Category: Race Report

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Robin Hood 100

Thank you Nur for your Robin Hood 100 report. 💪
21st-22nd September 2024
Robin Hood 100 is an event that’s held every two years and places get filled up very quickly once race entries open so I wanted to guarantee a place well in advance and signed up in May 2023! Never had I thought I would consider registering for such a distance but wanted to give it a go. I decided I would use each month of 2024 up until the event in September to take on a long distance race to help my monthly running distance that would contribute to my training. By the beginning of September this year I had already run 1000 miles (1,600 kms) which included running at least one race each month and going to the gym for strength training (resistance training, weights, rowing) usually twice a week. I checked various 100-mile training plans. Long hikes were part of these plans. I mixed and matched and planned my own training. I kept the running mileage steady but also benefited from long hikes organised by my hiking group, Muddy Boots. It wasn’t only about running, hiking, and going to the gym but I was aware I had to ensure that I could prepare myself mentally for the challenge. I had to believe I could do it. With each month that went by prior to the race my confidence grew as I was finishing each race I entered with reasonable results.
I knew 60% of the route (Sherwood Forest, Creswell Crags and Clumber Park) through having run a race in the same area (Dukeries 40, in May 2024) and this gave me added confidence as it was like recceing some of the route before an event.
The initial part of the route involved running through some field edges with rugged terrain and then on a long stretch on the Chesterfield Canal towpath which was beautiful. My ever first ultra (in 2017) was on the same canal towpath but in the opposite direction. The canal was like a river, winding its way through land. The water looked clean and inviting! The towpath was quite narrow in places and rugged, too. After leaving the canal towpath at around 20 miles, runners take on a 30-mile loop covering Sherwood Forest and its surroundings. This loop is then repeated before the 20-mile run back on the same canal towpath. There are altogether 17 aid stations (all outdoors). Using these stations as a stepping stone to conquer before the Finish at 100.5 miles I had planned my pacing strategy as such: 13-min miles up until 41 miles followed by 14-min miles till 71 miles which is then followed by 16-min miles till 90th mile and finally 15-min miles till the finish. I hoped to finish around 25 and a half hours (cut-off being 30 hours). During the race my pacing plan worked almost impeccably until 31 miles. I saw Tim earlier in the race and later kept in touch by text messages. This was great as I was getting positive feedback from him. He was very impressed by my pacing as it had clearly been going to plan. Tim was also updating the rest of the family and friends while I concentrated on the event.
By 41 miles my pacing was out by an hour. I didn’t worry too much about it. I was running comfortably and really enjoying the beautiful trails and the scenery. At 51st mile I had access to my drop bag for the first time. This was an important point in the race as I got changed (there was a changing tent at this aid station). I also changed my shoes and socks – it was a recommendation I had read about in the build up to the race. It was definitely a good decision. I then had some soup, bread, tomatoes and grapes from the aid station. All in all I knew this would be a long pit stop! It was about 45 mins (maybe longer?!) but it was worth it. I felt strong and bouncy afterwards and continued enjoying running in the dark.
By 61 miles my pacing was out by two hours. Still I didn’t worry too much. It was well after midnight, possibly 1 am! By this point the batteries of two of my torches had already died so I was now using the third one. To make life a little complicated it started to drizzle, soon afterwards giving way to torrential rain. I didn’t mind it too much but did start getting a little worried what would happen if my torch died in the middle of the forest and I wasn’t able to replace the batteries in the pouring rain. I made it to the aid station at 71 miles still in good spirit. This was the slowest part of my race. 10 miles – but it had taken me nearly three hours to do it! Instead of running I had jog/walked this part to match the pace of those runners I saw during this loop. It was comforting to know that if my torch did die there would be people near me. Thinking back I realise if I had continued to run, the possibility of the battery lasting the 10 miles on full beam would have been high. I guess I didn’t want to take any chances. Being in the forest loop for 3 hours in the rain meant that I was soaked by the time I arrived back at the aid station at 71 miles. It was 4 am! I needed to shelter from the rain, dry my hands, and change my torch batteries. I had to huddle under the aid station tent and hope for the best! As I was battling with batteries I realised my teeth were chattering. “Oh no please don’t get cold” I said to myself. The runners who had arrived at the aid station similar time to me were all contemplating on quitting and I was asked if I had decided to stop, too! Oh no, no, no I thought to myself and said I would be carrying on but that I had to take some shelter from the rain before getting back out in it again. The problem is by now I was getting really cold. I managed to sit down as some people had already been collected and there was space to sit down. The seat was wet and cold but I just had to make do. What did I need to do to make sure I didn’t end up getting hypothermia? There was no way I was going to give up as I felt good physically (except feeling cold) andI would kick myself if I were to stop. So many people had sent me good luck wishes beforehand, many had contributed to my fundraising page (helping me raise ÂŁ530 for Beat), many cheered on virtually while I ran. My family had full belief in me, and so did my friends. As I thought about all this in a split second while trying to avoid getting hypothermia, I remembered that I had my warm hat and a base layer both as mandatory kit in my running vest. I put these on. I am so glad I did as I felt better very soon afterwards. And that’s despite realising my dry bag had frayed at the seams so my base layer had got a little damp! It wasn’t disastrous though. Hat and extra layer on, soon my mind said I was warm enough and that I could carry on if the rain slowed down a little.
