspx?Id=197734 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTRACE TO THE STONESTHE NORTH FACE TEAMRACE TO THE STONESBY LUCJA LEONARDEarlier in the year I wrote about being chosen aspart of The North Face ultra team, 10 womenrunning 100km non-stop at Race to the Stones. Itfeels like a lifetime ago, but here I was ready torun.I was feeling good considering I'd just got back atthe beginning of July after a failed attempt at a 100miler in the US, having stacked on a good half astone in the process. My training had been goingwell and I managed to drop the additional weight inthe last 3 weeks sensibly, not foolishly, and to top itoff I was feeling confident of a good & strong race.Luckily hubby had decided a few weeks prior tocome with me and run his own race, ExtremeEnergy Chiltern <strong>Ultra</strong> 50km, with their start linearound the corner from ours it made perfect sense;drop me off at the start, run his own race and thencollect me at the finish. Giving me an extra 2 hourssleep Friday night as I wouldn't have to do any cardrop offs and shuttles before the start, and nodriving an hour back to the hotel after running100km. Win:win!Lucja LeonardIt had been warm all week in the lead up, and onFriday it was the hottest day of the year so far!However the forecast for Saturday was changeable;sunny, cloudy, heavy thunderstorms, hail, you nameit, it was planned. It was still forecast to be in the35 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://Bloghttp://runningdutchie.wordpress.comTwitter@RunningDutchieRace to the Stones ResultFinish Time12hrs 17minsFinish Position62/594 Finishers


EVENT REPORTRACE TO THE STONEShigh 20’s so I certainly wasn’t too bothered aboutgetting too cold en-route but as part of themandatory kit you had to take a warm top (I packedmy Skins) and a waterproof jacket (Berghauswaterproof smock).completely saturated me (and found my chafed bits#ouch!) but it was such a relief to cool down, Iremember my pace picked up dramatically againand I was running with a big smile on my faceduring the whole downpour.Besides knowing Susie Chan, I hadn’t met the rest ofmy team mates so it was great to meet them allbriefly before the race started. I managed a teamshot of us all, except for Sorrell who had alreadymade her way to the start line to start from thefront. She meant business which was apparent withher brilliant No.1 female overall finish! What a speeddemon! I also wanted to mean business so Imanaged to squeeze my way through to near thefront alongside Julia Donovan (who I’d met inMarathon Des Sables and she had gone on to be 5thfemale there) and Michelle Bowen (female winnerof Apocalypse 100).I started off strong as not long after the start it wassingle track for a small section which would havereally frustrated me had I been further back. For thefirst hour of the race I stuck to my plan and ran myown race not worrying about anyone coming pastme as I knew I could pick them off later. By the20-30km mark this strategy started to pay off as Ipassed about 20 runners.55km in the legs started to feel a bit heavy, stillfeeling strong but the pace was starting to drop offand it was getting pretty hot. It was a muggy,suffocating heat with thunder rolling in thedistance but no rain! Pit stop 6 seemed to takeforever and it was the only leg where I actually ranout of water, I even started asking walkingspectators how far the next pit stop was as I wasgetting desperate. Thankfully I found it in time anddidn’t dehydrate and then the rain finally camedown. It bucketed down with rain and hail thatI was still doing well taking on my gels though thebars weren’t going down as well and for the lasthour before 80km had not taken anything. The bodywas starting to hurt after 80km, legs were tired, feetwere sore and my chest had started to tighten up.Just after 80km I forced down another energy gel,but no sooner had I swallowed the gel that it camestraight back up! First time I have vomited during arun, but can it count as a vomit when it was literallythe gel coming back up, nothing else. My mantra forthe last 20km was ‘Pain is temporary, it may last aminute, or an hour, or a day, or a year. Buteventually it will subside and something else willtake its place. If I quit, however, it will last forever’.To be fair I just repeated the pain is temporarysegment, it was too long!The last part of the route, high up on the Ridgewaywas absolutely stunning. I made sure I lookedaround and tried to soak it all in as this is one of thereasons I run. Most of the route was picturesqueand I really enjoyed the different types of terrainand views we were blessed with along the way but Idid start to wonder where these bloody stoneswere! Cruelly we had to double back past the turnoff for the finish line to go and visit the stones, runthrough them and then come back for the finalfinish. I was on a go slow by now and actually raninto fellow tweep Jamie Woods who was outsupporting, but with the finish line in sight Isprinted (well at least it felt like I did) through theline hardly believing what a great time I hadachieved.36 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


HARDROCK 100EVENT REPORT | TIM ADAMSHARDROCK 100Race Organiser: Hardrock 100Website Link: www.hardrock100.comDate of Event: July 2014Event Type: Single StageDistance: 100mLocation: Silverton, Colorado, USADescription: A mountain run that connects the fourmajor mining centres of the San Juan Mountains. Thecourse elevation changes range from a high of 14,048feet to a low of 7,680 feet with a total vertical climband descent of 66,000 feet.Race Results: http://www.ultrarun.net/liveCROSSING THE RIVER BEFORE JOINING THE ICE LAKES TRAIL37 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORT HARDROCK 100CLIMBING TOWARDS GRANR SWAMP PASS WITH ISLAND LAKE IN THE BACKGROUNDPHOTOGRAPH | ASUZA HATAKEYAMAHARDROCK 100BY TIM ADAMSHardrock 2014 : After a lacklustre 20<strong>13</strong> whichinvolved moving house and then DNFing The BearI was hoping to make 2014 more successful.Build up: Two weeks before race day Azusa and Iflew out to Denver before heading to Aspen to meetup with fellow Brit Stuart Air who was also racing.Stuart had already been out for a few days and hadbeen camping at altitude already, but we manageda couple of run/hikes. The scenery is simplystunning everywhere you look in Colorado. Weheaded straight to Silverton and got stuck instraight away on the trail marking.Tim AdamsTwitter@vamosprabaladaHardrock 100 ResultFinish Time41hrs 9minsFinish Positon52/100 FinishersAn early start the next morning and we met atCharlie’s house in the morning chill in what becamea daily routine. Grab a coffee and head to the hills.Azusa had spent the last 3 months locked uprevising for her vet finals so the first day trailmarking was always going to be a challenge notonly with the mountains but also the altitude. I hadspent the last 2 months in an altitude tent which Ithink did help. Trail marking is a great way to enjoythe scenery, meet some of the other runners andsee the course. It is very relaxed and there is plentyof time to take photos. I knew most of the coursepretty well from last time and ‘revising’ on googleearth.It was great seeing familiar faces around town andthen at the briefing. There was noticeably morebuzz around town this year with so many elites38 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTHARDROCK 100having made the lottery, although Silverton is solaid back, with the exception of the 4thJuly fireworks which echoed around the mountainsfor miles around.There was no real medical check in this year just theobligatory signing of the map which was presentedto 20 time HR finisher Kirk Apt.It is an honour to be part of the Centurion team andwas fun to think that many of my team mates DrewSheffield, Terry Conway and Dan Doherty would bestarting Rhonda Del Cimms 7 or so hours ahead inAndorra. Paul Navesey, Richard Felton (Pro Feet)Claire Shelly and a friend of mine James Warrenwere all competing in the Celestrail race theretoo. So if I ever started feeling sorry for myself Iknew a bunch of friends who would be sharing theride on the pain train on the other side of theplanet. In fact one of the few team members not tobe running this weekend was Captain James Elsonwho was back home in charge of team morale andwould be sporting he pom poms and short skirt.Race day: The alarm went at 4.40 and I was at theschool hall and signed in by 5a,. Back to the B&B forsome breakfast and the essential coffee to start theday. I slept pretty well so was good to go. Walkingacross to the start with Azusa the butterflies werethere as usual, it gives me the edge needed to keepmy focus. The only guarantees for this race are thatit will be ‘wild and tough’. During the trail markingwe had been climbing Virginius in the hot sun onlyto be met at the top by a thunderstorm whichdumped a few inches of snow on us, yet lookingaround the surrounding valleys showed howisolated this particular storm was.The finish line will need to be earned. My race goalwas to finish this race in the light on the secondday ,however, I would still be very happy with afinish, no matter the time.All of the elites were in the middle of the front line.I stayed well off to the side. The casual go and wewere off, the next thing I knew I was just behindTimmy Olsen and Julian Chorier, turned to my leftand KJ was there, I was there trading paces withhim for the first 50m or so, before I politely allowedhim to move ahead. Even thought they werebanned there was at least one drone above us atthis point which added to the occasion.A group of about 10 or 12 elites separatedthemselves early on as we ran past the Christ of theMines shrine and towards the Nute chute. It was afresh morning but the sun was shining. Down to thefirst river crossing and there was a big crowdoffering encouragement, you heard the crossingway before we arrived there as the front runnerswere cheered across. Bearing in mind we had runthe only flat mile or so of the course theencouragement felt somewhat unjustified.I felt great at the start but was purposefully tryingto keep a very steady pace, this seemed to workwell through Putnam basin down to KT where Iheard Byron Powel (Irunfar) offeringencouragement and pointing a camera.Now everyone knows that the one golden rule inultra running is, if there is a camera pointing in yourdirection you have to run no matter how steep...Abrief stop at KT to refuel and onwards but was greatto see some spectators had hiked in particularlyWendy and Parker from the B&B there to support. Itwas becoming over cast and feely muggy by thispoint.I was looking forward to seeing Azusa and my pacer(Cody and his wife Beth who had travelled downform Logan for the week) and Jon who paced me in2012 and would later be pacing Stuart Air. The planwas for them to climb to the top of Grant SwampPass following the start and Jon would be reportingfor Irunfar at this point too.It was a slow trudge up towards Grant swamp andsome of the spectators were already starting tohead down by the time I arrived. Azusa met metowards the top and was excited to climb back upagain when I arrived. She told me Cody had beenrushed to hospital first thing that morning in severepain with an inflamed liver. He had found out at thebeginning of the week he had Mono (Glandularfever) so had been planning on taking it easyanyway.Amazingly in between finding out the news aboutCody and climbing to Grant swamp Azusa had39 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2012Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTHARDROCK 100FIRST RIVER CROSSINGsomehow managed to find me another pacer in theform of Ryan Smith from Rocky Mountain runnerswho there with his wife Silke had travelled downform Boulder to be part of the race. Azusa hadpicked up his distinctive accent, in the thin air,(Ryan is a Brit) which is always a bonus in the USand the rest as they say is history.It was a great mental boost to see Azusa and Jon atthis point and it was a blast scurrying done the backside of Grant Swamp pass. KJ just bounced downthis section making it look like child’s pay.Coming into Chapman (mile 19 or so) was a changefrom 2012 where my feet were already cooked.Everything was in working order although I wasfinding it very hot and stuffy. I headed out of the aidstation with veteran Billy Simpson who warned meto slow down as we were on of 32 hour pace whichwas slightly optimistic of me.The first half of Oscars (which is my least favouriteclimb) was very hot and I moved extremely slowly.Towards the top the clouds came in and there was alight breeze and even a couple of drops of rainwhich was a relief. At the top Randy Isler came pastme and was flying, I was happy to let him go. In2012 we had spent much of the race leapfroggingeach other so it was great to see him again.Over the top of Oscars and it’s a great single tracktrail (the only bit of the course I haven’t seenbefore) all the way down to Telluride. A well trainedand motivated John Sharp who took about 6 hoursoff his course PB, (if you haven’t seen it check outhis Hardrock 2012 Summation on you tube) camepast on this section and then the first heavythunder storm struck. I had a picked up a number ofthe $1 plastic rain jackets which can be great in thissituation but as I stopped and fumbled with it BetsyKalmeyer (2nd lady) flew past. On reflection I shouldhave just pulled on my rain jacket, got wet andworried about it later but the trouble is in themountains you never know what is coming nextand I didn’t want to get too cold to early on.Running in to Telluride it was still raining but thesun was also out so the rain jacket was off again butI was soaked through. The last mile or so I ended uprunning with Josh a youngster who had somehowmanaged to beat the ballot for both WesternsStates and Hard Rock on his first attempt both inthe same year. We agreed we would spend 5minutes here sorting our feet our and grabbingsome food before embarking on 4000ft to Virginius.Each time I have arrived in the Telluride aid stationit has always been carnage as there are so manysupporters and crew around, you run in shout out40 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTHARDROCK 100your number and hope. A kind volunteer grabbedmy drop bag, some potato soup and coke. Lush. Itwas now very hot and the sun was bearing downwhich meant it was going to be a ling hard 4000ftclimb to Kroger’s Canteen. I dislike running in theheat and sun, so for me it was a long slog and wasdefinitely starting to feel the race on this climb.Scot Mills (not the radio 1 DJ) churned past me atthis point looking very strong.We heard that the leaders had been through ‘awhile ago’ and Timmy Olsen had stopped for 45minutes and just collapsed on an old mattress nextto the trail. You really need to have recced this bitas the first couple of miles out of Ouray could betricky. We left Ouray about 2000 and the cloudswere forming into a stunning sunset. Already wecould see the start of a thunderstorm that lasted forabout 5 hours.Reaching the top of Virginius and the greatest aidstation ever (there was a waitlist to volunteer here) Ireally wasn’t feeling it at this point and declined thetequila in preference of some coke. There was aqueue to leave Kroger’s due to the only exit beingvia the fixed rope. Every competitor arrives anddeparts to a small fanfare form the volunteers andyou arrive to a red carpet in case you didn’t alreadyfell privileged enough.Hitting the track at the bottom of the three drops Iemptied my shoes, from here it was a steadydownhill for a couple of miles to Governor (mile 36)which I barely stopped at and then jogged all theway down to Ouray (mile 44). Again it was feelingvery hot and I was sweating buckets. I was reallylooking forward to Ouray as I would get to see mycrew (Azusa) hopefully pick up a pacer and mentallyfor me it is the halfway point of the race. From herewe start heading in the vague direction of Silverton.Another busy aid station but slightly calmer than T-ride as the runners were spread out by this point. Itwas good to hear the Stuart was still going strongabout 2.5 hours ahead of me having picked up Jonwho had spent the rest of the day packing andrepacking his bag.Azusa was amazing and ran around grabbing cokeand melon and helping refill my pack as well asgenerally being super positive and injecting mewith some positive energy. It was great to meetRyan who seemed rather excited about spendingthe night with me. I’m not totally sure he hadmentally prepared for what would be the next 27hours but he was a top class runner based onBoulder. To give you an idea of his fitness level aweek or two after Hardrock he got up earlysummated a 14er but was still in work for 0900.41 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2012Heading up the Bear Creek trail the temperaturefinally dropped and I started feeling fresher afterthe dense warmer air of Ouray which is the lowestpoint on the course somewhere around 7500 ft. Weleft it as late as possible to turn on our head torches(I was using the light and powerful Petzel Naowhich was doing a great job), the drop off at thispoint on the trail are hundreds of feet so the headtorch is either pointing straight at the rock face orinto space. It was here that the lighting andthunder announced itself. The storm itself was still away away but the sheer noise and power of it wereintimidating even where we were. The courseheaded us straight into the storm and we couldonly imagine what the conditions were like at thestorm centre.The rain slowly increased in intensity as we gainedheight. Even though it felt like I had been drinkingwell all day my mouth was very dry and I wascontinually drinking little and often although at thispoint I started throwing up the water too. Didn’tseem too bad but I was aware that everything Idrank came back up. Ryan was very supportive in apacer type way and just let me get on with it.Standard procedure. The course was much wetterthis year and the streams were generally higher tooso plenty of river crossings in this area. We suddenlycame across Engineer aid station and were lucky toarrive before it was flattened by the storm. They hada big fire going and I had already warned Ryan notto let me get sucked in by the fire. I sat downbehind a tarpaulin and grabbed some noodles andsalties and tried to keep something down. It waswet and windy and I was starting to get coldimmediately and needed to move.The next section up to Oh Point and down toGrouse is very exposed and whilst there is a redlight flashing to indicate the pass this was obscuredSponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTHARDROCK 100KILIAN MAKING IT LOOK EASYPHOTOGRAPH | ASUZA HATAKEYAMAby cloud most of the climb. It felt more like a nightin the Brecon Beacons and was starting to get veryexposed. Ryan had full waterproofs on and I had myjacket and $1 rain jacket which was doing a goodjob but we were both saturated and freezing. At thetop conditions were pretty bad and visibility waszero, fortunately I knew the route and we were ableto get off the high ground although it still musthave taken 40 minutes to get below the clouds. Wewere both wet and miserable at this point and I wasstill throwing up fairly regularly.We had already agreed we would regroup and warmup at Grouse (mile 58); however, I managed to puke4 times in a row just before the aid station. WithHandies looking ahead I knew I needed to keepsome calories down if I was to get past it. EnteringGrouse was like a war zone, bodies were scatteredeverywhere. Fortunately Azusa was here (0230 inthe morning, it was cold wet and miserable andeveryone was jammed into the tents. As I collapsedinto a chair Azusa made me wear some girl tightsand donated her jacket to help me warm up whilstshe was shivered next to me. There wasn’t room forpacers although Ryan was able to warm up in thecar. The dry kit helps to warm me slightly and Azusamade sure I only slept for about 15 mins andgenerally looked after me grabbing tea coke andsoup, although we ended up stopping for about 2.5hours which included a specially made cheese42 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014toasty, guaranteed to settle the stomach. I wasdefinitely feeling a bit sorry for myself at this pointand there was a small wobble before I was told to ina loving way to suck it up and get moving. The stophad allowed my stomach to settle and as soon wewere climbing and feeling on it. Azusa had been upat the same time as me for the start of the race andhad been driving or hiking around the course allday including driving 4wd mountain roads in a 2wdcar through a thunderstorm in the pitch black withcliffs on one side and deer and other animalsspooked by the storm intent on throwingthemselves in front of the car. She eventually madeit to bed around 0600 after a long 25 hours ofcrewing. Crewing races like this are almost as toughas running the race itself and her selfless supporthelped inspire my finish.It’s also probably worth noting that shortly after Ileft Grouse (mile 65) KJ was kissing the rock. I triednot to think about that. Moving up Handies I feltmuch better and as we crested American Basin, 24hours into the race (about an hour behind my 2012time) the sun was starting to rise, the clouds hadgone. Summiting Handies I immediately overheatedin the tights and needed to get rid of them in themorning sun. Physiologically this was the end of therace for me. At this point I knew I would finishunless something drastic happened equally it wasSponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTHARDROCK 100still going to be long day ahead, 15 hours to beprecise. Then it was a steady trot down to BurrowsPark (mile 66). Apparently KJ had passed throughhere 12 hours previously.The next few miles were along a relatively level 4wdroad and Ryan was making me run as much aspossible. We caught up with HR board memberBlake Wood just before the steep decent toSherman (mile 72). It was getting hot again by nowwhich I didn’t appreciate. Arriving at Sherman theaid station staff made me a fresh breakfast burritowhich finally settled my stomach and a takeawaytoo. The next section was hot but sheltered by thetress as we climbed steadily toward Cataract Lake.Crossing the river over a tree bridge above the falls,I managed to slip on the log and almost faceplanted into the stream just managing to catchmyself by smashing my leg on the log instead. Wellit woke me up at least.By the time we reached the top and the groundbriefly flattened the clouds invaded and we knewwe were in for another heavy thunder storm. Thistime the storm was much closer and the thunderboomed around us as we ran today’s Pole Creek.This section seems to be neverending and furtherthan the suggested 9 miles. Earlier in the year I hadrun the Fellsman which was great practise forrunning through the boggy ground.Arriving at Pole Creek (mile 81) I had a small senseof déjà vu and we stopped briefly for some foodand feet care. It was a relatively quick section toMaggies (mile 85) where it rained a couple of timeswithin the space of 4 miles.“It was a great relief tograb some soup atMaggies (circa 1700) 35hours in. I felt like I wasalmost there”It was a great relief to grab some soup at Maggies(circa 1700) 35 hours in. I felt like I was almost there,it was raining again only 15 miles, 2 climbs to go. Iremembered then that last time this section tookme 9 hours...I decided not to mention this to Ryan.The climb out of Maggies is straight up, there is nopath and you just follow the markers but the viewsare stunning and no sign of civilisation whatsoever.By the time we arrived at Stony mountain theweather was back to hot and sunny.Then it was a long cruise down Green Mountain toCunningham (Mile 91) where Azusa was waiting. Wehadn’t seen her all day since Grouse at 0400 and itwas now about 1900. Apparently KJ ran the wholeclimb 2700ft in under 45 mins, it took me an hourand a half and that was hard going. We crestedDives little Giant just as it was getting dark with asigh of relief.I don’t think I had given a thought to finish timesince the start of the race. I had hoped to finishbefore dark but couldn’t make it this time. Fromhere it was all downhill and starts off feeling likeyou are covering the ground fast but that last 7miles or so seems endless. Leaving Cunningham Ipredicted I would finish around 2250, but didn’t kissthe rock until 2309. Ryan was constantly looking atme to check that we were still on course.Finally the ski slope where Azusa and Silke were towelcome us back, from there it was half a milethrough town to the rock, a time to savour.I felt blessed to have been able to kiss the rockagain and for the support of Azusa, family friendsand Ryan my pacer who was amazing especiallywith zero notice. Not many people could turn upand cover 55 ish miles of the HR course in 27 hoursstraight off the bat. Stuart had a great race andfinished in the daylight around 5 hours ahead of medespite an ankle industry which flared up for thelast 40 miles or so slowing him down.I was certainly tired at the end but feel that fitnesswise I could have moved faster if I could have founda way to settle my stomach and there was more inthe legs, I even ran up the stairs in the B&B when wearrived back to prove the point.The next day everyone shuffles to the awardceremony and Dale the RD start with honouring43 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORT HARDROCK 100ARRIVING AT KROGERS CANTEEN, FEELING JADEDPHOTOGRAPH | MEGAN FINNESYthose who DNF, the supporters, crew andvolunteers and then always finds a storey aboutevery single finsher. It really feels like a family eventand I can’t recommend it strongly enough. Initially Ithought I had escaped without getting cankles butthey soon appeared. Despite the wet course my feetwere in good condition with no blisters and haddried out within a day or two afterwards. Unlike lasttime where I was wheezing for a couple of weeksafterwards, this year my lungs were in much bettercondition and other than being tired felt in goodshape.Words don’t really do this event justice so I includea few shots of the course to fire your imagination.Whether you manage to get a slot during the raceor not why not head out to Colorado and cover thecourse or run the Soft rock course, it is simplystunning.Note; As part of team Centurion I therefore receivesome assistance regarding kit, that said the choiceof kit is all mine.Kit selection;S-lab 5, Salomon Bonatti jacket, Black diamond z-poles, Inov8 F-lite 195 or x-talon 190, Petzel naoheadlamp dry max socks. S-tabs44 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


Gemma Carter writes about the invaluable role andassistance of your “Support Crew”SUPPORT CREWBy Gemma Carter'So what on earth do you do when Gemma'srunning for such a long time!?!' Said the woman ata recent party to my long suffering boyfriend.'Well....basically, I'm usually standing in a fieldsomewhere, as instructed by her, awaiting herarrival. At which point she arrives, barks a feworders along the lines of food and drink andwithin 30 seconds she's off running into thedistance. This pattern then repeats itself for theduration of something between 7-20 hoursdepending on the length of the event. Thebarking becoming worse the longer into it.''Oh. Errr, sorry, so why?' Perplexed in disbelief.Why indeed. Although I'm rather hoping he didn'tdwell too long on an answer otherwise he mightstart to realise that crewing an ultra runner, at times(usually most of the time!) isn't all that fun.“crewing an ultra runner,at times isn't all that fun”Why do our loved ones give up so much of their lifeto help us pursue our nutty athletic endeavours?Putting up with our pre race nerves and selfcentredness, the hours spent driving to races in themiddle of nowhere, hanging around in cars, usingportaloos instead of toilets, days spent rushingfrom aid station to aid station for us to finishsomewhat a complete wreck (and that's if the racewent well!). If the race went badly, expect possibletears, tantrums, over analysis on how they had toomuch 'Gu' (remember to nod and agree pretendingyou have a clue what the Gu substance is) or thattheir blisters proved too painful. Oh and thinkyourself lucky if you aren't asked to help them drainthem later.Here surmises the life of a supporter of ultrarunning. Fun isn't it?This isn't really the point of this article, but I hope Ihighlight that sometimes as runners we canbecome a little all engrossed in our sport expectingour family and friends to be the same, their loveand passion just as strong. Trust me, fromexperience, sometimes they don't enjoy knowingsplit by minute mile split of your latest training run,that Killian Jornet just broke the course record atLeadville and that his VO2 max is 92 (and yes theyprobably don't know what either of those are) orshare the same joy when you discover a food thatdoesn't give you gut issues in an ultra. Yes, theyNEVER want to know about your gut issues...But yet, support. Is. Vital. Have you ever heard of anOlympian that succeeded all by their selves withoutthe support of family, friends and a team of expertsbehind them? No. Take Andy Murray for example, hesingle handedly sought out the help and expertiseof the best specialists in the field of tennis,sometimes funding it completely by himself;45 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


ARTICLESUPPORT CREWphysios, masseuses, coaches, managers, you nameit. He knew he needed them, their support. Not onlythem but his mother and girlfriend are vitalcomponents of the team, encouraging, motivatingand there behind him the whole way. They live it allwith him, highs and lows. The good and the bad.You could pretty much take an example of any greatathlete or sportsperson and behind them would bea team of people both professional and personal,dedicated, selfless supporting their athlete thewhole way.To understand why we need support as athletes isto look at the sport itself. <strong>Ultra</strong> running can at timesbe hard. Yeah we all know it's 'hard' in races withthe pain, the fatigue and agony of the it all but I'mtalking about the difficulties that can lie before therace, behind the scenes. Injury, doubt, pre racenerves, the misery of a DNF or a disappointing keyrace not to mention the general day to day fatigueand stress of heavy training loads. Who hasn't comehome after a day of work and just not felt liketraining? Sometimes all it takes is a motivatingword from a loved one or fellow runner to pick usback off the floor and remember why we arepunishing ourselves, why we want it. Without them,it would be a thousand times more difficult.Worse yet is when an injury strikes and god forbidwe can't run. This is when our 'supporters' earntheir gold stars. Patience, ever positive mentalattitude listening to us rabble on day after dayabout how difficult it is, how 'I don't feel myselfwhen I'm not able to run' and how 'I am soooooodepressed' all the time considering making up animaginary 'business trip' just to escape their selfcentred torture!In a recent article published a few months back in<strong>Ultra</strong><strong>Tales</strong>, James Adams delved into what the livesof runners significant others (WAGS/ HABS) werelike. One question answered by my HAB was:'What is your runner like when she can't run due toinjury?To which he replied 'Not that I have personalexperience but the name lucifer springs to mind'.Yup. Runners are difficult people to live with. We areeither on top of cloud nine after a good block oftraining, full to the brim with endorphins or curledup in a ball somewhere trying to figure out why wecouldn't hit that 6:30 minute mile pace. 'But I couldonly reach 6:45! I'm soooooooo unfit!'“The role of a supportercan be one ofencouragement,motivation and generalpositivity but it is also togive us perspective”The role of a supporter can be one ofencouragement, motivation and general positivitybut it is also to give us perspective. Remember,running ISN'T everything (shock horror). The type A46 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


ARTICLESUPPORT CREWperfectionists within us can sometimes need thatwake up call reminding ourselves that there is moreto life and help us move on from thedisappointments when things don't go our way.Looking at the role of support on a broaderspectrum, it is critical not only for the currentathlete but most definitely for those coming intothe sport and the younger generation. I often coachand teach young athletes who are full of energy,looking to learn but at a loss of where to put it. Inschools, in sports clubs and even coming from theparents there needs to be guidance for them,direction and advice helping them focus theirenergies and avoid burn out. It is often seen thatthe percentage of talented youth athletes thatmake it to senior level is small, not because of theirskill level but because of the mounting pressuresassociated with it and their inability to cope. This iswhere the role of those around them building asupport network comes in. Other older runnersmentoring them, coaching building them up,pushing but not too hard as well as parents whocan support their endeavours, often sacrificingmuch of their time and money. It is what you don'tsee, behind the scenes, which matters.Further than that, the role of support leads tophysios and experts who know how to be up thepieces of an injured athlete. Have you ever foundyourself suffering an injury and seeking the adviceof a professional?So, back to where this article began, with mysupporter and crew member of 8.5 years. I honestlysometimes wonder why on earth he puts up withme, crewing and supporting me through my questfor success in this sport, yet always taking no glory.As the acronym states, C.R.E.W- cranky runner,endless waiting. However, for every low, there aremany more highs. For a few bad races there arethose where you PB'd, outdid yourself and couldn'tstop smiling. As he says himself 'To see youaccomplish what you have put your heart and soulin to makes all of it worthwhile, I wouldn't have itany other way'.going my way.“My supporters give me areason to run, a reason totry harder, squeeze thatextra ounce out of myself,to pick myself up off thefloor when things aren'tgoing my way”It gives my running meaning. Without them, I don'tknow whether I would bother. I'm sure each andevery one of you feels the same, about yourchildren, your spouses, friends and family. There arepeople out there who have sacrificed a lot to helpyou get where you are today.So this article is just my way of saying to all thoseWAGS/ HABS/ friends and families of runners, whoput up with so much, we really really reeeallyappreciate it.Now, can you please help me squeeze the blister Ican't reach? Pleeeeeease!!Gemma CarterWebsitehttp://www.cartercoaching.co.ukTwitter@gems_carterMy supporters give me a reason to run, a reason totry harder, squeeze that extra ounce out of myself,to pick myself up off the floor when things aren't47 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014http://


COAST 2 COAST ULTRAEVENT REPORT | ROB PINNINGTONCOAST 2 COAST ULTRARace Organiser: Cockbain EventsWebsite Link: www.c2cultra.comDate of Event: 2nd - 3rd August 2014Event Type: Single StageDistance: 140 miles / 38 hoursLocation: Whitehaven to TynemouthDescription: The C2C <strong>Ultra</strong> is the only non-stopfootrace across the UK from coast to coast with runnerscompleting a 140 mile route from Whitehave Dock toTynemouth Castle.Race Results: http://www.c2cultra.com/#/results/45860<strong>13</strong>82048 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTCOAST 2 COAST ULTRARUNNERS LINE UP AT THE START OF THE COAST 2 COAST ULTRACOAST 2 COAST ULTRABY ROB PINNINGTONFinally after what seems like an age (but is onlyfifteen months), five thousand kilometres oftraining and three failures (Spartathlon 20<strong>13</strong>, TheHill 20<strong>13</strong> & Tortourderuhr 2014) I have finished a200km race and got a medal, a t shirt and a bottleof Newkie Brown!It has been a long journey of rediscovery,rediscovering what the secret to the finishing of aplus 200km race is.1) Some said fitness. Could be, but I am fitter thanever before. I have a very low resting heart rate andover the past year a built a lot more speed. I havelost weight, as well, at least seven kilograms.2) Some said mental toughness. Could be, but Ihave been through a lot of bad stuff which I won'tlist here because of its personal nature and I don'twant to get into a competition. During all this Ihave managed to keep my life in a sensible order.3) Some said physical toughness. Could be, but Irun through a lot of pain. I am mystified by whypeople complain about blisters and currently have ahernia.Rob PinningtonBlogwww.ardrobsrunning.blogspot.deTwitter@elishascottCoast 2 Coast <strong>Ultra</strong> ResultFinish Time37hrs 26minsFinish Position6/6 Finishers4) Some said the personal desire. Could be, but aSpartathlon finish is one of the things I desire most.49 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTCOAST 2 COAST ULTRAIn my previous blog, I noted that food, or rather lackof it, during a race causes my desire to finish tovanish. I had been told this before. To quote 'if youare feeling lethargic, slow down, refuel and thenstart again.' Somehow I had missed this tip or justignored it. Tim Noakes writes in the Lore of Runningthat the 'symptoms of hypoglycaemia include...anintense desire to stop running....the athlete sensesthe impossibility of completing the race.'With this in mind I prepared lots of food for MarkCockbain's Coast to Coast <strong>Ultra</strong>. Gels, energy bars,rice puddings, crisps, scratchings and cheese, lotsand lots of cheese. I put this all onto a plan andadded up the calorific content, it was nearly twentythousand. A lot for a normal two days, but as I wasgoing to be running for nearly thirty eight hours ata burn rate of five hundred calories an hour, it isabout right. The Ugly Unt questioned if I could eatall this without throwing up but I rarely throw up...itis a waste of beer and food if you ask me.I gave this plan to my crew with the instruction toensure I ate this amount as a minimum. This is anappropriate point to mention my crew and thankthem for their fantastic service. My son Ross, whocrewed for me on the ill fated Tortourderuhrattempt, and Chrissy, my most excellent wife, forwhom this was her first crewing duty.They were great throughout the race and kept megoing, offering food and encouragement all theway. I really can't express my thanks enough forwhat they did. I better stop with the praise now,otherwise I will be far too soppy.We left Germany on the Tuesday before the raceand traveled to Ijmuiden in the Netherlands tocatch the sleeper ferry across to Newcastle. Arrivingon Wednesday morning we drove to a pleasant Bedand Breakfast place in Embleton.The next few days were spent doing a bit of coursereconnaissance and a lot of casual touring.After I posted the link to the tracker for the race onFacebook I received some excellent encouragementthat helped me focus. I also received a few personalmessages that really rammed home that I had a lotof backing among my friends in the runningcommunity. Either that or I was being guilt trippedinto finishing :-)A couple hit home‘I love the way you just list your performance on theDNF as it happened... your blog doesn't just inspire,it reassures’I was also told‘You Got This’And'You had better nail this race as Mark has put this onespecially for Sparta training 'These really inspired me.My complete kit list for the race was quite simple.! A couple of hats.! A Sparta buff.! A Montane Minimus jacket.! A Care Keep Warm top for coldest time of thenight.! An Asics long sleeve top with sleeve mittensthat I bought in 1998.! A couple of technical t shirts from variousraces.! A pair of leggings by Alex.! A couple of pairs of shorts by Adidas.! A couple of pairs Sealskins socks for the rain.! A couple of pairs Wright socks.! A couple of pairs of Drymax socks.! A pair of Asics GEL-Trail Lahar 5 G-TX shoes.! A pair of Asics GT 2000 shoes.! A Adidas sports watch with just the timedisplayed in very large numbers! Two backpacks with large bladders. (one wasa gift from a friend and another was a gift from amarathon)When we woke up the weather was bad. It wasbucketing down. Therefore I chose to start the race50 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTCOAST 2 COAST ULTRAwearing the following items! A hat from the 2012 Frankfurt marathon.! The Asics long sleeve top.! A lime green technical t shirt from Jungfraumarathon 2006.! The Montane Minimus rain jacket.! The Alex Leggings.! The Sealskins socks.! The Asics trail shoes.I covered my feet in Lipidro cream and taped mynipples with Leukotape. My nether regions wereliberally plastered with Vaseline.We picked up a packed breakfast at six amconsisting of a cheese sandwich and a packet of saltand vinegar crisps, arriving at the start forregistration shortly afterwards.I introduced my crew to the others there andcaught up with some old friends. Alex and MarkCockbain where already there and Mark noted mysarnie was a typical northern start to the day.Lawrence Chownsmith was there to crew for MartinIllot. Lawrence mentioned that he had a few issueswith the instructions. He could understand thatRHS meant Royal Horticultural Society but what didLHS mean? Was there a Liberal HorticulturalSociety?Drew Sheffield was soon taking the mickey out ofJon Steele’s Hokas, announcing the sale of the firmto Tommy Hilfiger and the cancellation of all thestar runner contracts. He does this so convincinglythat even an old cynic like me was fooled.Chris Rainbow expressed concern that the trackermight interfere with his pacemaker. This turned outto be completely unfounded as he finished second.Riccardo Giussani a veteran of the Hill and Vikingway was there sharing crew with Dave Fawkner.Jason Lewis and Tom Forman were both veryebullient making everyone laugh.Mark's briefing was short and simple and can besummed up as don't be an idiot and finish in time.Tom Forman was at the start line in the pouring rainRUNNERS LINE UP AT THE START OF THE EVENTin a cotton t shirt and shorts. I thought what anidiot. He is not going last long, just like on the Hill.Jon Steele shook my hand at the start just to assureme that he wasn't going to beat me up like myhallucinations made me think he wanted to on theHill.As we started I missed Jon Steele going to thewater’s edge and almost falling in. He had to berescued by Dave Fawkner and others.As I ran off I was soon regretting wearing so much,as although it was raining heavily, it was ratherwarm. Within a mile or so I had to strip to the waistto remove the long sleeve top and put that alongwith my rain jacket in my backpack. Perhaps Tomwas not such an idiot after all.During this exercise I was overtaken by everyoneelse, ending up in last a position, something I clungonto with a savage desperation for much of therace. Fortunately Steve Gordon was on unofficialsweeping duties and pickup my bum bag carryingmy food for the first ten miles.We started a slow climb and reached the first crewpoint at Lamplugh School. Confusingly for thecrews Lamplugh School is not in Lamplugh. Ichanged backpacks and got a new bum bag of food.At this point I had caught up with Ricky and Daveand we ran on together for a while. Dave wasconstantly checking the map which drove me a51 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTCOAST 2 COAST ULTRAlittle crazy...I don't know why but it did. I would bevery thankful later on for his skills on that map. Thefirst or last person of our group was shouting thewarning 'car!' as one approached. This soondegenerated into cries of 'broom broom' and otherchildish nouns. It seemed very funny at the time.I met my crew at a place called Watered just pastthe creepy named Fangs Brow Farm. This hasmagnificent views of Loweswater. This stunningvista caused a lack of attention as I didn't changebackpacks, which turned out to be a mistake.As we climbed even higher to the Whinlatter pass Ilost Dave and Riccardo as they were far too strongfor me on the hills. It was about here that I chattedto the great charity raiser Tony the Fridge runningsans fridge. I noted that his name is grammaticallyincorrect and should be Tony and the Fridge. Hetold me the fridge gets lots of weird messages viatwitter.The torrential rain started again and that combinedwith lack of rain jacket and no food or water wasseriously dragging my mood down. I passed a roadsign saying only two miles to the pass and was alittle cheered although I had the shakes on by now.I came to a turning to go on to an off road sectionthat was manned by the bright and cheery Drewand Claire.'Only two miles to the pass' shouted Drew.'Ah fek' I thought, 'either he is over estimating or Iam not going to make it by the cut off.'Although Mark had said in his briefing that as thiswas the first running the internal cut offs didn'tmatter, I was still concerned and this was upsettingme even more.I eventually came to the end of the trail to see Markpointing the way on the turning. It was rainingheavily and he was standing there soaked to theskin looking as if this was normal. The man isimpervious to rain.'Just down to the bottom, turn left up the hill andright at the top'Typical! Another hill.I reached the car park and saw Chrissy shelteringunder the hatchback of our CRV. Normally seeingher would cheer me up but I was in no mood forpositivity.'You are doing brilliantly, well done.'I was last, soaked to the skin, freezing, hungry,thirsty and it had taken me four hours fifty to covertwenty four miles. How can that be brilliant?I barely acknowledged my crew as I stripped off mytop and frantically searched for a dry one andsomething to eat. I shrugged Chrissy away as shetried to dry me off with a towel. I was throwingthings around in the back of the car like a spoiltchild chucking his toys out of the pram.As I turned to storm over to Alex to register my latearrival Chrissy said'Everyone else has turned up happy and laughingwith their crew. YOU!!! YOU TREAT US LIKE THAT!!!'I felt suitably admonished...then Drew saidsomething witty, I forget what, and as I laughed, Ifelt even more guilty about my behavior. I could beenjoying this and I shouldn't worry about littlethings. Just accept and move on with a plan...Iresolved at the next crew point to be happy andsmiling and to enjoy it.I went over to Chrissy and Ross and apologized. I52 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTCOAST 2 COAST ULTRAtold them I would cheer up.'You better' was the reply.I ran off down the path to the bottom of the pass. Iam better at down hills than up. I claim it is becauseas snowboarder I run down leaning forwards 1) toreduce the appearance of the slope and 2) toensure that as my legs turn over my foot fall is not abreaking one. Others point out, that being such aFat Unt, gravity pulls me down faster.As I run down I am chatting to myself that I need tocheer up and see Ricky and Dave asking someonethe way. The sign post had fallen over at thejunction of two paths.'Guys we are going downhill to Keswick it must bethis way.'They followed me down and laughed as I keptsinging out loud 'smile, be happy, every little tinggonna be alright.'The rain was getting worse but I had my rain jacketon so it wasn't too bad. In fact rain is just liquidsunshine.We overtook Martin Illot who was suffering from therain.As we hit the bottom of the valley we had to crossthe long flat bed of the former glacial valley. Loadsof tarmac flat as pancake. l loved it as I am not reallya trail runner and prefer the security of tarmacunderfoot.We saw Steve and Tom up ahead and soon caughtup with them. As a 4*4 came around the corner Tomshouted the warning. But instead of car heexclaimed'Vehicle!''Tom you try and come across as one of the lads butreally you are a posh twat. I mean who really saysvehicle? ''But it was a vehicle and not a car' he protestedfeebly.It didn’t help, as I continued to take the mickey outROB GETTING SOME REFRESHMENTSof Posh Tom for the rest of the way into Keswick.Just as we reached Keswick, I heard the dulcet tonesof James Adams behind me. He and Gemma wereholiday in the region and he was greeting all therunners he saw and running to the crew point withus. I was pleased he noted I was wearing aSpartathlon T shirt, as this was the reason I wasdoing this race.As we reached the crew point I greeted Chrissy witha cheery smile and a big hug. I introduced her toJames.'So you are The James Adams, don't you have abook out?'She is not even interested in running and sheknows. Chrissy told me the Ugly Unt had called andsaid that of course I was last because I am a Fat Unt,but that also makes me a diesel engine that will justkeep going. This raised my mood even more.53 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTCOAST 2 COAST ULTRAI quickly swapped bags this time and added a sweatshirt as we were to go off road onto the Old CoachRoad which climbed steeply and was ratherexposed to the wind. We soon started to the climband I was warming up nicely...past a stone circleand then up and down through some fields. Finally Ihit the Old Coach Road. This was a horrible ruttedtrack. It was so bad it reminded me of The Hill.Up and up we went. I could see six runners in frontof me. Winder and wetter it got. Then they went offthe Old Coach Road and I stupidly followed them.Initially the route was ok but then we had to make asharp right to steeply clamber over bogs and barelymarked foot paths.I reached the next cut off point at 3:30pm about15mins before the deadline. Loads of runners wesitting down and refueling at the crew point. Inever sit down as I fear I won’t get up again. Istripped off my sweat shirt and at this point Ishould have changed my socks. I didn’t changethem during the whole races and this was a bigmistake.Amanda Goodwin and her sister were making vastqualities of tomato soup and that was a welcomebreak from my other food.Drew Sheffield joked as he was doing the timings hecould make me first. He also complemented mycrew and said I could appreciate them more.I set off before most of the others, as being so slow Ican’t afford to wait around at crew points. As I ranalong to Greystoke, I overtook Jon Steele and PhilTurton and was caught by Steve Gordon. Hecommented on my Spartathlon t shirt and said thisrace was one on his bucket list. I said, rather rudelyin hindsight, that I thought bucket lists were adumb idea. I think a lot of the terminology in <strong>Ultra</strong>running is silly and I have no truck with it. Thisobsession with diets, shoes, drop heights, new bitsof kit and technology annoys me intensely. I mean,seriously, we are here to run, not buy new toys outof boredom.At the Greystoke, Chrissy swapped my backpackand bum bag and then gave me a pint and packetof scratchings. This is what had motivated me to54 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014sped to Greystoke and reach it before the people Ihad left at High Brow. I was at 46miles, a third of theway in, no longer last and feeling great.I moved on to Great Blencow and saw Jon, Phil andtheir crew camped on a roadside picnic table. Philwas feeling sorry for himself, so I clipped himaround the ear and told him he was running withJon ‘Man of’ Steele and there was no way hewouldn’t finish. I asked Shirley Colquhon, Jon’s wife,about the Chia seeds they rave on about. Shekindly gave me an energy bar containing them.How nice is that?I left them and then found my energy leaving me . Itwas probably the pint I had at Greystoke. I wasslowing a lot and Jon and Phil soon overtook me.As they did I used my best spooky voice to creepPhil out‘Drop Phil, you know you want to’Thankfully he ignored me.It started raining again, proper northern rain fromthe Lake District. I didn’t have my Montana Minimuswith me as I had left it with Chrissy to dry off in thecar. Fortunately I had a red plastic poncho similarto the one I had used in DeutschLandLauf. Cheapand functional it would get me to Penrirth. I wasslowing again and I knew the reason. I greedily eatShirley’s chia bar and my homemade energy bars aswell as two gels and felt better.Chrissy met me halfway down the Fells Road whichis another steep incline, just after Riccardo Tom andDave overtook me. Chrissy and I chatted as wewalked up the hill, this was great and added to mypositive mood. Although I was back to last I was inno way dishearten. I felt great seeing her just andas we reached the car she gave me a chicken filletfrom KFC which I ate quickly. Food make Robbiehappy!I reached Langwathby at sixty miles at dusk andchanged into my Care Keep Warm Top and collectedmy head torch. This was going to be a tough sectionclimbing the ten miles to the top of the Hartside hillduring darkness. I was moving slowly but steadily.I was convinced I was lost, but a quick call to Alexand Mark who saw me on the tracker raised mySponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTCOAST 2 COAST ULTRAconfidence and I plodded on.pyramid I turned my torch off.I called the Ugly Unt and we chatted completetollox for a while .Although there had been stormsup on Hartside as the leaders arrived some fourhours before me, I had a clear night and saw severalshooting stars. All I could think was 'wow how greatwas it to be alive and doing this race.'I could see the headlights of the cars at the Hartsidecafe above me and eventually just as I neared thesummit Mark came down to greet me.‘You are doing fine Rob. This is the last hill, just keepplugging on.’I met Chrissy and Ross at Gargill at nearly 80 milesin and the night was perfect. As I crossed over thevery highest point the stars were shining brightlyand I turned my torch off to get an improved view. Icould see the Milky Way and the severalconstellations. I noticed that the trees werecovered in a light frosting and this just added to thebeauty of it all. This took away the pain in my feet. Ihad been wearing waterproof socks for over twentyhours. The blisters that had formed had burst andstarting to move after a stop was painful. I couldhave changed the socks but it was too late. I wasfrighten the skin would tear off as I changed themand expose the red raw and bleeding skin.I used the usual mental tricks to turn blisters intofriends keeping my feet warm and stopping as littleas possible.I dropped down into the Miners Arm Pub inNenthead and saw Chrissy with Dave’s crewmember Ginny. I had overtaken Riccardo, Tom andDave. It transpired they had taken a wrong turn. Forthose that don’t know Tom Forman is notorious forhis lack of map reading skills. My advice is not tolet him near one. However Dave confessed it was hiserror. We refuelled and march up yet another hill..Mark another hill.Chrissy drove up to mark the easy to miss turningand I soon fell behind the others and regained lastplace. It was soon daylight and just before theCounty Durham border marked by a large stoneI ran down to Rookhope passed some disused mineworkings catching up with the others and sharedmy special night fuel. A bag of Worcester saucefavoured crisps with lumps of cheese in it. Tomremarked this was like rocket fuel.There seemed to be hundreds of dead rabbits, birdsand sheep on the road. No idea why though.At Rookhope Amanda and Chole were cooking upbacon sarnies. Chrissy told me earlier she couldn’tunderstand why they argued so much. Thensomeone mentioned they were sisters, which kindof explained everything. I ate the bacon and had toget rid of the bread.After Rookhope there was yet another steep climb,for which I had to turn backwards to save myquads.Mark another hill.Just outside Stanhope I needed to evacuate mybowels. Perched on a wall and I noted this meantthat I was eating enough. I used a few leaves towipe my bum and got a little itch. Then there wasanother march up to Parkhead.Mark another hill.The climb went on forever and as I reached the topDrew and Claire said they would order a baconsarnie and tea for me. How kind! I mentioned myfeet were trashed. Drew replied that your feetalways get trashed on things like this. Whichsomehow seemed funny.Mark passed me in his car and mentioned this wasthe last hill out of his window. Yeah! Like I hadn’theard that one before.I had reached the 100 mile by 9:20am or 26 hours20 minutes I was really pleased. Ok so that is not afast 100 mile time by any stretch of the imagination,but the rain and hills had slowed this Fat Untdown. Chrissy gave me a kiss as I walked in andhanded me the bacon sarnie. Drew was on top formas we chatted to the evil cyclists.55 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTCOAST 2 COAST ULTRAActually, I ought to mention I normally have a bigproblem with cyclists. I live in Germany and run ontrails and hills at weekends. The cyclists are so rudeand dangerous. They barely say hallo or even thankyou for getting out of their way and I have hadarguments with them on more than one occasion.However the cyclists on this route were very politefriendly and safety conscious.It was mentioned to the cyclists we were runningthe route which was greeted by exclamations ofshock, surprise and disbelief. I love it when thathappens.As I left Chrissy put my rain jacket on. As I alreadyhad my Care Keep Warm top on I thought thisunnecessary, but the Waskerley Way turned out tobe part of the Pennines, ‘An area of outstandingnatural beauty said the sign. Beauty, my arse! It is abarren windswept sheep filled wasteland.If it is so beautiful how come no one lived there?Although I left before the three musketeers, theysoon overtook me. After a while I called Chrissy andshe told me she was meeting me earlier thanplanned at the Rowley crew point some 107 miles inas the other crews were there. I was pleased withthis news and had more tomato soup from theGoodwin sisters.As I left I asked Chrissy to get me three cheeseburgers at the next stop in Consett. As I approachedthis point I was a confused as there was severalpossible route through the town and I wanted toget to the one that went past Tesco’s, the meetingpoint. I called Ross and he confirmed I was headingin the correct direction. A cyclist tried to stop meto put me back onto what the correct route was, butI wouldn’t stop for anyone.As arrived in the car park I saw the other supportcrews with coffees in hand.‘Chrissy is over there’‘Hiya’‘Hi can I have my burgers please’‘I haven’t got them I went for a coffee with thegirls.’Part of me wanted to scream WTF! But another partsaid it doesn’t matter we must keep moving. Zebrathinking, there is no point in arguing aboutsomething you can do nothing about.Both of those voices were wrong. I could have,should waited for the burgers there and then.Instead Chrissy pointed me to the correct route. Iwas a little distracted by how good she looked onno sleep and her concern for me. She did her funnylittle skipping run which is so cute and I completelyforgot to refuel.I entered a park a bit dazed and confused and hadto call Mark again to determine the correct routeonto the Derwent Way. I needed food and water hadnone. I called Chrissy and arranged to meet at theDerwent Walk Inn just off the route. I ate one of thecheeseburgers and loaded up with gels. I couldhave taken the other burgers with me. Anothermistake! These were the only things that would staydown as the energy bars were too heavy.I knew time was moving on and I wasn’t going fastenough. I resolved to run as fast as I could ignoringthe pain in my feet. I got to Rowlands Gill at 117miles and changed out of the Care Keep Warm topand into the Spartathlon shirt which hummedsomething rotten, but I didn’t care. I refuelled withgels and cheese in crisps packets.Chrissy poured water over my head to cool medown and showed me the way the others hadtaken. I was a bit confused but found the way backonto the Derwent walk. I couldn’t see properly andit took me a while to realise I had lost a contactlens.I called Chrissy and asked her to meeting me inNewcastle somewhere along the water front and tobring my distance glasses, ALL the gels and theother backpacked filled with water. About this timeI received a text from Mark saying he wanted to seefive mile per hour from me to reach the finish intime and that I must run.WHAT THE FUCK did he think I was doing? No pointin wasting energy on him though, run, run like the56 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTCOAST 2 COAST ULTRAwind.I ran on through the never ending park to try toreach the bridge over the Tyne in a reasonabletime.As I got there I overtook Laszlo Berdan fromHungary who had been walking with a broken ITBsince Parkhead some twenty miles before hand. Thishero managed to finish at just before midnight.That is dogged determination for you.Riccardo caught up with me and we ran on for awhileEventually I met Chrissy and Ross on the roadside.They had moved away from the car which was notgood because I might have need something theydidn’t have with them.True enough they didn’t have the replacementbackpack. I didn’t panic as they quickly said theyhad a bottle of water to refill the one on mybackpack which Ross did. I took out the remainingcontact lens and put on my glasses. My phonebattery was dead so I handed the phone to Chrissyand asked for the gels. Chrissy only had three withher.‘ I didn’t think you would need them all and I gotyou some energy bars as well’Again I didn’t panic I just ran on, shouting behindme as I sped off.‘I have no time to wait, I’ll see you at the end’My feet were even more battered from the fastrunning on pavements, but I knew from a road signI was less than fourteen miles from the finish withmore than three hours to go.I kept shouting to myself ‘YOU GOT THIS!’ to keepme goingI was getting excited and ran what seemed to bevery fast, but probably wasn’t, along the NewcastleQuayside, which incidentally is well worth a visit.There is a marvellous view of four bridges that spanthe Tyne.I passed Kate Hay-Heddle with Riccardo at 127 mileat 17:44pm!’I continued my way along the route 72. Thedistance to the end at Tynemouth was going downand down every ten minutes or so. I saw the mileson the signs dropping9 miles,8 miles,7 miles,6 miles,5 miles,5 milesHang on that’s not right.‘It can’t be five miles again!’I saw a cyclist and he said it was five miles to go. Iasked a pedestrian‘This is Tynemouth right?’‘No lad, this is Willington Quay. Tynemouth is milesthat way’I had no choice but to carry on. I had no phone tocall anyone with and no money either. I got backonto the route 72 and looked desperately for thechange to the route 1 as the instructions said.I then saw Dave in the distance and ran to catchhim up.‘Fuck this, I have been going round in fuckingcircles for a fucking hour! The fucking little shitsaround here have been turning all the fucking cyclesigns around!’There was a lamppost nearby that had two cyclesigns on. One pointing to Newcastle where we hadcome from and one pointing to Tynemouth wherewere heading to. Unfortunately both of themwhere pointing in the same direction.‘Let’s call Mark, or failing that follow the road signsto Tynemouth.’Dave called him and we set off again. We wentaround a marina and then came across anothertwisted cycle sign. Dave got his GPS out and57 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTCOAST 2 COAST ULTRAdirected us up the road to the centre of TynemouthWe ran on time was against us as we had less thanhour left.How far away were we really? Ahh the tension waskilling me.I left Dave and ran on as I could see the sea and theTynemouth Priory which was the site of the ending.Unfortunately I couldn’t see Mark, Alex, Chrissy orany sign of the endI frantically looked around and decided to headdown to a car park that appear to be overlookingthe coast. At this point Mark drove past and stuckhis head out of the car window.‘I am going to disqualify you for taking the wrongroute.’I must have turned bright red with anger and wasabout to explode and kick his car door in when hequickly said,‘I am only joking with yer man.’I followed his instructions to go down the path andbe confronted with a short climb to the finishingflags.Mark another hill.I got there and Mark shook my hand. I franticallylooked around for Chrissy and Ross as I had beendreaming of crossing the line with them. This racewas as much there’s as mine. I couldn’t havefinished it without them and I want to share thistaste of victory with them. I was distraught andalmost cried. Big soppy idiot.Alex called Chrissy but to no avail. Dave arrivedshortly after me as did Riccardo. I wasn’t last, in factI was fourth. A long way fourth as Jon Steel hadfinished two and half hours ahead of me.Dave called Ginny and she had Ross and Chrissywith her. As it was blowing quite a bit Alex bundledthe three runners into her car to stay warm and waitChrissy and Ginny. I started shivering quite badly.I didn’t follow the example of other finishers andtake a dip in the sea as the Ugly Unt said it wouldcause a tsunami that would flood Denmark.All the runners on this race had to put up with therain and the hills. We all did a fantastic jobirrespective of if we finished.The crews were great. Each and every crew helpedall the runners even thought this was a race. That isone of the things I love about <strong>Ultra</strong> running.Special mention goes to Amanda and Chole andtheir seemingly inexhaustible supplies of tomatosoup and bacon sarnies. But my crew was the best,Chrissy and Ross had to put up with a grumpy FatUnt and did so without barely a word of compliant.The organisation was superb and deserve thankingthe marshals Drew, Claire, Kate, Tim and of coursethe race directors Alex and Marl Cockbain.58 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


NORTH DOWNS WAY 100EVENT REPORTS | PAUL ALI, DAVID ICKRINGILL,JAMES ELSON - CENTURION RUNNINGNORTH DOWNS WAY 100Race Organiser: Centurion RunningWebsite Link: www.centurionrunning.comDate of Event: 9th - 10th AugustEvent Type: Single StageDistance: 100 milesCut Off: 30 HoursLocation: Farnham to KentDescription: A 100 mile trail run following the NorthDowns National Trail starting from Farnham, Surrey andfinishing at Wye, Kent.Race Results: http://www.centurionrunning.com/results/2014/eventbrite-ndw100-2014-race-report/results/59 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thePHOTOGRAPH | EWAN DUNLOPIhttp://


EVENT REPORT NORTH DOWNS WAY 100PHOTOGRAPH | JON LAVISNORTH DOWNS WAY 100BY PAUL ALII’m feeling quite dejected after this event after myown lack of effort during the second half of therace. My last event was the SDW 100 which wentpretty well having completed both the GUCR andTP100 before. Since then, I haven’t been able toput in the usual amount of preparation for a 100miler. There’s nothing to blame here, it’s just oneof those periods when other stuff is going on anda combination of having a weekend off after theSDW 100, taking part in the Endure 24, a familyholiday (an extra half a stone of weight) and workmeant that I didn’t do my usual level ofpreparation and running. A quick look at mytraining log reveals I did no long runs (over <strong>13</strong>miles) since the SDW100 and hadn’t been puttingin good weekly training since April before all theevents started.Paul AliBlogwww.ultraavon.comTwitter@<strong>Ultra</strong>AvonNorth Downs Way 100ResultFinish Time25hrs 7minsFinish Position44/110 Finishers (70 DNF)Unfortunately, 10 days before the NDW I pulled mycalf muscle and was forced to ”RICE” like a madmanin the build up as I went through the usual pain andrecovery process from the initial “sniper shot to theleg” and can’t walk through to pain and discomfortand then to the ache in the injured area. I continuedwith the self-treatment and could only manage acouple of stop start run/walks before the race. I waspretty confident that as a worst-case scenario Icould hike the NDW within the cut off. A key part of60 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORT NORTH DOWNS WAY 100supporters next to the Aid Station tent. I paused totop up my bottles, grab a handful of snacks andthen walked on whilst eating this food beforesettling back into a run. I was running and chattingwith fellow club runner Wendy Shaw and a fewother guys as we enjoyed the route towards AidStation 3 and Box Hill.After arriving at a busy road and heading throughan underpass we arrived at the Hawaiian themedaid station. I had covered the first 25 miles in justover four hours, the calf was holding up and I wasfeeling pretty good about the race at that point intime.the challenge for the Grand Slam is not just aboutyour ability to cover a 100 mile distance on foot(and deal with the conditions on the day) but alsoto be fit and injury free for each race during theyear.The NDW100 was the race I was hoping to just get itover and done with. However, I didn’t want to startthe race feeling sorry for myself and when you’re onthe start line there’s no excuses. We arrived atFarnham and went through the usual efficient kitcheck and registration process and said hello to afew people. Despite not wanting to feel sorry formyself, I mentioned my dodgy calf muscle to thefirst three people I spoke to before the race… idiot.I started off mid-pack as we headed off from thestart position out of Farnham. The first few hundredyards were just spent ‘feeling out’ the calf, I couldfeel a dull ache with every step but it wasn’t painfulor stopping me running and the ache did seem toease off a little as the muscles in the leg warmed up.A few hundred yards later and I arrived at thestepping stones at the bottom of Box Hill and spiedStuart March ahead grabbing some pictures and Ibounded across the steps before nearly ignoring hishigh-five (sorry) and then continued on up thesteps ahead. It was fair to say that the steps wereno-where near as bad as I remembered as the PicnicMarathon and after a bit of a stagger and push upthese it was all over and the path leveled out givingyou a lovely view of the surrounding area.We carried on along more undulating pathwayswhich my calf could definitely feel both going upand down and headed through some more forestedpathways towards Reigate Hill. I had to stop aroundhere for a ‘comfort break’ before carrying ontowards the next Aid Station where the volunteerswere on hand to top up my supplies.The first Aid Station was at Puttenhamapproximately 7 miles into the race and I grabbed afew snacks from the table and walked for a little toeat before picking up an easy pace. The NorthDowns route continued along a number of lanes,pathways and wooded areas which seemed to twistand turn quite a bit, it was all fairly flat at themoment and all very pleasant.The second Aid Station was on top of a short hill atNewlands Corner where there was a small crowd of61 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTNORTH DOWNS WAY 100We ran into the next Aid Station together onceagain passing a couple (cheerleader and cameraman) who I had seen several times out supportingthe runners. The first 50 mile had been covered inabout 10 hours which was on plan although the last10 miles or so had been a bit steadier and with theoccurrence of a few unscheduled stops.I stopped here for some hot food and organised mygear for the next part of the race. There were toiletfacilities here but I didn’t need to go at that point…typical.There were a few people around as runnerscontinuously leap frogged each other. I dropped offand had to take my second ‘comfort break’ andjokingly sent a text message to someone to say Iwas on for a new ‘Poo B’ today. Hilarious stuffindeed.The next Aid Station was the “Ice Cream DreamTeam” at Caterham (38 miles) about 7 hours in. I wasjust thinking that I fancied some ice-cream as it wasa pretty warm day and then up popped the AidStation with Ice-cream, awesome.The next leg was a short 5 miler to Botley Hill and Icontinued largely by myself now through treecovered track paths to the “Pirate” Aid Station atmile 43. I had a brief chat with the guys there as Iate and resupplied before marching on again.As I headed towards Otford I bumped into StuartMills who was on a training run the other waybefore I took my second minor detour of the day. Imissed a little turn and overshot the route by a fewhundred yards before realisng my mistake. When Iback-tracked my route the marking was partiallyobscured so it was an easy one to miss. I headedthrough Otford and towards the next checkpoint.There was another steep section which I marchedup.Keith Godden had kindly volunteered to meet me ata few points and he texted me to say he was at the60 mile checkpoint and was going to walk backtowards me. I continued on through more gates,stiles and fields until I bumped into Keith and weran/walked along some nice longer stretches to thenext Aid Station at Wrotham 60 miles into the race.My stomach wasn’t feeling too great but it wasmore of an ache than sickness.No more than twenty minutes later and I had tostop again for another ‘comfort break’, despiteeating what I normally eat my stomach wasn’tfeeling too great now and I was experiencing thatsinking feeling in the pit of your stomach. Icontinued on through more shaded paths andacross fields and passed a family with a couple ofkids offering some treats which was sweet of them.I had a minor navigational issue around the 46 mileand arrived at a dead end. I had the route on myGarmin and could see the direction I needed tofollow and corrected my route before bumping intoKarl Zeiner who had come from a differentdirection. I must have missed a marker somewhere.62 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTNORTH DOWNS WAY 100I bumped into Mimi Anderson at the next AidStation who was pacing for Fiona McNelis and wechatted briefly as I grabbed some fruit and sat downfor a few minutes. I think this was the point when Ireally started to ease off mentally.Keith walked on with me for a couple of milesbefore turning round and heading back to collecthis car and drive ahead. It was a very pleasantevening as I continued along some country lanesseeing the occasional runner or two.As the sun gave way to clouded skies I had slippedinto marching mode and wasn’t really making anyeffort to run. Sure my calf (and quads) were a littlesore but I probably could have mustered a run. Iasked myself that question a few times but to behonest the negative part of my mind just didn’t it.I got to the 65 mile Xmas themed Aid Station whereLouise Ayling kindly offered me some of her stash ofchocolate treats and once again I hung around forseveral minutes. My stomach was feeling somethingwhich I think was hunger so I munched my waythrough a large handful of biscuits before headingout.I headed out at a walk along the route for a fewmiles as the sky turned a little gloomy with morecloud cover and some of the tree covered areas gota little darker. Unfortunately it was no more than afew miles before I needed another toilet stop. Mysupply of wet wipes were running dangerously lowand I had been forced to move from the 3-4 wipeluxury to a 2 wipe minimum strategy to ration mysupply.Fortunately for me a little further ahead I bumpedinto a pacer who was walking back along the courseto meet his runner and after a brief chat he gave mesome extra tissues to add to my dwindling supply.It got dark fairly quickly although I refrained fromusing my head torch immediately after stumblingover one or twice then I put it on. I marched ontowards Rochester and over a high long bridgebefore I met Keith again and we marched on to AidStation 10 at Bluebell Hill about 76 miles into therace at around 10.30pm.Drew Sheffield was at the Aid Station and askedwhy I was still hanging around the Aid Station justas I started sipping my cup of tea. I don’t think I ateanything here as I was concerned about havinganother unscheduled stop again. Keithaccompanied me for a couple of miles beforeheading back to his car and getting some sleep.After Keith left me I trudged on towards Detlingwhere I had crewed the previous year. The sectionafter Detling was described as a “pretty grottysection” with lots of ups and downs and difficultground so something to look forward to.I had my lowest mental point on this leg. I wasslipping outside a 24 hour time, tried to convincemyself to make an effort, but I didn’t fancy it and Imentally resigned myself to walking it in. I hadseveral discussions with myself (in my head) butnothing could spur me out of this slump. I even gotto a point where I convinced myself that I wasn’tgoing to accept the finishers medal as I didn’t makeenough of an effort and then five minutes laterrealised this was a childish thought.“I had several discussionswith myself (in my head)but nothing could spur meout of this slump”I continued to march on in the dark largely bymyself until I recognised the Detling Aid Stationand headed inside and had some soup and breadand a sit down where Drew Sheffield seemed to befollowing me around. I recall James asking Peter ofhe could make sub 24, to which he repliedpositively to giving it a go and to which I admitteddefeat. I wasn’t even going to try, it doesn’t feelgreat having to admit I wasn’t prepared to try.I spent a good 10-15 minutes there enjoying a sitdown and chat before I wearily went on my way.James Elson had turned up and warned people thatthe rain was coming in 15 minutes.I trudged on along a pretty undulating section afterDetling. It was probably the loose rocks, stones andnarrow paths which made this section more difficult63 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTNORTH DOWNS WAY 100as with the sleepiness now kicking in I found myselfstumbling over a few times.True to James’ word, the rain started around 1amish and I immediately put my rain jacket on at thefirst sign. I didn’t want to risk getting my bodysoaked during the night and wrapped up.The rain progressively got heavier until thick sheetsof rain were falling. With my head torch on theoccasional sheet of rain would reflect back at megiving the impression of distant flashes of lightning.I was trudging along by myself in the middle of thenight in awful weather conditions and I tried toconvince myself that I sometimes perversely enjoythese conditions and now is the time to break into arun but the other part of my consciousness was nothaving any of it and laughed back in my face and soI trudged on.This section wasn’t that much fun, the rain was soheavy that at one point I had difficulty spotting themarkers and glow-sticks and followed the line ofdirection on my Garmin.I carried on walking through the night for the nextfew hours until I got to the Lenham Aid Station. Mylegs were pretty stiff and sore by name with theconstant up and downs although my feet didn’t feelas battered as normal which may be down to thecushioning of the Inov8 Race <strong>Ultra</strong> 290’s as I wasgiving them their first serious outing. It rained forthe next few hours as I made my way to the LenhamAid Station. As I stopped there I could feel myselfstarting to shiver and had a couple of cups of tea towarm up before moving on after a few minutes. Oneof the many excellent volunteers kindly opened thecamera case for me to change the battery as myhands were too wet and cold.It started to get a little lighter around 5am and therain eased off as daylight set in. Keith was waitingfor me at the Dunn Street Aid Station and I alsobumped into Peter Johnson here and. As I left DaveBayley walked in with a line of dried blood runningdown his nose. I checked if he was ok and hementioned something about cutting his head on abranch. He unsurprisingly seemed a little tired butok and I carried on as he went into the Aid Station.I was grateful for Keith’s company and we chattedand walked the last four miles to the finish alongwith another chap (Doug I think). We followed thenow much flatter paths, fields and tracks into Wyeand I dawdled into the finish to a few cheers but Ijust wasn’t into it. It was a disappointing effort and Ididn’t really want any fuss as it wasn’t deserved.The final finish time was just over 25 hours. I couldtry and put some gloss over it by talking about thelack of my normal preparation, the calf injury(genuine but not completely debilitating) and thestomach problems (required several unscheduledstops but didn’t prevent me from running) or thehorrible weather conditions overnight (I should bewell used to the rain by now) but truth be told, Igave up half way around the course and marched itin and that was really disappointing.A big thank you to Keith for coming out to meet me,listening to me moaning and having to take on therole of the walking pacer and then giving me a lifthome as I slept in his car.64 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORT NORTH DOWNS WAY 100NORTH DOWNS WAY 100BY DAVID ICKRINGILLAddiction sounds like a dirty word these days,conjuring up images of delinquents sat in a dingycrack den, so it’s time to come clean (no punintended) I am an addict. Not of the crack pipe buta much better, higher high than ingestedsubstances can provide, I’m talking of courseabout the endorphins and satisfaction we getfrom running. When we are not running, we cravea run, just a five minute stretch around the block;maybe just sit watching the common wealthgames wearing our trainers as its taper time.Whatever the reason/ excuse, we need a fix; thereis no other way to describe it.Ok, now I am out about my addiction which startedin January 2012, I can get around to describingwhat has to be one of the most memorable fewdays of my life, after a little more preamble… Mydad was proper old school, never showed anyemotion and set the bar higher than I could everreach to gain his approval. Maybe finally I havedone something physically challenging enough thathe might have given me that single hug I sought allDavid IckringillBloghttp://ibizaultrarunner.comNorth Downs Way 100ResultFinish Time29hrs 33mins (check)Finish Position101/110 Finishers (70 DNF)my life. My mum on the other hand would havethought I was the greatest, simply for running myfirst ever race the Brighton Half Marathon inFebruary 2012 and absolutely forbade me from65 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORT NORTH DOWNS WAY 100doing something as stupid as running a 100 miles..head torch runs are a battle with stifling humidity.The NDW100 was to be my second ultra, followingon from a ‘just inside the cut-off’ <strong>13</strong>:08 finish in the2014 NDW50 which served as my qualifier for theNDW100. The training and build up to the NDW50was poor due to many reasons not least of whichwere a three week trip to Disneyland not too longbefore race day! My hopes were high, but modestlyplaced that I had more to give this challenging 100mile course across the beautiful North Downs. Whydo we want to run a 100 miles in the first place? Thisis a question I and probably thousands of otherswould like an answer to, but without knowing why,my life would never be complete if I had never triedthe distance. I blame Geoff Roes/ Anton Krupika/Kilian Jornet and Hal Koerner for my obsession withthe 100 mile distance. So I’m not only an addict, buta freak who is obsessed with running a 100 miles,my fantastic wife Shelley knows there is no stash ofmoney anywhere, so quite why she puts up with meremains a mystery. Back to the point, yes a 100 mileobsession started by the movie “Unbreakable: TheWestern States 100”, quite simply if you haven’tseen this movie, give it a try, you will not bedisappointed.The idea of Shelley being my crew for the race wassold like a credit default swap, packaged up with aweek-long trip to the UK staying in a nice hotelcomplete with a pool and all the extras. The in-lawsneed little encouragement to see our children,Harvey nine and Jemima five so agreed in a jiffy tocome down and help out with child care and a crewstop at halfway. The team was taking shape, pacingcame from Scott my old running partner whoresponded to my initial email far more eager thananticipated. Ideally I was hoping he would jump inat mile 50, but on reflection his decision to waituntil mile 70 (72) was perfect.After a couple of months of hard training andeating a bloody good diet I felt ready to give theNorth Downs my best shot. Living in Ibiza trainingover the summer has been tough, very tough in asummer without a single drop of rain for manymonths and morning temperatures over 30oC. Evenbeing out of the door for 05:30 long runs in the hillsmean there is no escape from the unforgiving midmorningrays of the Balearic sunshine. Late nightTraining done and we are on the plane at 05:00 toland in a miserable, grey and very wet Gatwick at06:10 on Wednesday pre-race. The next few dayswere blissfully spent with Shelley and the children,my final piece of work a 10k on the hotel treadmilland it felt good. On the eve of race day the journeyfrom Farnborough to Farnham to register andcollect bib number was wet, very wet, to the extentthat by 10pm I was hoping to receive a racecancelled message from the race organisers.My race plan had been to aim for a 12 hour first 50miles, having gone over it a zillion times in my mindwhere to get 68 minutes from? I knew for sure I wasstronger on hills and would gain time there and thelatter seven miles would be much quicker. I washopeful of getting halfway near to 12 hours. Theplan was to go real slow and steady in the first 50,but the weather forecast scared me half to deathand I wanted to bank enough time that I wouldn’tbe fleeing from CP to CP in the nick of time in theanticipated mud.Shelley had set her phone alarm as backup to minenot going off for any reason but failed to realise herphone was on Ibiza time so we were up and buzzingan hour ahead of schedule at 03:15. It’s fair to saynerves were an issue, I had not been this nervoussince my first acting performance at Junior schoolwhen I was sick onstage! The morning turned out tobe a gift from above, I actually looked skywards (notthe only time this day) and said thank you. AtFarnham school hall Shelley was in awe at the sightof so many ‘nutters’ as she now calls us, she got areal spine tingling buzz from the energy in theroom listening to James ‘ race briefing. What did hesay about the stretch of woods after mile 60, “itmight not be obvious”, “oh f*ck I was going to getlost for sure!!” Navigation and a total lack of anykind of sense of direction is my Achilles heel.Walking to the trail head the weather was picturepostcard material, freshness in the air from theheavy rain and lovely sunshine to warm the soul.Today I was going to start near the back and not getcaught up in a frantic 9min mile pace at the start!The first mile or two were a little bit stop/ start aspeople ahead where doing acrobatics to avoid the66 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTNORTH DOWNS WAY 100huge puddles stretching the width of the trail andavoiding the very overgrown brambles but this wasa nice steady way to get warmed up. After a coupleof miles the convoy started properly rolling andthings felt good, the frequent beep of the Suuntoindicating another passing mile seemed to fly by.The first aid station at the golf course was soonupon us, quick top up of water and off. It was greatchatting to people along the way, a guy fromCumbria who did UTMB last year telling how vitallyimportant it was to start slow, he was 2,200 at CP1at UTMB and finished 1,110. I saw Tim Lambert andpassed him without knowing for sure it was him, myfirst thoughts were that it couldn’t possibly be Timas he did around 10:30 for NDW50 and I shouldn’tbe anywhere near him. Chatted with anexperienced 8 x 100 mile finisher from Sweden whosaid 100 mile races in his area were £10 and greatfun, sounds like a plan J? Sadly I don’t think hefinished.Conditions were near perfect, the rain haddampened the sandy parts of the course, which hadbecome compacted from those in front making itnice underfoot. In places the mist created someamazing ethereal scenes from the warming sun. Theone over-riding thought I could not shake was howgood I felt, it didn’t seem real. A few times I tookphoto’s to try and slow myself down, it didn’t seempossible that I was going this good without a carein the world! Sometime after the second aid stationI started chatting with Paul Haynes, we hit it off andseemed to be travelling at a similar pace. As he toldme his running CV I thought I should not berunning alongside such a good runner but felt greatand was not going to slow down any more as wechatted the miles away easily.We saw Tim a few times and ran together for a fewmiles which was good, everyone was rooting forhim to achieve his very public dreams and honourhis promise to his good friend from the US. AtBoxhill CP Tim informed Paul and I we were on forsub 11 hour 50, I was honestly shocked beyondbelief it was right here I was getting concerned thatimplosion was going to come in spectacular styleand the feel good was a barrier to inevitablemeltdown. Boxhill came and went, I loved everystep of that hill, the miles still ticked by with ease.At one point I said to Paul “You go on ahead I would67 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTNORTH DOWNS WAY 100hate to think I was slowing you down”, he replied “Iwas going to say the same, you are travelling thehills so well”. Probably the biggest compliment Iever received in my life!!! Botley Hill aid station wasmemorable as a lovely girl was hugging everyrunner atop the hill, great stuff from the volunteers.For the first time I felt something on my left ankleand knew immediately what it was, the aggravatingtendon issue felt on my right foot during NDW50.Also I knew there was nothing on earth I could doonce it started, initially it is discomfort rather thanpain. We passed the dodgy cow fields withoutincident, Paul wisely suggesting “Let the guy upahead run past the cows at speed see what moodthey are in.”. After the cows I seem to remember weput the hammer down slightly, Paul shouted “Carbehind” I squeezed into the hedge aside the roadonly for the in-laws and Jemima to pass on theirway to the half way point with my bag of goodiesand hopefully a load of moral support. It was at thistime II knew some higher force was looking afterme on this weekend for sure. We arrived atKnockholt knowing it was around 11 hours and satdown for feeding, today was a good day.The halfway aid station at Knockholt is magical, lotsof crews excitedly waiting for their runners, hotfood and drinks being served in the kitchen,generally most people are still in decent shape.Personally I was full of beans inside the hall gettinglots of calories on-board thanks to some lovely hotpasta in addition to all the usual goodies, even hadtime for a visit to the wc, pity I had brought noreading material.. It was around ten minutes beforeI emerged outside into the late afternoon sunshineand big hugs from Jemima and the in-laws, this wasa special moment. Paul had met his wife at Riegateand then Knockholt when he had not expected tosee her at all so he was especially buoyant as werolled out of town together. It was at this stage Imentioned my legs felt leaden after the ten minutesit down, Paul assured me they would return. Hisexperience was on the money again and soon wewere moving nicely again along mainly residentialstreets, here is a big % of the roads that make upthe 20% of the total. It was after a few miles of theunrelenting roads and pavements that my leftankle/ tendon started giving significantly morediscomfort to the extent I was feeling it affect mygait. Several times I said to Paul, “You go ahead, Idon’t want to slow you down”, each time hevaliantly insisted the pace was good for him. I saidit one more time and he knew I was not able tosustain what was a reasonable pace to this stagefrom Knockholt. Again the voice of reason said “Ok,I will get my music on, don’t spoil your race bydoing too much at this stage”. I learned so muchfrom running some really enjoyable miles with agood runner and good egg, more than books canteach us for sure. After half a mile I saw my newbest mate again as my tendon ‘thing’ meant I couldstill travel smoothly UP the hills, I didn’t get hisattention he soon left me again on the followingflat section. The 60 mile aid station came up fairlyquickly and I was still making time on my originalplan so called Shelley to bring forward my meetwith her and Scott from 01:00 to 23:00 / 23:30. Itwas here I saw Paul for the final time as he rolledout whilst I sagged in a chair enjoying the last ofthe daylight. As per every aid station the volunteersare amazing, refilling bottles, coffee/tea, nothing istoo much trouble. It is only through other blogs Iremembered the cow bell here, was like a film set“Runner coming” ring, clang, ring, happy times,treasured memories.The first Gremlins struck leaving this CP, a singlepiece of tape made me unsure of the direction, Ispent ten minutes wrestling the map and trying tofigure if I went across the road or to the right beforea group of runners said I should go right! Thedecline in spirits seemed to be working in unisonwith the fading daylight. Another mile down theroad and another decision to make, straight on orturn right again, asking a woman who pulled in amini up outside a quant cottage “Which way forNorth Down Way?”, she didn’t know but beckonedme into the ‘cottage’ which turned out to be astrange little pub! A local guy whose ear boredozens of studs pointed me straight on “They allwent that way he pointed”, phew. But the dramawasn’t over, a guy with a voice box in his neckchased after me hollering as much as a voice boxwill allow “No, no, no, this way” and he lead medown the right turn and pointed to a sign on a pole,an orange star labelled “DC”. “That’s not our sign, itmust be the other way” I told him, and started backwhere ear ring man had pointed me. The other guy68 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTNORTH DOWNS WAY 100grabbed my arm and jogged with me down theroad insisting this was the correct route, and lo andbehold red tape. I shook the guys hand heartily, hehad probably saved me many miles and a lot ofpain, earing man meanwhile had tried to stitch meup. This was the first proper alone stretch, into thewoods in the pitch black, only the rounded beam ofmy secondary head torch showing me the way. Itwas magical, like something we dream about all ourlives, that totally at peace feeling, the sounds of thedarkened woods felt as normal as my ownheartbeat. I trudged and walked through the woodsenjoying every minute whilst being aware ofpotentially ending up in here until dawn should Itake a wrong turn, James’ warning popping into myhead now again.. Another head torch caught me upat great speed “You pass me, I’m walking it out ofthe woods.” he seemed to want the companythrough the woods, strength in numbers etc. Wemoved on together in total silence, our head torchbeams re-enacting scenes from Star Wars. Up tonow my stomach had been 100%, a strange sicknessfeeling started at the latter stages of the woods andI became intensely aware of the very circular beamof the torch which seemed to be making me dizzyand sick. Holly Hill came and was a great explosionof fairy lights and crazy volunteers, my frazzledbrain by this time didn’t make the connectionbetween Holly and Christmas. My equally frazzledsense of humour cracking a poor joke about meslowing down so much it was now Christmas. Iheard mention of dogging so I gave my thanks andleft hurriedly, I had no energy for that sort of stuff!In my mind the meeting with Shelley, Harvey andmy pacer Scott was going to be at mile 70, on aroad over the motorway, a location chosen for thestreet lighting. My watch told me I was at 70 milesand no road in sight, a few drops of rain had meunleashing my jacket for its maiden usage. The nextcouple of miles seemed long, and this was my firstof many experiences of thinking I had done moremiles than I had, it hurts like hell mentally.Eventually reaching the road over the motorwayand no sign of my crew, a frantic phone call andsome jogging from both parties and we wereunified at mile 72.3! My feet were trashed by now,Shelley did a great job trying to repair them but itwas too late, they were mincemeat. Addizero’s andholed socks were swapped for Leadville 2010’s andnew socks, a hot coffee was enjoyed and in all usedat least half an hour where it should have been fiveminutes. This was a learning experience, my first100 and Shelley’s first go at crewing, we both needsome refining! Shelley was in shock at the sight ofthe many runners hobbling like crippled aliens overthe road, she said “None of you look sane, I’m sayingthat honestly, I just don’t get it.”. Harvey seemeddown in spirits seeing me in this now broken statebut I knew the buckle was coming home bar anaccident, I didn’t realise yet how misplaced myconfidence was.“Shelley was in shock atthe sight of the manyrunners hobbling likecrippled aliens over theroad, she said ‘None of youlook sane, I’m saying thathonestly, I just don’t getit’”Without yet realising it, my condition had taken aplunge from Holy Hill, I didn’t realise 99% of thenext 30 miles would be painfully walked. Headtorchwas changed for the Petzl daddy torch at this stageand no more head torch dizziness wereencountered all night. Scott was in high spirits aswe jogged/ shuffled a mile or two but I criedenough, I knew this was going to be a long slogfrom here, walking was a good few octaves less onthe pain scale, I couldn’t handle the pain of runninga whole lot more. The rain for the next few mileswas relentless, yet my new Marmot dealt with thedownpour with ease, it actually felt like I wascocooned safely inside a protective wrapper. Themind is weird when tired and frazzled but I couldlive with the safe cocoon feeling for now.Somewhere along this stretch we passed a guy whohad given up the struggle in his own mind. We triedhard to convince him to walk it into the next aidstation with us and re-group, we dropped our pace69 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTNORTH DOWNS WAY 100but as we did the guy dropped his pace. I felt a dutyto get the guy to the aid station with us but myefforts seemed futile so we marched into BluebellHill where I told the volunteers of the guy thatwould be following us in and his likelihood ofdropping.The guys took a mental note but told me therewould be a whole lot more over the night. Shelleyhad wanted to see me at this aid station but sleephad taken hold whilst Harvey was snoring forEngland, we had a brief kiss before setting off downa long, dark, very steep and slippery slope whichwas no coincidence that I cannot remember muchof this next stretch after descending the hill intohell. We were sort of lost in some woods until a guywith gps device said I think we go left. We marchedup and down a lot of steps and trudged mercilesslyon into the wet night. The saving grace of thewooded sections was the canopy slowing down thedriving rain, it was very wet rather than very wetwith a real sting. By now I was suffering pain at alevel unknown previously, legs, ankles, feet, Jesusmy feet were trashed. Scott was doing his best tokeep me entertained and aware of my surroundingsbut I had just switched off from reality for a while.Maybe the warm food or coffee revived me asmemories from Detling onwards are far more lucid,what a site it is that greets people entering the hallat mile 82, broken bodies everywhere, someseemingly in meditative state trying to summon thecourage to go back out into the driving rain anddarkness. Scott went and woke Shelley and sat withthe sleeping Harvey whilst my best friend and wifeof 16 years looked at me with sad eyes sat oppositeme in the hall. She didn’t need to ask the questionbut I knew inside she was screaming at me “Why,why the f*ck are you doing this to yourself?” Inequal measure I gave her my silent reply with mywatery eyes “I don’t know, I just have to, you knowthat”. It was hard leaving this aid station, the clocksaid 04:20 we needed to get going, I wasn’t payingattention on the way out as the guy gave usdirections, we took a right and chatted with a twotimes UTMB finisher who looked more broken thananyone I had seen all night. Half a mile later weknew this was the wrong way, wizened UTMB manhad stopped higher up waiting for a signal that wehad gone the right way before he started re-tracingsteps back to the main road. Scott was full ofenergy and was brilliant at scouting ahead andsaved me a mile at least on this occasion. Even now,I’m not sure we wouldn’t have been bettercontinuing the wrong way from Deitling, what weencountered on the correct path was pureunadulterated nastiness, ankle deep mud, 50%gradient slopes, cambered slopes, steps, did Imentioned them. These next few miles brought outa first in me, I wanted to quit. The thought I hadnever had before, and always assumed I wouldnever think this thought and there it was bold asbrass, I wanted to sit down and wait for someone toget me off the course.Scott did a great job, reminding me of the potentiallook on Harvey’s face being told “Your daddy quit,he’s a quitter, a loser”. I responded by yelling moref*cks at trees, the trail, Scott, how on earth thismade me feel better I have no idea but it did and Ipicked up the death march pace with gusto. Wetrudged on, and on and on, my watch had goneawol on distance and timing as I had stupidlypaused without knowing at times. Along thisstretch pacer Scott had played a trick on me, hetook off his head torch and said it would not turnoff and proceeded to carry it in whichever hand Iwas walking beside, I moved left, he swapped thetorch, I dropped in behind and he put it on his headbackwards. My inner demons telling me my pacerand friend was trying to make me quit. Enough, Iasked Scot to put his fricking broken head torch inhis pack, good it was out of sight. Five minutes laterI could see it flashing through the fabric, so it wasthe torch all along, it wasn’t Scott. No worries, atthe next aid station I would get it from the bag anddrop a stone onto it’s miserable flashing head, hasee who was laughing then mr head torch. Ofcourse by the time we reached the aid station othermore interesting paranoid thoughts had occupiedthe vacant cavity in my head. The main one being“We are not going to make it in time”, sadly for Scottand myself, I let this thought take over, and theeffect this had on my morale was dramatic.The next few miles are a blur again, a lot of roads Ithink, Shelley phoned Scott had to take the call mymental faculties were not ready for phone70 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTNORTH DOWNS WAY 100conversations. Shelley wanted to wait outside thefinal aid station to check we were ok, or maybe thatwas Lenham, I really don’t know. From Dunn Streetat mile 98 I started to believe we were going tomake it in time but the pain levels were just silly bynow but the death marching was on reasonableterrain until the final couple of miles acrossploughed fields where I had my final tantrum andsaid I would not walk another step after Scott hadduped me again on how far we had to go, one milebeing two and a half. He tried to cheer me up byasking “Who is the bloke with the beard whostarted the Western States race?”, “I’m not tellingyou, why should I?” was my pathetic reply.my body was near to shut down and the barrierswere down in my head and across the train tracks..My buckle is waiting I thought smugly. SeeingShelley and Harvey was a special moment in time,those final few minutes of the race are among mytop ten ‘moments’ of my whole life.I received my buckle and place in the WesternStates ballot from Nici, gave her a bone crunchinghug and cried.Finally he managed to convince me this would bethe most pathetic DNF they had ever seen, 400yards from the finish…Eventually the fields gaveway to a long stretch of nettles where I got soooomuch pleasure seeing my pacer near to tears tryingto get through the nettle patch.I’m saying to myself “He’s bothered about f*ckingnettles is this a wind up, nettles, he’s winding me upthe p***y”. I walked through and never felt a thing,71 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTNORTH DOWNS WAY 100PHOTOGRAPH | STUART MARCH - CENTURION RUNNINGNORTH DOWNS WAY 100BY JAMES ELSON, CENTURION RUNNINGBack in 2011 this was our first event, held alongsidemarathon and 50 mile options, on an out and backcourse to Knockholt Pound and return. Little haschanged in the interim with the exception of thecourse extending now as a point to point all theway to Wye in Kent, rather than returning toFarnham. And the fact that we had 37 finishers inthat first race. Three of them started again thisweekend. We also welcomed back 114 returningCenturion Runners and 89 volunteers, of which 57had either run or volunteered with us before,exemplifying the level of community we are luckyto have at our events.This route is a hard one. Probably our hardest. Thelong sweeping sections of faster flatter running areinterrupted all too frequently by sections of twistsand turns on rutted trail and various flights of stepsup and down steeper hills which can zap a runnersenergy at whatever stage they are reached.This year we would have 180 starters. At runnerbriefing 0530 on Saturday morning, we went throughthe course conditions but crucially also the likelyweather forecast. Much like the TP100 in 2012, it wasNorth Downs Way 100 ResultsMens Results1. Duncan Oakes 17hrs 4mins2. David Ross 17hrs 45mins3. Jeremy Isaac 18hrs 1minsWomens Results1. Jenni Ball 21hrs 54mins2. Kathatine Ganly 25hrs 50mins3. Rosie Williams 25hrs 37minsEntrants110 Finishers / 180 StartersRace Results: http://www.centurionrunning.com/results/2014/eventbrite-ndw100-2014-race-report/results/72 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORT NORTH DOWNS WAY 100PHOTOGRAPH | STUART MARCH - CENTURION RUNNINGgoing to be a race of two halves, split unevenly bythe conditions.At 0600 the runners began their journey, in fairtemperatures and dry, sunny weather which madefor some easier early progress. The benchmark ofthe race pace at this event is always at Box Hill, mile24. This brings to an end one of the easier sectionsof the course. Ed Catmur, returning to retain his20<strong>13</strong> crown, was just 4 minutes down on his 20<strong>13</strong>CR split, with Dave Ross running alongside. As BoxHill and Reigate Hill came and went, Ed and Davetraded the lead as Ed is wont to do in our 100s.Usually, he comes out on top….As the race rolled on to Wrotham at mile 60 andHolly Hill mile 66, Dave started to pull away a littleand we were wondering if one of the UK’s mostprolific marathoners was going to run away to hisfirst 100 mile win. Certainly Dave has taken hisrunning to the next level this year and thoroughlydeserves results from the effort he always puts in.Emerging to Bluebell Hill almost out of nowherehowever, Duncan Oakes took control of the race,blazing past Dave at a pace Dave was unable tomatch.Duncan is no stranger to ultras and he is one toughcookie. Last year, his 27:57 at UTMB showed justwhat a class act he is, alongside 2 consecutivesecond places at UTSW. The out of nowherecomment, leads on from the fact that Duncan hadfinished Lakeland just 2 weeks before the NDW100,in 7th overall. Somehow he had found the legs tokick on from that and start to drop the hammer atmile 75 just 14 days on.He never looked back. Through the final 4 checkpoints he put a further 41 minutes in to Dave andran away with the win in a superb 17:04. Dave heldon for a second, one better than his 3rd at theSDW100 and completed number 3 in his quest forthe Grand Slam. Should he finish the Winter 100under the 30hr cut off and at least 3hrs ahead ofJeremy Isaac, he is now guaranteed the overallGrand Slam record. Jeremy’s first 100 was here lastyear. He ran one of the smartest days of the race ashe came past Ed to finish 3rd overall in 18:01. Edfaded in the final stages but in his typical grittyfashion, still pulled through to finish 4th in a time of19:16.In the ladies race, there was only one lady in it formuch of the day. Wendy Shaw who has podiumed atmore of our events than I can count, led CarolineBillis and Jenni Ball by 2 and 4 minutes respectively73 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTNORTH DOWNS WAY 10074 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTNORTH DOWNS WAY 100PHOTOGRAPH | STUART MARCH - CENTURION RUNNINGat Box Hill. By the half way mark, Caroline hadslipped back out of contention, and Wendy’s leadover Jenni was up to 20 minutes. That lead stayedalmost static right through to Detling, mile 82, witha gap of just 16 minutes at that point between thetwo. On route to Lenham, the weather started tocome in, in a huge way. Wendy found herself soakedthrough and lost a lot of time as Jenni managed tohang on to her pace and forge past. In aheartbreaking end for Wendy, she made theincredibly tough decision to stop at mile 98.4, DunnStreet. A lesson for most ultra runners out there,Wendy knew to continue even the final 4 mileswould put her in danger and made not just a smartdecision but the only decision she could have made.Jenni went on to capture the win in a time of 21:54to add to her 4th place at the NDW50 back in May. Asuperb debut 100.Katharine Ganly ran a smart race, looking for her 3rdof 4 in the Grand Slam, getting stronger andstronger with each passing race and took 2ndoverall, followed by Rosie Williams. Rosie droppedfrom the event last year so for her to gain a podiumspot this time was both unexpected and an amazingway to cap off her race.money put up by event sponsor Eventbrite for theirhard work.Most of the 180 strong field progressed wellthrough the first day and on towards Wrotham atmile 60. Up until Wrotham’s closing at midnight, theweather was calm and almost ideal for goodprogress. The Met Office had warned all week of theremnants of Hurrican Bertha tracking towards theSouth East sometime over Sunday morning, and atalmost exactly 1am on Sunday, the wind and rainpicked up dramatically. The leaders were of coursealready done by this time, but for everyone else outon course the difficulty of the trail and the wet,windy weather was magnified significantly. Holly Hillcaught the first of the weather closing at 0200. Asthe race wound it’s way east, so the storm caught upwith it and by Bluebell Hill, the number of drops wasclimbing at an incredible rate. We lost 15% of thefield at that check point alone. Almost all of therunners who made it through mile 75, made it to thefinish. Few dropped at Detling, taking the shelter ofthe hall to get on some hot food and drink, changein to drop bag clothing and press onwards acrossone of the hardest sections of the course betweenmiles 82 and 86.The first three men and women took home prizeThe finishers began to increase in number as the75 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTNORTH DOWNS WAY 100race at the back of the pack began to take shape.The final runners aren’t racing each other, they areforming bands of brothers as they each fight forevery bit of forward progress to stay ahead of thecut offs. At Lenham, mile 91, our final runners insidethe cut offs made it through with 25 minutes tospare. Christian Kammer and Richard Townsendwere done. Gloves were off, packs were off, theyweren’t going on any longer. But a few minuteslater, after some deep conversation between staff,volunteers and runners, they decided to see if theycould yet do it. From experience of time there vs cutoffs, I guessed they would make it with ten minutesto spare but gave them more of a chance than that.Behind them, three runners still on route forLenham were beaten by the cuts in huge, valiantefforts getting them as far as 91.On to Dunn Street mile 98.4 and just over 4 milesfrom the finish, we knew the runners through thereneeded 75 minutes to make it in. With 80 minutes togo till the final cut, Emiko Kawakami and 4 otherrunners cleared the check point with volunteersrushing around to get them on their way as quicklyas possible. Then the waiting game began.Passing Emiko at mile 101, she was running with herpacer through the last village, with totaldetermination on her face.At the level crossing just 400 metres from the finish,tensions were running high, when with just 11minutes to go, 4 runners made it in. Richard andChristian had made it. I’m not sure if they couldbelieve their fortune reversal. Between Detling andLenham they had averaged 2.5mph and had givenup all hope. From there on in they turned in anaverage almost twice that and finished the race with29:52 on the clock. Emiko was next as she burst in totears hugged by her crew at the finish. Finally, JohnWhittaker who had pulled out of the race injured onemail on the Friday, but decided to give it a shot,made it over the line with just 5 minutes to spare.It’s worth noting too that Marketa Martins, who lastyear missed the cut by just 7 minutes at the finish,completed the race this year in a time of 28:01. Wayto come back stronger 12 months on.PHOTOGRAPH | STUART MARCH - CENTURION RUNNINGAll in all 110 runners made it over the line from 180starters, 61% overall and with 36 breaking 24hrs forthe 100 MILES - ONE DAY buckle. 17 of the 18remaining Grand Slammers completed the race,showing as always that if you can get through thefirst 2, your chances of finishing all 4 in one year areexponentially higher.This race continues to be statistically the hardest ofour 4 and I think the majority of this weekendsrunners would attest to that.A couple of final runner highlights. This race sawKen Fancett become the first runner to complete1000 miles at our races, on route to his potentialsecond Grand Slam. And Rob Young deserves amention for his insane project which can be foundhere. He ran a marathon prior to the race, and thenwas shipped off after his sub 24 hr finish to theSalisbury 5-4-3-2-1 50km which he duly completed.A 2 month break now before the Winter 100 andthen the final event of the year with it’s own racedate for the first time ever, the Piece of String FunRun…..The Stuart March photography specialises in a storytelling photo-journalistic style, covering all enduranceraces. For race enquiries, please contactinfo@stuartmarchphotography.co.uk76 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