I had 5.5 miles to the next aid station and a little over 10 miles to the one after where I would be able to use my drop bag for the second time and more importantly meet my friend, AkgĂźn, who would be pacing me from that point onwards till the end of the race. I was in touch with Tim and AkgĂźn, updating them now and again on how I was doing. AkgĂźn volunteered to come to the next aid station to pace me. This was a great text message to receive. “Yes that would be lovely” I replied. This would mean I had only 5.5 miles to run in the rain before I saw him. By now it was nearly 5 am! Off I went. Running helped me warm up further and although my feet felt soaking wet I was enjoying being out on the course again. Creswell Crags is where the next aid station was and it would be my second time going through it during this race. In my opinion approaching this area is one of the toughest parts of the race as you have to go up a slope and then run on rugged terrain through overgrown bushes before you descend to the majestic Creswell Crags. As I went up the slope with my torch still on I could see several cows at the top of the hill and there would be no way of avoiding them if I wished to continue. I have over the years overcome my fear of cows to some extent as this was not the only race where I encountered cows at close proximity. There were four of them but fortunately they all looked calm. I switched my torch off not to arouse curiosity and carried on climbing towards them. Luckily by then I could see the route without any torchlight as it was almost morning light. Up and up the slope and then down the rugged terrain. Soon afterwards I could see two people waving at me and saying something. I couldn’t make out what they were saying but realised it was my friends, AkgĂźn and his wife Reşide. It was a lovely moment. I wanted to walk a little but there was no time to hang around. We ran to the aid station which was less than half a km. I didn’t need to stay too long there. A few hugs from Reşide for positive energy, off we went. Now there were 25 miles to the end of the race. I thought this is doable. There was still time to the first cutoff at the next aid station where I would have access to my drop bag for the second time. This is where soup was on offer, too, so I was looking forward to that. Arriving there within 30 mins of the cutoff I decided there was no time to hang around but I wanted to change my shoes, which I did. However I didn’t put my spare insoles in it to get the added benefit of cushioning. I also made the mistake of not changing my wet socks. This all meant I ended up feeling every bit of the terrain on my soles while my feet slid to and fro within my shoes. The last 20 miles were not the most comfortable as a result. I am amazed that nonetheless I ended up with only one blister which disappeared within 4 days after the event. It wasn’t only my feet that were uncomfortable during those last 20 miles but I could feel some chafing, too! Amazingly though my legs weren’t complaining and neither was my hip. They held on till 90 miles when my legs started to get very tired and my hip said “hello, do you remember me?!?” It was then that I thought I should have a carb gel to stay on top of tiredness. It was the first and only gel I used during the whole event. In fact I used real food all the way: tomatoes (lots of them!), satsumas, bananas, watermelon, pineapple, grapes, cheese, peanut butter sandwich, salted potatoes (lots!), baked crisps, hula hoops, dates, oat bars, soup (butternut squash and corn), and a bar of snickers as a treat after half way. As for what I drank – apart from water, some electrolytes and small sips of flat coke which always goes down a treat during ultramarathons. It’s not a drink I normally drink otherwise.
At mile 90, I saw my friend Reşide, who cheered me on, and soon afterwards Tim who was waiting with a small bottle of flat coke which tasted the best ever coke I’d had and suitably caffeinated I carried on to take on the last 10.5 miles albeit a little slowly.
My pacer AkgĂźn’s role in this race can never be underestimated. It was fantastic to have him as a pacer during the last 25 miles of the event. I had never run with him before but it was him who’d got me into ultrarunning in the first place (back in 2017!) and when he volunteered to pace me, I thought that it was a fabulous idea. I am so glad that I agreed. His pacing skills and doing the thinking work of how long is left and whether we’re on the right route, etc., all helped tremendously. If it wasn’t for him the last 3 miles would have been particularly tricky – I kept thinking I was nearly at the finish but that finish never came. I wanted to slow down but he made sure I didn’t.
When I finished I wondered if it had all been a dream. It wasn’t. It was real and it felt good.
I am forever grateful to the volunteers in the event who were very positive and wished the best for every runner. I am also very grateful to everyone who believed in me and in particular to Tim, Akgün and Reşide who dedicated their time and effort into making the event a success story for me during the weekend of 21st-22nd September.
Robin Hood 100 is one of the several races that Hobo Pace organises. I’ve actually done 4 of their events to date and would fully recommend anyone interested in trail running to check them out. There’s something for every trail runner, from 10 miles to 100, all in beautiful surroundings in Nottinghamshire.
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Cardiff Half Marathon 2024