RUNNERS PROFILEMAXINE LOCK77 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


RUNNERS PROFILEMAXINE LOCKMaxine Lock tells us about her <strong>Ultra</strong> marathon running backgroundWhat is your running background?I started running in 2010 when my eldest daughterwanted to do Race for Life so I joined in to supporther. I also completed a personal challenge in2010-2011 journeying from North to South England– I started off walking but it was taking too long so Ibegan running and cycling instead. I ran the lastsection of the Pennine Way from Crowden to Edalewith my son who was 12 at the time!Maxine LockBloghttps://maxinlock.wordpress.comTwitter@maxineroakeWhen did you first start running <strong>Ultra</strong>s and why?I did a couple of 5K and 10K races, then did KielderMarathon – after that I just wanted to see howmany miles I could do so in August 2011 I enteredthe Northumberland <strong>Ultra</strong> 62 miles(run byAdventure Hub) and got to 37 miles. The nextchallenge was the Yorkshire <strong>Ultra</strong> (Frostbite 50) inJanuary 2012 which I completed.When or where (at which events) are we mostlikely to meet you?You are most likely to see me taking on hilly racespreferable also with a navigational challenge. Mynext race is The Spine Challenger in January 2015.You will also see me at all the Challenge Runningevents being marshall, medic and anything elserequired!What are your personal key runningachievements to date?Completing the Yorkshire <strong>Ultra</strong> on the cut offdeadline! Managing to finish the Chevy Chase in20<strong>13</strong> when the temperature was unbelievably hotfor Northumberland and many didn’t finish.What was your best result or best raceexperience?I have had great race experiences on all the ultras –meeting new people and seeing great areas of thecountry. I race to complete a route rather than towin but having said that I have not competed muchin the last year but have been concentrating ongetting fitter and faster so watch this space!What was your hardest race experience?Yorkshire <strong>Ultra</strong> 2012 for the distance, the freezingtemperatures and the mud on the moors. ChevyChase in 20<strong>13</strong> for the heat.What are your future <strong>Ultra</strong> Marathon runningambitions?I want to complete more miles in the next couple of78 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


RUNNERS PROFILEMAXINE LOCKyears starting with my first 100 miler.What/when is your next event?The Spine Challenger in January 2015.What is your typical approach or race strategyfor an <strong>Ultra</strong> Marathon event?I train as much as possible but also I like to get themaps out and look at the route. I like to know whereI’m going so that I know what is coming next. Ifpossible I will also reccee the route or sections of it.What does a typical training week look like?I try and run most mornings before work doing 3-4miles at 5.30am, if I get time I will do similar in theevening as well but that doesn’t always happen. Atweekends I try and do a long run – last weekend Iwas up in Northumberland so got a good, hilly 12miles done. In an effort to get faster I also do somefaster runs where I push the pace for 3-4 miles.What one tip would you pass on to peoplerunning an <strong>Ultra</strong> for the first time?If you have been running marathons then choosean ultra that is 30 miles or so and build it up fromthere. Also decide why you want to run ultras –distance, scenery, navigational challenge andchoose your race accordingly.Give us one interesting fact about yourself?I spend a lot of my time fixing people’s feet whilstmarshalling on races!Most amusing running anecdote?Earlier this year I was crewing on the West HighlandWay race, my second section was up the Devil’sStaircase and on to Kinlochleven, and for Brian (theguy we were crewing) his second night of no sleep. Ispent several hours bullying him into keepingmoving while he kept lying down and declaringthat the rocks were the softest things he had everknown. As we stumbled towards Kinlochleven all Icould hear behind me was his voice saying ‘pillows,duvet, pillows’!79 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


ROSELAND AUGUST TRAIL - PLAGUEEVENT REPORTS | ANDY BENHAM, TOM WRIGHTROSELAND AUGUST TRAIL -PLAGUERace Organiser: Mud CrewWebsite Link: www.mudcrew.co.ukDate of Event: 16th August 2014Event Type: Single StageDistance: 64 miles (32, 20, 11 mile options)Location: Porthpean nr St Austell, CornwallDescription: A series of challengine coastal runs alongthe South Cornwall Coastal Path.Race Results: http://results.sportident.co.uk/home/event.html?eventid=26318bab-c86a-4129-bb58-1c01b931cb6080 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thePHOTOGRAPH | ANDY BENHAMhttp://


EVENT REPORTROSELAND AUGUST TRAILBEAUTIFUL SUNRISE SOMEWHERE NEAR PORTSCATHOROSELAND AUGUST TRAILBY ANDY BENHAMThis weekend was the 2014 Mud Crew RoselandAugust Trail - the RAT. There were four distanceson offer - the black, red & white routes, 32, 20 & 11miles respectively, are linear courses traversingthe Cornish coast path along the Roselandpeninsular. Depending on your choice of distanceyou will be taken by bus to the relevant startpoint and run back to the start. For the reallystupid few though a bus would not be necessary.Those of us signed up to the plague would startfrom the finish and run, overnight, to St Anthony'shead, turn around and run back. A total of 64miles along some of the most brutal andunforgiving terrain the coast path has to offer.I spent Friday trying to do as little as possible andeven managed to get an hour or two's sleep in theafternoon before we headed up to Porthpean andpitched our tent. We grabbed some food and I gotmyself registered. There was a talk from star ultrarunner Mimi Anderson and before long it was timeto settle down again and try to sleep. This time Iwasn't so lucky, with all the activity going onAndy BenhamBloghttp://uphillstruggler.blogspot.co.uoutside and my mind racing I was wide awake, butat least I was resting.kRAT Trail - Plague ResultFinish Time17hrs 31minsFinish Position:38/62 Finishers (18 DNF)Eventually the witching hour arrived and we filedout to the start line and waited for the off. Mimi was81 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTROSELAND AUGUST TRAILAT THE RACE BRIEFINGgiven the honours of sending us on our way - assoon as we were off we were stopped though - anarrow path past the toilet block combined with astile meant we all queued up to get going. Still noworries, it was going to be a long night!The first 4 miles to Pentewan are probably the mosttesting of the whole course with numerous steepclimbs and many steps. Although I was at pains tokeep things very slow and easy at the start I quicklyrealised I had got myself too far back and felt a littleheld up. Pride always comes before a fall they sayand this was the point I twisted my ankle. Luckily itwas nothing serious and I kept on running withouttoo much trouble. On arriving at Pentewan I tookthe opportunity to pass the group I was with,dibbed my timer chip and ran on.Coming up out of Pentewan are a couple more bighills which went by surprisingly quickly. AtMevagissey I joined up with a small group & beforelong we were coming into Gorran Haven and checkpoint 2. I didn't want to be drawn in to spendingtoo much time at the check points - I knew I couldrun 20 miles on a litre of water and so ran straighton. This led to me finding myself alone on the trailagain and I settled into a good rhythm.With the moon out over a perfectly still sea and nooneelse around these were some of the mostpeaceful hours; I passed Hemmick bay and climbedup through some tough terrain before a long rundown through woods - difficult in the dark -brought me to Caerhays; a beach with its own castlein residence. Not long later we reached Porthollandand the infamous rocky traverse. The "path" hereruns along a concrete sea wall rocky ledges, endingwith a final scramble to safety with a nasty fallwaiting if you place a foot wrong. Normally I ampretty sure footed, but lack of sleep, the exertion ofthe previous four hours and darkness seemed toconspire to make me feel quite exposed as I hoppedover the last section to safety.Its a big climb from Portholland and from here theground becomes quite technical. About this time Ifelt the first signs of fatigue setting in and anagging queasiness was making eating a bit of achore. At the Portloe checkpoint I filled up withwater before moving straight on. On leaving I got abit confused and nearly ran off a cliff! Despitereading the warning about an unfenced section thepath appeared to lead straight on but this wasclearly a one way option to the sea below.Eventually after some aimless wandering I foundthe path doubled back on itself and I was awayonce more.Soon I recognised the outline of the cliff andrealised I was approaching Nare Head. From herethere is a good view of the remainder of the routeand Portscatho - the final checkpoint before StAnthony - was lit up and glowing in the distance.Arriving at the beach before the Nare Hotel I metanother runner - I remembered her from last year -82 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTROSELAND AUGUST TRAILHAPPY TRAILS, LEAVING PORTSCATHOand we chatted for a bit as we wound our way alongthe final stretch up to Portscatho. By now the sunwas up and what a sunrise! It was pretty cool toarrive at Portscatho and be greeted by a bunch ofSuperheros; quite surreal and a great lift.The section from Portscatho to St Anthony isrelatively flat and quite runnable and I'd beenlooking forward to this, however the truth was I wasstarting to feel knackered by now and it showed onthese four miles. On arrival at St Anthony I rang mysupport crew to pass on my turn around time andexpected return pace so they could meet my lateron.Heading back, even in those first few miles I wasreally starting to flag. I ran as much as I couldthough and got back to Portscatho where Iintended to have some soup and a sit down. AndyJukes was there when I arrived and he told me he'djust dropped with a tendon issue in his ankle. I saidI'd realised I was running slower than my goal andwas a bit pissed off about it and he gave me thetalking to I needed - to forget about pace andconcentrate on doing whatever I needed to do tofinish. The soup was an epic fail unfortunately, I justcouldn't face it - the only thing I rejected all day. Soit was back to gels and flapjacks and off I wentagain.The next miles along to, and over the top of, NareHead were increasingly difficult, though by now theblack route runners had started catching me up andI was bouyed up by words of encouragement fromjust about everyone that passed. I didn't feel like Iwas "doing great" or "looking good" though andstruggled to give more than a grunt in return I'mafraid.Dropping down from Nare head my quads finallystarted to give up on me and this added to thesense of doom and gloom that I was slipping into.Luckily it wasn't far to Portloe; as I got to the top ofthe hill above the village I heard the starting hornfor the red route and saw the runners all filing outon their merry way. Minutes later the welcome sightof my wife and daughters waving me in lifted myspirits and I dragged myself into the checkpoint fora bit of a sit down and a change of socks.Although it was a long way to Gorran Haven I knewthere would be a water station at Port Holland andthe girls were to meet me at Caerhays so thissection would be broken up nicely. I settled in to asteady pace up to Portholland, running a bit withanother Plague runner and soon enough we weredescending the steep steps into the village. I thinkthe next section up to Caerhays was my lowestpoint; I just couldn't get any kind of pace,everything hurt and I was struggling to just keepmy mind on the next little section - the enormity ofwhat I still had to do just kept on rearing up.At Caerhays the girls walked up the hill and over the83 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTROSELAND AUGUST TRAILANDY ARRIVES AT PORT MELLON AND IS FEELING IT!fields with me. Just before leaving them I waspassed by Justin Lowell; I noticed he was wearingheadphones and this reminded me that I too had anmp3 player with me.I whipped it out and stuck on some tunes and thetransformation was incredible. The pain in my legsreceded, my mood lifted and I was off again. Beforelong I was actually enjoying the day again, pumpingmy fists to the music, singing along, and smilinginside and out.After some hard miles over Dodman point there is alovely long downhill section almost all the way toGorran. I ran into Gorran Haven on a high and toldeveryone how much better I was feeling. Icontinued in a positive mood for a few more miles.the bag now".The girls ran me in to the Pentewan check point andI got a high five and a pep talk from Fergie abouthow I had plenty of time and could walk the last bitif I needed to and still get in. I feasted on watermelon and then I was off to take on those dreadedfinal sets of steps in the last four miles.I was surprised at how well I climbed the last fewhills and before long I was at the finish. Best of allthe girls were there to run the last few metresholding my hands which made it all the better.At Port Mellon the route moves onto the road andthe positive energy I had been riding on started tofall away to be replaced by a feeling of completeexhaustion. By now though I didn't care, as Ireached the top of the hill above the harbour inMeva the two marshals there cheered me on andtold me what I already knew - "You've got this, its in84 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTROSELAND AUGUST TRAIL - THE PLAGUEPHOTOGRAPH | (c) CHARLES WHITTON PHOTOGRAPHYROSELAND AUGUST TRAIL - THE PLAGUEBY TOM WRIGHTSeveral weeks since the RAT Plague and it feelslike a distant dream - did it actually happen? Myfamily whisked me off for a 5 day experimentalcamping excursion within 24 hours of finishingwhich left me in a state of perpetual jet lag withlittle chance of recovering the day of lost sleep.But the event itself was most instrumental in it'sethereal status as I try to recollect. The thousandsof steps; the distant headlands; running throughthe night; being waited on by some of the biggestnames in ultra running in the south-west. For avirgin 100km runner this truly was a dream. Theone physical factor that repeatedly brings meback to reality a malingering pain in my buttfollowing a dramatic tumble from the cliffs!In case you go no further with this report let mestart by saying... I urge you to try the RAT! A greatevent with incredible camaraderie from competitorsand marshalls alike. The challenge is of yourchoosing with 11, 20, 32 mile and the infamous100km. Mud Crew Events have chosen one ofCornwall's lesser known gems in the Roselandpeninsula. A stretch of coast offering scintillatingviews and arduous rolling terrain. Yet the course isTom WrightBloghttp://life.tomwright.me.ukTwitter@tomwrightR.A.T. Plague ResultFinish Time14hrs 5minsFinish Position:7/62 Finishers (16 DNF)rarely more than a couple of miles from a point ofinterest offering plenty of mental targets to helpbreak down the distance into manageable chunks. Ilive in Cornwall and get to train on the Roseland somy view is biased but look at the feedback floodingin from the event and you will get an idea of what a85 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTROSELAND AUGUST TRAIL - THE PLAGUEspecial race this is rapidly becoming on the ultracalendar.I had a clear goal too. Fifteen hours. Which atroughly 60 miles, point to point, would equate tofifteen minute pace. I had maintained similar paceover the Brecon Beacons in the spring so this feltrealistic. The unknown was how to achieve this. Icould either run out fast and give myself a cushionto survive on the return leg. Or try and maintain asteady pace over the full distance in the hope mybody would not give up on me. This must be thepredicament every runner faces stepping up tounknown mileage. I felt the second option carriedfar more risk so had in mind to run 7 hours out and8 hours back.At 12:05am, marvellous Mimi sounded the hooterand we were off. All that tension in the air justexploded as 78 victims bounced down the hill to hita gridlock at the first style. Other than a quicktarmac descent to Porthpean beach the pacegenerally remained slow over the first fivechallenging miles as the narrow coastal path, andthose in front dictated a walk, jog, jog rate for theuphills, downhills and levels respectively. This wasprobably a good thing. My legs felt sprightly andwould gladly have adopted a jog, run, jog rate wereI free to run my own pace, probably at my futuredetriment. How ironic I should find myself behindAt Your Pace teamster, Andy Jukes, from Ropehavenwoods to Pentewan. One advantage of our singlefile train, I discovered I could dim my head torch toconserve battery and run from the light around me.There was lots of nervous talk breaking the silenceof the night and regular warnings would pass downthe line of approaching badger holes and exposedstakes. I nearly took my first dive as my nonaggressivelugs slid over a wooden step boardmade damp by the dew. Conscious of conservingenergy over these early miles we all took thenumerous sets of steps at a slow pace which madethem pretty easy work.Just under an hour in we arrived in Pentewan and Iwas feeling fresh. Keen to find my own pace overthe next section to Gorran and make up some time Ilegged it down the road to the checkpoint. No needfor a refill as I switched bottles. So a quick hello toTom Sutton and I dibbed my chip and was on myway. The next six miles were probably the fastestwith considerable road and only a couple of steepclimbs out of Pentewan. The narrow path alsoopened out into expansive rolling fields.Inspired by Scott Jurek's nighttime antics in Eat andRun I played cat and mouse with the runners I brokeaway from as I killed my head torch and ran thefields by moonlight. Part incentive was again toconserve battery. I was keen to make dawn withouthaving to rifle in my pack for the spares. On thesteep angled climbs to Penare Point the first issueof the night arose. The inners in my TrailRocs weresliding around. The same issue occurred on my lasttraining run but there was no time to wear inalternative shoes. I was concerned the inners weresitting high up my heel cup forcing a slightlyelevated angle on my achilles which could becomean issue later in the race. Not a lot I could do aboutit. No drop bag, no spare shoes.Dropping into Mevagissey I was proffered “GoodLuck” from a few kids sat on a wall drinking. Not theheckling one would expect from early morningimbibers. Mud Crew and the Plague’s reputationhad clearly proceeded us! Then on the switchbackgardens at the far end of town a runner came flyingpast from the road and went straight through agate into what appeared to be someone’s property.I called out but to no avail. As I reached the road Iheard a gate creak and assumed he had righted hisnavigation error.This was all familiar territory for me and I soldieredon at a steady pace. Rounding Chapel Point I wouldoccasionally glance back to see a few headlightsnot far behind but ahead seemed eerily quiet. Afeeling that was emphasised as I entered the churchat checkpoint 2. No other runners were inattendance. I was greeted by Duncan Oakes andDave Rowe who waitered on me in style! There wasan excellent spread of food on offer but for now Ijust wanted to fill my bottles and keep on moving.How about that to have the Downs Double recordholder filling up my bottles for me. I congratulatedDuncan on his recent victory as he dished out someencouragement. I got the impression I was muchhigher up the field than I realised but I did notenquire for fear of the psychological implications. Igot back out on the coast path before the next86 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTROSELAND AUGUST TRAIL - THE PLAGUErunner came in.The long gradual climb to the Dodman followed. Icould finally make out one headlight about halfmile ahead and several lights spread out behind. Afast downhill followed the Dodman as I madeinroads on the light in front. Beyond Hemmickbeach I realised there were in fact two runners andon the undulating terrain I soon caught them upwith the plan to just run with them for a while. Butimmediately they stood aside and let me through. Irecognised one of them as Lloyd Purvis, anexperienced local ultra-runner who had come thirdin the previous year’s Plague. The other being DougMurray. I felt obliged to keep up my pace and ranfast over the fields to Porthluney. Did this mean Iwas running quite high up the field? That certainlywasn’t part of my game plan and I panicked.Negative thoughts. Was my pace too fast that Imight burn out. Stoked by inexperience, myconfidence waned and for the first time I feltfatigued. There was little time to analyse as beyondthe beach came one of the steeper slogs of thenight, up the side of a field through long dew ladengrass. Glancing over my shoulder I sensed the othertwo runners reeling me back in as my uphill pacefaltered. So I ran hard downhill into Portholland,along the lit slipway, over the cliff and then…OUCH!We had been warned in the briefing about the promaround Portholland and the rocky scramble at thefar end was probably the only treacherous part ofthe whole course. Perhaps I went at it with toomuch exuberance. Where I thought there was rockon the cliff there was in fact just vegetation and asmy left foot went into free fall the rest of my bodyfollowed. Nothing to grab onto I instantly thought:'shit, this is going to hurt!' A couple of seconds ofair and then thwack. I hit the beach, my buttlanding on a boulder at full force while fortunatelymy pack cushioned my back and my head landedclear of any rocks. I groaned and lay still wonderingwhat damage I had sustained. Two wordsdominated my thoughts: ‘Game Over!’ Gradually Ipulled myself up. My elbow, shoulder and handwere all scuffed with blood. My butt was agony butmiraculously I could still move. My first instinct waswarn the two runners behind me and as theyrounded the corner I guided them down the beachroute. We started the steep climb out of Porthollandtogether but I didn't feel well. My lower back hurton every step and emotionally I was welling up. I letthem go ahead and as I hung back, shock took holdand thoughts shifted to my family and what couldhave just happened.The technical section to Portloe checkpoint went ina blur as I weighed up my options. DNF wasn’t oneof them. The faint glow of the harbour lured me onas I made haste over the rocky paths. Entering thecheckpoint, all I knew was, I needed comfort. Itcame in the strangest of ways. Eyeing the canvas offood on offer I saw the makings of a peanut butty. Awhite bap filled with peanuts! It worked. I feltreinvigorated. The pain was put aside and I wasquickly back on the coast path. Another cliff edgeencounter followed as I briefly lost the path onJacka Point. The clear skies had really pulled thetemperature down so I donned my arm warmersand threw my jacket over the top of my pack. As Ifought with my jacket on the steep clamber, RobertHicks bounded past looking very fresh. I expectedhe would be the first of many to overtake me. Myfall gave me a reality check. My enthusiastic paceover much of the last 15 miles had pushed myaverage down to 12:15. Well inside my projections. Ineeded to stop racing and start focussing onsurviving.I feel a connection with night running. It is not atime to savour views, but with limited field of view Ifind it easier to clock off undulating miles than inthe light of day. With several descents including arare switchback I soon made contact with Lloyd andDoug again as we tucked into the brisk ascent ofNare Head. Lloyd seemed to drift back on the climb,while Doug and I got confused about the path overthe headland. The light from my torch was startingto dwindle, my eyes were drying out and focus waslimited. This made it challenging locating the bestpath through fields without an exit point to target.Fortunately as I scrambled through some bramblyundergrowth, Lloyd joined us again with a handtorch that illuminated the route ahead.I was still hurting on the climbs but I had focus.With a long gradual descent off the headland, I sawa perfect opportunity to stretch out and sure87 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTROSELAND AUGUST TRAIL - THE PLAGUEPHOTOGRAPH | (c) CHARLES WHITTON PHOTOGRAPHY88 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTROSELAND AUGUST TRAIL - THE PLAGUEenough by the time I reached the Nare hotel I wason my own again. My torch flickered. Fortunatelypurple and blue hues began to break the easternskyline. My headlamp had lasted the night. Just! Asthe eyes tried to adjust to a wider field of vision inthe strengthening light strange figures emergedfrom the undergrowth. Several sticks were mistakenfor snakes while ferns took on the eerie illusion ofpixies! The hallucinations had started.So being greeted by Batman, Robin and WonderWoman was a welcome joy as they dished out adelectable banquet at the Portscatho checkpoint. Iwas ravenous and hankering after more comfortfood. A cup of vegetable soup and white bap hit thespot so well I had seconds, and then a slice of pizza.Cups of coke were dancing in front of me craving tobe picked. I resisted. As I struggled to refit myTrailRoc inners Batman hinted that I should be onmy way. That question of position reared it’s uglyhead again. As I headed out Doug was just arriving.No sign of Lloyd and I later learned that he haddropped with a recurring injury.The next eight miles were out and back to StAnthony’s head over meadows and gentle rollingcoast path. A fast section with several teasingheadlands and eye catching views of untouchedhidden Cornish coves accentuated by the goldenhues of a glorious morning. As I passed TowanBeach the lead runners came into view on thereturn leg. What a surprise to see it was two ladies,Sarah Morwood and Charlie Ramsey. The entire fieldhad been chicked twice over! I stood aside andapplauded them through. Fatigue weighed heavyon my legs and walking the short ascent toKilligerren Head the first male came past. It wasreigning champ, Rich Keefe. He looked strong andgave me encouragement to keep on running. So Itried to get back into a rhythm. Soon enough RobHicks came bounding by looking as strong as hehad when he had overtaken me at Portloe duringthe night. He was making some serious headway onthe leaders.I arrived at St Anthony’s Head in 6 hours 23 minuteswell ahead of projections. Race organiser, Ferg, wasthere with Izzy topping up the water of one otherrunner, Ben Stone. I couldn’t resist regaling themwith my Portholland tumble to which Fergresponded, “Congratulations! You are the firstperson to have fallen off there.” Bonus! No need fora refill, so I said thanks and was straight out of thecheckpoint ahead of Ben. The maths was simple. Iappeared to be in 5th place. (I later discovered thiswas thanks to one of the race favourites, RobertMann, retiring at the half way point)Elevated by delusions of a top 10 finish I feltrevitalised and fuelled with quasi-energy sped offthrough the bracken and back out onto the coastpath. Alas, the bubble soon burst as I caught myfirst glimpse of a dark headland far away on thehorizon. Nare Head looked distant andunattainable. I just couldn’t comprehend running toit, let alone the additional 22 miles that followed. AsI contemplated a plan, Ben overtook me, shortlyfollowed by Doug. "The first of many", I mutteredslumping into the first of several lows that wouldengulf me through the day. The TrailRoc inners werea mess again riding well up my ankles. I rippedthem out in frustration and threw them in my pack.My feet were not happy and sand from PendowerBeach that sat under the inners now rubbedbetween my toes. I promised the feet a fresh pair ofsocks at Portscatho. So a game plan began to takeshape. Get off this headland as quick as the legswould allow, then refuel and freshen up at thecheckpoint. Work on the next part of the plan inclean socks at least.It was thanks to the other fifty or so Plague victims Ipassed on this first section of the return leg that Imade good time as we exchanged encouragement.Couldn't be seen to be walking at the top end ofthe field. Although I did trek over Porthmellin Headas I scoffed into my marmite sandwich. Fellow Trurorunner, Dave Cudby, was looking strong thirtyminutes or so behind me. We had chatted over a hottea ahead of the start as he shared his thinking ongoing easy on the downhills to conserve the quadmuscles. I hoped my excessive hill training wouldserve me well and see my quads through. Downhillspeed was my strength and the only way I made uptime.My physio, Paul Coker, was quick to acknowledgemy position in the field as we crossed paths. Hat tipto Paul, as his skills got me to the start line of manyraces this year and it was great to see him burying89 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTROSELAND AUGUST TRAIL - THE PLAGUEthe demons of the previous year's DNF despite alack of training.I stuck to my promise at the checkpoint. Ben andDoug had long gone and chase was not an option.First up another cup of soup and roll. Then Ichanged over my socks, packed away my head wragand donned a visor. Wired up my iPod and just asthe next runner arrived I was on my way. A tenminute turn around but I felt better and the legsseemed appreciative of a break. Neil Young rangthrough my ears, the morning skyline unfettered bycloud, the sun radiating early morning warmth, thesea tranquil. Nare Head didn’t look such animposing proposition now and I promised myself atreat if I could make the Nare Hotel in eight hours(3.5 miles in 40 minutes).There were still a few runners at the back of thefield making their way out and the rallyingcontinued. Near Creek Stephen I passed anotherBosvigo dad, Paul, who I had finally met at the teatent. He was pushing tight to the cut-off on tiredlegs having run Race to the Stones the previousweek. He was shortly followed by the sweepers.Determined to get my treat I ran quite hard throughthe overgrown fields to the Nare Hotel arrivingfifteen seconds late! Still worthy of a bite of ChiaCharge flapjack. Nare Head beckoned and I wasactually quite relieved to get back into somesteeper climbing although my butt soon remindedme of the overnight fall. I developed a ratherawkward gait on the climbs to minimise the pain. Itwas effective. Above Sharnack Point I looked backfor the first time since leaving Portscatho. The coastpath wound around the low lying cliffs behind me.It appeared empty.Portloe was quiet and I had no intention to stickaround. I topped up my water, munched a fewtortilla, thanked the staff and left. Looking acrossthe harbour I caught sight of a runner in red - thesame guy who had entered Portscatho as I left. Ireckoned I had five minutes on him. Exposed on thesteep rocky headlands the sun was baking. What Iwould give for an ice cold drink. I buried thatthought. Fatigue was a constant battle on even thesmallest climbs but my legs were working well onthe descents still.At Portholland, Andy Goundry had set up a surprisecheckpoint. I filled my bottle and grabbed a fewbrazil nuts which, unfortunately, were way too dryto swallow. I stopped to photograph the cliff I hadfallen from. In the light of day it didn't look sodramatic but still sent a shiver through me seeingthe boulders my head so fortunately missed.Next target was the Dodman about 3 miles distant,followed by a long downhill to Gorran Haven.Without the comfort of inners, my feet were finallysuccumbing to hot spots and there was no optionbut to stop at Porthluney beach and slap on someVaseline. A chance to take in the impressiveCaerhays Castle, radiant in the morning light. Thefield beyond the beach was full of highland cattle.Timid they might be, but with calves amongst them,I took a very wide berth as they looked quiteuncomfortable with my presence. At Hemmickbeach I noticed a runner bearing down on me atspeed. It was not the red runner, but Jeremy Warrenfrom SARC. He mumbled something about runningthe first half too slow as he sped past me on thesteep scramble to Gell Point.On the final push to the Dodman my trance wasbroken by the ringing of my phone. It was Nadia.The girls and her planned on driving up to greet meat the finish. I was surprised my pace was stillfloating around <strong>13</strong>:30 but reckoned with thecondensed ascent over the last miles to still finish at15:00. Pace was slowing rapidly, my back was verypainful and I was repeatedly thinking about walkingin. Nad offered encouragement and from nowhere Iwelled up. Thinking of my family and that fallperhaps. Or just the emotional high of 30 hourswithout sleep. We said our farewells and withrenewed ardour I strode on to the Dodman.Again the high was rapidly quashed. For the firsttime I couldn't generate the speed I had hoped onthe descent. My legs were aching from top tobottom. Following a scramble over the rocks thetranquil beach of Gorran came into view. I promisedmyself a chair and a long rest at the checkpoint anddid just that. Duncan and James (Turner) fed mewatermelon as we chatted about the Exmoor <strong>Ultra</strong>we had all run in the spring. It was great to finallyintroduce myself and the guys were so friendly. Icould have sat and chatted all day but soon enough90 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTROSELAND AUGUST TRAIL - THE PLAGUEPHOTOGRAPH | (c) CHARLES WHITTON PHOTOGRAPHYthe red runner, Dan Murdoch, arrived and sat downfor some waiter service. He was shortly followed bythe leader of the Black run (32 mile course), MichaelRobinson, who was in and out very quickly. Afterten minutes in a chair my legs seized instantly as Itried to stand. Inspired by Duncan and James, I waskeen to be on my way ahead of Dan and put somepsychological ground between us. Walking in wasno longer a plan. I felt I owed it to the locals to putin a worthy performance. I shuffled out passingcountless tourists making their way to the beachlooking like I had spent too long in the saddle.Cowboy gait was born! The climb out of the villagesoon got the blood pumping and I was back to acanter on the cliff top.My mind focussed on small goals and gradually Iticked off each of the villages along the route. AtopMevagissey I am pretty sure I passed the Portscathosuperheroes in their civilian garb. The mind was alla blur though. I do recall a young boy helpfullyrunning beside me through the gardens andguiding me to the steps leading to the harbour. Hewas pretty insistent that I follow the switchbacks sono chance of doing a Kilian. Several runnersovertook. None in puke green though. I was still ineighth. The steep drop off from Penare Point wasthe hardest of the day. I adopted a switchback routeacross the field to minimise the jarring. Then once Ihad climbed above Portgiskey I promised myself atreat if I could run all the way into the Pentewancheckpoint.With only five miles of steep climbing to go Idecided it was time for some sugar. Tom Sutton, stillmanning the fort along with Nicky Taylor, was quickto offer me a couple of gels while Nicky dished outsome coke. The fizzy pop worked wonders as Ipower marched out of the village. I had looked backatop Portgiskey and could see no Plague runners. Ifelt confident I could hold my position for this lasttough section and worse case scenario I estimated25 minute pace for the last five miles to breakfifteen hours. Surely that was a walk in if necessary?Even with a handful of demanding climbs andseveral hundred steps to conquer. Fortunately pacecalculations soon became irrelevant as my watchabruptly died. The Ambit battery had made it tothirteen hours but now I was just focussed oncrossing that finish line. Time and pace wereirrelevant.The quads felt every descent of those last five milesas I contemplated Dave's sagacity. Advice I shouldperhaps take on board for the future. Up, down orlevel, it no longer mattered. Running had becomepain management. The goal was finally the finish,the reward a cold beer. Now I could dream about91 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTROSELAND AUGUST TRAIL - THE PLAGUEPHOTOGRAPH | (c) CHARLES WHITTON PHOTOGRAPHYthat ice cold drink. “Ice Cold in Porthpean”. On thesteps to Black Head I pictured Captain Ansonbattling with the ambulance in that sand dune. Mytask was nothing in comparison! I took to countingsteps on the climbs and it seemed to be working. Ipromised myself not to look up till the hundredthstep which in most cases got me to the top. Lookingup generally resulted in hands on legs, cursing anda long breather contemplating how to negotiatethe remaining few steps.At Ropehaven I stumbled upon a surprisecheckpoint and threw down another cup of coke.Fifty yards up the road it came straight back up! Itried one of the gels Tom had given me instead.Washed down with some water from my bladderthat seemed to settle. Then at the foot of Silverminesteps I found Ben Stone! He was beat. I urged him topush on with me up the steps but soon enough hedrifted back and I found myself back in seventh.Once I hit the final downhill to Porthpean the senseof achievement sunk in. All that was left was onefinal long climb to the finish. The MudCrew mottorang in my ears: "we don't do easy!" All pain hadsubsided as elation began to take over. I powerwalked into the hostel grounds. A spectator advisedme the finish was around the corner andencouraged me to run. The support from the crowdwas overwhelming. The girls hadn’t made it, butthat wasn’t surprising as I had finished in 14:05. Waybeyond my expectations.The ice cold beer was a long time coming as Ishowered and sought medical attention for myback. Diagnosis was terse - I ran 40 miles on it socannot be serious. Following a week of intense painI discovered I had inflamed my sacroiliac joint. Quitecommon following a heavy impact on the butt. Ithink the pain emanating from my lower back andbum acted as a focal point throughout the race andhelped minimise pain that invariably arose in myankles, knees and quads at different points duringthe race. A few trips to RockDocUK and I wasprimed and ready for the next challenge.The dream had become a reality and when the beerwas finally poured it wasn’t ice cold but it sure wasgood as I savoured every drop.92 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


RUN TO THE CASTLEEVENT REPORT | ANIA GRUSZCZYNSKARUN TO THE CASTLERace Organiser: Run to the CastleWebsite Link: http://www.codrc.co.uk/Run_to_the_Castle_<strong>Ultra</strong>.htmlDate of Event: 16th August 2014Event Type: Single StageDistance: 42 milesCut Off: 12 HoursLocation: Aberdyfi, WalesDescription: Run to the Castle is a 42 mile run alongthe Welsh Coastal Path from the village of Aberdyfitaking in the seafront at Tywyn, the village of Fairbourneto the castle town of Harlech.Race Results:http://www.codrc.co.uk/Run_to_the_Castle_<strong>Ultra</strong>.html93 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTRUN TO THE CASTLE ULTRARUN TO THE CASTLE ULTRABY ANIA GRUSZCZYNSKAI fell in love with the Welsh Coastal Path earlierthis year when visiting Llandudno so when I foundout there was a running event covering forty-oddmiles of said path, I didn’t hesitate too long toclick the "yes" button. Not to mention that therace fit perfectly with my training for a longerultra later this year (Ladybower 50) and would bea test of whether I could cope with slightly longerdistance, being a relative newbie to the ultradistance, with only a 50k (Stratford <strong>Ultra</strong>) to myname.I travelled to Aberdyfi the evening before and thehassle of the overcrowded train was soon forgottenafter first glance at the beach where we would bestarting the race the following day. I managed tofind the race HQ fairly quickly, then located anIndian takeaway, perfect for pre-race fuelling andafter re-checking my kit a million of times tried tofall asleep to what sounded like a rather raucousbeach party, fortunately a short-lived one.On race morning, I was comforted by the sight ofAniaGruszczynskaTwitter@akgruszczynskaRun to the Castle <strong>Ultra</strong>Finish Time8hrs 39minsFinish Position14/29 Starters (3rd Lady)familiar faces in Shabbarunner (Short Heath andBloxwich branch amateur runners) T-Shirts who areregulars at my home Walsall parkrun. Rather thandoing laps around Walsall Arboretum, we were94 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTRUN TO THE CASTLE ULTRAlistening to the race briefing from Denzil Martinwhose specialty seems to be putting on quirky yetfriendly races (such as marathons run on a 0.84 mileloop in Telford). Denzil promised that the race waswell marked and essentially followed the WelshCoastal Path signs and wished us good luck.Aberdyfi-Bryncrug (CP1)We were off, running the first couple of miles on thebeach with race conditions looking perfect (not toowarm or cold) and the clouds overhead weren't toothreatening and stayed that way the whole time. Wedid spread out along the beach, but most of thetime I could see at least one runner ahead of mewhich was reassuring as I was concerned aboutnavigation (and rightly so, I did end up doing some"bonus miles" at the end but overall navigation wasfairly straightforward). Once we reached Tywyn, weturned inland onto some trails for another couple ofmiles, which then led us into Bryncrug where thefirst checkpoint was located. I grabbed some Cokeand exchanged some pleasantries with the marshalsand head off to the next part of the route, feelingreally strong and in awe of the beautifulsurroundings, the entire race was such a treat interms of scenery.Bryncug- Llwyngwril (CP2)The second part of the race involved a combinationof road running and trails; fortunately the Buff tapemarkings attached to the gates helped with findingour way round the fields. After some hills, we wererewarded with great views of what I am guessingwas Llwyngwril, where the second checkpoint was.Very close to that checkpoint I bumped into DanMyers who was sporting a brace on his knee andlimping, he explained that after doing a hundredmiler (NDW 100) the previous week his knee refusedto bend but that on the bright side he could walkand even skip. He considered dropping out but Ilater learnt that he went on to finish so that's reallyimpressive. After some friendly banter at thecheckpoint and more Coke, I grabbed a 9bar (whovery fittingly sponsored the race) and carried on.95 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORT RUN TO THE CASTLE ULTRALlwyngwril-Barmouth (CP3)This part of the race felt quite challenging andseemed to take forever, I found the long, flat bits ontarmac more difficult than the undulating trails. Ichose to run in trail shoes which I think workedquite well but that is probably why pounding thetarmac felt sub-optimal.“I chose to run in trailshoes which I think workedquite well but that isprobably why poundingthe tarmac felt suboptimal”In the information sent out before the race, Denzilexplained he'd covered the distance both in roadand trail shoes and both options seemed to workfine for him; I found the trail shoes to offer anadvantage especially when running on the beach. Ibumped into a group of serious-looking walkerswith poles who shouted some words ofencouragement to which I happily shouted back"only twenty miles to go!" which at that point wasan estimate as I deliberately didn’t take a Garminwith me, the plan was to enjoy myself and savourthe surroundings, which I did manage toaccomplish.After leaving the trails I found myself on tarmacagain and bumped into a couple of runners whowere as confused as I was about where next, someold markings possibly from another race weren'tterribly helpful. After a couple of minutes of jointteamwork and trying to decipher data frompeople's Garmins and route maps we were rescuedby someone who'd done the race the previous yearand knew where they were going. Soon after Ifound myself running along the Fairborne bridge inBarmouth which led us into the town, chock-full ofholiday makers and pretty oblivious of a bunch ofweirdos with race numbers on who missed thememo about the existence of alternativetransportation between Aberdyfi and Harlech… Atthat point I've been running for over five hours anddecided it would be nice to get in touch withsupport crew aka girlfriend who would be pickingme up later from Harlech. I explained I was having ablast and that it would take me up to four hours toget to the finish which turned out to be quite anaccurate estimate. After the status update I keptrunning along the seafront and bumped into one ofthe marshals exclaiming something about peanutbutter sandwiches and indeed, the checkpoint inBarmouth served the best peanut butter and sand(it was a tad windy) sandwiches this side of Wales.Barmouth – Dyffryn (CP4)After leaving the third checkpoint, the route led usfor a couple of miles along a road, allowing to reacha pleasant state of zoning out and just enjoying theday, I knew that at some point I would reach the 50kmark and carry on running for longer than everbefore. I continued to feel really good which helpedin the next hour or so when I ended up gettingsomewhat lost after entering what seemed to be anever-ending maze of fields and campsites. I waslucky enough to bump into a couple of otherrunners, Craig and Feliciano whose GPS devicesaved the day once again. The members of thepublic turned out to be quite helpful as well, wewere prevented from taking a wrong turn by awoman sitting by a tent who shouted out to us "therun is that way", the kindness of strangers is alwaysappreciated… The three of us made it to the nextcheckpoint where some more cold Coke and squashawaited and we were off to the beach again.Dyffryn - HarlechThe volunteers at the checkpoint tried to explain tous how to navigate the rather tricky bit around theShell Island but in as it turned out, the messagedidn’t exactly sink in… Immediately after thecheckpoint we were sent off to run on the beachagain until we reached the Shell Island, yet anothermaze of tents where I found myself running next toCraig again. We realised we must have missed a turnsomewhere as we found ourselves by the estuary,unable to go any further unless we suddenlydeveloped the ability to run/walk on water. Sincethat superpower didn’t realise, we asked aroundsome bemused campers about the way to Harlech96 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORT RUN TO THE CASTLE ULTRAand retraced our steps all the way into the centre ofthe island and after a good two or three bonusmiles managed to rejoin the proper route; seeing ablue arrow again was a real relief! There wasanother rather longish stretch on tarmac where Ialternated between running and walking until Iregained some of the energy lost trying to find myway.Craig was close by, daydreaming about the baconbutty his support crew (aka wife) should havedelivered at the half point but failed to catch upwith him. The latest status update was that wife andbutty were awaiting at a church a couple of milesaway from Harlech so that's where we headed. Theroute went off-road again, with some obstaclecourse features thrown in in the form of a bridgemissing most of its beams, not great for someonewho is generally unbalanced! Fortunately Craig wasa real gentleman and helped me out.from my support crew and could happily confirm Icould see the castle!I managed a final burst of speed to the finish wherea massive medal and an obligatory 9bar andcommemorative glass awaited. Overall, I was veryhappy with how the day went, it was only mysecond ultra and I am sure there will be loads morebut this one felt really special and I already signedup for next year.After a bunch of railway crossings there was arather steep downhill bit which led onto a beach, Iwas hoping it would be obvious where we need toturn into Harlech and thankfully it was - afteremerging from the dunes, I got a quick phone call97 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


Nadeem Khan, IAU Director of Communications writesabout the 50km race.50k THE BRIDGE BETWEENMARATHON AND “ULTRA”MARATHONBy Nadeem KhanIn the literal sense, an ultramarathon starts at adistance beyond the marathon. This would factuallymean 42.201km and beyond. However, in realityand in the athletic world, 50km is where our sportstarts at and sky is the limit spanning from there.The sport of ultrarunning is unique, in the sense,that we have ultra races that are run over a periodof hours (i.e. timed events) or over a certain numberof kilometers (i.e. distance events). Each one ofthese events brings a different perspective to theathletes and allows them to tackle the eventaccordingly.We, at the International Association of <strong>Ultra</strong>runners(IAU), have always embraced the continuousevolution of our sport. The same has been mirroredby the ultrarunning population and federations. Fora considerable time now, and through continualjoint efforts of the IAU and the member nations,both 100km and 24 Hour world championshipshave arisen in popularity and the numbersparticipating in these events have increasedconsiderably over the years. This is true in domesticchampionships as well.With the increased popularity in ultrarunning, inhuge part due to our athletic ambassadors of thesport and upswing interest by the media, it hasstarted featuring regularly in mainstream media.Trail running and the 50km distance have spikedinterest around the globe. The former due to offerof scenic routes over varied elevations. The latterdue to the next logical step from the marathon forinterested ultra athletes.It is the 50km event that I would like to discussfurther in this edition. A little less than 8kms postmarathon distance is very achievable for all themarathoners who are looking for the next bigchallenge and wanting to take a dip in theultrarunning pool. The marathoners can continuethe similar training incorporating a mix ofendurance and speed to run this ultra distance. It isnot an unfathomable distance for athletescontemplating the next step into the ultrarunningworld.“The charm, the interest,the lure of this sport isgoing beyond thetraditional run distancewhich in its own right isquite theaccomplishment!”The underlying concept of ultrarunning is buildingcamaraderie with the fellow runners and welcomingnew ones to the folds. This alongside pushing the98 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


ARTICLETHE 50KM RACEenvelope and envisioning what can be achieved bythe human body on any given day. The charm, theinterest, the lure of this sport is going beyond thetraditional run distance which in its own right isquite the accomplishment! Completing themarathon is absolutely a reason to celebrate. Andultras are the next challenge starring at the halfcenturydistance.There is very little argument today to the proposednotion that a sport grows with the growth in globalcoverage. <strong>Ultra</strong>running recently has been gettingconsiderable positive media coverage. This is greatfor the sport that is vying for global interest.The spike in popularity has resulted in greaterparticipation in races, more quality races worldwideand the development of the sport in regionspreviously unknown to ultramarathons.“50km is bridging that gapbetween mainstreamathletics topped by thevery popular marathonand its distance runningcousin, the ultramarathon”IAU, we have taken note that the 50km is a distancethat has enticed non-ultrarunning federations totake a closer look at what the sport has to offer. Ithas been identified as something that potentiallytheir athletes might be interested to participate.This led us to the introduction of the 50km worldchampionships to the IAU calendar as of 2015. Theinitial three championships will take place in Doha,Qatar.As long as runners believe in upping the ante andtaking the next step we will continue to see theadvancements of ultrarunning. The sport is goingthrough some exciting times and I am exhilaratedto be in the thick and center of thesedevelopments.<strong>Ultra</strong>running definitely raises the bar for humanachievements. It personifies what athletes arecapable of doing with hard work, discipline anddedication.50km allows us alongside all the other traditionalultra distances to showcase these characteristics onthe global stage… Increasing the recognition andidentification of this wonderful discipline ofathletics!Nadeem KhanIAU Director of Communications50km is bridging that gap between mainstreamathletics topped by the very popular marathon andits distance running cousin, the ultramarathon.Runners who have completed the marathon and arelooking for fresh challenges are turning towards the50km distance top see what they can achieve attheir maiden ultrarun.Having discussed earlier, the training, nutritionalrequirements, racing mindset for the 50km is notvery different from the marathon. This brings extracharm to the event and allows it to be just one stepbeyond the 42.2km distance.During our promotion of the sport and attempt toencourage more federations to affiliate with the99 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


STOUR VALLEY PATH 100KMEVENT REPORTS | PETER WALTON, MATTHEW HEARNESTOUR VALLEY PATH 100kmRace Organiser: Matthew HearneWebsite Link: www.svp100.co.ukDate of Event: 16th August 2014Event Type: Single StageDistance: 100kmCut Off: 36 HoursLocation: Newmarket, SuffolkDescription: A 100km race covering the Stour ValleyPath from Newmarket to Cattawade.Race Results: www.svp100.co.uk/results-2014/PHOTOGRAPH | ANDY SIDDERS - http://andysiddersphotography.co.uk100 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTSTOUR VALLEY PATH 100KMPRE-RACE SELFIEPHOTOGRAPH | MATTHEW HEARNESTOUR VALLEY PATH 100KMBY PETER WALTONThis was my first foray into ultra-running.Saturday16th August…RACE DAY! Yep, woke up before thealarm went off at 03.30hrs feeling refreshed andgood. Had my breakfast of toasted bagel withpeanut butter and jam, yoghurt, banana and fruitjuice.The start could not come around fast enough now. Iwas feeling nervous; but, excited at the prospect ofcovering 100KM’s. I had a few “what if questions”going around in my head; however, this didn’t lastfor long. As this was my first ultra-marathon I hadmade a conscious effort, prior to the race, to createsome positive pressure on myself by telling peopleand running this for charity in aid of Help forHeroes (http://www.bmycharity.com/PeterWalton). Ihad great support from family, friends andcolleagues.I arrived in Newmarket. The organisation pre-racehad been excellent. This continued with registrationand kit checks being quick. I now had my racenumber “110”. Matthew Hearne, the Race Director,gave the pre-race briefing.Peter WaltonBloghttp://tarmac2trail.comTwitter@PeterJWaltonSVP 100km ResultFinish Time16hrs 9minsFinish Position76/76 Finishers (26 DNF)People started walking up to the start and so Ithought to myself that this is it! Matthew took a101 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTSTOUR VALLEY PATH 100KMgave the pre-race briefing.People started walking up to the start and so Ithought to myself that this is it! Matthew took aselfie including the rest of the runners.My strategy for this race was quite simple:1. Start slow – walk the first 5 minutes and notgo off to fast;2. Run the first half on real food and then usegels during the second;3. Walk up the hills and then run down them;and4. My goal was to finish within the cut-offs.It was now 07.00hrs and Matthew got us started.Start to Checkpoint 1 (Great Thurlow)however, I felt comfortable and covered thedistance to CP1 quicker than I did in training.There was good spectator support on the approachto the checkpoint that was fully stocked with bothsavoury and sweet goodies, as well as electrolytes,coke, water and HIGH5 gels. All of the volunteerswere excellent and so attentive making sure thateveryone was ok, water bottles topped. This was asimilar theme throughout the day at allcheckpoints.I stayed a couple of minutes but discovered that Iwas struggling to take on real food includingsweets. It was making me feel nauseous. Racestrategy point 2 now discarded. I went onto HIGH5ISOgels.Checkpoint 2 (Clare)Nutrition and hydration under control I felt quitehappy and the miles went by reasonably quickly.The first part was a short section along the A<strong>13</strong>04.We ran under a road sign that was showing “London62 Miles”. It was an ironic coincidence that we weregoing to be running the Stour Valley Path (SVP) for62 miles in the other direction.After about 1 mile we turned onto Devils Ditch. Itwas a narrow path that left little opportunity forovertaking and steep drops down either side. Fromwhat I have read this is classed as “technical trailrunning”. There were areas of wet rock that wasslippery and made ascending and descendingprecarious. Also, the path had tree roots protrudingabove the surface “nature’s man traps” awaitingtheir next victim. I saw a few runners come acropper on both obstacles. Luckily nobody injuredthemselves. I managed to negotiate both OK; but, Iam sure that from behind it looked like I was doinghop-scotch. The snake of runners continued forapproximately 2 miles before the route opened outand people were able to overtake.During this section I realised the first point of myrace strategy had gone completely out of thewindow. I had been caught up in the moment;I have to compliment the SVP team on the routemarkings. As well as the official SVP route signs,yellow arrows had been sprayed onto the groundindicating direction and red/white marker tape hadalso been placed in strategic positions indicatingthe route. This almost made the mandatory mapredundant.On coming into Clare I was slightly disorientated bythe GPS distance as the CP was supposed to be 11miles; however, I had gone over this. Fortunately arunner, Justin Lee Jones, who knew this section ofthe route banished my doubts and explained it wasabout a mile further on.I stayed a bit longer at this checkpoint and thencontinued to CP3 where I knew my support teamwould be.Checkpoint 3 (Long Melford)The route was quite undulating and I stuck withrace strategy point 3102 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTSTOUR VALLEY PATH 100KM103 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTSTOUR VALLEY PATH 100KMThis proved to be my worst period. At about 28-29miles I developed a nagging pain in my hip anddeveloped a run/shuffle gait that I kept going to theend. It hurt less but on top of that at about 31 milesI also hit my own personal “wall”. Everything justseemed to be that much harder, steeper, longer orslower. I had practiced this in training and knew Icould run further.As I approached Long Melford I was looking forwardto reaching this checkpoint and said as such to arunner that had just caught me up…he didn’t letme down gently but told me that we still had agood mile and half to go…I had forgotten aboutthe extra mile earlier!Despite my problems at this point the run into LongMelford was lovely. The path ran through KentwellHall and grounds, past the medieval church,Melford Hall and then the High Street.As I ran into the checkpoint I was aware of thesupport. I noticed Joe, my 10 years old son, runningtowards me, high fiving and then running in withme. My Fiancée, Stazi, and my Dad were waiting forme as well. This was not going to be a quickchangeover…since then just sat outside supporting everyone.Checkpoint 4 (Lamarsh)I left in new spirits. It certainly helped seeingpeople I knew and had my second wind. Althoughmy hip still hurt I felt as if I was running more freelyand happier.This was a strange section. The first half being flatand quick; and the second was undulating andacross fields. The route went through a bush thathad grown over creating a tunnel that I had tostoop to get through…to be honest a Hobbit wouldhave had to stoop to get through!Time and miles seem to go past quickly. This time Ihad remembered the additional mile and addedthis on so I could calculate the distance to the nextcheckpoint.Again, people were clapping and I remember overhearing somebody ask a couple if they weresupporting somebody running. They were onholiday and had stopped for a drink at the pub andMy dedicated support team were waiting for meand I was sent on my way.Checkpoint 5 (Nayland)On leaving Lamarsh my leg and hip had stiffenedup. I started slowly to try and loosen up and wassoon able to start running again. This was noticedby another runner who slowed to check that I wasok. I explained my problem and he kindly gave me acouple of paracetamol that helped. He ran with mea short distance to make sure I was good beforedisappearing into the distance. I never did get hisname but a big thank you for your help andsupport.I was now into territory that I knew. I had doneseveral training runs using the Stour ValleyMarathon route. Whilst the next checkpointdistances were shorter I felt that they were harder104 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTSTOUR VALLEY PATH 100KMthan what we had already covered.to fade.Heading towards Bures Mill and then on toWormingford.Once clear of the sheep in the field behind BuresMill the ground starts to incline until you reach ashort sharp hill at the summit of which is a herd ofhorned cattle that can be very disconcerting. Theywere just happy to watch you cross their field. Oneof the course markers here was a cow pat with ayellow route arrow sprayed on it…this kept melaughing for a while as did the sign “Beware of theBull”. Thankfully he was not in the field.The route continued undulating until at LittleHorksley where we dropped back down the valleyto the River Stour and along it to Nayland. It was atthis point that I was caught up by another runnerwho asked if she could run with me as she hadearlier been charged by some cattle. We carried oninto Nayland.I was getting concerned with cut-off times;however, I was told that I was OK but I still pickedup my pace and looked very strong coming into thecheckpoint…so much so that I received applause…Oh what an illusionCheckpoint 6 (Stratford St Mary)I was still concerned about the cut-off times butknew that I had 2 hours to cover 7 miles; but, fromprevious runs this section covered two obstaclesthat would make slow going and light was startingThe first was not far – Gravel Hill – This is a narrowhill, a little shy of 1 mile in length, with a 15%gradient at its steepest part that I walked up.I continued to make steady progress. I wasn’t quickbut just positively moved forward. I managed togash my arm on barbed wire whilst climbing over astile. It wasn’t serious but I had to run with my armelevated for a while to stem the blood.Light had faded and decided to use my head torch.Now the environment had completely changed withvisibility down to the arc of artificial light.The second obstacle was now approaching…It’s notdifficult…just bloody annoying! It’s a farm trackthat has deep trenches created by wheels and ahigh centre; however, the centre is uneven anddifficult to run on. The ideal place is in the wheeltrenches; but, the brambles and nettles areovergrown and stretch across ensuring that theywill get you…I found something during this section that irritatesme…someone who continually runs on ahead andthen drops back again. I was tired and I found it soirritating that I started to dwell on it and lose focus.In the end I started walking to let the other runnerget well ahead of me.It was now pitch black running through sugar beetfields (which incidentally hurt your toes) andstubble. I knew that I would shortly be coming tothe next checkpoint and in the distance I could seea light flashing white and red indicating where I105 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTSTOUR VALLEY PATH 100KMWe entered Brantham and although we were thelast runners the marshals were still in place. It was agreat feeling running between the SVP100 flags andthe generous praise of those that still remainedboth supporting and organising. I can now refer tomyself as an ULTRA RUNNER.In all I had a great day and enjoyed it considerably.The organisation and support from Matthew andthe teams of volunteers was excellent. The coursewas marked out well and the scenery stunning. Iwould recommend doing the SVP100 as it is bothchallenging in parts and also offers an opportunityto set a quick time.needed to be. I was greeted by an “unofficialmarshal” who was helping guide runners in. I stillhad about 500 metres to go and as I turned off thetrail onto the main road I was met by a nice lady,Viv, who ran with me checking that I was OK tocontinue.As I approached the checkpoint I could see Stazi,Joe and Dad waiting for me. This time Joe washolding up a banner that they had madethroughout the day.This brought a tear to my eyes and still does as it hitme that I was now on the homeward straight andwhat I had achieved that day…So after a quick cupof coke and with a deep manly voice I told everyonethat I was off.Finish (Cattawade)The final section was across cattle fields andrunning alongside the river. This turned out to bequite uneventful although it was difficult picking upthe footpath as it was basically just a grass fieldwith trodden down grass. I did see in the distance alight that was just moving from left to right. Itturned out to be another runner that wasn’t quitesure which way to go. I checked the map and awaywe went again.Half way across the next field and behind us I saw ahead torch bouncing along…This turned out to bethe sweeper, Paul Kerrison.HAPPY FINISHER106 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORT STOUR VALLEY PATH 100PHOTOGRAPH | ANDY SIDDERS - http://andysiddersphotography.co.ukSTOUR VALLEY PATH 100BY MATTHEW HEARNEThis year, a decision was made to hold the SVP100in August rather than September, as runners hadended up battling sodden ploughed field crossingsand heavy fog in the previous year. This was asensible decision, as it meant an extra hour ofdaylight, in addition to much more pleasantrunning conditions.The first 15 miles of the route were marked theevening before the race with the help of Paul Buckle,one of our finishers from 20<strong>13</strong>, and some of his palsfrom the Haverhill Running Club. Whilst Paul and theothers had fun hanging tape from bushes and spraypainting arrows on the floor, the rest of the Fridaynight team started registering runners in the WhiteLion pub, where many took the opportunity to enjoya glass of lemonade, or something a little stronger.Newmarket, the starting point of the Stour ValleyPath and the race itself, can be a very busy townduring the month of August. The night before therace, Wet Wet Wet were playing a gig, and many ofthe hotels and B&Bs in the area had been booked outfor months in advance. I’m not sure the two werenecessarily correlated, but who knows for sure? DueStour Valley Path 100Mens Results1. Daniel Hendriksen 9hrs 38mins2. Chris Seymour 10hrs 41ins3. Ryan McCrickerd 10hrs 48minsWomen's Results1. Michelle Gordon 12hrs 38mins2. Mairi Struthers 12hrs 53mins3. Naomi Newton-Fisher 12hrs 56minsEntrants75 Finishers / 100 Starters (25 DNF)Race Results: http://www.svp100.co.uk/results-2014/107 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORT STOUR VALLEY PATH 100PHOTOGRAPH | ANDY SIDDERS - http://andysiddersphotography.co.ukto the lack of last minute accommodation, a few ofour runners had taken matters into their own handsand set up camp behind a hedge close to the startline, whilst everyone else settled into their hotelbeds for the night.Fortunately the aforementioned band had nobearing on the weather for race day. The White Lionpub opened at 6am, bathed in light from thespectacular sunrise. If only we had time to capturethis on camera, but the team was already busyregistering the rest of the runners and ensuring thateverything was set up in time for the start of therace. After mandatory kit checks, registration, andthe pre-race briefing, the runners were ready to lineup at the starting area, a short walk along the roadfrom the pub.As in the previous year, we had two starting timesfor the runners. Slower runners, or those reliantupon public transport at the other end, wereencouraged to start at 7am. Roughly three quartersof runners opted for the earlier start, with theremainder starting at 9am. Both sets of runnersheaded off promptly at 7am and 9am, to theapplause of those who had gathered to watch.What always surprises me about ultra marathons isthe wide range participants. Chatting to otherrunners during a race, you typically find those whorun marathons or ultra marathons every weekend, inaddition to those who have never even run amarathon before. The SVP100 was certainly noexception, and rather amazingly some of our runnershad only taken up running a year earlier! As such, wewere curious to know how many of our 100 starterswere going to make it to the finishing area inBrantham, particularly in light of the 15.5 hourcutoff. It’s also worth noting that whilst the elevationprofile of the course makes it look like a relatively flatroute, runners are often surprised by how hilly Essexand Suffolk can be, particularly in the latter stages ofthe race. It’s certainly more challenging than manyexpect, and definitely worth the 2 UTMB points!As the race director, much of my time was spentwhizzing around the aid stations with my old schoolfriend and right hand man, Nic Clarke. We were verylucky to have a large volunteer pool this year, withfriends, family, local running clubs, previousfinishers, and runners recovering from injury, allhelping out on the day. A number of friends from mylocal club in London, the Serpentine Running Club,had come along to help, along with some chaps I’dmet at the finishing line of Comrades earlier this108 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTSTOUR VALLEY PATH 100year. My fellow Comrades finishers from the VictoriaPark Harriers and Tower Hamlets Athletics Club, hadkindly offered to mark up the latter half of the route.They clearly enjoyed themselves doing so, as theyhad taken to spray painting cowpats in some of thefield crossings, much to the amusement of ourrunners. It’s funny how the simplest of things canentertain the mind after 50 miles of running.All of the aid stations were very well stocked with awide range of treats for runners, alongside energyproducts from High5. We always work on the basisthat it’s better to have too much rather than toolittle, as it can be very demoralizing for runners toturn up at an aid station, only to find out that theyhave run out of something. I’ve been in races beforewhere I’ve spent many miles dreaming of certainsugary fizzy drinks, only to find out that the lastbottle had been polished off moments before Iarrived. These small things can really hit you hard,particularly in the latter stages of long distanceraces.We have a Facebook community page set up for ourrunners, volunteers and supporters, and one of theconsistent pieces of feedback we received after therace related to how much the runners enjoyed theatmosphere at the aid stations. Having visited mostof them myself during the race, it was clear to seewhy. All of the volunteers were friendly, enthusiastic,and incredibly helpful, ensuring the smooth passageof the runners along the route. One of the aidstations was described as a Formula 1 pit stop by arunner, where he was guided into the checkpoint,had his bottles / bladders taken and filled, and foodrequirements fulfilled with maximum efficiency. Heonly wished that he could accelerate away from thecheckpoint like a F1 racing car.After checking that the aid stations had everythingthey needed, Nic and I set off towards the finishingarea. This year, we had decided that the race wouldterminate at the Brantham Leisure Centre, which is ashort distance from the actual end of the StourValley Path. We worked upon the assumption thatrunners would not mind covering the additional400m to reach a venue that had hot food, showers,and a licensed bar! We were also sharing the venuewith a birthday party, which had booked the upperfloor of the leisure centre. This meant that runnerswould see disco lights and hear 80s classics blaringout as they approached finish! It actually createdquite a party atmosphere, so there was plenty tokeep the volunteers and supporters occupied whilethey waited. Essex folk sure know how to party hard!20<strong>13</strong> had been the inaugural year for the event, andit had been won by a local runner called ChrisSpurling, in a time of 10hrs 17mins. This was a greattime for the route, but we expected a slightly fastertime this year due to the firmer conditionsunderfoot. Ultimately the race was won by DanielHendriksen, arriving home in a time of 9hrs 38mins.Daniel won himself a pair of Hoka shoes, courtesy ofthe ULTRAmarathonRunninStore, alongside a trophy,t-shirt and medal. The first female home wasMichelle Gordon in a total time of 12hrs 38mins,which took almost an hour off the winning femaletime from the previous year. The winning timesprove that it’s possible to run a relatively fast 100kmon this point to point route, for those looking toqualify for Spartathlon.Exactly 75% of our runners made it to the finishingline, where they were rewarded with a greenfinishers t-shirt, medal and some hot food from thebar area. The crew at the finishing line did anexcellent job of reuniting runners with their bags,guiding them towards the changing facilities, andmaking sure that ever runner had access to food anddrinks. Our final runners came in after approximately16 hours, guided by the sweeper, who had done afantastic job of picking up lost runners, markingsand glow sticks along the route. Thankfully everyonewas safe and accounted for. We only had onecasualty from the race, a runner who had consumedtoo much water, and was taken to the local hospitalby St. John Ambulance. As always, St. JohnAmbulance had done a great job of ensuring thesafety of all the runners, and fortunately the runnerin question was safely discharged following acheckup.All in all, it was fantastic to receive such positivefeedback from everyone following the event.Runners, volunteers and supporters had thoroughlyenjoyed their day out in the beautiful Suffolk andEssex countryside, and we already have a number ofrunners signed up for the event next year. We verymuch look forward to seeing new and returningrunners alike in 2015! Thank you for reading.109 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORT STOUR VALLEY PATH 100PHOTOGRAPH | ANDY SIDDERS - http://andysiddersphotography.co.uk110 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORT STOUR VALLEY PATH 100PHOTOGRAPH | ANDY SIDDERS - http://andysiddersphotography.co.uk111 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


T184 ENDURANCE RUNEVENT REPORTS | PAUL ALI, KAREN HATHAWAYT184 ENDURANCE RUNRace Organiser: Running RebornWebsite Link: www.t184.co.ukDate of Event: 22nd - 25th AugustEvent Type: Single StageDistance: 184 milesCut Off: 80 HoursLocation: Thames Barrier (London) to KembleDescription: A self sufficient 184 mile run starting fromthe Thames Barrier in London and heading west to thesource of the Thames in Kemble. Competitors must carryall food and equipment except for water which isprovided at Checkpoints or acquired at Locks.Race Results: www.t184.co.ukPAUL COKER FROM ROCKTAPE DOING SOME PRE-RACETAPING ON COMPETITOR PAUL ALIPHOTOGRAPH | JIM SEATON112 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTT184 ENDURANCE RUNT184 ENDURANCE RUNBY PAUL ALII didn’t finish the T184 Endurance Run and ithurts. I have a lot of respect for everyone personwho finished the race as each of these people asthey have shown more willing and determinationthan I did at this event and it’s tough to admitthat. So let’s back-track a bit and talk about howevents unfolded…Paul AliBlogwww.ultraavon.comTwitter@<strong>Ultra</strong>AvonThe T184 Endurance Run is a new event on the <strong>Ultra</strong>running calendar and something a little bitdifferent.The event involves a 184-mile run (jog/walk/crawl)covering the full length of the Thames Path fromthe Thames Barrier in London to the source of theThames near Kemble. Competitors are also requiredto be self-supported which meant you had to carryall your food and equipment for the race with theexception of water, which would be provided at oneof 7 Checkpoints along the way althoughcompetitors were also able to use locks for supplies.One of the principles of the race was that it did notallow any external support such as stopping off at apub or shop for food, pacing or support crews. EachT184 Endurance RunResultFinish Timecompetitor would also be GPS tracked courtesy ofdevices provided by GoTek.The Race Director Shane who I’ve known for a fewyears, approached me over a year ago with the idea1<strong>13</strong> ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://DNF


EVENT REPORTT184 ENDURANCE RACEfor the race and asked if I would be interested inproviding some input into the race from a runner’sperspective and so I have worked with Shane andprovided some input into the race such as the rules,kit lists; tested the tracking devices and answeredquestions from people via the Facebook group. Itwas interesting in seeing the race develop from aconcept to an actual event.However, on race day that’s where my job endedand I lined up at the start line near the Thames ViewCafé with 75 other runners all fully loaded with kitand equipment.I was pretty happy with my kit selection. I hadmanaged to squeeze all the mandatory kit into mySalomon Slab 12 pack (stretching the outer mesharea to a maximum!) and weighed my pack at 8kg,which included 2 litres of water. There was aminimum compulsory amount of 1.5L of water butit was recommended that people carry more in viewof the distances between water stops.My only last minute “panic buy” was to swap out theJetboil (a cooking device) and make use of a “PocketRocket” cooking device (Paola Russell told me to bevery careful when Googling this) device which wasless bulky. I had made he decision to go with bothfreeze dried meal packs and lots of snacks and wascarrying about 9000 calories in total.Race registration was slick, with waivers to becompleted, potential kit checks, collecting your GPSdevice and the option of pre-race taping courtesyof Paul Coker from Rocktape. It’s fair to say I wasn’tfresh at the start of the race having recentlycompleted the NDW100 less than two weeks agowhich was not ideal preparation. Those who readmy previous report (earlier in this issue) willremember my tale of woe as I pretty much marchedthe second half of the race and finished in anunconvincing manner and admittedly having notdone the training I would like to have done for theevent due to other races/work/holidays etc. I knewthis, but with a generous 80 hour time limit onpaper (meaning the event was walkable) and thiswas not planned as any sort of ‘A’ race I thought Icould just get as far as I could running and thengrind out the finish with a walk when necessary.Realistically, I was hoping to finish sometimeSunday evening/night so was expecting to be outfor 2 nights and into a 3rd.We set off from the Thames Barrier at Friday at10.30am and headed out through London on theSouth side of the Thames towards the Cutty Sarkwhere we would go underneath the tunnel andfollow the North side until the first Checkpoint. Ihad planned to run with Jim Seaton for company.I could immediately feel the weight of my pack onmy ankles and achilles. I run home from work mostdays with a pack but nothing as heavy as this or aslong as this (lesson learned to practice with your kitin advance) and this was creating some additionalpressure which was uncomfortable butmanageable. I was thankful that I had taped myshoulders in advance with Rocktape so I didn’tsuffer any chaffing or rubbing here.114 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTT184 ENDURANCE RUNThe next leg was more of a run/walk and took usabout 5.5 hours at roughly a 4mph pace. With thethree of us together, we worked well together witheach person prompting the others to run after abrief walk phase and we kept a shuffle on. I washoping that we would get to the next Checkpointbefore it was dark but we didn’t quite make this byan hour having stopped a few miles before to putour waterproofs on when it started to rain. I hadpromised myself to put my waterproofs on at thefirst sign of rain as I didn’t want my body to get wetand cold going into the night leg (or next couple ofdays).We made our way through the streets of Londonwith a trail of competitors spreading out as eachmile passed and the occasional person leapfroggingeach other. There were a couple of minor pointswhere the route twists and turns down small roads,lanes and alleyways and you had to keep an eye outfor the Thames Path signs but no major navigationalissues at this point as you were next to the river formost of this leg.It was quite a warm day and I was soon getting a bitof a sweat on running with this extra weight.Despite that, we covered the first 25-26 miles in 4.5hours which was pretty good timing and stopped torefill our water bottles, eat some food and take offmy shoes and give the feet some airing. We werenear the front of the field (top ten at the time) soprogressing well but knowing there was a long wayto go.We arrived at the second Checkpoint where we hadplanned to cook up some food. My “Pocket Rocket”boiled the water in a few minutes and I was soonscoffing down my Spaghetti Bolognese ExtremeAdventure food meal. As I had stopped I put on myMontane Fireball insulated smock jacket to keepmyself from cooling down too much and this pieceof equipment served me pretty well throughout therace. After a half an hour stop the three of usheaded out again.It was now getting into the night and I think each ofus was starting to struggle a little. Physically, wewent through a verbal check and all admitted thatour ankles and feet were hurting due to thepressure on the ankles and blisters.There was limited conversation between us, it wasjust a head down and plod on. Perhaps therealisation of the size of the actual distance of theAfter a 15-minute stop, three of us (Jim, Richard andI) we were off again to cover another 26-mile leg.Unfortunately, after refilling all your water bottlesmy pack was once again a couple of kg heavierwhich wasn’t much fun.We headed out of London through Richmond andinto an area I am partially familiar with having runthe Thames Path100 a few times. I had the routeprogrammed into my Garmin with a marker forbridge crossings and I didn’t need to refer to mymap as I could keep a quick glance on my watch toremind me of the bridge crossings.115 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTT184 ENDURANCE RUNtime the Reading Park run was starting and got afew waves and cheers from a few Park runners whorecognised me which was great and ran through thePark run finish line first (as everyone had justheaded out) to mock cheers and applause.Through Reading I had to battle my way throughthe Festival crowds who all seemed to be coming inthe opposite direction. Not that it affected my pacein any way but I was pleased to eventually get pastthem.event was starting to take root in our minds.After a couple of hours of marching both Jim andRichard got to a point where they wanted to pausefor a while. I carried on by myself at a steady paceand had one navigational issue during the middleof the night where I missed a turn. This took meaway from the Thames Path and I ended up on aroad which upon checking my map ran parallel tothe Thames Path and the route appeared to crossfurther up. I headed onwards and got back onto thepath about 10 minutes later so no big deal but alittle annoying I missed a turn I should havespotted.I managed to catch up with a couple of guystravelling together and was grateful for theircompany, we eventually split up and I was back bymyself trudging along the route. The doubts werealready starting to creep as I carried on, the pacewas slowing down and I was feeling pretty fatigued.I decided I was going to stop at the nextCheckpoint and try and have some rest and sleep.The distance between Reading and Streatley was 12miles and it took me 4 hours to get there which wasa pretty depressing thought only halfway into therace. I was seriously starting to think about quittingthe race. I bumped into Trudy Benzie (the RD’s wife)as I passed near her home in Whitchurch and shekindly tried to lift my mood but I was strugglingwith this today.I trudged through Reading and eventually arrived atthe Streatley Checkpoint which was being mannedby my local running club the Reading Joggers. Islumped into a chair at the Checkpoint cooked upsome porridge and then had a brief doze for 30minutes or so. The guys at the Checkpoint weregreat trying to lift my mood and to be honest if ithadn’t been for people I knew being there I wouldhave probably quit at that point.I headed out and carried along towards the nextCheckpoint which was a massive 30 miles away inOxford. It was mid afternoon and I knew that II got to Henley about 6am in the morning, tooksome water to fill up my bottles, took off my shoesand climbed into my bivvy bag on a park bench andtried to sleep which was unsuccessful. I couldn’tsuccumb to sleep and elected to carry on. Wavinggoodbye to the crew I headed off towards the nextCheckpoint at Streatley through my hometown ofReading.I managed to arrive at Thames Valley Park by the116 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTT184 ENDURANCE RUNcouple of <strong>Ultra</strong> runs who was out on the ThamesPath with his family and we spoke briefly. I admittedI was pretty much done.The only last resolve I had was the thought aboutletting my family, friends and other runners down.The self-belief I had built up over 15 x 100+ milerfinishes was being stripped away. Speaking toMartin and admitting I was done made it easier forme to stop (not that I blame you Martin!), it was thefirst the first step in admitting your failure to theworld and so I decided to quit, I just couldn’t facecontinuing the race in some discomfort for another20-30 hours. To be clear, the physical discomfortwasn’t great but I mentally just gave up.wouldn’t get to the next Checkpoint until well intothe night. I started to get into a habit of stopping atevery bench for a sit down and so the pace reducedeven further to 2-3mph.Jim and I had been exchanging the odd text to seehow we were both doing, I was desperately hopinghe would catch me up for some much neededcompany as I was in a real black hole now.I spent the next 5 hours covering about 14 milesand spent all of this agonising over whether I reallywanted to continue. Physically, my feet wereblistered and ankles and achilles were sore but Ihave ground out results in the past in a similarphysical condition and probably could have done itagain. I had 70 miles to go and still had 50 hours tocomplete this even at the slow pace I was travellingat with a couple of decent sleep breaks it wasperfectly doable, uncomfortable physically butdoable but I didn’t fancy it. I really didn’t fancyputting myself through a long uncomfortable walk.The memory of doing the same thing at the NDW100 two weeks ago was a little too fresh, thethought of going into a second night without sleepwas not appealing, the memory of marching thelast 60 miles of the GUCR with blistered feet and aninjured knee was at the back of my mind.I trudged on but every moment I was trying toreason why I should carry on. The small flame thatrepresents motivation and desire was graduallyflickering away as I started to solely focus on all thewrong thoughts and emotions. I wasn’tcompartmentalising the race into manageablesegments, I wasn’t distracting my mind with otherthoughts, music or conversation and that smallflame was extinguishing until it eventually wentout. I bumped into Martin Pether who I’ve met on aI spoke to my wife, Sally-anne and we had a prettyemotional phone call where I confirmed mydecision to quit. Sal made every effort to persuademe to carry on, she believed in me at a point when Ididn’t believe in myself but I was done, it was over.It was a pretty uncomfortable phone call to behonest especially when speaking to my youngDaughter and telling her I was stopping, I wasn’tgood enough today and her reply was “…But Daddy,you always finish the races.” That was hard to take.I phoned the Race Director Shane although didn’tget through first time and I then phoned and texteda few close friends to confirm I was quitting.Strangely I felt some responsibility to tell a fewpeople I was giving up today, I guess I was givingmyself a hard time over my decision. I wasn’tlooking for sympathy; I just felt some obligation toadmit my failure. Shane called me back and hekindly arranged a pickup for me at a Pub where Ihad stopped. Unfortunately, there was a bit of await as the support teams were responding toseveral dropouts at different points in the race but Itold him I was going to go for a meal in the Pub andwarm up so I wasn’t a high priority if others were inmore need. I was eventually collected by MarkSewell who was on transport duties andtransported home (as I lived close by) which wasvery much appreciated, thanks Mark.Congratulations to Karen Hathaway for winning therace in around 48 hours, she looked pretty strongwhen I saw her out on the course. A massive welldone and respect to anyone who finishes this race,definitely a tough one with the distance and selfsufficiencyaspects. I’m sorry I wasn’t good enoughon the day. Also thanks to the 50+ volunteers whogave up their time and helped support the eventand runners which was very much appreciated.117 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


ULTRA TALES COMPETITION<strong>Issue</strong> <strong>13</strong> CompetitionWin an Ultimate Direction FASTPACK 20 BackpackThanks to our kind sponsors the ULTRAmarathonRunningStore we have an Ultimate Direction FASTPACK 20Backpack to give away in this issue’s competition.To be in with the chance to win this prize please answer the following question.COMPETITION QUESTION:Have a look at the Ultimate Direction FASTPACK 20 Backpack product page at the link below and tell us “What is theminimum and maximum volume capacity specification in litres of the new Fastpack 20 from UltimateDirection?”http://www.ultramarathonrunningstore.com/Ultimate-Direction-FASTPACK-20-Backpack-p/udfastpack20.htmPlease email your answer to the ultratalescompetition@gmail.com address by 7pm UK time Friday 14thNovember 2014. One entry per person please. There is no need to send personal contact details, we willcontact the winner after they have been randomly selected.118ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTT184 ENDURANCE RUNT184 ENDURANCE RUNBY KAREN HATHAWAYThe T184 is a self-supported non-stop racecovering the full length of the Thames path. 184miles starting at the Thames Barrier in centralLondon and finishing at the source of the RiverThames in the Cotswolds. August 22nd 2014 wasthe first time runners would set of on this epicjourney, and I was really excited to be one ofthem.Looking back I had wanted to be part of this race assoon as I read about it, it was the unsupportedaspect and the sheer scale of the event which did itfor me, I didn’t realise at the time, but this was tobe one of my most proudest moments, and onewhich I almost didn’t start.KarenHathawayT184 Endurance RunResultFinish Time47hrs 18minsFinish Position1/15 Finishers (54 DNF)Like a lot of people, pre-race preparations did notgo to plan, having run well earlier in the year I wasfrustrated to fall unwell in the lead up to race day,had this been a training weekend there was no wayI would have run, but this was the race I’d beenlooking forward to for months; The race wherefriends and family could track us and feel a part ofthe experience; The race which had introduced meto bivvy bags and different styles & sizes ofrucksacks.The brilliant guys at Activ8 Rehab had worked hardon getting me new orthotics which I’d requested in119 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTT184 ENDURANCE RACEa last minute pre-race panic, realising my old pairwouldn’t last the course. I’d spent weeks reccing thelatter stages of the route and I really wanted to seehow far I could go. In summary, there was no way Iwas going to miss this.The evening before the race the kind people of theThames Head pub were happy for me to leave mycar there, deal sealed, I was running and I wasgoing to get to the finish.Traffic into London was pretty good Friday morning,I arrived in plenty of time to check in, get sorted,and spot a fellow racer Andy Saville, who I’d met ina previous race. I wasn’t selected for a random bagsearch, but I knew the contents inside and out, I’dchecked it myself so many times:8000 calories, Bivvy Bag, Full waterproofs, Compass,Maps, First aid kit, electrolytes, silver foil blanket,Head torch, batteries, long sleeve top, leggings, hat,gloves, and glasses.The briefing Shane gave was great, there were 7checkpoints, we could take additional water fromlock taps which were marked on the provided maps,we should expect a few diversions off the path, andour GPS trackers where all good to go, all that wasleft to do was walk down to the Thames Path, and acountdown to get us started.The first 5 miles were brilliant, it was the furthest I’drun in weeks, I took that as a good sign, and carriedon chatting with Andy who I’d found myself runningalongside, the second 5 miles however were prettygrim, I felt ill, uncomfortable, and having to workhard just to run at a steady pace. We were walkingfor 5 mins on the hour which was a relief and Ienjoyed the break, I was worried I was slowing Andydown, and told him to go on, but he was happy tokeep it slow and steady, with 174 miles ahead ofyou slow and steady sounded a good idea.The first checkpoint was a welcome sight, and to betold we were high up in the field was encouraging.We stayed just long enough to take on more waterand refill the waist pockets with food. Andy wasgiving me a guided tour of the city, which was anice distraction, I was focusing too much on howmy body felt rather than being part of the race andwhen we met up with some other runners I wasreally not in a happy place. At <strong>13</strong> miles we werecheered on by, who I thought was, a ratherenthusiastic random chap, but who was in fact afriend of Andy’s who worked close by. It was a nicereminder that this was a race and was good to hearthe tracking was picking us up, as his pocketbleeped with our live progress.I could happily waffle on for the next 60 miles, interms of scenery - it was incredible. We had leftLondon, passed through Hampton, Windsor, andHenley. We’d gone through a night, I’d used waymore batteries than planned due to a faulty batch, Iwas struggling with bruised shoulders from myrucksack and having to pad them out with my extralayers, but in terms of how I felt, I was feelingstronger than ever. Coming into Goring I was nowinto familiar territory, and felt much more positive.I had been on this part of the course before andrace mode kicked in, we were about to reach theGoring Checkpoint which is 100 miles, and it waslooking possible to reach it in just under the 24hrmark, but I mean just, we sped up for a mile or two,but accepted in the grand scheme of things, it wasa nice idea, but realistically it wasn’t our main goal.We ran into the Checkpoint and stayed a littlelonger than the other ones to make sure we werefully stocked; this was a sleeping checkpoint, butneither of us really wanted to rest here, we ran outof the checkpoint then promptly walked to finishingadjusting packs and finish eating my possibly 6thflapjack.The ground was different now, the tow path turnedto grass, things were progressing a little slowerthan intended, especially when a diversion took usinto a farm and we had to back track to get back onthe route. The frustration hit us hard and got usquite down about things, so we decided we neededa pep talk and took 5 mins to actually sit down andsort our heads out.We were passed whilst sitting down by anotherracer, Kieron, this was going to have to be some peptalk to bring our spirits back up.Back on our feet we needed to walk a little moreand it took a while to get back up to pace, my legs120 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTT184 ENDURANCE RUN121 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTT184 ENDURANCE RUNpreferred to run than walk, and definitely did notenjoy the change between the two.We were slowing a bit so after 110 miles I was goingto have to make an awful decision, I tried again witha pep talk, “this is our challenge, it’s how we dealwith this now that counts, we chose to do this raceso we need to do something” I left it as long as Icould, but I was running away from Andy withoutmeaning to, I knew I would have to leave him. Ididn’t want to upset him, had it been the other wayround I would have wanted him run his own race,however I still felt awful even when he said heunderstood and to go on.I was now in 3rd and was hoping that as I caughtKieron so would Andy. No offense intended toKieron, I just really wanted Andy to do well, I owedhim such massive thanks.A while later Kieron caught me up, I hadn’t seen himas he had been sheltering from some pretty heavyrain and was now back up to speed. We bothheaded towards the next checkpoint, we wererunning together at times, but also a bit of cat andmouse and trading positions. I was now completelyfocusing on what I needed to do, how far was leftand telling myself that this was now just a 50 milerace, no more negativity, I could feel my energybuilding up, I felt refreshed and eager to reach thenext checkpoint and cross another one off my list.Kieron had said he was thinking of resting at thenext checkpoint, and I hoped Andy would haveploughed on and would gain strength from gettingto the checkpoint and running himself into 3rd.At the checkpoint as I was told I was now an houraway from the leader, I felt great, nothing matterednow except catching him, I sorted my bag and left,it wasn’t long before I had to stop and get a headtorch out, which I wished I’d done at the checkpointand saved myself the additional stop. From now onevery minute mattered, I was full on racing, but stillso cautious I was on the right path.I was then stopped and asked if I had time for aquick chat, it was one of the race organisers, whomI’m very glad I stopped for when he told me I wasnow in the lead! Sadly the leader had to pull out, Iwas winning overall. An addition to the focus, nownavigation was even more key, just keep movingforward as quick as you can, and don’t go wrong!In the dark the path was hard to spot, I was nowtotally out in the open, the river, I was pretty sure,was on the correct side, but trees marking fieldcrossing could also have been a river and for amoment I was a little worried I’d gone wrong. Iclimbed far enough down the grass verge to be sureit was in fact the river I was following as the fog wasnow really thick, making the head torch fairlyuseless.I was cold, wet, and concerned my head torchwould run out of battery, I was down to the lastone, I swapped to my spare hand torch which wasbetter in the fog, but as the route veered away fromthe river and crossed fields on the diagonal, I had tohope there was a gate with a Thames path markeron it, I really did not want to back track, I actually122 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTT184 ENDURANCE RUNwasn’t sure I could.By now the only walking I was doing now was onthe inclines, which on the Thames path isn’t thatmany, though this far into the race what is classedas an incline is all pretty relative.The next section was now marked with tape, which Iwas grateful for, the way markers are good but it’smuch easier to spot red tape then double check it’sstill a Thames Path sign, especially when havingbeen up since very early Friday morning and it wasnow a rather damp and misty Sunday morning.It didn’t quite dawn on me until afterwards that Ihad manage to get through the whole race with norest, I’d had a few caffeine tablets but had cut outall caffeine months before the race in the hope theywould have more effect than normal, which seemedto have worked well, but what really kept me goingwas this overwhelming drive to just keep moving.I had nothing in my head except get to the nextgate, round the next corner, to the end of the roadturn right… total focus, and clear the mind of anydoubt.In my mind’s eye I tried to see what I looked like,mainly to check I still had a running stride (I’ve gotso many photos at the end of a race where in myhead I’m still ‘running’, but in reality it’s a shufflebarely worth calling that) I was already visualisingthe finish, I was determined on the drive back homethat I would look back on every part of this last 20miles and know I could not have done any more.In the lead and the sun coming up, It really did feellike I was flying, I hit the last checkpoint at a sprint,I was so excited, and with 16 miles to go, the feelingwas unbelievable. I left all food I wasn’t going toeat, having carried it this far I found food in my bagI’d forgotten about, I readjusted my shoulder pads,and left for the last stretch.I remember this leg the best, probably because Ihad covered this part on a training run in bothdirections. I had dreamed of being here. I was told Iwas safely going to win it, but now I wanted to beunder 48 hours, I thought I could go under 47, Itried, but I did just a little too much walking tomake that time.One section which I walked (looking back is nowcomical, at the time not so much) was due to cows.I am not great at running through fields of cows,kind of silly , but in this instance it wasn’t justgiving a few a wide berth, the entire herd wereblocking my path.123 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTT184 ENDURANCE RUNThe only way to go was through a gap betweentrees which they were inconveniently blocking. Istopped, approached slowly, they didn’t evenbudge. I got nearer and realised I would just have togo through them, they allowed me to passed, butthen closed ranks and followed me up the hilltowards the gate, I walked faster and thought for amoment I would have to sprint for the gate, theyweren’t that far behind when I fumbled the lock andgot through.No more dramas thankfully, it was now a case offocusing on getting to the finish, my shoulders weresore but manageable, I had a large blister on theside of my heel which had popped ages ago, butwas not bothering me enough to do anything aboutit, certainly not this close to the finish. It felt like Iwas running on empty, I was still working hard onthe sections which were runnable and marching outthe parts which were not, every single step wasgetting me closer to the finish.Even though I knew this section, parts went on alittle longer than I remembered, but I was gettingthere and that’s all that mattered.made the night sections easier, it was onlyafterwards when I looked online at the facebookpage was I able to see just how much support therewas for the race.The two weeks leading into the race it was touchand go whether I would start the T184 at all, I owemassive thanks as always to Les Flitcroft and PranicHealing, (a complimentary therapy, similar to howthe Chinese use Qigong, which uses the energyaround us, and has changed the way I approachevery challenge) It’s helped me deal with failures,and successes, and see them for what they are. Nowfor me, each race is a lesson and this was certainlyno exception.This race was tough, the statistics prove that, butlooking at how many people are wanting to give itanother go, it was a race that gave so much, andone I will definitely come back to. Everyoneinvolved from the organisers, volunteers andcompetitors help make it an experience like nonother, a massive thank you to everyone, andcongratulations to all those who compete in thetruly remarkable T184.There was no way I was going to finish this racedressed like an 80’s reject, call me vain, but Istopped and the shoulder pads were retired, theriver was now reassuringly reduced in stature, Iknew I had missed the sub 47 hour goal, but wasnow working on getting in under 48.To see I only had just a couple more fields to go wasincredible, a few more gates, a large dog to avoid,and then I was met by one of the organisers on abike who rode alongside me until I entered the finalfield.I could see the T184 banners, Shane, supporters andmost importantly the stone signifying the start ofthe Thames, but our finish. A final push and I wasthere, 184 miles, the outright winner in 47:18 Icouldn’t believe it, absolutely over the moon, it hadbeen every part the epic journey in the mostfantastic cliché of ways.The tracker was great, not once did I feel alone,when you know that friends, family, team mates areall following you it was a huge boost, definitely124 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