Thank you Sarah for your Cardiff Half report. 💗

🏃‍♂️ The event was very well organised.
🌳 The course was great. Mainly flat with a few short but serious hills. Plenty of great views to enjoy.
☁️ Despite our worst fears the weather conditions were perfect. The heavy rain waited until we had all collected our medals before the heavens opened.
👨‍👦‍👦 The support was fantastic from start to finish.
Roland Bewick broke through ‘the wall’ to finish the race in under two hours. Chip time 1 hr 59 mins 55 secs. Awesome!
Ceridwen Howell had a fantastic race. This was her 4th half marathon in the super 6 series. Chip Time (very impressive) 2 hrs 33 mins 15 secs.
Gill and Sarah Saunders soaked up the atmosphere, sang with every choir, danced with every band and generally had a good time. Chip Time 3 hrs 13 mins 54 secs.
If you are looking for a half marathon next year then I would definitely recommend Cardiff.
On a personal note, thanks to everyone who has given me the courage and confidence to get to the start line. Special thanks to Gill for being my awesome run buddy. Thanks to Roland for the compeed! Huge thanks to our support team, Nicola and Patrick.
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Sandringham 5K & 10K 2024

Run Sandringham 5K and 10K are organised by Good Running Events Ltd, https://www.goodrunningevents.co.uk/ a race organisation company who also manage other races at Sandringham, their latest addition – the Illuminate 5K (19th November, 7:00 and 8:00 pm start time) – is an after dark light trail run through the Sandringham Luminate 2024

I had planned to run several 10K in 2024 but after my trying 5-mile race at Worstead I elected to wait until later in 2024. Sandringham 10K was filling up fast so I chose to register and see whether I could prepare successfully for a good run. Training was a hard slog and I never got above a 10K training run due to fatigue.

It was a cool morning as we set off for the 10-minute drive to the race venue. Parking was easier than previous years. Despite the rain during the week the grass field wasn’t too bad.

We met up with runners from Sandringham parkrun and Runners-next-the-Sea, apprehension beginning to creep in as we waited. The 5K got under way at 9:25 am then a long wait as the organisers were waiting for the 5K finishers to start coming in. Eventually they got the 10K runners heading towards the corral start area but it wasn’t until 10:00 am that they released us. A long wait for the runners who had warmed up, my warm up was the first 10K of the race!!

I set off very steady following some parkrun buddies aiming for 60 – 65 minutes. The course goes in front of the house and around the gardens leaving the grounds at St Mary Magdalene Church and across and past the Sandringham visitor centre. The winding course goes through the parkland taking the same route as the Sandringham parkrun before crossing over into the muddy forest trails for the last 3K or so and back to the finish. The 5K follows the same course past the house and gardens then into the forest trails.

All finishers received a medal and a few snacks; and there were awards for first three male and female only.