Paul Ali presents this issues “DNF Corner” article..DNF CornerBy Paul AliWell this was an article I didn’t really ever want towrite but I can’t ask others to write about their ownexperiences if I’m not prepared to do the same.As you will have seen from the recent race report Ididn’t finish the T184 Endurance race and this bloglooks at the reasons why and my lessons learnedfrom this experience.The DNF MomentThe T184 is a new race on the <strong>Ultra</strong> runningcalendar and something a little different, the eventinvolves a 184 mile run/jog/walk/crawl the fulllength of the Thames Path from the Thames Barrierin London to the source near Kemble. This is a selfsufficiencyrace with competitors being required tocarry all food and equipment with the exception ofwater which is provided at Checkpointsapproximately every 25 miles although there arelocks along the route which can also be used. Nopacers, or support crew are permitted either. It’sbasically a long tough old slog.I took part in the T184 two weeks after a miserableeffort at the North Downs Way 100 and got to the100 mile point in about 25 hours. Mentally andphysically I was fatigued, my feet hurt, my ankleswere swollen from carrying the weight of a packand my achilles was sore. I wasn’t happy, I wasn’tthat usual smiling cheeky chirpy chappy, I wasn’tenjoying ultra running… I was pretty much ready tothrow in the towel here.However, the checkpoint was being manned by mylocal running club and it’s pretty hard to admitdefeat right in front of your fellow club mates and Idozed for half an hour, ate, sorted out my gear andthen trudged on for another 14 miles beforeeventually giving up and quitting. I wasn’t having agreat time physically but don’t expect any of theother competitors were either and I’ve finishedraces pretty beaten up physically, this time, I justdidn’t have the mental strength to get it done onthis occasion.The 5 hours it took me to walk 14 miles towards thenext Checkpoint was spent in a dark place, thinkingthose negative thoughts, thinking about the 70miles I had to cover, thinking that it could take meup to 30 hours to complete this event. I wasgradually sinking into a black hole of despair. Iworked myself into a such a state that I couldn’t seemyself finishing the race and convinced myself thatquitting was the only sensible option. A couple ofphone calls to a couple of people at the time wasnot enough to give me a lift, a bit of motivation ordesire at all.There are no excuses that I did it because of aninjury and there are no excuses that I am savingmyself for the next race, I quit because I wasn’tmentally strong enough on this occasion. I doaccept that I wasn’t physically ready for this raceafter lots of recent races and a lack of training butwith 70 miles to cover in 30 hours during the race Icould have walked it in.125 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by theNOT IN A HAPPY PLACE!http://


ARTICLEDNF CORNERThe Next Few DaysAfter a good nights sleep and some rest therecomes that period of annoyance and regret. Whenyou look at the cold hard facts and rational thoughtof how far you got into the race and the time youhad left to complete it you start to question whyyou gave in so easily.The T184 race had each competitor GPS tracked andfollowing the race online and seeing Facebookupdates from people there was a mixture ofemotions from satisfaction and delight to seeingother competitors finish this race and completetheir journey along with some regret at my ownlack of effort and a slight tinge of jealousy that I hadfailed and others had succeeded. It was tough toaccept this for a couple of days. I spent the extratime I had at home updating the <strong>Ultra</strong> <strong>Tales</strong> websiteso at least I was doing something constructive!“It sucks, but you’ll getover it and learn from theexperience”.I was pretty open with my failings and it was nice toreceive a few messages of support from peoplealong the lines of “It sucks, but you’ll get over it andlearn from the experience”. To put things inperspective it’s no big deal when compared toother hardships or challenges people sometimesface in the real world. However, for someone who ispassionate about their running it does hurt for a bitand I experienced several moments of regret overthe next week when I had a little flashback to thatmoment I quit.A few people suggested it was the “right thing todo” if you were feeling beat up. I appreciate thesentiment but I disagree. For me, it was the wrongthing to do as completing the race was possible andI will regret it… but I will have to accept it.Lessons LearnedThat feeling of regret fades over a period of time asyou start to get back into training and focus on thenext event. After a period of reflection, it was timeto think about some of the lessons learned from theexperience. This really is the point of this article togive people a heads up about the lessons learnedfrom the experience.* The obvious point is that the T184 was one racetoo many for me this year. In all honesty this resulthas been looking more and more likely with a lackof proper preparation and training due to too manyother races. I had trained well for my first 100 miler(The Thames Path 100) in May and since then I haverun the GUCR, South Downs, North Downs and dueto these races have not put in my usual levels oftraining since then. A look at my training logshowed I hadn’t run over <strong>13</strong> miles in the twomonths before the T184, not ideal. Nor wascompleting another 100 miler less than two weeksbefore this one!The lesson learned from the experience is to spreadout your races and give yourself time to recover,train and taper. My original plan for 2014 was theCenturion Grand Slam, I should have just stuck withthis and need to start saying “No” when a few raceideas are suggested.* Race approach. Due to other races, this wasn’t an‘A’ race and I went in with a relaxed attitude, noproper race plan just a broad window of when Ithink I would finish and just to enjoy and finish theevent. I did the same with the Thames Ring andsuffered mentally, I did the same at this race andquit.This follows on from the above point. Greater focuson preparation on a race of this nature is required. Iwas simply too casual about it, knowing it wasn’t afocus race and thinking I could “walk it in”regardless of how I felt. I think I lacked a bit ofdesire, motivation and purpose.. it was simplyanother race on the calendar. This was a world apartfrom my approach to say the Spartathlon last yearwhere it was my absolute goal for the year.* Sleep breaks. I hadn’t really slept when I stoppedbut with my (lack of) form with night time eventsshould probably plan to try and get some decentsleep breaks. I was probably in a sleep deprivedstate heading into a second evening leading toirrational thoughts. Before the Thames Ring I was126 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


ARTICLEDNF CORNERgiven some advice for a multi-night event to get atleast an hours sleep on the first night when yourbody is most tired (around the 4-5am time) and Isurvived 3 nights on 1hr, 1hr and 2hrs sleep andthis worked ok for me.So my lesson learned is probably to plan for more ofa sleep, consider sleeping when I most need it andnot just at an arbitrary Checkpoint and perhapspsyche yourself up for actually being out for the fullduration of the event. I was thinking I would bedone by 55-60 hours and wasn’t expecting orprepared to be out for longer.* I was pretty happy with my kit and food selection,I had my pack down to a decent weight andwouldn’t change much here. My best piece of kitwas the Montane Fireball Smock insulated jacketwhich kept me warm when I needed (stopping orgoing slowly during the night) although I might adda very lightweight sleeping bag if I’m planning onusing sleep breaks more.* Looking after your feet, ankles and achilles. Thesewere the issues which starting to cause discomfortand create the doubt in my mind. I should haveworn a slightly bigger shoe as my toes rubbed andblistered and my feet had swollen despite tapingmy feet/being hydrated/taking electrolytes.Practicing with the full kit more would possibly getyou more used to the weight. Perhaps there’s evenan argument for using poles if this helps takes a %of the weight off your feet.The lesson learned is to practice more with my kitand get used to the weight. In future, I shouldspend some time running or even just hiking with aheavy pack.and one of you says, I’m feeling good I will go onahead and then for the next couple of hours you arerunning by yourself and can see that same personhalf a mile ahead or behind you? Is it worth it beinga few minutes ahead or behind?To summarise, I didn’t do the things I wouldnormally do to prepare myself for this sort of event.I got a little complacent thinking I could walk therace in and it didn’t work out. I’ve just got to acceptthe reasons for my failings and make sure I put thisresult right in the future.When I used to play football, you sometimes lostgames but there was always that chance to put aresult right the very next week. With ultra running,you’ve got to wait at least a whole year for a race tocome round again and that can feel a littlefrustrating but it’s something I will use as amotivation when I tackle the race again.Whilst the lessons learned are the key points of thearticle for the audience. No matter how much youwant to, you can’t change the result and writing thisarticle gives me the opportunity to draw a lineunderneath this experience and move on.I think I’m ready for a few wisecracks from MessrsAdams, Chambers, Pinnington & Stout now!Paul AliBlogwww.ultraavon.comTwitter@<strong>Ultra</strong>Avon* One thing which is overlooked for this sort of raceis the strength you get within a group of likemindedpeople. I had run with a couple of guys forthe first 15 hours but we decided to go our own wayon the first night. 15 hours later after hardlyspeaking to a soul I was craving some company. Youhave to be prepared to complete these events byyourself but if there is an opportunity to buddy upfor an event of this nature I would consider that anadvantage. How often do you run with someone127 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014http://


RIDGEWAY CHALLENGEEVENT REPORT | RICHARD STILLIONRIDGEWAY CHALLENGERace Organiser: Trail Running AssociationWebsite Link: www.tra-uk.org/ridgeway-challengeDate of Event: 23rd-24th August 2014Event Type: Single StageDistance: 85 milesLocation: Ivinghoe Beacon to Avebury, WiltshireDescription: Race along the Ridgeway National trailRace Results: http://www.tra-uk.org/files/downloads/Ridgeway%20Challenge%202014%20-%20Final%20Results.pdf128 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thePHOTOGRAPH | RICHARD STILLIONhttp://


EVENT REPORTRIDGEWAY CHALLENGERIDGEWAY CHALLENGEBY RICHARD STILLIONThe Ridgeway, something in the region of 5,000years old, was a trading route spanning from theDorset Coast to The Wash in Norfolk. It is now aNational Trail in the region of 87 miles longbetween Ivinghoe Beacon, near Aylesbury inBuckinghamshire, to Overton Hill, near Swindon,in Wiltshire. This race was to finish in Aveburyinstead of Overton Hill.The first time I ran the Ridgeway was 2012 overthree days and I remember thinking to myself –could I run the Ridgeway all in one go, to which theanswer, which I vividly remember, was NO! Strangethen that a little while ago the credit card came outand I entered the TRA 86 Mile Challenge.I trained pretty well throughout the year, butsummer holidays arrived and, whether I’m makingexcuses or not, I just didn’t train very well in themonth leading up to this race. Not only running,but gym core work went out of the windowsomewhat. I also managed a cake or two on holidaywith an ice cream chaser so a little paunch wasborn. So, not the best preparation, but I felt fitenough, I’d never enter it if I didn’t.Richard StillionThe race had two start time options, one at 10amand one at midday. Tim Mitchell (RD) had put therace in for UTMB points with a delightful 3 points129 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://Bloghttp://richyla.wordpress.comTwitter@RichylaRichardRidgeway ChallengeResultFinish Time24hrs 0minsFinish Position44/54 Finishers


EVENT REPORTRIDGEWAY CHALLENGEawarded as a result, but you had to start at 12 tocollect the points, so a midday start it was.I hadn’t started a race so late in the day before now,usually they start at some ungodly early hour, sonormally I don’t sleep for fear of lying in, wedge aton of porridge down my throat then start the racestill half asleep. So a midday start meant a lie-in, soto speak, but I wasn’t sure how to fuel, as myporridge may have worn off by midday, so I made apasta salad in preparation. I can’t say I was in themood to eat it, but I forced it down anyway.It’s been a pretty hot summer and I’ve taken part ina few races trying not to melt. Thankfully theconditions for the Saturday and Sunday of the racewere absolutely ideal. 15c or so, and clear skies atnight – maybe a little chilly, but providing I’ve gotmy drop bag filled with suitable warm stuff, itshouldn’t be a problem.My wife and three children saw me off and leftbefore the start – no need to hang around. I sawNeil Thubron (the XNRG RD) who was racing andsaid hello to him. It wasn’t too long before we hadthe race briefing and soon we were heading to thestart from the car park – I was worn out before I gotthere!The race started at 12 and I just stayed at the back. Iwas going to take this one very steadily – thefurthest I’ve run before this was 50 miles, so I wasn’tfully sure what to expect – just break the race downinto check points.The going was really good and before long we werein Wendover which led to a long walk up to CoombeHill and the Boer War Memorial, which commandssome stunning views and you can also seeChequers – the Prime Minister’s country residence.The check points came and went and the foodavailable was incredible and the volunteers wereabsolutely amazing, they couldn’t do enough foryou. In the early stages I’d really made a point ofnot sitting down – beware the chair, being a bit ofan ultra maxim. Sadly, that wasn’t to last as will beseen.I was feeling very good in the early stages. Ibumped into Neil Thubron again and ran with himfor a while until I couldn’t keep up with him anymore. The sky began to bruise and there followed avery heavy rain/hail shower. It cooled me downquite nicely to be honest and it didn’t last long.There was a lady I kept seeing at different points inthe race who wasn’t running, but she keptencouraging me – thank you, whoever you were! Imet her again just before the Watlington CheckPoint which marked the marathon mark. My legsfelt a bit sore at this point, but I shoved a jamsandwich down and got going again. I was trying toget to Goring – the mid-stage – before dark.I don’t know where I was, but there was a particularplace where Didcot and the White Horse Vale cameinto view, which was a great psychological boost. Iused to dislike the cooling towers, but I nowappreciate them as a landmark, so it seems a shameto see them go. Thankfully they’ve beenimmortalised by the Didcot Runners as their logo!The weather cleared again and I went up a hill thendown towards Grim’s Ditch. There was a part wherethe trees were quite low and formed a canopy and Idisturbed a sparrow hawk at this point – I could seeit flying in the canopy for quite a way before itfound a gap, what a graceful bird, beautiful. It’s anice long downhill to Grim’s Ditch and I reallyenjoyed this part. Just running.Grim’s ditch was done and the next stage was tohead for the Thames, which was flat calm when Ireached it. I met up with a runner here with aretina-burning orange cap and chatted with himinto Goring.How many times can you praise the volunteers inone blog? Not enough! We reached the hall inGoring and the volunteers saw us across the roadand into the hall. They took us to a chair and askedus what we wanted to eat and drink. They got mydrop bag for me. They just couldn’t do enough tohelp. Just incredible.<strong>13</strong>0 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTRIDGEWAY CHALLENGEDARK CLOUDS DISAPPEARING AS THE SUN COMES OUT AGAINI changed into cold weather clothing now as nighthad truly fallen and the next stage was up on theridge. I left around 9ish – halfway and feeling prettygood. I decided I would walk to loosen up a bit andclimbed the long uphill out of Streatley. I switchedoff my head torch around this part to have a goodlook at the stars as it was totally dark with no moon.I know this part of the Ridgeway well, but in thedark, it threw me a little bit in parts, but no wrongturns, it’s just that some places seemed further toget to than I would have expected. I got to BuryDowns with another check point, but it was here Istarted to break a cardinal rule – the chair! I try notto sit down, but thought it okay to do so at Goringas that was inside. The check point was, again,excellent, a bit of soup and tea and away toSparsholt Firs. I was overtaken by about four peoplenear this point which I found a bit disheartening,but their pace seemed very quick and I couldn’tunderstand why they weren’t ahead of me already. Idid ask the fourth guy and he said he’d taken awrong turn. Fair enough.Long before I’d got to Sparsholt Firs Check Point,Nathan Montague had finished the race and set anew TRA course record to boot – 12 hours and <strong>13</strong>minutes, outstanding and a massivecongratulations to him!So, I sat down again at Sparsholt Firs. More foodand tea and thank yous and off I went to my ownback yard where I regularly train. I felt very goodhere and went for it – well as far as going for it is forme. Bad idea. I should have kept my discipline andkept a slower pace. I walked up Foxhill to the checkpoint and my quads really started to seize. I satdown again which really was the biggest mistake,but what could I do, I felt I really needed to rest. Itwas cold up on the top and I think getting out ofthe chair really put paid for me. Another kindvolunteer walked out with me and wished me luck. Iwalked down hill and felt like my legs wereloosening up, so started a bit of a shuffle. I crossed aroad and started the ascent up to Liddington Castleand felt the top of my left quad tighten. I’massuming I’d torn a hip flexor, but who knows?Daybreak was just kicking in here and I thought,well, 16 miles to go, 3 miles per hour is the averagewalk, shouldn’t be too bad….For the record, it took7 hours 15 minutes to finish for the last 16.miles,which equates to just over 2 miles per hour!So a briskish walk turned into a slower and slowerwaddle to hobble. I sat down again (you’d think I’dlearn) at the final check point at Barbury Castle.They were supportive and wished me well. Ithought I couldn’t move at all when I got up, butmanaged to move. On leaving the check point Iwent one way, but there was a grass bank about afoot high, so I went another way that was flatter.Coming down the other side of Barbury Castle must<strong>13</strong>1 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTRIDGEWAY CHALLENGEhave taken a good half hour. I was, by now, trying tolift my left leg by going on my right leg on tip toeand swinging the left leg through. Thankfullynothing was blistered. I phoned my wife to say I wason my way but “may be some time”. My mum anddad would be at the finish as well. A very nicecouple in a camper van offered me a cup of tea onHackpen Hill, but I declined for fear of seizing upaltogether.Towards the very end of the Ridgeway it is verybadly rutted. To demonstrate why this was so, a 4x4came chugging toward me, bouncing in and outand augmenting the ruts. It took me ages, just tohobble out of his way. I felt like giving the driversome abuse, but a quick glance suggested the sixfoot high and wide brick house wouldn’t take tookindly to it. On top of which my ability to run awaywas somewhat risible – the driver would have hadtime to stop, wash his hulk of a car, check his oil andtyre pressure before walking very slowly over to meto punch my lights out. Saying that, if he’d punchedmy lights out, I’d not be in pain any more.And so off the Ridgeway I sped – like a snail who’dhad a large Christmas dinner with three helpings ofpud and had decided to sleep off his dinner on acomfy sofa. I can’t remember how long I’d got,maybe forty minutes, before midday, which is whatI was aiming for. To add to my woes a number offarm vehicles drove down from a field, so I had toget out of their way as well. A pained expression onmy face may have been mistaken for a dirty look asone of the vans stopped, but I think the driverrealised very quickly as to what state I was in. Heasked if I wanted a lift? The temptation! Oooooh thetemptation! If you’ve read this far, then well done,but I’ll digress a little here if you don’t mind. I oncesaw a programme about SAS training where thegeneral public were invited to have a go if theythought they were hard enough. There was onepoint where the participants were “captured” andput through sleep deprivation which involved beingon your tip toes and stretching to a wall with whitenoise going on in the background. The “prisoners”were then taken to a room for questioning, but theyhad been told only to answer certain questions.Most people survived a few rounds of questioning,but after a while something was put on the tablewhich cracked most of them – they were told that ifthey gave information, they could have….a baconsandwich! Well, the offer of a lift was my baconsandwich. I stood up straight and puffed out mychest (hmmm…) and replied “No thanks, I’m avegetarian!” He drove off. The word “idiot” may havebeen heard, but it could have been a crow singingan aria for all I could tell at this point, pain andfatigue had started to fug the mind.Closer and closer to midday and I could now see myeldest son and wife near the first set of AveburyStones. Hobbling, hobbling. Attempting a quickhobble, but nope, back to slow hobble. Crossed theroad and there was a finish line on the ground. Icould now hear a clock bell chiming dong….dong…dong and I was there. Bang on 24 hours exactly. Cuethe waterworks! Nappy and dummy for Mr Stillion.My mum and dad, children and wife were all there.My son had filmed a bit of the end and I could hearhim asking if I was crying because I was happy or inpain. My other son said that I was crying because Iwas happy AND in pain. A lady from the last checkpoint had come to the finish and congratulated andhugged me and said how worried they all werewhen I’d left.“I was desperate to sitdown but it was toopainful. I ended up lying ina heap on the village hall”<strong>13</strong>2 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTRIDGEWAY CHALLENGEDESCRIBED AS THE HARDEST TWO METRES OF RICHARDS LIFEI was desperate to sit down but it was too painful. Iended up lying in a heap on the village hall floor,trying to eat a bacon sandwich and sip a cup of teasideways. And then I couldn’t get up again. Themedics helped me up and my wife pulled round thecar and I flopped in. No idea how I got out of the carwhen we got home. So, that’s it. My first 86 miler. Ifinished because it was my first race at that distanceand my family were at the finish and my son hadgiven me kind words before the start of the raceabout not giving up. So that’s why I carried on. Inhind-sight, it was extremely stupid to have done soand as much as I don’t regret my actions, I won’t dothat again. I don’t see the point in doing long terminjury for the sake of it. Amazingly, I did loosen upby the next day, but still in a bit of pain. I also feltpretty nauseous. On the good side – no chafing, noblisters either and a cracking t-shirt!I cannot thank everyone involved with this raceenough. From Tim Mitchell the RD, every aid stationvolunteer and all the back room staff who kept themachine very well oiled and updates, well, up todate.RICHARD FEELING PRETTY EXHAUSTED AT THE END<strong>13</strong>3 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


COURMAYEUR CHAMPEX CHAMONIX (CCC)EVENT REPORTS | CLARE HOLDCROFT, ANDY HUMPHREYCCCRace Organiser: UTMBWebsite Link: www.ultratrailmb.comDate of Event: 29th - 30th August 2014Event Type: Single StageDistance: 101km with 6100m of ascentLocation: Italy, Switzerland, FranceDescription: The CCC is one of the five races that formthe <strong>Ultra</strong> Trail du Mont Blanc and at 100km is oftenreferred to as the ‘little sister’ of the main UTMB race.Race Results: TO BE CONFIRMEDSTARTING THE CLIMB TO THE COL DE LA FERRAT<strong>13</strong>4 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTTHE CCCTHE CCCBY CLARE HOLDCROFTThe alarm rudely went off at 4.30am on themorning of Friday 29th August, and it was another15 minutes before I could drag myself out of bed.There was plenty of time, so I thought, as the taxiwasn’t picking my partner, Darren, and I up until6am. Surprisingly, how fast this went though. Halfasleep, I almost forgot to take my drop bag withme and had to go back into the apartment tocollect it.The taxi dropped us off in Chamonix, where we hada short wait for the Shuttle bus to Courmayeur. Itwas still dark but pleasantly warm. The journey tookabout 45 minutes much of which was taken up bydriving through the Mont Blanc tunnel, anexperience in itself. Once we arrived on the otherside of the tunnel in Italy, the views were onceagain, stunning. We were dropped off at a leisurecentre where everybody seemed to head for thetoilets. Unusually, the ladies toilet queue was muchsmaller than the men’s. I guess this isunderstandable when only <strong>13</strong>% of the field isfemale, so a few men had cheekily joined in theladies queue.Clare HoldcroftBlogwww.mountainsinmind.com/blogChiltern Way <strong>Ultra</strong> ResultFinish Time24hrs 20minsFinish Position983/1945 StartersWe then made our way to the start, which wasabout a 10 minute walk away and met up withanother friend who was running. It was now<strong>13</strong>5 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTTHE CCCbeginning to bustle, the music was loud and theatmosphere was friendly. Runners posed for photos,had last minute bites to eat and were wished ontheir way by friends and relatives. I said mygoodbyes to Darren as he wanted to get a goodplace in front of the start line. Soon everyone was inthe starting pens and getting ready. There was a lotof cheering, clapping and waving as theatmosphere was intensified by the comperes. Therace would begin in three waves. The first wave,there was a count down in Italian and the runnersset off on their way to Vangelis’ inspirational musicthe Conquest of Paradise.After another 10 minutes, following the FrenchMarseillaise, and with the count down in French thistime, wave two, which I was part of was on its way.The crowd was deafening, cow bells ringing, peoplewhooping and cheering. I spotted Darren filmingusing my pink iPad quite easily in the crowd. Thestart was easily en par with any of the big citymarathons that I’d run. A fabulous experience, onethat I’ll truly remember.As we left the town we started to climb almostimmediately, first on the road then on tracks andeventually on woodland trails. As the pathnarrowed and steepened, the pace slowed andthere was a lot of hanging around and taking it inturns to move forward. Many people had got theirtrekking poles out from the beginning but minewere tucked away in my bag, which was anadvantage at this point as it meant I was able toduck and dive flexibly around others. Soon weapproached a steep drop, where again the path wasvery narrow, slippy, rocky and steep. The build up ofpeople here was a little frustrating and othersstarted to try and find alternative routes but itwasn’t easy with the steep ground and trees. Wecontinued to climb and eventually the trees startedto thin and we came out onto steep open ground.Above the tree line, you could see the field ofrunners ahead winding their way up to the top. Thiswas the biggest single climb of the day fromCourmayeur at an altitude of 1210m to the top ofthe Tete de la tronche at 2500m.I didn’t stop at the mobile drinks station at the Tetebut continued the steady, grassy and unevendescent to the first major checkpoint at RefugeBertone. I had a swift couple of diluted cokes and aslice of a flapjacky-bar and continued on my way.The next section headed steadily up the valley untila short, sharp climb to reach Checkpoint 2 atRefuge Bonatti. I had a toilet stop here and somemore coke, flapjacky bar and a quick chat, before Iheaded on my way, once again heading up thevalley. The views were stunning but at times theclouds seemed a little menacing, luckily after a fewspit-spots of rain, it brightened up again as weheaded to Arnuva.I headed into the marquee checkpoint at Arnuvaand ate some cheese and pulled the bread out ofthe centre of four small pieces of baguette (thecrust was too tough!). I left the checkpoint, crossedthe river and headed up the valley where I knew thenext big climb was about to start. As I pulled mypoles out of my bag, little beknown to me, Darrenwas sat on a boulder higher up watching me startthe next climb. Just at that moment, he sneakily ranpast and surprised me by taking my photo. I wasn’texpecting him to meet me here so it was a nicesurprise. A quick kiss, another photo and Icontinued on my way. I felt strong on this climb,which passed really quickly to the Col de la Ferrat.At the top there was a small drinks and rest station,I didn’t stop and continued on straight through. Ifolded my poles as the descent looked good and Iknew it would be an opportunity for some fasterrunning on a narrow but well trodden path.At the La Fouly checkpoint, I changed my top, to along sleeved one as I felt it was getting cooler, filledmy water bladder, had some food and thencontinued on my way again. As I left the marquee Inoticed it was spitting with rain but then a 100mfurther up the road it got much heavier so I stoppedunder a shop canopy to put my waterproof jacketon. It rained on-and-off from this point onwardsuntil just before dawn the following morning.Further on I caught up with a friend and we chattedand ran together for a short while. I was lookingforward to the next checkpoint at Champex-Lac butdidn’t realise there was a 500m ascent beforehand.This seemed to take a while and during the ascent awave of nausea came over me. I knew I needed toeat some food. I’d been snacking on bars in my<strong>13</strong>6 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTTHE CCC<strong>13</strong>7 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTTHE CCCpocket all the way round but now I felt lacking inenergy, thirsty and sick.Upon arrival at Champex, the checkpoint was in abig marquee and was heaving with runners andsupporters. It felt very hot, which didn’t help withthe nausea. I tried to find a table to sit down at andhad to push my way through the crowded tent tofind a small space in the supporters area. I couldn’tsee Darren and because I was not feeling great, Ifelt a little despondent and low. I got a text fromhim to say he’d be there soon. I knew I needed toeat and went to get some pasta. I asked what thevegetarian option was and was looked at like I wasan alien! I was given a plain bowl of pasta minus thesauce so I added some cheese onto it and a littlesalt and made my way back to the table.The pasta made me feel much better and I gotmyself ready to go. Darren had now arrived and wasvery supportive. I changed my top again back toshort sleeve as I had felt too hot with both the longsleeve top and waterproof jacket and felt this hadcontributed to my nauseous feeling. I had actuallyspent an hour at this checkpoint, which I wasn’thappy with but it was the first sit-down that I’d hadand it helped me to regain my composure.I left the checkpoint and it was now dark andraining persistently. Another big climb ensuedthrough woodland then out into the open. I was ina steady stream of other runners all in single fileand at one point I struck up a conversation with anEnglish guy. The going under foot was like aquagmire through the mud and a lot of the otherrunners were slipping and sliding but I found it okwith the support of my poles and being used tothese conditions from back home. We skirted abovethe town of Martigny, which was lovely to lookdown on with its orange twinkly lights andeventually descended back through woodland. Thiswas the longest section between checkpoints at17km so it was a good feeling to arrive at Trient.Darren was here to support me and I had a cup oftea and some more bread (without the crust) andcheese and was soon on my way again. It wasstraight out of the checkpoint and into a very steepclimb of approx. 1000m. I took an energy gel abouthalf way up and then on the descent I was feelingpeckish so tried to eat a Nakd bar. This was awful, Icouldn’t swallow. I mushed each bite in my mouthand with every attempt to swallow I was gaggingand making horrible sounds. God knows what theother runners around me must have thought! Iconsumed 3/4 of the bar and that was as much as Icould manage but it did sustain me to Vallorcine.It was a short run in the dark through the village atVallorcine, where there was music playing andpeople were cheering as I arrived at the Checkpoint.Two more cups of tea, some bread and I waited touse the wooden compostable port-a-loos butpeople seemed to be enthroned on these so Idecided not to wait any longer as I could stopbehind a tree further on. I was nauseous still, butfelt positive here, knowing I could finish and washappy to get on my way and out into the night.The path made its way adjacent to a roaring riverand then beside the railway line gently ascendingto a road, where there was a intermediatecheckpoint and our numbers were checked. Wewere guided across the road, not that it was busy atthis unearthly time and we started the steep, rockyascent almost immediately. The line of head torchessnaking their way up the mountain was a sight I willnever forget but at the same time quite scary as Icould see the distance to be travelled and height ofthe torches so knew the amount of climbing thatwas required on this final ascent. ‘Come on Clare’, Isaid to myself, ‘get on with it!’ …and off I went. I feltstrong again and overtook a few other runners onthe ascent.Towards the top it was misty and the light wasbouncing back from my headtorch but then Inoticed that it was starting to get lighter. As itdawned, I was going at the same pace as a Frenchguy and almost simultaneously we took our eyes offthe path and looked to the left. We both said wow!We were in awe of the beautiful mountainscape inthe morning haze. The sharp rocky peaks wereprotruding through the clouds of the temperatureinversion in the valley below. It was truly stunning.Eventually, I arrived at La Flagere, the finalcheckpoint. The marquee was quiet. A few runnerswere sat down on chairs but I wanted to passthrough relatively quickly. I had a quick cup of<strong>13</strong>8 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTTHE CCCdiluted coke and most of a chocolatey-cereal barbefore heading out and past the ski lifts to start thelong descent down to Chamonix.When I say long descent, I mean long, it literallyseemed to go on forever. It was quite tricky inplaces with rocks and tree roots waiting to try andcatch you out. I stopped briefly to remove mywaterproof jacket as it was getting warmer thelower I got. Swiftly on my way again, it was nice toget off the trail and onto the tarmaced road ofChamonix. Not that I like tarmac, I knew I hadn’t gotthat much further to go to the finish then. I arrivedat the familiar site of the leisure centre and turnedright at the barrier. The piece of tape that Darrenhad tied to the barrier was still in place. Whilst wewere watching the OCC race earlier in the week atthis spot, we noticed a few runners were a littleuncertain of the direction at this point and theadditional tape helped them. There was now only1km left as I ran along the path adjacent to theriver. It was around 9.30am and people had comeout to watch and support. There were cheers ofsupport, clapping, shouting of ‘bravo’ andoccasionally I heard a ‘well done’ as the Union Jackon my race number was spotted.I was now running at a brisk and consistent pace.There were no other runners in front that I couldsee, and as I came into the town centre androunded the barriers and onto the finishingstraight, I noticed that Darren was filming from thesidelines. The finish line was in sight and my eyeswere focused on getting there.“No time for any frivolityuntil right at the end as Iraised my arms as I crossedthe line. I had finished. Iwas happy”No time for any frivolity until right at the end as Iraised my arms as I crossed the line. I had finished. Iwas happy.<strong>13</strong>9 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTTHE CCCPHOTOGRAPH | ANDY HUMPHREYTHE CCCBY ANDY HUMPHREYThe UTMB is surely a global race of suchdistinction that few others come close to theorganisation, the course, the depths of despairthat so many will have to endure to complete.Amazing people one and all who had managed toget to the start line, a high accolade to thosemaking the finish. Of course, it is not perfect. Anevent like this comes with some negatives. I wasgoing to start this write up with such words, theCCConga....long queues and seemingly miserablerunners, a focus on making money. But, once youget into the race it is truly difficult not to getwrapped up in the warmth and joy this large racehas to offer, to feel emotion and to realise you aretaking part in something pretty special that fewget to experience. To those that question whetherto do it. Sign up now and ensure you make a longweekend of it. Take in the ambiance of the townbefore and after, it does have that magical feel ofa big competition which few <strong>Ultra</strong>s could claim. Iwill though enjoy those quiet ultras immeasurablein the future.AndyHumphreyBlogwww.extremeandyh.blogspot.co.ukThe CCC ResultFinish Time22hrs 00minsFinish Position:600/1400 Finishers (500DNF)I had arrived a couple of days early and hadplanned a wild camp up the Aig d'Midi. But onmeeting Orla, an instantly likeable American, at theapartment I decided to stay in town, register for therace, enjoy the company and relax with a few drinksand a good meal, I was joined by more friends who140 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTTHE CCCwere in the valley, Jake and Melissa. We even sawTimmy Olson, Mike Wardian and others in the MBCbar.The day before Orla decided on a taper run!!!Nothing doing there for me. With the weatherlooking perfect I decided to meet Jake and Melissaup at Brevent and took an acclimatisation hike up toone of the smaller summits. The panoramas fromthis side of the valley must be hard to beat in theworld.Back in town I was introduced to Milan, a Czechliving in Holland with a great pedigree of epic ultrarunning. It was clear how international this racewas. People from 75 far afield nations had gatheredto compete in this iconic race.So, what of the race?Up early and sneaking out so as not to disturb theothers (Jan and Jiri had arrived late and crashed inthe lounge). I did not want to wake anyone as theseguys would have to be up shortly and run the raceof their lives in the UTMB, where stamina andmental strength would determine how long itwould take. The transfer to Courmayer was simple,quick and straight forward. In Italy there was notmuch to do for an hour. I rested up in the sports halland waited until the inevitable migration to thestart line.The CCC (Courmayer - Champex - Chamonix) racestats are crazy. A quick run down of the race; 101kmwith 6100m of vertical. The first 10km are uphill.Km's 30 to 50 are all down and from km60 onwardsit's steeply up, then down, up then down, up thenfinally down to the finish.Courmayeur - Tete de la Tronche : 10.4km /3hrs8mins / 1435m gain /1924th-1722nd (202places taken) -- It starts, slowly.1924 runners started. I began at the back, strangelyfor once with no 'issues', body felt good and thedreaded cold that seems to follow me on race daysdidn't make an appearance. The front was filled withcompression clad pros, the middle pack, congestedwith cladded hopefuls. The day was to be enjoyed,not ruined with the frustrations of dodging poles,elbows and people so I began my journey at the141 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014back of queue. Although impatience did get thebetter of me at times. Bottlenecks and queues werea given for the first ascent. In fact, I was caught upat some points by slower groups the entire race andthe last section into Chamonix was the only placethat no-one got in my way. But I was here tocomplete and not worry about a time or placing.The crowds added to the atmosphere and it gaveme a few opportunities to talk to fellow runners. Upto La Tronche I had a good chat with Sarah, a Kiwifrom Edinburgh. We set the political agenda righton the upcoming referendum then moved swiftlyon to more interesting conversation. Unfortunately,one of my overtaking manoeuvres separated us.Sarah was unable to follow and the gap soon grew.Finally after over 3hrs of slow slogging uphill weclimbed no more. We could enjoy the views andgive our thighs a brief breather.Tete de la Tronche - Refuge Bertone : 4.3km(14.7km) / 640m loss / 3hrs50 (42mins onsection) / 1639th (83) -- Lost time and views todie for.With such a slow pace there was no time to dawdle.We all set off on a fast paced exhilarating descentback down to the valley bottom. I'd hoped to seeSarah again at the CP and wish her luck but themass of people and the desire to keep movingpushed me on, taking a couple of pieces of cakewith me. I have learnt that by taking a large ziplockbag I can grab a few things and get going withoutwasting too much time. This worked, although Ialways grabbed too much and by the end itresembled a mush of 20 varieties of food stuffs.Refuge Bertone - Ref. Bonatti : 7.4km (22.1km) /320m gain 350m loss / 5hrs4 (1hr14) /1548th (91)-- La Valle BeautfulThe Aosta Valley is certainly breathtaking. Glacialfilled rivers, one side imitating a Welsh valley, theother showcasing the might of the Alps. Mt Blancwas shrouded in clouds but the Grandes Jorasses etal bared down on us with their menacing seracs androck walls. This section rolled and in the main wasrunable, when crowd dispersal allowed. A pleasantchat with a lad from North Face and the the next CPwas reached.Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTTHE CCCRef. Bonatti - Arnuva : 5.2km (27.4km) / 230mgain 370m loss / 6hrs (56mins) / 1476th (72) --Perfect trails.More enjoyable running to the head of the valleyand to a major CP where many runners (too many inmy opinion) were taking a respite. If this is what ittook to spread out the field then it works for me.Arnuva - Grand col Ferret : 4,4 km (31.8km) /770m gain 90m loss / 7hrs30 (1hr30) / 1412th(64) -- Ciao ItalieUp, Up and UP, we went. The poles came out. Betterto use them than carry them. Nearing the top theweather certainly started to turn. The cloudsdarkened and the wind whipped around us. Feelingthe altitude a few took refuge in the acclimatisationtents. Rich oxygen to re-energise their bodies andreturn them to the field. I certainly felt the altitudebut it never hit me hard thankfully. Taking sips ofwater would leave me gasping for breath for a fewmoments and then it would pass.I had now been going for 7hrs 30 and had done lessthan 32km. That's 20 miles. I now understood why itwould take so long to complete this race. Theterrain continually working you hard and slowingyou down.G Col Ferret - La Fouly : 10.1km (41.9km) / 235mgain 1140m loss / 8hrs53 (1hr20) / <strong>13</strong>05th (107) --Allez AllezFrom the top it was downhill for a long way. Andwhat a descent, one of the best. I linked up withSusanne from Sweden here and we zig- zagged ourway down. It was fun after the hours of slogginguphill just to be able to fly down the hill and zippast people (It felt that way, the videos show it as alittle more laborious). Enjoyment was slightlymarred with the onset of rain. We made our way atthe head of the valley, lush with forest and freshrivers to the town of La Fouly with another large CP.La Fouly - Champex Lac : 14.1km (55km) / 700mgain 900m loss / 11hrs24 (2hr30) / 1163rd (142)-- RainLeaving the CP, I again lost my running partner.Susanne had her dad in the valley to help so I amsure we would of run at different paces in any case. Ihad gone 10+ mins out of town when a suddenrealisation that my poles were not in my hands.D'oh. Now, I did deliberate for a good few minuteson leaving them. If they were cheap I might well of.But they weren't so I retraced my steps, found mypoles in the tent and re-started.Although surrounded with low clouds and lookingrather miserable you had that feeling that this was abeautiful valley and one to visit again in betterconditions. The first third took us along the riverand then a path cut into the mountain side. Thesecond part went into the valley where we got toenjoy the open space and the local communities.They had all come out to cheer each and every oneof us along. One family even set up a tea and coffeestand. Excellent support from warm, friendly142 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTTHE CCCpeople. The final third took us back into the forestsand hills and up to the small ski resort of Champex(one to explore when I return ski touring). Closingin on the CP, daytime turned to darkness and itseemed that each runner was waiting for someoneelse to put their torch on first and so we all carriedon trekking in the darkness until the bright lights ofChampex shone through and showed us the way.Champex - La Giete : 11.2km (67km) / 900m gain400m loss / 14hr28 (3hr4) / 1008th (155) --Schoolboy errorRelaxing in the huge marquee I got some pasta andsoup, filled my flask with tea and got my coldweather/night time gear ready. Baselayer - check,waterproof coat - check. Head torch - check. Hangon why is only a quarter battery showing!! Noproblem I will use my spares. Not working!!Fiddlesticks. My crappy spare torch would just haveto do when my main one ran out. I left the tent alittle flustered while everyone inside seemed to begetting ready for 3 course meals, fresh clothes andunwinding. There was certainly no rush to get backout from the majority.I had hoped the rain had dispelled but it seemedstronger so I stopped and put on my waterproofjacket on again. With luck this time I realised alittle sooner about my poles and didn't need todeliberate on turning around to retrieve them!Once out of Champex I had decided to only use mytorch when there was a risk of hurting myself. Ifollowed from light to light, tucking in behindsomeone (asking for any spares, which no-one had)and using their light to direct me. There was stillenough people around that the ones behind helpedilluminate the way and if I wanted to press on Icould by-pass and soon link up with someone else.This did suck though and I really hoped that at thetop of the mountain an all night supermarket wouldbe open!! Wishful thinking. Depending on others tohelp show me the way was not what I wanted forthe rest of the night. One thought was to hold uponce my lights had run out and to wait for day light.Whilst I still had light and friends around I wouldproceed. One of which was another English ladyand we egged each other on up the relentless hill,through rain and washed out tracks.La Giete - Trient : 4.8km (72km) / 260m gain760m loss / 15hr17 (51min) / 951st (57) --OvertakingThrough the timing gate and we made our wayaround the mountain. The weather did start tolighten up and you could see Martingy and thebottom of the valley, burning orange with the streetlighting.Time to turn on my torch and turn up the pace. Iactually felt fresh and my legs strong - were theygetting stronger?? It was a little surreal feeling thisgood after 15hours but I felt great and the descentwas full of exhilaration and a little danger. Thepaths were slippery, narrow and full of slow moversand I wanted to move fast down. Many seemed tobe extremely reluctant to just move aside a littleand let a fellow runner by. It did become a littlefrustrating, especially in these testing conditions. Iwas on a high and wanted to make the most of thisgood feeling. A lot of 'Excusez Mois!' yards behindseemed to get most to at least step a little to oneside so I could side track them. I am sure if it wasdaylight some of the tracks would have scared meand put my brakes on but in the dark I could onlysee my beam and focused purely on this light andlet my legs go.Closing around Col De Forclaz, the town of Trientshone in the valley below and littered all the wayup the other valley up the the Croix de Fer passwere illuminated runners. A memorable sight whichalso highlighted another tough upcoming passage.Trient - Catogne : 5.5km (77.4km) / 810m gain230m loss / 16hrs57 (1hr40) / 824th (127) -- Tolove a Petzl manComing into the CP, again the crowds were warmand uplifting. I saw a Petzl tent and went over andchatted to the guys to see what could be done. Iwas expecting to buy a replacement torch for100+euros. But these guys made my night. They justreplaced my dead battery with a charged one. I wasso pleased that I hugged them. Now I could carryon without the stress of 'if' and 'when' my lightwould run out. More soup and bread and On y Va!143 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTTHE CCCRefreshed in both body and spirit I fast hiked out oftown with a mindset that the hills would take anhour and then its off running again. Upwards I went,chipping away at several small groups andindividuals. I was moving well, although there wasalways more lights high above. Then half way up Ifinally caught up with a train of slow movers. Toovertake one or a few guys is ok. It doesn't takemuch out of you and there are gaps to passespecially at the switch backs. But to try and takeon 20+ people would just take too much out of thelegs and gain you little. I reluctantly stepped intothe train line and followed the next guys arse up tothe top of the hill whilst all those I had overtakenmoved in behind me. Very frustrating.Catogne - Vallorcine 5.1km (82.5km) / 90m gain750m loss / 17hr49 (52min) / 765th (59) -- Lovingthe descentsThe slow going meant I was even more eager to getgoing at the top, and even more fresh it seems. Assoon as the path flattened I pushed off with myExcusez's and Pardons and worked to a reasonablepace down the steep slopes to Vallorcine.Concentration was key here as one slip would bethe end of my race. Rock and tree obstacles litteredthe area. I was loving the descents and it was these144 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014thoughts that got me up the endless hills inbetween. I only wished that the growing number ofwalkers would let me through more easily. Nearingtown I took my one and only tumble, with luck juston a slippery grass slope so only got a wet andmuddy bum but a stark reminder to keep the mindon the footing and not to go too all out.Vallorcine - La Tete au Vents : 7.7km (90.3km) /900m gain 250m loss / 20hrs08 (2hrs19) / 663rd(102) -- The End, or is it?A funny CP. There was a feeling that we had done ithanging in the atmosphere. But, we were far fromthe finish line and looking at the profile mapbrought all those finishing emotions to a grindinghalt. We still had nearly 20kms to go (and wouldtake nearly 4hours). Far from over but I didn't care.It was one last long uphill and then a descent and Istill felt good. I took only my second paracetamolwith caffeine of the race. My thoughts pre race wasa to munch on these to get me through but likemost things in my bag they remained as acontingency only.The final hill was a beast and seeing the torch lightsstringed out high above only highlighted the effortthat was going to be needed. Numerous quickSponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTTHE CCCswitch backs later and I again slotted into agrouping of CCCers, this time happily slowing tosave my remaining strength for the faster sections.T au Vents - Flegere : 3.5km (93.8km) / 60m gain330m loss / 20hrs51 (41mins) / 639th (24) -- Aforgotten ridgeWhere did this come from? It seemed never endingand fraught with danger in the twists and turns, upsand downs with lots of potential hazards waiting fora tired mind and body to trip up on. It was only 40minutes but I loved this ridge. I only wisheddaylight came sooner so that I could see thestunning ridges and panoramas from up high.Flegere - Chamonix : 7.2km (101km) / 190m gain1000m loss / 21hrs57 (1hr6) / 601st (38) -- C'estfiniFrom this CP it definitely felt that the end wasachievable. It's all downhill fromhere....metaphorically and literally. With few peoplearound I ran all the way in (well, it felt like running!).The dawn was breaking with uplifting views of MtBlanc and it's impressive range. I ran down throughthe cloud inversion. I ran into Chamonix with theearly risers cheering 'Allez Allez' and 'Bravo Bravo'.Along the way I had thought about finishing andgot a little emotional but as I finally passed thefinish line there was no room for tears, I just feltpure joy in finishing a truly amazing race. Thecrowds were thin at 7am but it was great seeing afriend, Peter, who had just finished as well. Wecongratulated each other, went for a couple ofbeers on the steps and caught up on life quicklybefore calling it a day and heading off tocontemplate our achievement.CCC 101km 22hrs 6100m +/- 601st place.1945 Starters / 1423 Finishers (73% successcompared with only 40% on the UTMB, do I reallywant to do this next year?)A race for all <strong>Ultra</strong> runners to try. These races testyou physically, mentally and emotionally. Which ispartly why we do this.Transitions/CPs were good, I never stuck around forlong. I still lost 50mins in the bigger CPs plus35mins at Champex whilst I exhausted all optionsfor getting more out of my torch batteries. I lostmore time going back for my pole at La Fouly,around 25mins. And maybe 1 to 3 hours in slowqueue trains and the constant stop starts ofovertaking on difficult terrain.I loved the race though, there was a specialatmosphere to it all week. The atmosphere waselectric, the town buzzed for days. I did feel a littledisappointed that the mood of other runners felt abit flat. I did manage to talk to a few, mainlywomen, but most runners seemed lost in their ownthoughts and unwilling to communicate. Maybe Ijust expected too much, maybe they didn't speakEnglish!After the finish it was nice to relax in the townsquare cheering on the others runners finishing theother races, PTL and UTMB - this went on foranother day and a half.Jiri (sickness and fever) and Orla (fall injury) hadhad to pull from the UTMB. Milan was still out therethough. We went up to see him come down the finalCP at Flegere. Jan and Jiri, with fresher legs, went ofto see him further up. Orla and myself hobbled upto a nice resting spot by a stream and cheered onthe many other UTMBers coming down. Milan camepast, looking surprisingly fresh. We cheered 'BravoBravo' and try as we might, we could not keep upwith him on the descent. Luckily at the bottom wehad a car waiting to take us to the finish line intown. Cheering Milan through the tape was awonderful experience. I haven't seen many friendsthrough a finish line and could relate, in a smallway, to what depths a person had to go through tomake that fi nish. Bravo Milan you are anextraordinary man.More rest, more beers and more food were enjoyedover the next couple of days before our little groupparted company. I certainly hope I get to meet upwith these inspiring guys again someday soon.As for running the UTMB myself, it would be goodto test myself on one of the top races so I'll enterthe ballet and make a tough decision for 2015 if Iget in.145 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


ULTRA-TRAIL DU MONT- BLANCEVENT REPORT | BEN DAVIESUTMBRace Organiser: UTMBWebsite Link: http://www.ultratrailmb.comDate of Event: 29th August - 31st AugustEvent Type: Single StageDistance: 166kmLocation: Chamonix, Mont BlanceStart Time: 17.30 (46 hour cut off )Description: The race covers a complete circuit ofthe Mont Blanc Massif passing through 3 countries;France, Switzerland and Italy. The event starts andfinishes in Chamonix.Results: http://www.ultratrailmb.com/page/107/Results.html146 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTUTMBUTMBBY BEN DAVIESI first became aware that my UTMB attempt hadcome to an end when I regained consciousness inthe medical tent. A saline drip protruded from mywrist, and I had no memory of how I’d got there. Inthe background I could hear the announcementfrom the race village that Francois D’Haene hadwon the event and set a new course record. I wasvery confused, and had trouble distinguishingbetween my recent dreams and reality. I weaklypicked up my mobile phone and found a text fromthe race organisers expressing concern that I hadnot reached the finish line at the time they hadprojected. It was obvious at this stage that theprognosis was not good.Ben DaviesUTMBFinish Time45hrs 56minsFinish Position1580/1582 Finishers (720DNF)The paramedics asked me a string of questionsabout my medical history and how I was feeling.After a while I asked the obvious question. “So, whathappened?”The paramedic replied, “You collapsed and lostconsciousness, so we had to put you on a salinedrip. The cause appears to be dehydration andelectrolyte depletion. We’ll do further tests, and youmight have to visit the hospital. Oh, you finished, bythe way.”“What?” I asked, startled. “You mean I finished?”“Yes, you finished.”The paramedic went away and returned with a race147 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTUTMBofficial, who presented me with the coveted greengilet. Despite my physical discomfort, I wasovercome with delight. Now I had to begin theprocess of reconstructing how I got there.The story begins in the packed starting pen inChamonix town centre, in the pouring rain,listening to the various pre-race announcements. Infront of me a lady’s backpack split open, spilling thecontents all over the floor. The dismay on her facewas palpable, and I produced a roll of duct tapefrom my pack and worked frantically to producesome sort of lash-up that would allow her toundertake the race. I would ultimately never findout how her race went, but I hope she wassomehow able to win through. We set off throughthe town centre to cheering crowds, and every kidalong the route wanted to high-five the runners. Wesoon hit the trails and were heading up into themountains.In the early going I was enjoying the event andmaking good progress. It had rained heavily in theweek leading up to the race, and did so during thefirst night section. This resulted in some challengingconditions underfoot on the more muddy parts ofthe course, and made it particularly hard tomaintain control on some of the steep descents. Itook a couple of tumbles, and chose to slide down acouple of slopes on my backside rather thanattempt a controlled downhill run. Subsequentlythe weather became sunny, and remained so for theremainder of the race.The real X-factor with this series of races is the localpeople, who are really passionate about the event.They are happy to turn out at night, in the pouringrain, to cheer and give support to the runners. Theyalso ring cow bells, which tells you where the aidstations are from miles away, though it doesoccasionally result in cows being mistaken for aidstations. The aid stations in this event are trulyincredible, and almost make each section feel like ashort race in its own right. The first night sectionpassed without serious incident, and the going wasgood through the following day.The majesty of this course is truly breath-taking.Snow covered peaks tower over you, and you feel abit like an ant standing in front of an elephant. Thesize of the peaks can be quite intimidating to aBritish runner, who has typically never seenanything like it, but once you have yomped up acouple of them and felt strong after doing it, youfeel confident. Because the course passes throughthree countries, it is necessary to carry yourpassport, though I was not asked to produce it atany of the border crossings.During the second night section, the night terrorswell and truly set in. I started to hallucinate and seethe trees reaching out to me with their branches. Istarted to lose touch with reality, and at somestages I was not even fully aware I was participatingin a race, but intermittently my brain regained somecontrol and told me to keep following the course.I decided it would be a good idea to sleep forquarter of an hour at one of the checkpoints, inorder to get my brain firing on all cylinders again.When I reached a suitable checkpoint, I lay downand asked one of the marshals to wake me in fifteenminutes. Despite how tired and mentally confused Iwas, I found myself completely unable to sleep. Itwas as if my brain thought I still had a job to do, soit wouldn’t let me.When daylight returned, most of my proprioceptionreturned with it, but by now my quads were welland truly smashed, and it was getting hard to runthe downhill sections. At this stage a lot of runnersstarted passing me on the downhill sections, and anumber of them expressed concern about mycondition, saying I looked very tired. Despite somechallenging circumstances, though, my race planwas coming together pretty nicely. At Champex Lac,122km in, I had a significant cushion over the cutoffs,and I seemed to be increasing it with eachsection.Things really went A over T coming out of Trient at<strong>13</strong>9km, when I started to suffer from altitudesickness. This condition involves the lungs beingmore active than usual, which leads to irritation andthe production of large amounts of mucus. Iteventually reached the stage where I was strugglingto breathe, and sometimes when I coughedviolently to dislodge the mucus, my airway becameblocked, causing a great deal of anxiety.148 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTUTMB149 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTUTMBDuring the ascent out of Vallorcine I was in quite abad way, and the other competitors were franticallyurging me to hold it together and stay focussed onthe finish. One older runner handed me a bottle ofCoca-Cola and said, “Courage, monsieur”. By thistime I was walking on razor blades and my quadswere getting worse, which made it hard to maintainany sort of effective speed over the rocky terrain.Even so, I knew the end was getting closer, and if Icould just hold things together for a few morehours, the ordeal would all pay off.I was thrown a lifeline on the descent intoChamonix, when the terrain became much morerunnable. The rocky trails of the previous sectiongave way to a smooth gravel pathway snaking downinto the town. I picked up speed, but the pathseemed to be interminable and the town far belownever seemed to get any closer. A North Face pacerwho was running alongside me rang the racejudges and pleaded with them to allow me to finishif I missed the cut-off by a couple of minutes. Hethen called a couple of his friends and asked themto wait for me in Chamonix and escort me to thefinish line.By now I could see my finisher’s vest slipping away,and decided to go for broke. When the path finallymet the town, I was running on tarmac, and thisallowed me to increase my rate of progress further. Ipassed a few friends from the British ultra runningscene who were spectating, and each of them gaveme a bit of a morale boost, which was like a shot inthe arm. By this time I was getting pretty frantic,knowing that I had about ten minutes to cover thedistance though he town to the finish line.From here a succession of North Face pacers ranwith me, to keep my speed up and clear the path.By now I was getting fairly confused, and the onlything I was aware of was the roar of the crowd.My last memory of the race is frantically runningthrough Chamonix towards the finish line. I havepieced together what happened next from thetestimonies of the event pacers, and friends whowatched the finish from the crowd. It appears that Iwas out on my feet coming towards the finish line. Iwould occasionally stop and sway drunkenly, andthe bystanders would scream at me to keep moving.150 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014In the end I crossed the finish line with threeminutes and two seconds remaining before theforty-six hour cut-off. One point that all theobservers whom I have spoken to agree upon isthat inches after crossing the finish line, my brainjust shut down and I fell to the floor as if I had beenshot.In a final bizarre twist, I was not even the lastfinisher of 2014. At some point it seems that Iovertook someone.So what have I taken away from this experience?It is an oft-repeated saying among ultra runnersthat the brain is the weakest link in the humanbody, and my previous experience and observationshave tended to back this up. On this occasion,however, supported by the roar of the crowd, mybrain elected to keep going until my body could nolonger support it, which is not something I had everexpected to happen to me. Yes, I missed out on thetriumphant finish, but I got other things in return. Agood story, for one. A lot of people say they enterultras to discover themselves or their limits. Inthose terms, I got some pretty definite answers.There is an idea forming in the British ultra runningcommunity that this is an almost genteel race.There are many half-truths spoken, like “TheLakeland 100 is harder”, “It is all pretty runnable”,and “The cut-offs are not that bad”. I would stronglyrecommend anybody thinking of entering, todisregard all of the above. Some sections of thiscourse are very technical, some are incredibly steep,and some of those hills just seem to go on forever. Idon’t think there is any UK event that willadequately prepare you for the ascents in UTMB.There are so many people to thank. First andforemost, I want to thank the North Face pacerswho fought tooth and nail to get me to the finish.They decided my destiny that day. I want to thankthe paramedics who looked after me. I also want tothank the checkpoint staff, and the local peoplewho made this such a special event.Sponsored by thehttp://


RUNNERS PROFILENEIL MACNICOL151 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


RUNNERS PROFILENEIL MACNICOLNeil MacNicol tells us about his <strong>Ultra</strong> marathon backgroundWhat is your running background?I was brought up on a farm and so was kept prettyfit as a kind of human sheep dog for my Dad. I alsocompeted in highland games hill races as a wee lad.I joined the marines when I was 20 and obviouslygot introduced to the joys of challengingendurance events such as load carrying and speedmarching. After I left the marines I competed in theodd 10k here and there. After many years failing toget into the London Marathon I completed a sub 3marathon outside London to secure my good forage place for London 2006. After what i thoughtwas a ton of mileage in training I managed to getaround in 2hrs 50mins which I was pretty pleasedabout.Neil MacNicolTwitter@Macnic0When did you first start running <strong>Ultra</strong>s and why?I completed my first <strong>Ultra</strong> in 2011, The 53 mileHighland Fling. I had come to the conclusion thatpretty much anyone can complete a marathon andit's not that big a deal anymore. After hearing aboutmy cousins husband efforts in the West HighlandWay races I thought I would give that a go.When or where (at which events) are we mostlikely to meet you?The events that are part of the Scottish <strong>Ultra</strong>Marathon Series (SUMs), The D33 in March, TheHighland Fling in April, Speyside Way Race inAugust, Jedburgh <strong>Ultra</strong> in October to name a few.What are your personal key runningachievements to date?race 20<strong>13</strong>1st in 38 mile Jedburgh <strong>Ultra</strong> October 20<strong>13</strong>3rd overall and Scottish <strong>Ultra</strong> Trail Champion 2014,Highland Fling race 2014Marathon PB of 2hrs 48m 32 sec at Edinburgh, May20143rd at Devil of the Highlands 43m <strong>Ultra</strong> August 20142nd Overall and 1st Veteran, Scottish <strong>Ultra</strong>Marathon Series 2014What was your best result or best raceexperience?Passing 30miler Commando Test, Dartmoor Oct1993 ;-)12th in The British <strong>Ultra</strong> Champs at Highland FlingMy best race result had been winning at Jedburgh<strong>Ultra</strong> last year but getting the Scottish National titlein April this year kind of topped that. My bestexperience would be at Speyside <strong>Ultra</strong> in 20<strong>13</strong>152 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


RUNNERS PROFILENEIL MACNICOLwhen at the start I made a last minute decision tonot go at my own pace but see how long I couldstay with the leaders. I totally surprised myselfwhen I stayed with them till a few miles before theend and came in 3rd. That race gave me a lot ofconfidence which fed into my better performancesin 2014What was your hardest race experience?This would be at the Highland Fling this year when Iwas "bonking" big style with 10miles still to go. TheNorwegian Sondre Amdahl (7th in UTMB this year)was 10mins ahead and I knew I couldn't catch him. Iwas 2nd and thought I might be on for the Scottishtitle. The fear of being passed as I was slowing somuch was horrific. The voices in my head telling meto rest or give up have never been so loud. With amile to go I was passed by another runner as if I wasstanding still and I thought that was it, I had lostpossibly my only chance of a national title. I havenever been so totally spent when I crossed thefinish line. That 2nd place runner was at the finishline waiting and I was ecstatic to find out he wasfrom Northern Ireland (Justin Maxwell) ensuring Ihad got the Scottish Champion title.running an <strong>Ultra</strong> for the first time?I would say that they should ignore the "<strong>Ultra</strong>" tagand remember it's still just running basically, only abit further. Start out at a comfortable pace that youcan maintain for the distance is key to completingyour first one and having a positive experience.Save the "suicide" pace for your second one ;-)Give us one interesting fact about yourself?I gave up my job earlier this year to become a stayat home Dad.Most amusing running anecdote?After crossing the line in 3rd at the Highland Flingthis year my 7 year old daughter kept saying "Wewere really surprised you were in 3rd Dad, yournormally much slower than that!"What are your future <strong>Ultra</strong> Marathon runningambitions?To complete a "proper" <strong>Ultra</strong> around the 100miledistance and maybe crack UTMB one dayWhat/when is your next event?My next event will be the Jedburgh <strong>Ultra</strong> in theBorders on the 25th OctoberWhat is your typical approach or race strategyfor an <strong>Ultra</strong> Marathon event?My typical strategy is to go out pretty hard andhang on/suffer like hell until the line!Pre race I tell myself I will hold back more in theearly stages with a view to finishing stronger andfaster but its proving difficult to put into practice onrace day.What one tip would you pass on to people153 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


CHILTERN WAY ULTRAEVENT REPORTS | MELISSA ARKINSTALL, LINDLEY CHAMBERS - CHALLENGE RUNNINGCHILTERN WAY 100/200KRace Organiser: Challenge RunningWebsite Link: www.challenge-running.co.ukDate of Event: 30th - 31st August 2014Event Type: Single StageDistance: 100 or 200kLocation: Hemel HemsteadDescription: The Chiltern Way <strong>Ultra</strong> is a waymarkedroute through Herts & Bucks on footpaths andbridleways from Hemel Hempstead in a large circularroute. 100k option starts at Little Hampden.Race Results: http://www.challenge-running.co.uk/results/154 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thePHOTOGRAPH | DAN CONNORShttp://


EVENT REPORTCHILTERN WAY ULTRAPHOTOGRAPH | DAN CONNORSCHILTERN CHALLENGEBYMELISSA ARKINSTALLThis has to be by far, the biggest medal that I'veever received in all my years of running andtriathlon....I think that it's bigger than an Olympicmedal! "You're going to have to earn one of thesethe hard way"... said Lindley Chambers, RaceDirector at Challenge Running (www.challengerunning.co.uk).Hey, he's not kidding, but I smiledall the way through the task.This is the first year that the Chiltern Way <strong>Ultra</strong>shave taken place. There are two distances, 100k and214k, both following the National Trail known as theChiltern Way. The full route goes from HemelHempstead, Chalfont St Giles, the edge of Marlow,Hambleden, Bix Bottom, Ewelme, the Ridgeway,Stokenchurch, Great Hampden, Aldbury, theDunstable Downs, Sharpenhoe Clappers toHarpenden and back to Hemel Hempstead; with the100km race starting in Little Hamden windingclockwise back to Hemel Hempstead.So, what is the route like? Well, you are runningthrough an AONB for the majority of the race, sowith the exception of a couple of streets aroundMelissaArkinstallChiltern Way <strong>Ultra</strong> ResultFinish Time5hrs 58minsFinish PositionJoint 1st/6 Finishers (2 DNF)Dunstable and Luton, this is proper trail runningturf. The scenery is stunning, rolling fields, farms,woodland and a stunning loop over the DunstableDowns, all punctuated by quintessential Englishvillages (willpower required to resist a pub155 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTCHILTERN WAY ULTRAa. Lindley can have a giggle watching all hisrunner's 'signal dots' dashing around doing randomdetours on his phoneb. supporters on the course can see when you arenearing a checkpointc. If you did get epically lost, you can make a calland be directed back onto the route, phewee!stop)...and only a couple of brief encounters withthe M1! It may not have the climbs of the Peaks orLakeland Fells, but don't be fooled, the course is'lumpy' (approximately 5000ft of ascent on the100km race), and I think that this took a fewcompetitors by surprise. The majority of the trail isin good condition, but there are occasional deepplowed fields and 'bramble alleys' to negotiate. Finefor road shoes on a dry day as we had, but if youwere running this event after a soggy week,something a bit grippier would be well advised.NOTE (please).... You must, must, must be able toread a map (and remember a compass!), asalthough the trail is signed, some way-marks aren'tobvious or are overgrown. This isn't a fast coursewhere you get your head down, follow the arrowsand run; it is constant navigation, but not of themountain marathon variety! However, don't let thisput you off, I am not the world's most confidentmap reader and I was slightly worried at the start bytales of the 214k runners adding some hugemileage to an already big day...and night..and day!However, with a marked OS route blown up so thatyou can see every turn, with a bit of care, you'llsoon be whizzing across the grid lines. In fact, allthe concentration on map reading actually makesyou forget how far your legs are running and addsto the sense of achievement at the end. GPX filesare also provided and are a really good back up,but, battery life is finite and given the nature if thecourse, there is a definite (214k) and very goodchance (100k) that you'll be night running with aspent GPS.There are checkpoints approximately every 25km,manned by lovely, happy (despite being sleepdeprived), volunteers, who will help sort out waterbottles. Medics are on hand to tape feet and feedyou an array of goodies, my favourites of whichincluded Freddo Frogs, Hula Hoops and myfavourite, pink cake at CP3 (8 for the 214k).The race HQ is at Feldon Lodge in HemelHempstead. An ideal base where the organisers willbe ready cooking up hot dogs, bacon butties andfor veggies like myself, tomato soup and peanutbutter on toast for the ultimate post race comfortfood! There are bedrooms so that you can grab afew hours of shut eye before driving home and ifyou are lucky, you may even get the Rocky themetune played as you come down the long drivewayinto the finish!The first running of the race had a small field andquite a few DNFs ...only one person made it roundthe whole 214k!! So, the gauntlet is well and trulythrown down to those who want a real challenge in2015, when the organisers are planning to make theevent bigger and even better! I'm definitely puttingthis one on the calendar next year...hope to see youthere!A great little confidence bonus was that we were allgiven 'trackers' to attach to our race packs. Thismeant that156 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTCHILTERN WAY ULTRACHILTERN WAY ULTRABY LINDLEY CHAMBERS, CHALLENGE RUNNINGSaturday and Sunday 30th/31st of August saw thefirst ever running of the Chiltern Way <strong>Ultra</strong>s. Theseare a 214k epic circuit of the Chilterns and aslightly(only) more manageable 100k point to pointrace starting on the Sunday and joining the mainrace in its second day.About a year ago I was looking for a route that wasboth pretty and tough with a long enough distanceto make a truly epic race. I wanted a route that wasreasonably well waymarked but would still involvenavigation and a tough physical challenge. Northdowns and South downs both have great races run byCenturion Running but although there were a fewshorter races such as the Ridgeway in the Chilternsthere was no really long event. The more I looked atthe route the more I liked it, there was a waymarkedtrail that covered a huge circular route. I was sold anddecided to try to make it happen.Chiltern Way <strong>Ultra</strong> Results100k Race Results1. Melissa Arkinstall 14hrs 52mins1. Kate Rennie 14hrs 52mins3. Jan Soderkvist 15hrs 56mins200k Race Results1. David Pryce 36hrs 51minsRace Results: http://www.challenge-running.co.uk/results/Almost a year later and the race was a reality, it wasgoing to be a very small field due to it being new andthe fact that there were a lot of other races duringthis time of year. With long daylight hours and goodweather this was the best time of year to run this157 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTCHILTERN WAY ULTRADAVID, STEVE, PETER, MARK, NICKI & GLYNN LINE UP FOR THE START OF THE RACEtype of event.With just a few weeks to go before the event I hadconsidered cancelling the event especially as dropouts occurred and numbers dropped from the 25 orso in both events to less than 20. However I reallywanted this event to happen and decided tocontinue to run it as I believed it to have thepotential to be a great race and those left in therace had committed to training for it.The logistics and planning had all gone well apartfrom wanting a few more volunteers than I had, afew quick additional posts on Facebook and I had afew more awesome volunteers and we were good togo. The start/Finish venue at the Boys BrigadeRegional HQ is superb and near to HemelHempstead train station so is ideal. So comeSaturday morning after registration and kit checkthese six brave souls lined up to start the race.Just a few quick words and they were off at 9am onthe dot, Now they had a long way to go. The route is214k (<strong>13</strong>3miles) over some very hilly ground mostlyon footpaths and bridleways. There are somebeautiful English villages to go through and it allhas to be done in 38hours. No easy task.Checkpoint 1 is at Coleshill and about 16 miles in, itwas crewed by Brian and Cali at a pub car park, allthe runners came through that one inside the cutoff and with David leading by only seconds withGlyn very close behind. Although it may have beendifferent if David took his Maps with him and Glyntook his water first time and they did not have tocome back to get them after 50 yards!Next was CP2 at Hambleden village car park wheredespite some impressive detours by the leading twoguys they all came in looking good although muchmore spread out. This checkpoint was run by Emikoand Maxine who did a great job of sunningthemselves waiting for the runners. The runners hadcovered about 31miles now or closer to 35 if you areGlyn. Top tip brush up on your map reading beforedoing this race and pay attention to it on the wayround as some signs are hard to see or overgrownand the map will help you pick the correct path.Checkpoint 3 was at Ewelme with 46 miles donenow and David was pushing out a good lead butalso clocking up and extra mile or three as he gotused to racing and navigating at the same time.David had a great entourage with him and theygave him awesome support all the way around thecourse. CP 3 was again run by Brian and Cali withKeith Godden fromwww.ultramarathonrunningstore.com our sponsorturning up to lend a hand before going off to run hisown CP later.CP4 was at Stokenchurch Village and it was whilst Iwas here I was informed of our first Drop, Steve whohad recently attempted the C2C race decided it wasnot his day and he got a lift to CP4 and I got himback to the start a bit later after I had made himtravel with me to the next CP to set up.158 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTCHILTERN WAY ULTRAFIONA, KATE, MARK, MIKE, JAN, CLAUIA, MELISSA & MEGAN LINE UP FOR THE 100KM RACEA really interesting quote from Steve was that hethought it was harder than the Viking Way <strong>Ultra</strong>from the start! I knew it would be a tough race butwas surprised to hear that. Steve finished the VikingWay earlier this year. Its a race I have tried twice andnot finished! This CP was run by Alzbeta and Peterthanks guys.depended on mobile signal for uploading to therace page so could sometimes take a while toupdate but they were a fantastic tool. Only onetracker had an issue with not locating properly butthere was still the phone as a back up and runnerswere logged through checkpoints. Runners werealso allowed to use GPS devices if they wished.CP 5 was at Little Hampden and also the start pointfor the 100k event. at this point a few more droppedfrom the race, Peter and Nicki dropped with Nickifeeling unwell and losing a fair bit of time. Glyn hadstayed with Nicki and had come in late after cut offbut was allowed to carry on as he had slowed tohelp another runner. He would be given time tocatch up if he could.Mark did leave the CP insde cut off but after 45 minshe returned to the CP and decided the race hadbeaten him but I actually think it was Sleepy whogave up!(sleepy is his mascot)The 100k start time is 30mins behind the cut off forthe 200k race at that CP so in theory the 100krunners should be chasing down the 200k runnersand adding much needed company and support.Its worth mentioning here that all the runners in therace had been fitted with trackers from Opentracking. This meant I could watch all the runnerssafely round the course and direct people back ontrack if needed. Reliance was still on maps and signsfor the runners and phone as an emergency contactmethod. The trackers took 3 minutes to update andAt CP 6 Keith Godden saw the runners through withHelen just outside Studham Village. All theremaining runners went through here fine with Glynfrom the 200k making up plenty of time andcatching up the 100k runners, although he decidedto drop shortly after with trashed feet. It was a greateffort but now there was only one runner left in the200k race.CP 7 was at Sharpenhoe Clappers north of Streatly.this was just over 100 miles in the 200k race and 31miles for the 100k runners. This was crewed byBrian, Emiko and Dan who saw through all therunners bar two. Two of our runners had got lost offthe route and despite phone calls and directions toget back on track they were unable to get back ontrack in enough time to make it to the checkpoint intime. I went and picked up both of them. Davidcame through here feeling it a bit and had told hiswife he was quitting and when he came into the CPhe was adamant he was stopping. We knew he reallydidn't mean it so I gave him some encouragement(read abuse) and he ate drunk and got himselfsorted and left the CP.He was struggling with a warmer day on the Sunday159 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTCHILTERN WAY ULTRAPHOTOGRAPH | DAN CONNORS160 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTCHILTERN WAY ULTRA51mins. An epic effort.“He was a bit tired thoughafter 36hrs 51mins. Anepic effort”A special mention must go to his support on thecourse who really looked after him all the wayround. Tracey and Madeline and Oliver and Chrisand Nicki who were really helpful not just to Davidbut to the race too.MARK, CLAUDIA & MIKEand was only carrying the minimum 1lt of water asrequired so reminded his crew they could give himwater on the route or he could buy a drink goingthrough the villages but he was not going to beallowed to stop for being a bit "thirsty"! He wasactually in very good shape but this was as far as hehad ever run so it was only expected he would feelit.Next through were the first two Ladies in Joint firstplace running very well and looking like they wereenjoying themselves.CP8 was the last checkpoint and was looked after byBrain, Maxine and Dan who also took some greatpictures at checkpoint 7 and 8 so a big thank you tohim for posing those and making them availablehere for us.Next to come in were the two ladies in 14:52 stillsmiling and enjoying it. Great effort. Then came Janin 15:56 just 4 minutes inside the original cut off.Well done Jan.Although the cut off came and went we had 3runners still out there and I wanted them to finish.The race was proving tougher than I had anticipatedand I decided to allow these runners to finish andstretch the cut off times. I got my head down for ahours sleep while we waited for them.After 19hrs and 7minutes they came across the lineand managed a smile. Well done guys.So they were all home and we fed them with hotdogs and soup and bacon rolls and put all of themto bed for a bit of kip then went to bed ourselves. Inthe morning we packed up and went home.David was feeling better now and on the homestraight although I do not think he realised howlong the last 15 miles would take!All the remaining runners went through in time withthe last 3 runners making it by seconds but all werenow on the last leg. Off I went back to the finish toget ready for the finishers.David was the first to arrive and in true style missedthe finish by taking the wrong path past the finishand had to run back to the finish line through thewrong way! He was a bit tired though after 36hrsJAN SODERKVIST PICTURED161 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTCHILTERN WAY ULTRAJAN SPEAKING TO RACE DIRECTOR LINDLEY CHAMBERSPHOTOGRAPH | DAN CONNORSIt proved a tougher race than even I had thoughtand those that finished worked really hard to earnit. I wanted a real challenge for people and I thinkthis is one worthy of the word. Whilst map readingis not to everyone's taste its not too complicated onthis route and is mostly well signed but you do haveto use the map when there are various paths andthrough villages.So do I think it was a success?Yes on the whole I am pleased with how the eventran. the checkpoints worked out great although Imay move CP6 as space is restricted.The marshals I had were fantastic and really did meand the runners proud during the event. I had greatsupport from Maxine with the organisation andplanning.What will I change? I will extend the cutoffs for the200k race to 42 hours to make it a bit moreachievable for more runners whilst still being verytough. I will extend the 100k cut off to 19 hours toallow more to finish although it will still be a tough100k race.I will leave the navigation alone I like the challengeof having to navigate and it makes you look atwhere you are and where you are going and in anarea as pretty as this that's a good thing.Next year there will be a road book rather thanmaps and a link on the website so all can follow thetrackers and watch the race unfold.The start and finish venue was fantastic and havinga place to sleep after the event is really useful.The trackers were fantastic and a great help forsafety and logistics.162 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


THE BOB GRAHAM ROUNDREPORT | JAMES ELSONThe Bob Graham RoundSTARTING THE CLIMB UP PIKE O’STICKLEPHOTOGRAPH | DREW SHEFFIELDThe Bob Graham Round covers the 66 mile, 27,000 ftcircuit of 42 of the highest peaks in the English LakeDistrict within 24 hours.163 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


ARTICLE THE BOB GRAHAM ROUNDSUNSET OVER LEG FOUR ON SATURDAY EVENINGPHOTOGRAPH | NATALIE WHITETHE BOB GRAHAM ROUNDBY JAMES ELSONSo far, 2014 had been almost entirely devoted tocompleting the BGR. It wasn't meant to be thatway, as my previous two attempts came and went,so my race plans got scrapped in place of comingback and giving it another go. I knew I could get itright, albeit I would need to run at the upperlevels of my ability all day to make it under 24hrs.I looked at those first two attempts as two idealrecce's, albeit 2 efforts in the 20hr range withinthe space of 4 weeks on the route had taken alittle something both mentally and physically. Ijust took the positives from those, and mostimportantly started working on everything thathad prevented me from making it, before, to be ina position to give it one more go this year onSeptember 6th.I ended up having what was honestly the singlemost enjoyable full day of running I've ever had.Pre AttemptThe two previous attempts had failed because of avariety of reasons. If I was honest with myself Ididn't work on the route enough. I tried to navigateJames ElsonBlogwww.centurionrunning.comTwitter@jamesselsonat least some of the route myself - both times,losing valuable minutes in small and large chunks. Igot my nutrition all wrong. I carried too much gear.And I didn't run very well.I started answering as many of these nagging164 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


ARTICLETHE BOB GRAHAM ROUNDquestions as I could, before this third effort.- Navigation: It was really one man who made mymind up to get this done this season and not next.Bill Williamson is a BGR legend. He's completed all 3British Rounds, and helped scores of runners ontheir own attempts over the years. I had contactedhim at the beginning of the year, but with his ownrace schedule and being 'booked out' to manyother attempts, he simply wasn't able to makeeither of my first two attempts. After the secondfailure, he read my report and promptly emailed meto say he'd get the navigators together, told me toget on and do some training and that he'd get itsorted. Within a few hours, he'd emailed me back tosay that he'd rallied around and a quite exceptionalgroup of runners had offered to help. I think they'dmostly found the shambolic efforts to date prettyfunny, but I took heart from the fact that theyseemed convinced I could get around in under 24.From my side I got a few good friends to agree todo the pacing side of things. The list of navigators &pacers ran as follows:Leg 1: Jim Mann (Winter BGR record holder). MattWinn-Smith (Double Iron World Champ/ BGRfinisher)Leg 2: Alan Lucker (All 3 British Rounds). Matt Winn-SmithLeg 3: Bill (All 3 British Rounds). Drew Sheffield(Team CR Legend).Leg 4: Rob Woodall (All 3 British Rounds and PeakBagger Extraordinaire). Natalie White (FormerEnglish Fell Running Champ/ 21hr BGR Finisher).Aidain Linskill (Supporter of multiple BG attempts).Leg 5: Ian Roberts (31 years of BG support). Bill.Robbie Britton (Team CR Legend).I knew I would perhaps only be able to ammass thiscalibre of support the one time. By adding a groupof 5 additional pacers to the list, we now had 3 of usout on each leg, one pacer who would help carrykit, a lead navigator, and me. I ended up with morepacers for Leg 5 this time, than the whole of thefirst attempt. This is how I knew now, to make a BGhappen. Nici Griffin would crew us and co-ordinateeverything between legs. She would be the gluethat held the whole thing together and with herattention to detail and experience on this side ofthe fence I could think of no one better for that role.- Nutrition: With only 4 crew points in a 24hr run, alot of gear, water and food needs to go out with youon each leg. Nici who crewed the second attemptwas left with no options for my nutrition going outon stage 3 last time because I hadn't doneadequate shopping before hand. This time I listeditems to be packed together in individual bags togo out on each leg. No opportunity for error.- Fitness: I was running ok in training. With 10previous visits to the Lakes in 2014 alone I hadspent a good amount of time learning how to moveefficiently over the terrain. But I had hardly raced atall, sticking to occasional one off big efforts ratherthan consistent shorter racing that I've relied on inthe past. This time I ran a marathon on a highschool grass track, 3 weeks out from the BG just tosee where I was at. I didn't kill myself and ran fairlywell. I knew then I had the base fitness to completeand as vastly different as that running experiencewas, it allayed my doubts about my basic runningfitness.Leg 1: One issue I had with the first two attemptswas lack of sleep. This time with an 0100 start I gotto bed at the same time as our 8 month old at 1900the night before. He woke at 2100 but I managed toget him back down by 2<strong>13</strong>0 and got 80 minutessleep before the alarm went at 2345 and we droveon to Keswick. It wasn't a lot but it was a damnsight better than 0 minutes.When we got there, Ian Roberts was already on siteand we were shortly joined by the crew. At the startthere were about 8 of us and I was already startingto think the support infrasructure/ team effort onthis day was going to be overwhelming. All for oneperson to run around in a giant circle in under24hrs. It sounds crazy, it is crazy. That's why it's sobrilliant.Jim Mann the lead navigator, jogged down to thehall with about 5 minutes to spare having hotfooted it from threlkeld. He, Matt Winn Smith and Icracked on at 0100 exactly, Ian's voice shouting '85minutes up skiddaw is fine' as we shifted throughthe back streets of Keswick. As is more commonthan not on the first top, we ran in to clag and some165 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


ARTICLETHE BOB GRAHAM ROUNDDESCENDING TO DUNMAIL AT THE END OF LEG TWOPHOTOGRAPH | ALAN LUCKERheavy rain. Jackets went on and Jim took the timeto ensure we got on to the summit safely in 74mins, a nice start. We got off on to the trod down tohare crag with no problems. The climb up Calvawent smoothly with Matt opening up about hisDouble Ironman World Champs victory 2 weeksearlier, and Jim talking about his successes atWinter rounds. These were two of the very bestguys to have as company to start things off. Theclimb up Blencathra through Mung Bog went wellas the rain died off, but the descent to Threlkeldheld one or two special moments. Jim took usinitially on a grass line he had found, to cut acrossunder the steeper drop offs of Hall's Fell. We joinedit a little high up, however, and conversationseemed to die in the wind as the greasy rockplunged away below us in to the dark and cloud.Matt and I were none too swift over there and weboth fell lower down the descent but were able tocontinue moving well down to the first crew point,right on schedule about 3hr40 on the clock.Leg 2:When we got to Threlkeld, I expected just Nici andAlan, as it was the sociable hour of 0440 in themorning. In fact we were also met by Drew and IanRoberts. Where else do you get people willfullyshowing up in the middle of nowhere at that timeof the morning just to say well done. It meant agreat deal. The first time we ran the BG, Paul and Icame in to Threlkeld to a shopping bag full of milkand pork pies on a friends back wall. This wasbetter.Leg two is great running. Alan Lucker the nextnavigator was instantly a calming influence. He wastotally relaxed even in the face of cloud wrappingitself around the summits. We left Matt at the carattending to gear and food needs and pressed on ata good lick towards Clough Head. As we climbed upthe bottom of the fell, we saw car lights behind usand Matt jumped out and jogged up to catch us up.He could have run to catch us no doubt, but that heopted for the lift gave me a boost that we weremoving pretty well and I felt really good.Clough Head came and went, a short pit stop beforethe Dodds, but excellent navigation from Alan allthe way across Raise and Helvelyn and the two166 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


ARTICLETHE BOB GRAHAM ROUNDPikes meant we stayed right on plan, meanwhile wewere wrapped in clag all the way. Visibility was justabout good enough so as to allow us to lookslightly ahead, but when the darkness fell away at0630 it was the extra light we needed to stay thecourse. We dispatched the out and back up Fairfieldin 15 minutes less than it had taken me last time.Over Seat Sandal and down to the crew point atDunmail we were bang on schedule and in thespace of literally 2 minutes on that descent, thecloud just lifted away to leave the Lakes visible allaround us, the last smouldering remnants hangingon to the fell tops.Bill had emailed me a couple of days before theattempt and told me he didn't want to see me atDunmail before 0900. Save the energy and beconsistent throughout, don't try to bank minutesearly on. When I arrived at 0858 it seemed to be agood start. 25 minutes I was at Dunmail last time, 7minutes this time.Leg 3:Bill led the way up Steel Fell and Drew jumped in aspacer carrying a lot of gear with us for the circa 6 - 7hr leg that is the crux of the round in more waysthan one.Steel Fell is short and steep but we were up in goodtime and on to the first plateau with no issues. Thisis where the magic of Bill's mountain craft began toshine. Without pausing to stop or seemingly even tothink he picked out the most even terrain and thefastest possible line between the tops, without eversacrificing an inch of elevation gain. Chatting awayten to the dozen he gave me total confidence thatthis leg would be quite different to the twoprevious times. Every single top came and wentbetween 2 - 7 minutes faster than ever before. I wasrunning where you can actually run and we didn'tpause for anything. Overall we worked hard, it wasalways at an effort, but I was eating enough prior toevery climb to allow me to take them in striderather than the stop start effect of previousattempts. It sounds a bit presumptious but by HighRaise at the very centre of the Lakes, I knew wewere going to make it in time.This was a great day to be out on the fells.Over the rough stuff at the top of Leg three towardsGreat End we began to take some much more directlines and the savings kept coming.The bit I was really looking forward to was Bill's lineoff of Scafell Pike and up on to Scafell. There's noeasy option here, we took Lord's Rake as before butducked off left and made our way up the West WallTraverse. It was a grind up there with plenty of useof hands to haul up the gully but when we poppedout on top, we were within reach of the summitrather than way below it as Lord's Rake spits youout.The descent off of the top was 36 minutes, downfrom 50 previously and came via the best scree run I'veever seen.We came in to crew point 3 at Wasdale in 14hrsdead as opposed to 16hrs30 the last 2 times. Legswere good, energy was good, weather was good,time was in hand. And to help matters, my wife andson together with mum and dad had slogged itround to Wasdale in the car to say hi. It was time toenjoy the best of the lakes, leg four.Leg 4:Always looming over the Bob Graham aspirant isYewbarrow. It's steep. Rob Woodall led Natalie,Aidan and I up and took a great line and we climbedit in one swift move pausing for water only onceand topped out in 42 minutes, a time I would havetaken even if I'd been fresh. We rolled straight on tothe higher part of the leg around to Red Pike and Ireduced my previous effort of 74 minutes, to 45 flat.It was clear to me now that I just needed to keepmoving to get it done. I didn't feel any pressure andreally began to take in where were. Leg four really issensational. It's only around 11 miles, but with6000ft of climb it's steep ups and downs mean thatthe leg time is between 4 and 6hrs dependent onhow smashed you are. You can see out over thewest coast and the Irish sea, down in to the best ofthe Lakeland valleys - Ennerdale, Buttermere andWasdale. But most of all the fells there stand asindividuals, behemoths standing sentry in a ringaround Wasdale Head. Yewbarrow is a classic 1 in 2167 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


ARTICLETHE BOB GRAHAM ROUNDDESCENDING PIKE O’STICKLEPHOTOGRAPH | DREW SHEFFIELD168 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


ARTICLETHE BOB GRAHAM ROUNDclimb. Red Pike is a suprising way off from there,before the traverse to the prominentry of Steeple -a real favourite. Then Pillar, Kirk Fell and Great Gableare just monsters taking roughly 45 minutes each toclimb and descend.I'm not usually a very emotional person but as wegot over Great Gable on to the last three simpletops (Green Gable, Brandreth, Grey Knotts) beforeLeg 5, the sun set over Ennerdale and I had to dropback a bit from Rob and Natalie to make sure I heldit together!In to Honister at the end of Leg 4, I had 4hrs50minutes to knock off leg 5.Leg 5:Leg five breaks down in to two sections. The final 3tops and a descent down to a road. Then the roadrun in to Keswick. Ian and Bill led us straight upDale Head on this one. Not quite as steep as theother routes up from the crew spots, so relativelyrelaxed and despite my lack of power we hit it onthe planned 35 mins. We ran on and round toHindscarth as dark fell on us, where we could seetwo headlamps twinkling at us from the summit. Billasked me if I knew anyone else who would be outhere at this time of night and I said no. When wearrived, it turned out to be Martin Bergerud fromLyon Equipment our team sponsor and his wife Lisawho just happens to have done the BGR in bothdirections. Not a bad addition to the knowledge outon this last section! I was feeling pretty whackedout by now but we were still moving relatively wellconsidering. The only loss of time really was alengthy pit stop which came on very suddenly butluckily Robbie was on 'hand'.When we made it down to the road I switched in tomore comfy shoes and pressed straight on to getthe job done. When we arrived in to the high streetBill said thanks for a great day in the fells. I couldn'tbelieve he was thanking me! There were probablyaround 15 people back at Moot Hall includingalmost everyone from the round and my ma and pawho were then able to get me home (i had no ideahow i was actually going to get back) which wasnice. I felt pretty vacant, mostly on account of thelack of sleep in the past 40ish hours, but otherwiseWITH THE CREW AT WASDALEPHOTOGRAPH | PHIL ELSONpretty good considering.As I mentioned before it's pretty hard to make thenumbers mean anything because of the ground andthe weather but I know some might be interested inthose so below are what I make the legs out to beafter numerous runnings of them, what I ran themin on the day, and my splits.Leg 1: <strong>13</strong>.4 miles. 5724ft climb. 3hrs 40 mins.Leg 2: 14.3 miles. 5700ft climb. 4hrs <strong>13</strong> mins.Leg 3: 17 miles, 6150ft Climb. 5hrs 58 mins.Leg 4: 10.8 miles. 6011ft Climb. 4hrs 58 mins.Leg 5: 11.3 miles. 2333ft Climb. 3hrs 10 mins.Total: 66.8 miles. 25,918ft Climb. 22hrs 15mins.I'm not going to talk too much about how hard theBG is, except to say that save for the most talentedof fell runners it is not something that can be donewithout a great deal of effort and planning. I know afew readers of this website will have it on theirradar so being as honest as I can: I put myself in169 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