Malcolm Senior

Well done to the RntS finishers.  Especially Alex who came 4th in the 5K finishing just outside the award places:

Sandringham 5K Results
Postion Gun Time Chip Time
4 Alex Walpole M MO Runners-Next-the-Sea 19:16.3 19:13.6
101 Peter Jones M M65+ Runners-Next-the-Sea 32:48.2 32:25.0
134 Emily Bingham F FO Runners-Next-the-Sea 34:28.5 34:04.8
135 Sarah Coxon F F45-49 Runners-Next-the-Sea 34:35.2 34:11.0
137 Gary Thorpe M M60-64 Runners-Next-the-Sea 34:38.9 34:14.7
177 Lizzie McLucas F FO Runners-Next-the-Sea 37:36.2 37:12.6
 

Sandringham 10K Results

Position Gun Time Chip Time
550 Phil Longwell M 391 M50-54 39 Runners-Next-the-Sea 911 00:58:31.0 00:57:53.9
697 Katherine Carr F 241 FO 124 Runners-Next-the-Sea 901 01:01:45.7 01:00:46.8
749 Malcolm Senior M 477 M65+ 23 Runners-Next-the-Sea 1327 01:03:28.7 01:01:41.6
759 Nick Loades M 481 M55-59 55 Runners-Next-the-Sea 895 01:03:20.4 01:01:55.5
760 Kirsty Grand F 279 F50-54 34 Runners-Next-the-Sea 1423 01:03:21.0 01:01:55.7
871 Debbie Moore F 355 F55-59 21 Runners-Next-the-Sea 908 01:06:03.0 01:04:37.3
985 Mark Riseborough M 551 M45-49 59 Runners-Next-the-Sea 893 01:10:29.5 01:07:48.8
986 Vikki Powles F 435 F45-49 56 Runners-Next-the-Sea 890 01:10:29.4 01:07:48.9
1002 Gemma Pickering F 451 F45-49 59 Runners-Next-the-Sea 251 01:10:25.4 01:08:20.0
1018 Catherine Thorpe F 465 FO 220 Runners-Next-the-Sea 896 01:10:13.1 01:08:49.7
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Round Norfolk Relay – 14th-15th September 2024

Thanks to Ant for his account of this year’s Round Norfolk Relay:

The course of the Round Norfolk Relay mirrors the county boundary over a distance of 200 miles, divided into 17 unequal stages.

The race starts at Lynn Sport in Kings Lynn and then, from Hunstanton, follows the stunning coastline through 5 multi terrain stages taking the Norfolk Coastal path as far as Cromer. The 40 miles (4 stages) from Cromer through to Horsey Mill and on to Belton are on the road. By the time the teams reach Belton it is dark.

From Belton, the course turns south-west following main roads for 62 miles (4 stages), all run in darkness. It is during these mostly flat stages through Breckland that the time stagger unwinds and the race is invariably won or lost. From Feltwell (Stage 14) the four remaining stages covering the last 33 miles are run across the flat Fens through the early morning mist. Finally, following the Great Ouse River into historic King’s Lynn and back to Lynn Sport

The race presents not only a tough physical challenge, but also a test of the clubs organisational skills. Well I say the clubs, it is more like Lucy Mc and Kerrie’s skills, I wouldn’t know where to start.  The event is much more than just a normal relay for it requires special preparation, planning and support

A staggered start, based on anticipated finishing times, ensures that teams of similar ability start together, with faster teams chasing. If the stagger works, all teams should finish the race by 9:15am to 10:00am on the Sunday. With the first teams starting at 5:30am on Saturday this allows for teams running an average of 8mins 40secs per mile throughout the course.

This year we began at 5.30 at Kings Lynn with David C starting the club off with the first leg to Hunstanton.  He began in the dark with myself as support on the bike to keep him safe on the main road, and to also keep him company. But I’m not sure he was too happy with my singing!

At Hunstanton it was Kyle’s turn to take the baton to the next checkpoint at Burnham Overy Staithe. He ran out through Old Hunstanton and the dunes through some stunning Norfolk scenery with various supporters from the club cheering him on route. Both David and Kyle completed their stages much quicker than their predicted times.