ARTICLETHE BOB GRAHAM ROUNDsub3 marathon shape, made 10 separate trips to theLakes for training in a 7 month period, had possiblythe most experienced team of navigators andpacers available (of 12 people who paced atdifferent times, 7 of them had finished the BG),devoted my entire summer racing season tomeeting this goal and got in with a relatively paltry1h45mins to spare at the third attempt.“Ultimately fell fitness isvery different to runfitness and that is thecrucial element”I would liken my effort to running well under 18hrsfor 100 miles on the flat. It is an exceptionallychallenging run. Ultimately fell fitness is verydifferent to run fitness and that is the crucialelement. Someone with a lot less road speed can dothis, being a good climber and descender isimportant. My fell experience is still relatively smallin comparison to my run experience. Billy Blandwalked the route in 22hrs. That's the difference fellexperience can make.Ian noted toward the end that the number ofpeople attempting the BG is increasing, but that thespirit doesn't seem to have died in any way. Heexpressed concern that press coverage could beleading to many ill fated attempts but I still get thefeeling that relatively few go for it in full. I'm notsure how I earned the respect of people like he tomake them willing to support my effort, but I thinkmy determination to succeed and wanting it to bemore than just a simple 'get around to tick the box'exercise was perhaps evident in my earlier reports.Whatever the case I am exceptionally grateful to thegroup of people who made this happen. Whilst Imay have been the only one able to do the actualrunning, I was held aloft by the support team all theway around.coaster. There are big peaks in troughs in trainingand racing. If you hang in there, it will come backaround. It's been 5 very poor efforts for me betweenprobably my two best ever runs, Spartathlon 20<strong>13</strong>and BGR 2014. Really, all I had to do was keep myhead in the game and I have no doubt that a fewyears ago I would have sacked this off and movedon. Finishing it the third time means many morethan 3 times over what it would have done to bag itin one. I could feel the pressure at times in the past6 months, wondering why I continued to chomp atthe bit when a rest seemed to be prudent. I guess Ijust knew in myself that that wasn't necessary, thatit would turn around and that when it did, it wouldturn around completely.I read the below just recently and perhaps it mayapply to those of you who, like me, occasioanallyfall short over the years.It is not the critic who counts; not the man who pointsout how the strong man stumbles, or where the doerof deeds could have done them better. The creditbelongs to the man who is actually in the arena,whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood;who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes shortagain and again, because there is no effort withouterror and shortcoming; but who does actually strive todo the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the greatdevotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; whoat the best knows in the end the triumph of highachievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at leastfails while daring greatly, so that his place shall neverbe with those cold and timid souls who neither knowvictory nor defeatLastly, a few good friends have been strugglingwith injury, poor performance and the odd DNFrecently. I have flirted with all three many times inthe past. From my relatively inexperienced position,all I'll say is that this sport is somewhat of a roller170 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


10 PEAKS - BRECON BEACONSEVENT REPORT | PAUL SMITHCLIF BAR 10 PEAKS - BRECONBEACONSRace Organiser: 10 PeaksWebsite Link: www.10peaks.comDate of Event: 6th September 2014Event Type: Single StageDistance: 58km / 89kmLocation: Talybont on Usk, Brecon BeaconsDescription: A fell face taking in the ten highest BreconBeacons peaks with two different distance options.Race Results: http://results.sportident.co.uk/home/event.html?eventid=95a8c59a-9f32-4955-8893-24d05c07a816&mobile=false171 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thePHOTOGRAPH | STEWART BONDIhttp://


EVENT REPORTCLIF BAR 10 PEAKS - BRECON BEACONSPHOTOGRAPH | STEWART BONDI10 PEAKS - BRECON BEACONSBY PAUL SMITH, 10 PEAKSConditions were once again near perfect for thesecond running of the Clif Bar 10 Peaks BreconBeacons. The event attracted a strong field with10% overseas competitors as well as some of thebest UK ultra runners. These two factors combinedmeant that we were in for some very fast times.finished joint second, 1 hour 46 minutes behindErik-Sebastian who had pushed himself to a newrecord of 11:01:17 beating Mark Palmer's impressivetime from last year. He had eaten, showered andstarted his cycle home before anyone else arrived atthe finish!Erik-Sebastian Krogvig, who finished second in theLakes Long Course was confident of his abilities butnot completely sure about route choice. He startedat record breaking pace leaving the rest of the fieldbehind including last year's Short Course winner,Andrew Ind who trailed in second. By CP2 Eric-Sebastian was 35 minutes ahead of the record paceof last year. However on route to CP3 he made acouple of navigational mistakes deliberately cuttingoff the corner to Coed-y-Garreg then missing theBreacons Way meant he approached CP3 from thesouth rather than the east. By this point Eric-Sebastian's lead was cut to 17 minutes. He hadlearnt from his mistake and didn't stray too far fromthe suggested route on the inbound trip from PicwsDu increasing his lead as he went. Soon after CP4international athlete Teun Geurts-Schoenmakersjoined forced with Andrew Ind who eventuallyIn the woman's race Michelle Bowen lead the fieldto the top of Carn Pica but was passed by BethPascall on route to CP1. By the time Beth reachedFan Brycheiniog she had extended her lead by over16 minutes, Beth maintained her lead to finish in<strong>13</strong>.12.21 knocking 30 minutes off last year's recordand finishing 4th overall. Meanwhile there was abattle on for second as Laureda Tirepied caughtMichelle Bowen at CP5 and decided she was goingto fight for second. Laureda opened up a 3:46 leadover Michelle by the top of Corn Du and over 16minutes by Fan Y Big. Laureda went on to finishsecond in 14.21.27 with Michelle third in 14.35.19,with all three ladies finishing in the top 10 overall.The Short Course competitors started an hour afterthe Long at 6am with Alex van Tuyl the only personof the day to reach Carn Pica in under 48 minutes.172 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTCLIF BAR 10 PEAKS - BRECON BEACONSPHOTOGRAPH | STEWART BONDIAlex didn't slow there and by the time he reachedCP2 his lead stood at 35 minutes ahead of RichardGover. Alex's descent from the final peak to thefinish at the Danywenallt YHA took him only 36minutes to finish in a time of 7.02.05 smashingAndrew Ind's winning time by half an hour. RichardGover came in 79 minutes later, a few minutesbehind was Simon Triscott in 8.27.38.Sam Callear led the women's race from the start andhad opened up a 34 minute lead by Fan Y Big. Samwas the first woman home finishing 5th overall in9.10.02 with MyRaceKit's Elisabet Barnes finishingstrong in second place reclaiming 8 minutes in theclosing stages to finish in a time of 9:36:17 and 8thoverall. Jenny Nicholson, racing in the pairscategory, was third in 11:58:04.An impressive 89 people finished the Short Courseand 83 the Long showing what a strong field toedthe line this year. Interestingly of the 21 womanwho started 5 finished inside the top 10. This is allthe more incredible given that there were nearly 9times more men taking part. Imagine a futurewhere there are as many women as men taking partin ultra distance fell races… it could end up that theblokes become the minority in the top 10!Entries open for next year's events on 10th October.See www.10peaks.com for details.Clif Bar 10 Peaks - Brecon Beacons ResultsShort Course Mens Results1. Alex van Tuyl 7hrs 2mins2. Richard Gover 8hrs 21mins3. Simon Triscott 8hrs 27minsShort Course Womens Results1. Sam Callear 9hrs 10mins2. Elisabet Barnes 9hrs 36mins3. Jenny Nicholson 11hrs 58minsLong Course Mens Results1. Erik-Sabastian Krogvig 11hrs 1mins2. Teun Geurts-Schoenmakers 12hrs 47mins2. Andrew Ind 12hrs 47minsLong Course Womens Results1. Beth Pascall <strong>13</strong>hrs 12mins2. Laureda Tirepied 14hrs 21mins3. Michelle Bowen 14hrs 35minsRace Results: http://results.sportident.co.uk/home/event.html?eventid=95a8c59a-9f32-4955-8893-24d05c07a816&mobile=false173 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTBRECON 10 PEAKSON THE CLIMB DOWN TO CORN DU.PHOTOGRAPH | (c) STEWART BONDIBRECON 10 PEAKSBY TOM WRIGHTPreliminaries: The race began at 5am. I was late!The dawn glow was yet to break the jet-black of amountain night. A light dew had gathered on thelong grass making the MudClaws damp before Ieven toed the start line. Despite the relativecomforts of a rock and roll bed in our recentlyacquired T4 my sleep had been unsettled. I layawake questioning my reasons for undertakingthis gargantuan task. Originally the 10 Peaks hadbeen cause to a higher goal but I had abandonedthat idea in the summer. I had proven more thanenough to myself at the RAT 100K three weeksearlier and felt little pressure to do anything otherthan enjoy a day in the mountains. As I learnt inthe spring, Welsh weather can interferedramatically with best laid plans and previousexperiences weighed heavy on my mind.Perhaps my concerns derived more from theunderlying premise of this race: self-navigation. Ihad laboriously formulated a route using GoogleEarth and a Harvey Mountain Map. Despite thejocular reputation amongst our family about myshort term memory, it would appear I have a talentTom WrightBloghttp://life.tomwright.me.ukTwitter@tomwrightBrecon 10 Peaks ResultFinish Time14hrs 47minsFinish Position:<strong>13</strong>/83 Finishers (24 DNF)for memorising maps. As I lay wide awake on mybed I could visualise the entire 55 miles of myproposed route: the piles of stones; the saddles andspurs; the tarns; the river valleys and of course thepeaks. Could I, however, assimilate my memory mapwith the terrain on the ground? The ultimate174 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTBRECON 10 PEAKSchallenge of the mountain navigator.Awake at 4am, fuelled on granola and tea, failure toconsider long toilet queues accounted for mytardiness. A shorter course would be starting anhour later and with 200 people taking part, all told,patience was called for. Fortunately there was nomass start and race organiser, Mark, was calling outfor any errant long course competitors as I made myway to the start control. It was time for a very longday in the mountains!The Warm Up: Just to elucidate, the format of theCliff Bar 10 Peaks is simple. The ten highest peaks ofthe Brecon Beacons National Park must be visited inthe specified order, along with several additionalcheckpoints. The route is of the competitorschoosing. A map is provided at registration with asuggested path covering 90km and 4800m ascent.There is no signage on the mountains. Cut-offs arefairly loose but the time limit is 24 hours. Anycompetitor failing to reach the second check-pointby midday would be redirected onto the shortcourse. To allow these competitors to still get anofficial finish we had two additional mandatorycheckpoints, being the first two peaks of the shortcourse race. So yes, we would be doing twelvepeaks!The first of these being the Hill, as the foot pathsign so pleasantly pronounced, only half a milefrom the start. This would be one of the longerclimbs of the day, but undertaken by spotlight andwith eyes still bleary in the early hours it passedquickly. Too quickly perhaps as I scored the twelfthfastest time of the day to Carn Pica.My one memory of the climb was the incessantheat. Despite pre-dawn, the air was warm and thick.I was dressed, and packed, almost identically to thecombination I donned at the RAT (other than onesmall technological advancement I will discusslater). This meant just a mesh vest on my upper. Yetstill I was sweating!The field was stretched once on Craig Pwllfa’s peatbogs. I knew this section well, albeit in reverse, fromthe spring event yet still I nearly cut left straightinto the worst of the bogs, only deciding at the lastto follow the flashlights ahead of me on a path thatcircumvented the tough terrain. Then the routetook us south along Graig Fan Las.The shadows of the mountains majestically tookshape around us as the light of dawn graduallyfilled the sky. Not a time for sightseeing as the firstnavigational challenge of the day called for focus.We were to take a south-west bearing across opencountry to the Filter House south of NeuaddReservoir. The provided map gave little clue otherthan a direct line drawn from the point we wouldcross the Beacons Way to the reservoir. I chose tocut left at a pile of stones and find a path thatfollowed the large gully cut into the hillside by Nanty Gloesydd. As I hit the stones I was dumbfoundedto see all the runners ahead of me following theBeacons Way north-west. Perhaps people weremore focussed on jockeying for position thanwatching their compass? Although the lie was toolevel to give any indication of where the reservoirwas, and despite the path looking very untrodden, Istuck to my plan. Soon the path became steep, andI was hugging the gully, moving at quite somespeed.Looking back no runners appeared to have followedme. As I approached the reservoir I saw runnerscoming in from the north. I had jumped aconsiderable number of places, gathered hugeconfidence in my navigational ability and openedup the doors for further off-piste explorationthroughout the day. I couldn’t help but grin at thisminor accomplishment so early in the race.The next compulsory checkpoint was trig point 642,followed by Rhiw yr Ysgyfarnog ridge. Familiarterritory, although, unlike my previous excursion,visibility was more than ten metres and I welcomedthe view across Pen-y-Fan. It was another toughclimb from reservoir to ridge, with some uneventerrain and rock scrambling near the top.A female competitor, Michelle Bowen, stormed paston the climb. I was on her tail to the col at BwlchDuwynt with intent to reel her back in on the fastdescent to the first checkpoint south of StoreyArms. However she moved exceptionally fast on thedownhill showing adroit control of the terrain and175 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTBRECON 10 PEAKSwas all set to leave the checkpoint when I arrived.I got that eerie feeling of quiet that I experienced atearly checkpoints in the RAT. I had come here for aday out on the mountains yet I sensed in the spaceof 2 hours, with one brisk ascent and a wisenavigational decision, I had landed myselfunintentionally in the competitive end of the field.Surely that would all change, as the real challengebegan with our first official peak.Peak 1. Fan Fawr at 734m. Arrival time 07:55First climb and not a path in sight! Riding high onmy earlier nav decisions I banked left of the steeperknoll heading for a herd of sheep in the hope theywould have worked some tracks into the tuft ladenand overgrown vegetation. Learning on the run Isoon discovered that the vibrant greener lookingvegetation indicated water and was best avoided.As the mountainside plateaued I saw the officialtrack running up a much steeper second ascent wayoff to the right.The relief of a terraced dirt track was short lived asmy legs showed the first sign of fatigue on theshort steep climb. I adopted the ultra crouch withhands on quads and pushed slow and steady to thesummit. As with all the western peaks the cairnteasingly sat further back on a gradual rise. Suckingin the cool air I had bagged Fan Fawr. The earlymorning cloud was gradually lifting and the viewsof the reservoir satisfying.Another runner caught me on the climb and assoon as I recovered my breath, and he kindly took aphoto, I followed him on the narrow path thatcircumnavigated the Nant y Gwair valley.Peak 2. Fan Llia at 632m. Arrival time 08:39On the aerial images the landscape between FanFawr and Fan Llia looked remote and desolute. Itwas a relief to discover the path was in fact welltrodden and there was no need to take bearings.This should have been one of the easier peaks butafter crossing the three rivers I really struggled onthe ascent to the Beacons Way. The terrain was hardwork with a slow walk at best as my energy waned.Following the hefty slog to Fan Fawr I alsoexperienced a few twinges of cramp in my calves.After the crossings I lost the path and several timesaltered course trying to follow a sheep track thatsoon faded into undergrowth. The other runner hadtaken a more direct line using poles to pushthrough the undergrowth. He was a distant figureon the rising ridge. Once on the official track with agradual climb to the summit I had little desire torun. Worse still, I contemplated switching to theshort route at the forthcoming checkpoint. Thedownside of doing the extra peaks at the startmade the temptation of stepping down all tooaccessible. As with the unexpected cramp, I put thefatigue in my legs down to the short recovery timesince my inaugural 100km. Or was it just the6,000 feet of tough ascent we had already faced thismorning? Burying the doubts so early in the daytook a lot of inner searching.Fortunately a swift and comfortable descent fromFan Llia to the checkpoint, which saw me catch theother runner, put my mind at ease. I had chosen aslightly longer, and more gradual, route followingthe Beacons Way which bought me out just beyondthe checkpoint. I believed the shallower gradientwould allow me to maintain controlled speed, and Iwould hit the bridge across Afon Llia rather thantackling the water.Peak 3. Fan Brycheiniog at 802m. Arrival time11:57Probably fitting that the most difficult peak topronounce (just) was also the longest peak toreach. First we had several uncharacteristic milesalong a rubble strewn Roman Road (Sarn Helen),over some open moorland and finally throughlimestone country to the third checkpoint. My mojohad returned as I put distance between myself andthe runner I had shared the first two peaks with.However, the sun was now sitting high and the heatbegan to bake the exposed rocky terrain. I wasbegging to get back onto the cooler high ground. Afurther challenge came from an unexpected source- cattle! Not only were they reluctant to move fromthe main path, but they were also protecting young,and strange calls echoed across the landscape as awarning of our imminent arrival. Anirrational bovinophobia just strengthened my176 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTBRECON 10 PEAKSCLIMB TO BWLCH GIEDD WITH FAN BRYCHEINIOG BEHIND AND LLYN Y FAN FAWR TO THE RIGHTdesire to get off this alien landscape and back to fellrunning.Another quiet checkpoint. But this one had food.Hot food! Despite the rising heat of an adventitiousWelsh morning I was keen to savour the pasta andred on offer and foiled by warm tea I tucked intotwo helpings. There was an impressive array ofcakes but I was steadfast with my low sugarnutritional plan.At the same time I embraced technology. I hadstowed a portable USB charger in my drop bag,which was waiting for me here. My plan was tocharge my Ambit for the duration of the long climbto the third peak in the hope this extra juice wouldextend my watch’s life for the remainder of thecourse. I also had plans to change my socks, switchto some dry wrags and grab two rounds of marmitesandwiches from the bag.However, plans were thrown into turmoil as notone, but ten other runners appeared in quicksuccession at the checkpoint. The fantastic staffdishing up the pasta had been quick to affirm I wasin thirteenth place. But of course, I reminded myselfI was here for the sights and the challenge, not torace so was content to sit back and enjoy the spreadof food. Yet as the runners hurriedly switched theirkit and departed with purpose a competitive urgecame over me to at least attempt to maintainmy position.So I guzzled down a few extra spoons of pasta,slurped my tea, grabbed a slice of orange,expressed my gratitude to the staff and tucked inbehind the lead group. Cutting out a wideswitchback of the Beacons Way we took a bearingnorth west over a little hillock and down somesteep fields. I had planned a little short cut herearound the back of the church, past the derelictpink walled Tafarn-y-Garreg inn, and over a littlefootbridge. It avoided a farm and possibly saved afew hundred metres. Crucially, it worked! Despitethe heat, and growing fatigue my navigation brainstill seemed to be alert.Time for some serious ascending as we took a verysteep path up the spur on to Fan Hir ridge. This wasfar harder than I had anticipated and I found myself177 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTBRECON 10 PEAKSstopping every hundred or so steps to catch mybreath. My legs occasionally cramped up. I hadbeen sweating heavily all morning and suspected Imay have some salt deficiencies. I attempted toconsume a salted Chia flapjack followed by amarmite sandwich but both were so dry I foundmyself spitting bits out. A few of the youngercompetitors in the group that departed thecheckpoint were soon distant dots on the skyline.Unfortunately what I thought was the final summitwas in fact a smaller peak at one end of a deepsaddle. To confound my situation the descent waspainful on the knees and quads.On the plus side, the ten pound USB charger hadworked. I had carried it, cables and Ambit in asandwich bag for fear of sweat or other moisturepenetrating any connections. Now with the watchback to 80% charge I was content my watch wouldaccompany me all the way to the finish withoutgoing to sleep. So I stashed the accessories away inthe bottom of my pack.I chatted to another runner on the final climb to thepeak. He was likewise frustrated by cramp which hehad never experienced in his training on these verymountains. I felt somewhat relieved that it was notjust me and an experienced local fell runner wasfacing similar issues.It took 75 minutes to travel 3.25 miles with just shyof 2000 feet ascent. The terrain was well walked andhard underfoot but after the initial climb the slopehad been gradual. At least with clear blue skies thepanoramic rolling views of the mountains had beenawe-inspiring and I reminded myself repeatedlyhow lucky I was to experience this majestic terrain.Peak 4. Bannau Sir Gaer at 749m. Arrival time12:12This swift out and back to Picws Du allowedopportunity to eye the opposition. Appearanceswere giving nothing away and I felt uncomfortableat how strong those in front of me looked. Ofcourse everyone exchanged encouragement or atleast proffered a smile in acknowledgement of ourshared experience.The descent was back to tuft laden, boggy, mudriddled terrain while the ascent from the col was ashort steep hard packed path. A bank of low cloudmoved in during the ascent and the air temperaturedropped instantly. While a brief respite from the sunwas welcome the temporary lack of visibility wasdisconcerting and made me appreciate how verydifferent the day would be if I was navigating incloud.The summit was a milestone. The furthest west wewould travel across the Brecon Beacons today. Thehorizon was too hazy to make out the Fan far off inthe distance but a black shadow loomed closer. Anomnipresent shadow lingering in the corner of theeye since reaching the ridge of Fan Hir. The steepimposing western scarp of Fan Gyhirych awaited.Peak 5. Fan Gyhirych at 725m. Arrival time 14:12Before tackling the steepest climb of the day, themarshall advised us we had one little hill to combat.A steep rocky descent led down to the calm watersof Llyn y Fan Fawr. I dunked my head several timesin the icy cold water. A brown film lapping at thewater’s edge made the prospect of drinking it lessappealing. I hoped my bottle and bladder wouldsee me through to the next checkpoint.A small path wound along the of edge of Nant-y-Llyn river leading to the foot of the hill. The darkshadow of the mountain loomed behind. It was aspectacular sight - the David and Goliath of theBrecon Beacons. Fan Gyhyrich only stood 725m highbut appeared to be so much higher.A few fresh faces followed close behind me now. Asthe descent steepened our travails were rewardedwith picturesque waterfalls in flow despite the longspell of dry weather. I could only imagine whatthese rivers would be like in flood by the depth ofthe gorge they had cut through the landscape.Time for focus. This section would probably be thetoughest of the day. Open country, overgrownterrain, and just a few sheep tracks to follow - ifthey could be found. I sought just such a trackacross the stile and right of the stream at the foot ofthe hill. It had been visible on Google Earth butwith wild grass hugging my knees a path was hardto locate. An old fence post served as clue and soon178 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTBRECON 10 PEAKSenough a narrow walkable track revealed itself. Icalled the other runners who were across thestream fighting vegetation and they joined me. Welost the path several times on the slow hike and hita few boggy sections but finally surmounted thishill that could have so readily been a peakand descended to the checkpoint.I filled my bone-dry bladder and bottles and thentook charge of several packs of Clif shots. My storeof dry food was no longer working. Energy wasdepleted and in the hottest part of the day mymouth was too parched to chew on bread or bars.So, with twenty miles to go, I adapted my nutritionplan in favour of quick release sugar. I couldn’t seehow else I had any hope of ascending the mountainthat stood in my way.The reputation of Fan Gy’s western scarp hadpreceded it. Maps don’t lie. Crammed contour lines.This was a very steep prospect! The initial clamberbought back memories of my navigational errors onthe Black Mountains in April. No footpaths to speakof. Only the keenest, or craziest, hikers would tacklethis challenging ascent surely! My legs werescreaming and this was a far cry from ultra-running.I would attempt to climb 50 short steps, then rest,with hands on knees and curse. Walk, scream,repeat! That was the new method.The fact the final 100m was covered on hands andknees was affirmation enough. In fact following theform of those ahead of me by adopting a scrambleover the last ascent I couldn’t help but wonder ifthis would have been a more efficient way to tacklesome of the earlier climbs we had encountered. Fora short brief spell the pain in the legs subsided, thefatigue was stymied and I actually started enjoyingmyself.Five peaks down. Five peaks to go!Peak 6. Fan Nedd at 663m. Arrival time 14:54I had several navigational tactics in mind for FanNedd. Bearing west off the summit was not one ofthem as I made contact with the red road far earlierthan expected and put a few hundred metres ontomy route. My first navigational error of the daywhich I attributed to the exhaustion of the climbjust undertaken. On a positive I could just make outPen-y-Fan on the hazy horizon. It was gettingcloser.I was keen to get back onto softer ground anddeviated right on a small path that followed a farmwall to the foot of Fan Nedd. An unexpected bogfound me waist deep in muck and stinking of morethan just sweat! An unfortunate stench thatlingered on the air for quite some time. Severalother runners were following the ridge line to thenorthern cairn. I chose a direct bearing across themountainside via sheep tracks. The path repeatedlypetered out into more overgrown tufts but my legswere grateful for the slighter gradient. By thesummit I had made ground on several otherrunners. The descent was swift and steep. I wasgrateful for an emergency checkpoint that hadbeen set up by Mountain Rescue offering water. Mysupplies were nearly exhausted!Peak 7. Fan Frynych at 629m. Arrival time 16:11"The Romans built terrible roads", I kept tellingmyself as my tight muscles struggled on the rubblestrewn track that wound north west on Sarn Helen.Perhaps 2000 years of torrential Welsh climate wasmore cause for the protrusions that jutted out andrepeatedly caught the sides and souls of my feet.This was not good terrain for MudClaws and I feltseveral pangs of pain.We were back on the short course now and I passeda number of walkers who showered outencouragement and respect. Fan Frynych was ameans to end. The legs were tired and the “walk,scream, repeat” technique I mastered on Fan Gy wasagain called for. But I knew once over the summit itwas downhill all the way to Storey Arms and thenthe home leg over Pen-y-Fan and her smallersiblings.The view from the summit of Fan Frynych waswelcoming. Corn Du and Pen-y-Fan stood lofty overthe valley a short distance away. Clouds werebuilding around the peaks. Was the fair weather wehad been gifted all day about to becomeinclement? The forecasts had hinted at showers.This could be refreshing but also bring thetemperature down rapidly just as the sun was179 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTBRECON 10 PEAKSsetting. I certainly didn’t want to be caught cold onthose last few peaks.The long downhill track to Storey Arms wastechnical and at times treacherous with steep dropoffs.Short course walkers were spread along thelength of the path each making a good target as Itried to sustain a steady cadence on weary legs.Time was of the essence. If I could be out of thecheckpoint by 5pm I would have 3 hours to coverthe final ten miles and go sub 15 hours - my (if Ihave a really good day) target. Surely a three mileper hour paces was feasible even with the steepclimbing to come.The checkpoint was another hot feed station albeitfrom a burger van! I had promised myself a treat buton arrival the station was heavily crowded. Therewas also quite a bit of nicotine smoke in the airaround the van and I had no intention of filling mylungs with that after such a strenuous day ofactivity. So, with aspirations to break fifteen hours Ifilled my water bottles, grabbed some more shotblocks, and was out of the station in minutes.Peak 8. Pen Y Fan at 886m. Arrival time 17:54Back on a Roman road. This one well modernisedwith stone-pitching. The same road on which I hadrediscovered some purpose during the torridSummer 50 as I pulled myself back from the brink ofa DNF. Contemplating how excruciating that daywas really put the current scenario in perspective.Yes the legs were tired but the weather was still fairwith clear skies. Exiting the station I passed acouple of long course runners I didn’t recognise andmy thoughts wandered briefly to my position in thefield. This had been of little concern on the westernsection as numerous runners overtook. Maybe I washovering in the low twenties. I had to shake off mymind’s meanderings and concentrate on the job inhand, one summit at a time.With so many other competitors around me now Iwas reluctant to show weakness with the “walk,scream, repeat” method and stuck out the climb toCorn Du at a steady slow pace. Only stopping brieflyto hydrate my parched throat. A very dextrous noncompetitor,who I discovered later was Rambo,came bounding down the hill towards me brieflyDAVID & GOLIATH! THE HILL FOLLOWED BY INFAMOUS FANGYHIRYCHstopping to take some photos of my suffering.At the crossroads I had the option to bank right tothe col and skip Corn Du entirely as it was not amandatory peak. I decided the view would be farmore rewarding going to the summit and why notadd a thirteenth peak to the journey.From Corn Du it was a simple matter of a shortdescent where I attempted to generate some speedto carry me up the slope to Pen-y-Fan. Gravitycarried me about five metres before my legsstopped dead and it was back to the slow plod. Itwas a great relief to finally reach the summit of thehighest peak which had looked so distant when Ispotted it in the haze from Fan Nedd.Peak 9. Cribyn at 795m. Arrival time 18:16It was was just under a mile to Cribyn following asteep rubble path into the col and a stone-pitchedpath up the other side. Occasional low cloud sweptthrough but rarely long enough to conceal the180 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTBRECON 10 PEAKStarget and spectacular views just kept flowing.trekking ahead of them.Gazing up at the imposing hundred metre climb toCribyn I sought distraction. My phone hadreception so I decided to phone the family and letthem know my progress. The girls were sat on thesofa, watching athletics and tucking into pizza. Thethought was tempting but hey, I was in themountains and it was awesome! After a quick chatwith our oldest daughter we said our farewells and Iset off with purpose to yet another summit.Peak 10. Fan y Big at 719m. Arrival time 18:37How fitting that my adventure should end on thepeak that I battled so valiantly with on my last visit.That peregrination was conducted in dense clagwhich hid the true summit as we followed a signedpath around the perimeter. It shouldn’t have comeas surprise that I faced one last steep climb to bagmy final peak of the day. At least the path was welltrodden with a well pitched switch-back. My legswelcomed this indirect but less intense avenue.So, eleven hours after I had set off from Storey Armson the first official climb to Fan Fawr, I had finallyconquered the ten peaks! It had been an aweinspiringexperience. The landscape never ceased toimpress and clear skies rewarded my efforts withsweeping vistas at every turn.It was undeniably painful and the hardest challengeI have ever undertaken. I had climbed just shy of15,000 feet, my legs screaming in pain but neverfaltering.I took trust in my hired timing chip but as addedproof here is a selfie on each of the summits in turn.Clear skies on every one! Who would have predictedthat in South Wales?The Run In: All that was left to do was attempt totraverse the final six miles back to Talybontreservoir in less than 90 minutes to go sub fifteenhours. All energy was spent and I adopted a run/walk around Craig Cwareli. As much for caution asthe uneven track cut close to the vertical cliff face.The sun was low in the sky now and whispers ofclouds hugged Pen-y-Fan. I thought of othercompetitors, the walkers, still way out on thewestern fringes of the course with a whole night ofIn the peat bogs I was reduced to walking. I knewfrom Carn Pica it would be downhill all the way tothe finish so convinced myself I was banking someenergy, and pain, for the final two miles by taking iteasy over the bogs. I had time in hand.High above on Carn Pica, the setting sun paintedglorious hues across the valley interspersed withlong shadows from the surrounding mountains.Talybont reservoir was in sight and it was downhillall the way. My legs were tight on the near verticaldescent and I took it steady but as the gradientlevelled I let gravity take hold and my strideincreased. Two fellow competitors were in my sight.Weaving down the track off Twyn Du I caught one ofthem. Then for no reason I had a desperate urge togo to the toilet! Something I hadn’t done for muchof the day and not the first time such anindiscretion has come over me in the vital finalthroes of a race. I had little option but to attend tothe call of nature.When I finally rounded the farm I saw severalrunners now making their way across the reservoirbut despite running as hard as my legs would allowover those last few hundred yards I wasn’t going tocatch them.The slight glimmer of a race on that long descenthelped pull my time inside fifteen hours. Thanks tomy late start I also leap-frogged the runners I waschasing and finished in thirteenth. The sameposition I found myself in at that hot feed stationnearly ten hours earlier. It had been a very long day.Bed was calling but not before a tepid, but stillmuch appreciated, shower, hot food and, of course,the obligatory local beer.This was a very well organised event. The checkpointswere admirably stocked with Clif supplies and the hotand cold cornucopia of provisions at the hot feedstation in Penwyllt were appreciated. Served up by ateam of volunteers all dressed to amuse I should add! Iwas especially touched to see all monies from sales ofgoodies (and photographs) going to charity. The teamat Ten Peaks put on an unsurpassed challenge, for me,and I couldn’t recommend this enough.181 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


RUNNERS PROFILEWILLIAM ROBERTSON182 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


RUNNERS PROFILEWILLIAM ROBERTSONIn this months issue William Robertson tells us about his <strong>Ultra</strong> marathon running backgroundWhat is your running background?New to running, lost 7 stone in weight and ran myfirst 26.2 mile marathon overweight and withouttraining I've went on to run 2 ultras a 100 mileultra (24:43) and 35.5 mile elevation ultra, 8marathons , 4 halfs and a few 10k races since April20<strong>13</strong>When did you first start running <strong>Ultra</strong>s andwhy?I ran my first marathon without any training in 4hours 53, 12 months later I ran it in 3 hours 11. Iknow I can go faster but I wanted to go beyondmyself and test the boundaries I took a challengeto run 2014 miles in 2014 for charity. The weightall came off and running became my passion, Ithen signed up for the 100 miler after I finishedthe 35.5 mile ultra at kintyreWhen or where (at which events) are we mostlikely to meet you?I plan on doing the Scottish ultras next year alongwith the grim-reaper down south, I will still add inmarathons too. I love to run and since losingweight and changing the way I eat I like to doevents a lot nowWhat are your personal key runningachievements to date?Learning through my own running that when Itake care of myself by pursuing my own passionsand goals that I can be of better service to others.I had a crazy past which included me being inprison, solitary and even locked up abroad &sectioned. Diagnosed with a mental illness calledSchizoaffective disorder. So I ran to be free and it'sWilliamRobertsonBlogwilliamrobertson281285.blogspot.co.ukTwitter@wullyrobertson1helped in more ways than I could ever imagine, somy best achievement through running will alwaysbe about self discovery and freedom .What was your best result or best raceexperience?The 100 miler as I've only been running since Aprillast year, my PB at the marathon is 3:11 but i hopethat my best race results and experiences are stillto come, I'm sure they willWhat was your hardest race experience?Turning up for my first marathon, I wore a tracksuitand hillwalking shoes and just thought why not.My school teacher told me I couldn't run and I wasnever athletic growing up so the first marathonwill always stand out.183 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


RUNNERS PROFILEWILLIAM ROBERTSONWhat are your future <strong>Ultra</strong> Marathon runningambitions?To run more, to continually grow, learn anddevelop myself as an ultra runner and as a person.I'm 28 just now and know there is plenty more togive.What/when is your next event?My last events of the year are Loch Ness andAmsterdam marathons followed by the Jedburgh<strong>Ultra</strong>.What is your typical approach or race strategyfor an <strong>Ultra</strong> Marathon event?Learn to be with yourself mentally, enjoy timewith yourself and the lifestyle. Set out to completethe task first time and not compete so you can setdown a bench mark for the futureGive us one interesting fact about yourself?I'm a father.Anything else you would like to add?<strong>Ultra</strong> running to me is not a one time distance orevent, it's a state of existence and lifestyle and it'sa choice in happy I made in my life.I practice meditation and love training so myapproach is just to believe in my journey, thetraining and the lifestyle and then go out & enjoymyself and smile every mile.What does a typical training week look like?It's more free running so not much of a clock andspeed work person yet, I run to college and back, Irun to the gym and I enjoy runs to nowhere just tohave me time, but my running philosophy ischanging as I go. Ran around 2300 miles this year& log on by Nike GPS. The most I've ran in a singleweek is 202 miles.What one tip would you pass on to peoplerunning an <strong>Ultra</strong> for the first time?184 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTTHAMES PATH CHALLENGETHAMES PATH CHALLENGEBY PAUL GILBERTSENA quick pint on the way home and listen to a shortpresentation, what could go wrong? A few monthslater I’m standing in Putney with nipples tapedand vaselined.Organisers Action Challenge ran a shortintroduction to their events at a local pub I pass onthe way home. They do a few through the yearaimed mainly at walkers with a growing number ofrunners taking part. I was lucky enough to winentry into an event of my choice and picked theThames Path Challenge, mainly because I live nearthe start and it’s flat. The challenge includes apledge to raise funds for a charity of your choice. Iran for Streetlytes (www.streetlytes.org), a smallLondon based organisation who provide support tothose in need.With a few months to prepare I spent about 2 weeksdevising a training schedule and then actually gotstarted. With a mid-summer long distance triathlonI balanced my time between swimming, biking andrunning. Total hours running was not massive butthe amount of exercise seemed ok without takingover my life.Roll on <strong>13</strong>th September and I headed to the parkjust north of Putney Bridge. I forced down a massivebowl of porridge for breakfast and was carrying aselection of energy gels, cereal bars and nuts tokeep me going. I arrived in good time to chat to aPaul GilbertsenThames Path ChallengeResultFinish Time12hrs 10minsFinish Position32/146 Runnersfew people, stash a bag to be taken to the finishand take a quick photo.7am and we were off. A steady pace back over thebridge and on to a very familiar stretch of theThames Path towards Hammersmith, Kew andRichmond. After about 10 minutes everyoneseemed pretty spread out and I started getting intoa rhythm. I had decided on a 25/5 run/walk split so Icould eat and drink and soon settled into a game ofleapfrog with some familiar faces.185 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTTHAMES PATH CHALLENGEThe first of many well stocked aid stations (aboutevery 12.5km) had fruit, nuts, energy bars, crisps,sweets and more. I topped up by bottle, grabbed afew orange segments and set off.From the start everyone seemed pretty eager tochat and around Hampton Court I first startedtalking to Ross. He was also aiming for a 12 hourfinish but also treating it as training for a trip toChile. I spent most of the day with Ross chattingthrough an assortment of topics, choosing whichriver side property to buy and attempting mentalarithmetic to work out our pace and predictedfinishing time.Each 5km became a goal to celebrate with some bigmile stones at the first marathon and half way. Themidpoint was a massive confidence boost and westarted the count down, only a marathon and a bitto go! I turned down the offer of a meal at the halfway check point (possibly a mistake) as I wanted toget going and got cracking on the second half atabout 12:30. The day was getting pretty hot by thenand I think a combination of not drinking enoughand not eating enough earlier on was beginning totake its toll.Around this point we were running with Alix whodecided our pace and banter suited him so webecame a small group of 3 for a long stretch. Fromhere my mood definitely came in waves. I washaving a never ending argument in my head. Onone side what was the point, there are plenty ofnice looking pubs to stop in? On the other thereasons I was taking part, simply to see if I couldand to raise funds for Streetlytes.We carried on with the slow count down from amarathon to 30km, 20km and the final check pointwith about 12km to go. Ross and I both needed tostop for drinks but Alix was feeling good and wentahead. Throughout the day we thought we mightstill be on for a sub 12 hour finish but this was thepoint we realized we might not make it. On a goodday without having run 88km already we bothcould have made it with a couple of minutes tospare but the pace had dropped, although I still feltlike I was still pushing as much as I could.The last few km’s ticked by and we made our wayslowly into Henley including a high five from theguy on the motorbike we had seen about 5 timesover the day dishing out support to everyone. Tomake the full distance the route went up throughthe town but then back down to the water front sowe managed to get our legs moving for the finalkilometre. We finally saw the flags at the finish andsurprisingly managed a sprint to the line (possiblynot as fast in real life as I thought). Handshakes, amedal and a glass of Champaign and I don’t think Ihave ever been more pleased to sit down.Alix had a fantastic final 12km and made it inaround 11:55. Ross and I managed 12:10 and wewere both happy. All in all a great event. A fantasticpath taking in the river, locks, pubs, churches (weran through a wedding), villages, harbours, somehouses I’m not sure lottery money could buy and awide variety of well-wishers either out to supportother runners/walkers or just a bit astonished bywhat we were doing. It was extremely wellorganised and a massive thank you must go out toall the marshals and aid station volunteers. Great tomeet and chat to many people over the day, I justwish I could remember everyone’s name.A few things for me to think about.My fitness level was very good but no substitute fortime on your feet for long distance running as thephysical battering really got to my legs.My eating plan was ok for the first half but fell topieces. I ended up fairly dehydrated with very littleenergy.Trail shoes might have been better than road as thesoles of my feet were pretty sore towards the end.My run was in aid of Streetlytes so please check outwhat they do. https://www.justgiving.com/Paul-Gilbertson-100km-thames-path-challengeTHAMES PATH CHALLENGERace Organiser: Action ChallengeWebsite Link: www.thamespathchallenge.comDate of Event: <strong>13</strong>thSeptember 2014Event Type: Single StageDistance: 100km (15hrs cut off runners)Location: Putney Bridge to HenleyDescription: A 100k run (or walk) from Putney Bridge toHenley which is around 90% flat trail with aid stationsevery 12.5km.Race Results: http://www.thamespathchallenge.com/uploads/final-100km-tpc-times.pdf186 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTLADYBOWER 50LADYBOWER 50BY ANIA GRUSZCZYNSKAI was up bright and early, shortly before five o'clockto make sure that my support crew aka chauffeuraka future spouse was fully awake and fit to drive toget me there for seven-ish. I downed my usual, triedand tested breakfast of eggs and toast with Lotusspread (gingerbread biscuits, hey, it works for me!).We were warned that the day would be busy as thatSunday happened to be the date when the last twoairworthy Lancasters flew over Derwent reservoirwhere the Dambuster raid was rehearsed. Theyweren't joking about the place getting busy as itwas already getting crowded at quarter past sevenwhen we got there. We quickly located the race HQwhere registration was taking place, I was veryhappy to discover that the visitor loos were alreadyopen and my partner in crime was equally happy tolocate a kiosk selling coffee. I picked up my number,dropped off my provisions by the organisers' tent(food for later laps, can of Coke and electrolytetablets) and suddenly we were left with minutes togo before the race would begin. The race briefingwas short and sweet, with the race directorexplaining the route and reminding us to look outfor one another and then the 50 (or 50.9) milerunners were off!Short lap - Miles 0-5The first lap took us round the Ladybower reservoirback to the aid station, the markings were fairlystraightforward and we were informed that the onlydifference between the first short lap and the threelonger laps would be that for the longer lap we’d beturning right rather than left at a strategicallyplaced fork in the road, fortunately the turningpoint was marshalled and very well signposted! Thiswas great relief to me after a couple of ratherstressful Long Distance Walkers Associations whereI would be given a briefing sheet with up to fourpages of notes which to me could just as well be inChinese. My legs still display the after-effects ofMalvern Midsummer Marathon when myself and agroup of runners got lost and decided to charge upthe hill past brambles and stinging nettles to tryand see how badly lost we were… so the nonavigation aspect of Ladybower50 was quiteappealing when I was trying to decide on my firstfifty miler, although whoever described the courseas fairly fast and flat had a very, very twisted senseof humour. Undulating and challenging would bemy preferred description. The first lap passed ratherquickly, I chatted to a couple of people - Anne-Marie whom I recognised from last year's "Project<strong>Ultra</strong>" in Women's Running; Andy who turned out tobe a fellow parkrunner, funnily enough we hadn’tspotted one another previously but I'll definitely bewatching out for him at the Walsall Arboretum nowand Mo who ran the race the previous year and washoping to get a PB, I hope he did! On that first lap Ipopped my first gel, Gu's double espresso one asthe planned strategy was to start early and oftenand given the early morning wake-up, caffeine wasvery welcome. On running into the race HQ Ispotted my partner who was hanging out in thearea and encouraged her to shout out to people"only 45 miles left to go!". Just what you need atthat point, isn't it?First long lap - Miles 6-20AniaGruszczynskaTwitter@akgruszczynskaLadybower 50 ResultFinish Time8hrs 54minsFinish Position21/61 Finishers (10 DNF)I really enjoyed the lap and managed to find myselfin the excellent company of one of the "fun187 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTLADYBOWER 50runners" (it's only an ultramarathon race directorthat can get away with calling the 20 mile distancea fun run"), Colin who was covering twenty miles inpreparation for a marathon in two weeks' time. Overthe course of next couple of hours that it took us tocomplete the lap we chatted about marathons indifferent countries as he turned out to be quite awell-travelled gut who last year completed achallenge of completing four marathons on fourcontinents in four weeks. He also managed to run amarathon in Gdansk, something which is still on mybucket list as very ironically, being Polish myself,I've never run a race in Poland.The conversation flew brilliantly and I ran prettymuch all of the time, even on the steeper inclineswhich in retrospect wasn’t perhaps the brightestidea. It wasn’t perhaps terribly bright to catch on tosomebody doing the twenty mile event and forobvious reasons their comfortable pace would beslightly faster than what my comfortable paceshould have been and I am guessing this is whataccounted for me slowing down afterwards but atthe same time, I still met my time goal and had alovely time so I'm not sure I would have done itdifferently - my aim for the day was to finish in onepiece, and have a good time if possible.“I did have my dream goalin the back of my headwhich was sub-nine finish”I did have my dream goal in the back of my headwhich was sub-nine finish but I knew that I wouldbe entering uncharted territory as the longest I'verun before was 42-ish miles at Run to the Castleevent in August where my approach was somewhatmore relaxed as I knew I needed to be able to carryon training for Ladybower. The longer lap took inthe Howden and Derwent reservoirs and offeredsome stunning views as well as a fair few climbs,with a mixture of trail, path and tarmac. Once again,the route was very straightforward and as long asyou kept the reservoir on your left, you were doingOK! Nutrition wise, I had three bourbon biscuits as Idiscovered during previous events they make forgreat race fuel and another two gels and startednibbling on a 9bar, keeping to the strategy ofnibbling on something every 15-20 minutes anddrinking (water with High5 tabs) whenever I wasthirsty.Second long lap - Miles 21-35(ish)The marshals at the HQ were amazing and helpedme with refilling the hydration vest and kept askingif there was anything else I needed, the aid stationwas also very well stocked with jelly babies, cakesand other nibbles. I located my own bag and hadhalf a can of Coke which tasted delicious andreplenished the snacking supplies which included apeanut butter sandwich and some more gels I hadplanned for the next lap. I left feeling really goodand set off to run around the Ladybower reservoironce again and to cover the remainder of the largeloop. This lap felt quite different from the first one,mostly because the "fun runners" were mostly goneand the field was much more spread out and I wason my own for most of the time which gave me thechance to take on the scenery a bit more - in aweird way, it felt like a completely different courseas on the first lap I wasn’t paying that muchattention to what was around.Once I hit the fork in the road where you had toturn right to complete the larger loop I kept sayingto myself, OK, this is probably around halfwaythrough and I am still feeling OK, still (mostly)running, eating and drinking, so things are good.While I ran pretty much all of the first twenty miles,LADYBOWER 50Race Organiser: Endurance EventsWebsite Link: www.enduranceevents.co.ukDate of Event: 21st September 2014Event Type: Single StageDistance: 50 milesLocation: Peak DistrictDescription: The route is a small 5-mile lap ofLadybower reservoir then three 15 mile laps ofLadboywer, Derwent and Howden.Race Results: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1ULFuWFrfFdehNxv3UJ5wrZT3Zn6w3lFAKIqHGAsxup4/edit?usp=sharing#gid=880382119188 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORT LADYBOWER 50I now started walking up the inclines as it felt likethere was still quite a long way to go and I wasprobably paying a bit for the faster start. I did havea bit of a wobble at around one o'clock when I'drealised I'd been running for about five hours and inthe best case scenario had at least four more hoursto go but managed to pull through by repeating tomyself "this is what you have trained for" and givingmyself a pep talk. As in, nobody said this would beeasy! It was a relief though to see the Howden damas I knew this meant I was only a couple of milesaway from the Derwent dam and the race HQ.Third long lap - Miles 36-50(ish)The marshals once again helped me fill thehydration vest and it was really nice to be asked bythe race director if I was doing OK - he concluded Imust be, as I was still smiling! I finished off theother half of my Coke, picked up snacks for the lastlap and set off with marshals wishing me a goodlap. It was indeed good but very challenging, too.As I started off on the last lap, I had a small glimmerof hope that I could indeed finish this thing andtold myself my job for the next couple of hours wasto finish the flapjack I carried with me and keeprunning and walking until I did indeed finish. As onthe previous lap, there weren't too many runnersaround but some stretches were fairly crowded withmembers of the public who were gettingthemselves ready for the flyover of the planes.I bumped into a fellow runner who happilyannounced it was less than a half marathon to gowhich sounded good enough although not as goodas "only a parkrun to go" which is my usual mantra. Ikept plodding ahead, trying to get somewhat Zenabout the fact that at that stage I was in quite a lotof pain, not injured, but just fatigued from therepetitive motion and the pounding. I wasalternating running with walking and was veryhappy to catch up with a woman (didn’t catch hername) and tag along for half an hour or so, justchatting about most random things to distractmyself and keep moving forward. After that halfhour I found myself struggling to stick to her paceso dropped behind but carried, now trying tomentally break the distance and get to the turningpoint and then to the Howden dam. Some humourhelped too, there was a diversion in place shortlybefore the Howden dam and when I saw the 5 milespeed limit I thought to myself that at that point Iwas definitely in no danger of exceeding that…Finally, the Howden dam appeared in the distanceand I started feeling better as the end was in sight. Ispotted Jill and Mo once again, Mo was visiblystruggling, stopping and starting but still pushingstrong, Jill was going really strong and definitelyhad some energy in the tank for a great finish. I justwanted to finish, full stop - although when Ireached the Derwent dam and knew that I was very,very close I managed to pick up the pace and kepttelling myself - remember this, this is how it feels tofinish the first fifty miler!I saw my partner right towards the end and had toliterally push up the hill past the people on thefootpath, trying to resist the urge to shout: "wouldyou mind stepping aside, I am trying to finish a racehere"! and then finally, the race HQ was there and Icould get my T-shirt and be done with the race, 8hours and 54 minutes later. I hang around at thecheckpoint briefly but my legs started turning intojelly and I knew that if I didn’t start walking soon, I’dbe in trouble.The walk to the car felt almost as a difficult as theentire race - I seemed to no longer be able toproperly lift my legs and could only manage veryshort and slow steps. A couple of people werestaring, and my partner would happily explain thisis what you look like at the end of a fifty miler.Getting into the car was fun, too, as I had to ask mypartner to lift my legs one by one as my musclesrefused to co-operate, fortunately this only lastedfor a couple of days after the race. All in all, awonderfully organised event but I am glad to bedropping down in distance for the next couple ofmonths and switching to shorter events. But thereare quite a few ultras on the bucket list so thisdefinitely won’t be the last 50 miler I'm planning torun, there may even be a 100k and 100mile eventson the horizon for next summer…189 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTCOTSWOLD WAY CENTURYNEW COURSE RECORD HOLDER NATHAN MONTAGUE (CENTRE) WITH SECOND PLACE RUNNERS PATRICK DEVINE-WRIGHT AND DAMIAN HALLPHOTOGRAPH | NICOLA DUSTERHOFFCOTSWOLD WAY CENTURYBY KURT DUSTERHOFF, COSTWOLD RUNNING LTDThe 2014 edition of the Cotswold Way Centurykicked off on a perfect autumn afternoon. At 12:05on Saturday, 87 runners left sunny ChippingCampden with the hope of reaching Bath by Sundayevening. The field quickly spread out, with theearly hills and warm weather encouraging a steadystart.At the first aid station at Stumps Cross (<strong>13</strong> miles),Nathan Montague of Marlborough led the front packof ten runners as they kept a 9:15/mile pace. Hemaintained the lead and the pace through to the 27mile station at Aggs Hill and built a narrow lead tochasers Jake Hayes, Damian Hall, and Patrick Devine-Wright. The hills of that first marathon splintered thelead pack, with women's leader Charlie Ramsdaleholding steady in the second group of chasers.As the daylight began to fade, the challenge for manywould be to navigate accurately through the longdark hours. The front-runners were already throughthe third aid station at Birdlip (39 miles) whendarkness fell, with the back of the field just clearingthe marathon point. Montague continued out front,but began to lose ground to Devine-Wright andCotswold Century ResultsMens Results1. Nathan Montague 19hrs 31mins2. Patrick Devine-Wright 19hrs 55mins3. Damian Hall 19hrs 55minsWomens Results1. Mel Hawker 24hrs 10mins2. Laura Derby-Jones 25hrs 14mins3. Emily Cook 26hrs 11minsEntrants55 Finishers / 87 StartersRace Results:http://www.cotswoldrunning.co.uk/page18.htm190 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTCOTSWOLD WAY CENTURYMARTIN WALKER BASKING IN THE AGONY OF SUCCESSPHOTOGRAPH | NICOLA DUSTERHOFFHayes whose local knowledge saved them some ofthe navigation errors that cost the leader. By the 43mile station at Painswick, Hall had dropped 20minutes off the lead three, and Ramsdale continuedtracking the leaders in a group of four, 12 minutesfurther back. Montague, Hayes, and Devine-Wrighthad upped the pace as the evening cooled, movingup to an 8:45/mile average. Through the next 10miles, Montague eased back to join with his chasersfollowing further navigation errors. Hall continuedsteadily, maintaining a manageable gap to theleaders. Ramsdale, still accompanied by SpencerBunn, Duncan Oakes, and Steve Wyatt, droppedanother 20 minutes behind the leaders, but 1:20ahead of 2nd & 3rd women Mel Hawker and LauraDarby-Jones.By the 80 mile aid station at Horton, Hall had closedto join the lead group, and Ramsdale had opened agap of nearly two hours back to Hawker. The racehad started to take its toll on Ramsdale, however, andshe was forced to retire. The lead pack, now four,remained together until the 87 mile stop atTormarton Picnic area. Montague pressed ahead,opening a seven minute lead over the next 6 miles toCold Ashton. Hayes began to pay the price for theearly fast pace and dropped back into 4th place.Hawker and Darby-Jones reached Horton together,but Hawker pushed on to open a 15 minute gap byTormarton. She extended the lead by a further 10minutes on the way to Cold Ashton.confidently navigate the remaining course. As hecruised up to Bath Abbey with the sound of organmusic in the background, Montague smashed theprevious fastest known time for the Cotswold Way(20:36) with an astonishing 19:31. Hall and Devine-Wright reached the Cotswold Way end markertogether in joint 2nd place in 19:55. Hawkercontinued steadily through the morning, winningthe women's race in 24:10, well ahead of Darby-Jones (25:14) and Emily Cook (26:11). In total, 55 ofthe 87 starters reached the finish within the 30-hourtime limit.COTSWOLD WAY CENTURYRace Organiser: Cotswold RunningWebsite Link: www.cotswoldrunning.co.ukDate of Event: 27th 28th September 2014Event Type: Single StageDistance: 102 milesLocation: Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire toBath AbbeyStart Time: 12 MiddayDescription: It's the Cotswold Way! Starts inChipping Campden at the village hall and finishes inBath at the Bath Abbey following the Cotswold Waytrail.The final nine miles saw Montague build his leadfurther, as he took advantage of the early daylight to191 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


THE US GRAND SLAMREPORT | BARRY MILLERThe US Grand SlamBARRY PICTURED DURING THE WESTERN STATES 100PHOTOGRAPH | FACCHINO PHOTOGRAPHYBarry Miller writes about his adventures completingthe Grand Slam of <strong>Ultra</strong> Running in the USA.192 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


ARTICLE THE GRAND SLAM OF ULTRA RUNNINGPHOTOGRAPH | MARK JOHNSONTHE US GRAND SLAMBY BARRY MILLERThe Grand Slam of <strong>Ultra</strong>running is taking on thefour oldest 100 mile trail runs in the US, officiallyfinishing the Western States 100 Mile EnduranceRun, the Vermont 100 Mile Endurance Run, theLeadville Trail 100 Mile Run and the Wasatch Front100 Mile Endurance Run all in the same year. TheSlam was first run by Tom Green in 1986 and hasbeen completed 302 times since. There were 30 ofus attempting it in 2014, me and 29 Americans.I’d run the Centurion Slam in 20<strong>13</strong>, my originalintentions were to use the Centurion Slam to get100 mile experience in the UK and generally man upfor another go at the UTMB, the only race to havebeaten me. But I got lucky, the first time I put in forWestern States my ticket was drawn, I couldn’tbelieve it! It was the Western States 100 thatinspired me to take on the challenge of 100 miletrail runs, the UTMB will have to wait another year.Barry MillerI found myself in a very fortunate position workingfor an American company in the UK withmanagement kind and flexible enough to supportmy adventure and allow me to work remotely fromUS offices so I could spend the whole summer Statesideliving the dream. 2014 was going to be anotherslam year, but this time the Grand Slam of<strong>Ultra</strong>running. After six months of planning I had aflight booked to California in June and anotherhome from Utah in September, with seven internalflights in between. I made sure I had booked tickets193 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


ARTICLETHE GRAND SLAM OF ULTRA RUNNINGto get to every race in plenty of time but had leftroom for spontaneous adventure in between.Flying across the Atlantic was strange, theexcitement outweighed any nerves by far but therewas one thing in the back of my mind - I’d notcompleted an <strong>Ultra</strong> the calibre of the four I wasgoing to take on in the next ten weeks. The onecomforting thought was I’d now completed five outof the six hundred milers I’d started. I’d learnt a lotfrom the UTMB dnf, the UTSW and Centurion Slamfinishes, with the four races over the year ondifferent terrain I learnt a lot about running thedistance, and crawling when I had to for a finish. MyUTMB dnf was in 2011, you can progress a long wayin three years and it felt like I was twice the runnerthat toed the line in Chamonix.The Western States 100 Mile Endurance Run,28th of June. Slam Miles 0 to 100The Western States 100 Endurance run started outas the Tevis Cup Endurance Ride back in 1955. In1974, Gordy Ainsleigh decided he’d join the horseson foot and was the first person to run the WesternStates trail in one day. 2014 and it is my turn tohave a go, 376 of us were assembled in SquawValley at 5am on the 28th of June staring upEscarpment, the first climb of the day ascending to8750 feet above sea level to Emigrant Pass. The trailthen descends to Placer High School in Auburn,climbing a cumulative 18,090 feet and descending22,970 feet over 100 miles.Emigrant Pass is about the same height as theGrand Col Ferret on the UTMB course, the hill thatpretty much finished me off in 2011. The air to meseems to be ok up until 6500 feet, beyond that it isnoticeably thinner and I struggle. I had a simplerace plan in the back of my mind. Hike it upEscarpment to Emigrant Pass, take it easy joggingout of the high country into the canyons trying topreserve the quads for later in the race, keep fuelledand hydrated through the heat of the day survivingthe canyons rather than racing them, attempting toget to Forest Hill at mile 62 in a reasonablecondition where I would meet Brett my pacer to runthe “runnable” final section to Auburn.I stuck to my race plan and started out reasonablyslow mid-pack hiking up some of the first climbwith Gordy, the legend of the Western States. Goingover the top and looking out over miles of canyonswas incredible, an amazing sight, they were to bemy playground for the next 24 hours. Turningaround momentarily to look out over Tahoe before Isettled into the run comfortably joining a long trainof runners through the rocky technical descents inthe high country, the aim was to get as far into therace as I could as economically on the body as Icould before the heat of the day kicked in.Unfortunately in California that’s not really possible,as soon as the sun comes up the heat is there withit.The heat was one of my main concerns, it’s not oneof my strengths. I always run with a hydration packin the UK but the Americans all use hand helds andwear vests so it made sense for me to do the same,free up some skin for cooling. I had nine drop bagsavailable over the 100 miles so I didn’t need to carrymuch in the way of nutrition or kit, water wasavailable at 25 aid stations so it was possible to runmost of the course only carrying a litre at a time. Ihad a waist pack with an extra bottle for the hottestpart of the day. The third bottle was needed, I’dbeen doing what they called an ice bandana, fillinga neck scarf with ice, putting ice in my cap and stillneeded to pour water over my head in an attemptto keep the body cool whilst pushing myself alongthe tough terrain.I’d left a backup light in a drop bag at MichiganBluff (mile 55.7) just in case I was behind scheduleand struggling. It was stupid not taking it with me, Ididn’t realise how quickly the night was drawing inas I was reduced to hiking towards Forest Hill wheremy night gear was in the next drop bag. DevilsThumb canyon had taken its toll on me, a famouscanyon on the course spoken about by many. Thenext canyon, El Dorado Creek, isn’t really spokenabout but was just as tough, not quite as steep butlonger and just as hot.Leaving Forest Hill with Brett, I felt like I had a newlease of life. I’d really struggled through the lastcouple of canyons, they’d ruined me, but with thesun going down and temperatures dropping with itI was ready to pick up the pace. I run a lot betterwhen it’s cooler. I’d been looking forward to the sun194 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


ARTICLETHE GRAND SLAM OF ULTRA RUNNINGdropping to give me chance to get back into it,running out of Forest Hill felt like I was back in thegame actually running again. The trail down to theriver flows really well broken by a few short steepclimbs. This was my first experience running with apacer, Brett is a local who’d grown up around thetrail and wanted to be part of the race, I found himthrough the wser website and picked him out forhis local knowledge of both the course and wildlifelooking for more of a guide than pacer, but it soonbecame clear the advantage of having someone setthe pace slightly quicker than I would have but notleaving you behind, spurring you on. Brett alsoworked well as a translator, he’d taken me to a livemusic event and a barbeque at his house in theweek leading up to Western States so had got usedto my English accent, as I was getting tired my voicewas slurring, aid station volunteers as nice as theywere being were struggling to understand me.Before we got to the aid station Brett would askwhat I wanted and tell the volunteers my number aswe got in, sort out the food and we’d be back outon the trail in no time.bother me, I was still moving and had time to get tothe finish. Hobbling though Highway 49 aid stationand down into the last canyon to cross no handsbridge it was starting to sink in that there wasn’t alot between me and the Placer High School trackthat could stop me doing the victory lap, well therewa0073 the final climb up to Robbie Point andthrough the streets of Auburn lined with locals outsupporting. Finally Brett and I made it to PlacerHigh School, we jogged down a final hill and wentthrough a small gate into the playing field and ontothe track. The relief of being there eased the ruinedquads and allowed what felt like a good run butcouldn’t have been more than a jog but it was anamazing seeing the finish line of a race I thoughtwas totally out of my capability when I’d first readabout it having only run the traditional 26.2. Ithought I’d be disappointed if I didn’t run sub24stood on the start line, but over the next twentyfour and a couple more hours I learned a lot ofrespect for the iconic course and was real proud tocross the line in 26:32:03, 173rd out of 376 starters,296 finished, 6 slammers dropped.We’d got to the river feeling good, I was focused onfinishing and feeling a lot better than I was after ElDorado Creek. As I scrambled across the river beingcareful not to twist an ankle on a submergedboulder I caught eye contact with one of the safetymarshals, he looked me straight in the eye and justsaid “you’ll finish” with real conviction.As soon as we’d left the river we were faced withwhat felt like a massive climb up to Green Gate aidstation, I’d like to run the last twenty miles freshone day. Auburn lake trails was only five miles fromGreen Gate but it seemed so much further, this wassupposed to be the runnable section I was savingmyself for but it just didn’t seem that runnable tome. I was glad I’d started out conservatively, I wasstill able to move!Getting into Browns Bar, mile ninety Hal Koerner(Western States Champion 2007 & 2009) took mybottles from me, returning real quick with themfilled encouraging me not to waste time and to getback out there for the final ten miles saying to mehow I had plenty of time and there was no doubt I’dmake it, unfortunately I was pretty much ruined bythis point. I knew the sub24 was out but it didn’tVermont 100 Mile Endurance Run, 19th of July.Slam Miles 100 to 200The Vermont 100 was a really friendly race. A verylow key event compared to the Western States 100.Vermont also started off as a 100 mile horse raceand is the only endurance event to still run thehorse race alongside the footrace. The atmospherebetween the endurance riders and runners reallymade the event something special. The course wasmainly on jeep tracks so I could actually appreciatethe scenery while running without stubbing mytoes and tripping. I found the course a lot morerunnable than the Western States 100 as themountains seemed to flow more on the ascents anddescents instead of the trail dropping steeply downinto canyons, the gradients a lot closer to what I amused to in the UK. The course crossed a couple ofcovered bridges like you see in the movies andpassed loads of classic American country farmbuildings, it was absolutely stunning countryside.My watch strap had broken so I had it as a GPSpocket watch, I knew it was the race out of the fourI stood a chance of going sub24 but to do so I’dhave to run a sensible race, so when I was jogging195 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


ARTICLETHE GRAND SLAM OF ULTRA RUNNINGPHOTOGRAPH FROM WESTERN STATESPHOTOGRAPH | FACCHINO PHOTOGRAPHY196 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


ARTICLETHE GRAND SLAM OF ULTRA RUNNINGalong with a group of runners who started talkingabout their sub20 goals about 15 miles in I knew Ineeded to drop the pace back a couple of notcheseven though it felt comfortable. With hundredmilers what feels comfortable early on can be waytoo fast and very detrimental in the closing stages.Vermont is the easiest of the four on paper, but itstill has heat, hills and humidity to deal with so itwouldn’t be easy. The course constantly climbs anddescends, we didn’t really run many flat sections.I managed to keep a good pace in the closing milesfinishing in 22:27:07 84th out of 303 starters, 232finished, 1 slammer dropped.Leadville Trail 100, 16th of August. Slam Miles200 to 300Leadville was tough, very tough! Out of the four itwas the one I was most worried about, well I had tocomplete it before I could think about the WasatchFront!A lot of people I’d spoken to about Leadville at bothWestern States and Vermont mentioned their DNF’s,the advice on completing Leadville ranged fromsetting out quick to avoid traffic around TurquoiseLake and to get in front of tight cut offs to settingout slowly so the body doesn’t get into an oxygendeficit. I wasn’t sure who’s advice to take, I decidedto get out there and run it by feel like I’d done atStates and Vermont, but to take it slightly steadierpaying more attention to how the body was doing.The shot gun blasted and the first few miles were apleasure to run, really good atmosphere with 700runners heading out on an adventure. I foundmyself further up the field than I intended, but itworked out well. I jogged around Turquoise Lake ata steady pace not wanting to pass anyone and onlya couple of people trying to pass me on the thintrail. I arrived at May Queen, the first aid stationthirteen miles in to the run in two hours and fifteenminutes, fifteen minutes ahead of what I thoughtwould be good. I wasn’t trying to go too quick inthe first half so took it easier on the next climb upSugarloaf Pass. Going out to Twin Lakes it is arunnable gradual climb most of the way. Arriving inTwin Lakes in reasonable shape gave me a goodchance of getting over Hope Pass, I picked up mytrekking poles from the drop bag and got on it. Halfway up the front runners came flying down.When you have climbed 3,400 vertical feet startingfrom 9,200 feet above sea level climbing up to12,600 feet and drop back down to 10,200 turnaround look back up the mountain ready to do itagain (as it is an out and back course) you think ofevery inspirational quote you can, and think aboutall the support back home because you need it! Thisis where most people quit at Leadville, they jokeabout the “Winfield 50” where runners get intoWinfield (the halfway point) and are unable to facedoing Hope Pass a second time to get back toLeadville. When I got into Winfield I went straightinto a porta loo by the runner check in, while I wasmaking myself lighter to get back over Hope Pass atleast three people chucked the towel in. I gotweighed had a quick graze on the picnic tables andgot back out on the trail as soon as I could, as I leftWinfield I passed three other slammers getting in,Brad, Dave and Brent. They didn’t look in too goodshape but were moving well and they had enoughtime on the clock to get back out on to Hope Pass.It was halfway up Hope Pass on the way back,climbing back up to 12,600 feet where I had to sitdown every 50 metres to regain my breath, that Iknew it was going to be tight. But I endured thetoughest 20 miles of my life, those 20 miles tookabout 9 hours! But the crux of the LT100 was done, Iwas sat in Twin Lakes aid station sorting throughmy drop bag getting set for the night section, ayoung lady, called Hong had flown out to pace afriend, he was ruined laid out on a bed behindwhere I was sat with oxygen tubes attached to hisnostrils and wasn’t going anywhere, I didn’t actuallyknow it was only twenty five minutes until the cutoff until Hong mentioned it. She offered to pace mefor the next 17 miles, I’d not planned to pick up apacer but had been having a tough time so thoughtwhy not, I’d changed socks and switched back to mydry road shoes, Hong and her friend helped pack upmy kit and we got out of Twin Lakes straight intoanother climb. I was able to hike the climb butwasn’t able to run any of it until we started totraverse the mountain. Then it was a power walkand jog with Hong pushing the pace until we got tothe Outward Bound aid station where she had a lift197 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


ARTICLETHE GRAND SLAM OF ULTRA RUNNINGPHOTOGRAPH FROM THE VERMONT 100PHOTOGRAPH | DUSTIN MILLER198 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


ARTICLETHE GRAND SLAM OF ULTRA RUNNINGback to Leadville and I had one more hill leftbetween me and the finish, the Power Line Climb.I’d hiked it the week before the race when I was outin Leadville acclimatising, I’d been warned about allthe false summits, and doing it fresh it is a reallynice walk. Eighty miles into the hundred mile race itwas a different experience. I was pretty ruined.Crossing the Leadville finish line with only one hourto spare was the best finish yet, it wasn’t justanother finish. I was still in the slam, I’d givenmyself the opportunity to toe the line of theWasatch Front 100 as I didn’t have a ballot space,slammers have to finish the first three races toqualify. Brad, Dave and Brent all finished. Tom Greencrossed the line in 29.5.49, just over four minutes tospare. I crossed the line in 28:59:15 233rd out of700+ starters 357 finished. 8 Slammers dropped.Wasatch Front 100 Mile Endurance Run, 5th ofSeptember. Slam Miles 300 to 400I’d actually got a place in the Wasatch Front 100, I’dchecked in and got my race number, I’d met up withsome of the other slammers and there was a reallypositive atmosphere among us. We’d come a longway, this was it, the final round of the slam. Onpaper it’s the toughest of the four races with 25,000feet of climbing and descending on remote trails.The Wasatch Front basically climbs a mountaintraversing the ridgeline before descending downinto Lambs Canyon, the halfway point constantlyclimbing and descending all the way at highaltitude. You then do it again just after Brighton aidstation, where at around mile 77 you climb to thehighest point at Sunset Pass which is 10,222 feetabove sea level. After this comes the final descentand less than a marathon to the finish at SoliderHollow.“I’d been in America justshy of three months, it wasall a build up to the lastrace”The night before the race, sleep just wasn’thappening. I’d been in America just shy of threemonths, it was all a build up to the last race. Gettingthere was an achievement on its own, and not manyslammers DNF the Wasatch Front 100 but I wasn’ttaking that for granted, anything could happen overthe next couple of days and I would reflect back onthem for the rest of my life. There was only onething I could do, get out there and give iteverything I had left, not too early as it was goingto be a very long day and a half! I knew there wasno way I’d go sub 24, sub 30 would be amazing but Iknew it was more likely going to be longer, as longas it was 100 miles under 36 hours for an officialfinish I would be happy, very happy!The confidence I started with disappeared early on,I had started steady and enjoyed the first climbalthough it was tough. They don’t call it the chinscraper for nothing! But a quick scramble after ahiking up 4,235 feet in the first ten miles is all partof the fun. It was reasonably cool, and when the suncame up from the darkness we started in there wasan amazing view of the great salt lake and the citybut it didn’t seem like long until it was up properlywith the heat that came along with it alongside therelentless climbing and descending that was takingits toll on the body. The first aid station with foodand drop bags was Francis Peak eighteen miles in, Iwasn’t feeling too bad but it wasn’t too many milesafter things started to seem tougher than theyshould have been. The profile didn’t look easy but itdidn’t look as hard as it felt when I was out on theridgeline, it looked like a long slog to get to theridge, then I thought we’d be able to jog across thetop but I was wrong, the descriptive word to afellow runner would be “undulating” , myvocabulary may have been a little more fruitful untilI was crawling up a steep monster of a climb, gotround a corner and the view was spectacularlooking out over miles of wilderness, peaks andcanyons as far as the eye could see. The mountainshad interesting profiles like none I’ve seen out ofUtah, two lads were sat there taking a breather, Ineeded five minutes in the shade so joined themwhich was a mistake, one of them needed a rope, orat least to phone his mum. I’ve never heard so muchnegativity from someone out on such an adventure.I felt sorry for his mate who thought he had to sitthere and listen to the dribble, it worked in myfavour, I was up and out of there! No way was I199 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


ARTICLETHE GRAND SLAM OF ULTRA RUNNINGgoing to listen to his whining about how hard it wasgetting so early on when I was trying to ignoreexactly the same thing my body was telling me loudenough. I got to Big Mountain aid station, milethirty nine. Dave Cockman, another slammer wassat back in a chair, I joked about him looking asruined as I felt but said we’d both somehow make itto Solider Hollow. I sat back in a chair in someshade with a pops-icicle knowing full well thatmight not be the case, the heat and altitude weregetting to me and I wasn’t even half way.Apparently it was ten degrees Fahrenheit less than20<strong>13</strong>, that didn’t make me feel any better but I wasreal glad it wasn’t any hotter. The miserable old boygot into the aid station so I had to get up and out ofthere, I had to remain positive. It wasn’t far downthe trail I found myself running with Catra in herbright florescent attire and enthusiasm to go withit, it was her 109th hundred miler and my 9th, she’drun Wasatch before and said we were thirty minutesin front of her target pace for a thirty two hourfinish. This was a lot better than I thought, we gottalking and the miles passed by for a while as wejogged down to Alexandre Ridge. Shortly after thesun went down, I’d carried the head torch I startedwith as I wasn’t feeling good early on and thought Imight need it if I didn’t make it to Lambs Canyonaid station before sunset, this was a really gooddecision as I couldn’t have gone on without it.When I got to Lambs Canyon a lady rushed overwho genuinely looked happy to see me saying howmuch stronger I was looking. I felt bad notrecognising her but she recognised me from hoursearlier at Big Mountain aid station where I was satback in a chair ruined, I felt a lot better than I did atBig Mountain but that wasn’t saying much. I justsmiled and joked that I was still stood on my feetand that was good enough. Thing is, I knew onlyhalf the run was done, I just had to do what I’d doneagain. The first fifty two and a half miles had takenme seventeen hours and ten minutes, I hadeighteen hours fifty minutes left on the clock andforty seven and a half miles to go. I didn’t wastemuch time and got back on it, I knew there was anundulating climb ahead of me, like two stepsforward one back but vertically, climbing up amountain to drop back down into a canyon to climbout again higher up. Next aid station was Upper BigWater, this one had beds with people sleeping in. Iwas nearly falling asleep on the climb up to the aidstation, the beds and blankets looked too good! Asmuch as I was envious of the people tucked up inthem I thought they must be envious of me still onmy feet however much I felt like I shouldn’t be.“I’d been going through inmy head miles left vs.hours left on the clock andthe terrain to come anddidn’t like the results. Ihad to get up and out ofthere..."I’d been going through in my head miles left vs.hours left on the clock and the terrain to come anddidn’t like the results. I had to get up and out ofthere, I thought back to the start and mentalpreparation for the run. I started with no excuses,I’d taken good care of my feet in the first threehundred miles, I’d taken it easy between racesallowing maximum recovery, all the little voicescould come up with was I’d never needed my bed sobad in my life and the time and mileage calculationwasn’t looking good so why put myself through itwhen a finish wasn’t going to happen. Or simply“the Wasatch Front is far too tough, especially beinground four”. But the thought of waking up havingquit was my worst nightmare. Waking up havingbeen timed out on the trail knowing I’d put one footin front of the other and pushed on as best as Icould until the final cut off would have beenacceptable, but quitting over 360 miles in to theslam was just unacceptable, my trekking poles werekeeping me vertical and caffeine gels were boundto kick in at some point.As much as I was struggling the thought of actuallyquitting gave me the boost I needed to push on andnot give up, I’d been spending too much time in aidstations which is something I don’t usually do but itfelt like I really needed to. The next two aid stationsI spent only one or two minutes in, just topped up200 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


ARTICLETHE GRAND SLAM OF ULTRA RUNNINGPHOTOGRAPH | MARK JOHNSONwater grabbed a hand full of food to eat on the trail,time was tight, I wasn’t moving quickly so couldn’twaste any time. I think the caffeine gels took longerthan normal to kick in, they waited until first lightwhen I realised I’d made it up to Scotts TransmissionTower Aid Station, mile sixty nine at 9,882 feet overlooking Brighton where I’d been to see a band theSaturday before with Mark, a friend I was stayingwith in Salt Lake City. I’d managed to somehowmaintain a two hour buffer in front of the cut offs allnight, for the first time in about the past twentyodd hours it actually felt like I could finish.There was a nice easy jog down an asphalt road Imanaged to run, didn’t waste any time in Brightonand was straight out climbing up to Sunset Pass,going over the top looking down into this unspoiltcanyon that looked like paradise was incredible.There was a single foot path that was soon out ofsight, I managed to run all the way down to AntKnowlls aid station so glad to still be in with achance knowing I could have so easily got into abed back at Upper Big Water but instead I wasenjoying running one of the most beautiful sectionsof trail I’d ever had the pleasure to run. Thinkingwhat all the runners who’d passed through duringthe night had missed out on. They might have thehigher award buckles but I’d happily take thebadger buckle and live this moment, I got into AntKnowlls feeling the best I had at any aid station, Ihad about twenty miles to go, I pressed on andfound the trails runnable except the odd climb I hadto hike and just enjoyed running for the love ofrunning lucky to still be in it.Then the sun came up and some bigger climbsslowed me down but I remained positive andpushed on, in the closing miles I could see DeerCreek, a lake the course follows around to the finish,leaving Decker Canyon aid station over an hourbefore the cut off with the next destination beingSolider Hollow I still couldn’t hold back. I wasn’texactly sprinting but had to move as quickly as Icould manage, I’d come so far I couldn’t slack off201 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


ARTICLETHE GRAND SLAM OF ULTRA RUNNINGand risk being timed out for any daft reason. But Iwas reflecting back on the past nine months, theplanning and training, the journey I’d been on, thepeople I’d met and shared miles with on the trail,others I’d met along the way. The support I’d hadback home. Volunteers were always surprised I wasout on my own with no crew but at no point did Ifeel alone. I had so many friends and familyfollowing every race, I don’t think Kirstin could havehandled the stress of me doing another! But thiswas it, the final leg of the final race for the slamfinish. I jogged it in with the Union Jack round myshoulders finally crossing the line in 34:43:52, 212thout of 321 starters 240 finished. 1 Slammerdropped.Having crossed the line one of the first things Iasked was how Tom Green was doing, I wanted toknow how all the slammers had done or were stilldoing but Tom is an absolute legend. He stands foreverything I love about the sport. He was the firstperson to run the slam back in 1986 so is a legendbut a real modest genuine guy who loves runningultras and the people who run them alongside himwith time for everyone. Tom hobbled over oncrutches to shake my hand and congratulate me onfinishing the Slam. Unfortunately he hadn’t. He’ddropped about thirty miles in due to hip and backpain, when x-rayed after the event they found he’dfracture his hip. It would take nothing less for Tomto chuck in the towel, he seemed positive andalready spoke about another slam attempt.Flying back to the UK with the Eagle Trophy andmore belt buckles than toe nails felt awesome, ithad been an incredible journey from Squaw Valleyto Solider Hollow, 400 miles of beautiful and brutaltrail travelled on foot. Flying out to the US all of theplaces were text on pages of books to medescriptive but seemed like a fictional world but innonfiction books, now they are memories I willnever forget. Having the opportunity to runthrough Robinsons Flat, to endure the canyons andcross the river and no hands bridge, jog though thecovered bridges of Vermont, crawl over Hope Pass acouple of times recovering enough to make it backto Turquoise Lake jogging round its shores at dawnwhen I’d been running there in the other direction aday earlier. Then to make it to Brighton and get asecond wind at dawn, strong enough to carry meover Sunset Pass all the way to Solider Hollow, TheGrand Slam of <strong>Ultra</strong>running was DONE!202 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTMARATHON ROUNDUPBERGHAUS TRAIL CHASEDATE | 16th - 17th AUGUST 2014WEBSITE | WWW.BERGHAUSTRAILCHASE.COMREPORT | LUCJA LEONARDIt was the inaugural running of The Berghaus TrailChase on the weekend just past, 16/17th August.Set in the stunning North York Moors, one of thelargest expanses of heather moorland in the UK,the landscape is wild, windswept and wonderfuland is a superb location for a run. I’d arranged tomeet up with Marina, a friend I’d made atKAEM last year, who was also running as part of atraining plan I’d put together for her inpreparation for our return to the South Africandesert later this year.There were 3 courses to choose from:Blue-15km day 1/10km day 2Red-25km day 1/15km day 2Black-35km day 1/25km day 2I chose the black course as I wanted to test myselfand I always think the further I have to travel to arace the tougher/longer it had better be to get myvalue for money! It was an odd starting time, withregistration finishing by 12:30pm, on a bus for 1pmand due to start for 2pm. The bus journey was longand we didn’t actually get started until 2:15pm, andwith having been up since 6:30 I felt knackeredbefore I started.I hadn’t been training in particular for this race andmy week before was pretty rubbish in terms of diet,training and sleep and I felt this effect me on thefirst day in a negative way, slow and sluggish mybody just wasn’t responding how it should or how Iwanted it to. Why must I always learn things thehard way, and never completely learn from it? Theroute wasn’t what I expected, I thought the cluewould be in the name ‘Trail Chase’, but all I foundwas either bitumen or fells for the most part whichreally frustrated me. I’m not a fell runner, I don’t likeit and frankly don’t want to learn to like it. I was 1stor 2nd lady for the period before the fells, then theyall came past me, we’d hit some road and go backpast a few of the ladies, but they’d quickly fly pastme on the fells again! The wind was super strongand this made it quite cold, I was regrettingdonning my wee Lululemon running skort instead oflong tights for both the cold and the overgrownferns that were shredding my legs.There were no check points along the route on bothdays so I kept my water consumption pretty lowand fuelled on a couple of tasty Torq gels to keepmy energy levels up.I caught up with Philip Kelly, or he caught up withme…..about 3 miles to the finish. We both seemedto be having the same day of it so we stucktogether to the finish. It was good to talk and I feltin a much better mood by the time I crossed theline in 20th position in 4hrs 25.To ensure a speedy recovery my first point of callwas to make up my ‘For Goodness Shakes’ recoveryshake and get this into me which I believe is key tomy good recovery technique. This along withstretching and getting my Compressport recoveryquad and calf guards on, which I also slept in.Accommodation was camping for the night so Iswung the pop up tent out of the bag & ‘voila’ ourhouse was made, for Marina and I that is, a cozylittle number for two. The camp site was in a fieldnext to a hall where dinner was served and toiletswere available, no showers unfortunately so a bit ofa wet wipe and clean clothes and I felt as good asnew. I’m not much of a camper, I prefer the luxuriesof sleeping under 5 stars so the night was restless,but managed to get some sleep listening to the rainon our tent, hoping it was waterproof, wondering203 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTMARATHON ROUNDUPwhat tomorrow would bring.I awoke with my legs feeling pretty good and readyto rock n roll. Today was the chase down, so we allstarted the race in order of how we finished. If youpassed someone you knew you’d made up a place.This definitely sparked my competitive streak and Iwas keen to get started.certainly loved the concept of the chase day so I amsure this won’t be the one and only time this eventis run. Thanks Berghaus, a fun weekend of runningand I’ve got a great shirt in my goody bag!Today was good runnable trails and I was both in myelement, flying along and pushing fast to catch theother runners. I felt my hill training paying off as Ipassed people who were walking up hills and I haveto admit I took great pleasure is passing 2 ladies onone of the big downhills that had passed me twicethe day before in my horrible attempt at fellrunning, it filled me with even more confidence andI put the hammer down. Only half a marathondistance to get through so no reason to take it easy.It was a brilliant day, I loved every minute of it,flying over the trails and taking in some great views.It was great running with Philip too, we seemed tobe well matched in terms of pace and seemed topush each other on. It’s always great when you findyou click with another runner.A great day out running, I made up 5 places andmade it back into 15th position, so job well done. Agood training weekend under the belt, and I204 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTMARATHON ROUNDUPTHE PURBECK MARATHONDATE | 14th SEPTEMBER 2014WEBSITE | WWW.THEPURBECKMARATHON.CO.UKREPORT | PAUL ALIThe Purbeck Marathon describes itself as one ofthe World’s Most Scenic Marathon. The event startsand finishes at Swanage on the south coast andthe route follows an oval shaped out along theJurassic Coast through Kingston towards SwyreHead and along the ridge to Tyneham Cap. Theroute than leaves the coastal path and runsthrough Tyneham and up and along the ridge ofPurbeck Hills towards Corfe Castle and returnsback to Swanage finishing on the seafront. Theevent is an off-road run and described as achallenging run with 3000+ feet of elevation.The weather was starting to look really nice with theearly morning cloud cover starting to disperse andthe sun shining through although I was expecting abit of a breeze on the coast.The race started and we headed off up a hill andthen along a country lane towards the coastal path.We hit the narrow stony path along the coast takingcare to not trip (although I nearly stumbled oncebut caught myself in time). The weather waswarming up and to be honest we over-cooked thefirst few miles. The pace is difficult to judge as wewere leaping over stones and rocks heading up anddown the path but I was feeling too hot in mybaselayer and I had a full head sweat as the back ofmy head was dripping with sweat.It was almost a relief after the first few miles wherethere was a long uphill section which people wereapproaching with a mix of running and walking andI used this as an excuse to take an s-cap and energygel as I rested my legs for several precious seconds.We settled back into a trot and head down a countrylane past a few supporters and marshals and thenback onto an off-road part of the route. Coursenavigation was pretty straightforward with marshalsplaced at every turn, some grass markings, milemarkers and arrow signs placed around the course.In fact, the marshals were excellent and definitelyadded something to the event with their supportand assistance. It definitely felt like it was a realcommunity effort getting the marathon organisedwhich was confirmed as (local boy) Matt said helloand spoke to several marshals and supporters onthe course.We were clocking around 8m/m – 9m/m pace forthe first half which varied depending upon thefooting and elevation. I did regret wearing myMizuno Wave Hayate ( a lightweight trail shoe) asthis didn’t give me enough cushioning underneathmy feet and the toe-box protection was poor as Iwinced as I kicked a few stones and could feel ablister forming on the ball of my left foot. As theweather had been good and the ground was firm Icould have worn road shoes with a bit morecushioning. There wasn’t much I could do about itnow and would just have to accept this little bit ofdiscomfort for the remainder of the race.Around the 10 – 11 mile point I started to drift alittle ahead of Matt and eased off a little bit to graba few photos and video (will upload separately) asMatt caught me up. The views around the coursewere stunning with a clear day giving you somefantastic views of the south coast on the out legand some lovely views of undulating hills and fieldson the return leg (much like the South Downs).There was a steep hill at 12 miles’ish which I pushedpast the “ultra” thought of walking the hills and was205 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


EVENT REPORTMARATHON ROUNDUPPHOTOGRAPH | CHARLES WHITTON PHOTOGRAPHYquietly proud that I ran (most) of this bit. I got to thehalf-way point in about 1.55.Unfortunately, I had drifted ahead of Matt andturned around but couldn’t see him and decided tojust carry on out my own pace now marking the endof the “social” aspect of the run and now had thesecond half and the “training” aspect of the run tosee through.At mile 16 was the “killer” hill, one long steep risewhich I used as an opportunity to eat some shotblocks,drink and take another s-cap. At the top ofthe hill you followed a ridge which headed pastCorfe Castle and back to Swanage.The next few miles were simply a head down andplod on phase. I periodically spoke to one or twopeople but carried on at my own pace.I do recall another long climb around mile 22 whichwas a bit of a tease as you couldn’t see the top andit seemed to rise, flatten, rise again. I started to hikeup this ascent and asked the guy next to me howlong this climb was and he said about 2 miles and soI broke into a slow run.I glanced at my Garmin trying to work out my finishtime. If I kept this pace going I would be around the4hr mark although with an extra half a mile or so ontopof the standard marathon distance this wasn’tquite guaranteed.With a few miles to go, it was simply a case ofticking off the miles and keeping the run going. Ihad drifted past a few runners but there weren’tthat many people within sight and I could seeSwanage ahead as I came off the trail and onto theroads into the town.As the route levelled out, I started to grind out thelast few miles driven partially by the desire to nowfinish with a 3.5x something on the clock passingthe numerous marshals who were on hand to directall the runners around the course. I spotted thebeachfront and ran along the beach passing acouple of guys quite near the end before makingthe sharp right hand turn and last few yards to thefinish.I crossed the line in 3.56 positioned 29th out of 323finishers and was pretty pleased with the workoutand having rather enjoyed the run. My Garmin read26.77 miles so the half a mile over a marathondistance was an accurate estimate.The run was a little challenging with over 3,000 feetof elevation and it was a hot day but it was a greatworkout and an enjoyable, well supported and wellmarshalled event. I would definitely recommend itto people who are looking for a nice challengingmarathon run and not worried about a PB time.206 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://


ULTRA TALESNEXT ISSUEArticle ContributionsNEXT ISSUE<strong>Ultra</strong> <strong>Tales</strong> is put together through the contribution of articles, photos, runners profiles and event reports submittedby members of the <strong>Ultra</strong> Running community. We need your contributions each and every issue to keep thiselectronic magazine going.Please visit our submissions page on our website at www.ultratales.com for details of how to contribute an article.<strong>Issue</strong> <strong>13</strong> - ContributorsThank you to the following people who contributed an article to this issue of <strong>Ultra</strong> <strong>Tales</strong> and thanks to everyonementioned separately for the various pictures which really do make the e-zine:Tim Adams, James Adams, Melissa Arkinstall, Andrew Benham, Gemma Carter, Lindley Chambers, Ben Davies, KurtDusterhoff, James Elson, Paul Gilbertsen, Ania Gruszczynska, Karen Hathaway, Matthew Hearne, Clare Holdcroft,Andy Humphrey, Nadeem Khan, Lucja Leonard, Maxine Lock, Dave Lockyer, Barry Miller, Neil MacNicol, AndyMouncey, Rob Pinnington, William Robertson, Paul Smith, Richard Stillion, Peter Walton, Frank Womelsdorf and TomWright.Apologies to anyone I’ve missed off the list.<strong>Issue</strong> 14 - January 2015Our next edition (<strong>Issue</strong> 14) is planned for release in January 2015 and will cover race reports from events takingplace from October to December 2014. If you are participating in an <strong>Ultra</strong> running event over the next few monthsthen please send us a write up and photo by 31st December 2014. We would love to have a report for every UKultra event (and reports for overseas racers are welcome too).Download links to future issues of <strong>Ultra</strong> <strong>Tales</strong> 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: <strong>Ultra</strong> <strong>Tales</strong> is put together through individual contributions by runners and members of the <strong>Ultra</strong> Running community. Anycomments that may be found in the electronic magazine are the express views of their individual authors.<strong>Ultra</strong> <strong>Tales</strong> 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.<strong>Ultra</strong> <strong>Tales</strong> 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.207 ULTRA TALES | OCTOBER 2014Sponsored by thehttp://

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