The next hand over point was Burnham Overy Staithe where Head Coach Kevin took the baton.  After a quick look at his watch – something he has always told us not to do!! – he worked his way through our training grounds to finish at the lifeboat house at Wells.

It was Will A-D’s turn now to head off towards Cley supported by David C for the road bits and a bit of chat along the way. Running all the way along the coast path he had good support from club members cheering him on at various locations.

Next up it was club secretary, Andy P.  As he holds this position it is only right that he gets one of the special stages. 3.5 miles along the shingle beach to Weybourne, then up to the coastguard hut at Sheringham and, after recovering from that, it is time for Beeston Bump. With the hard work done Cromer was in sight to hand over to Evette.

Evette took over from Andy on Cromer cliffs, where she then followed the coast path along the promenade. It was a steady climb up to the lighthouse before re-joining the coast road from the back of the golf club. Sarah Ba was in position to join Evette from here to the end of her run.  The next part was all undulating and this section of coast is particularly busy, so Sarah was invaluable. Evette had a fantastic run, coming into Mundesley looking incredibly strong.

Lorraine was the next runner taking on just over 9 miles from Mundesley to Lessingham in stage 7. This is a really pretty part of the route and with the weather sunny and warm, Lorraine would have had some good views out to sea. Rob J joined Lorraine on this section as her safety support bike and we were told about his singing which kept Lorraine entertained, keeping that trademark smile on her face all the way to Marie waiting in Lessingham.

Marie was our runner for stage 8 and she was joined by David C on his bike. This stage follows a relatively flat route that finishes at Horsey wind pump. Marie had worked out the logistics and had left ‘Sparkle’ at Horsey for her to bike back to Lessingham to collect her van.

Marie approached the stage with her normal positive attitude and had a really strong run. Marie and David made a great team on this section.

From Horsey it was a 16.6 mile trip to Belton. Stuart W was running this stage after last year showing us what a fantastic long distance runner he is. After a warm up with his wife Ellie and dogs Harry and Chester, Stuart set off just as the sun was starting to get low in the sky. This route goes through, West Somerton, Winterton-on-Sea, Hemsby and Caister before arriving at Great Yarmouth then towards Belton via the South Quay.

Stage 10 was being ran by Kevin H with bike support from Laura W. These two were raring to go and the nervous excitement was starting to show. We knew Kevin was going to have an amazing run. As it was now dark Kevin and Laura were joined by Bob L in his car. This route had been slightly altered from last year, finishing in Ditchingham instead of Earsham. This is one of the more quiet stages in regards to runners and not so many cars.

The changeover on this stage was quite complex in relation to support vehicles but luckily Rob J, Mat E and Kirsty L who were taking over on the next stage had worked it all out with the help from Hayley E and Kerrie. Kevin had a great run knocking several minutes of his predicted time.

Stage 11 was ran by Rob J. He finished off things for us last year but we needed some more runners to take on the longer distances and he was more than happy to help.

This stage runs from the new start point this year of Ditchingham and I would say it is one of the most difficult. With long, straight stretches of road, the surface is good to run on but in the dark I can imagine it to be bit of a head battle. Rob didn’t disappoint and came into the finish at Scole looking strong. His support was Mat on his bike who had a speaker to provide some music and Kirsty L in her car supported by David.

Rob passed the baton to Gordana, our birthday girl, who was perfect to be running the longest stage of the race, from Scole to Thetford. Consistently speedy and fantastic over long distances we knew she would relish the challenge.

Stage 12 is again made up of long, straight sections of road but there are several good hill pulls. David C who ran this stage last year said that the whole thing feels up hill. Gordana said she did go out too quickly through nerves and adrenaline but she soon settled and picked off several runners. Andy who was on bike support said, you could just see her change gear and she was gone. David R was also on support in his truck and carrying the all important birthday cake for the finish.

Lucy and Kerrie had a bit of a break now as Gordana was going to take a little while to arrive in Thetford. They tried to make use of the time and have a sleep.

Paula S was our runner on stage 13 running 15 miles. Mat was back on duty as bike support and Vicki A was supporting in her car with Francesca. Paula ran a fantastic stage passing through the villages of Weeting and Hockwold before arriving at Feltwell base. We were now very ahead of our initial predicted times as most of our runners had smashed the times they had given us. We were hoping that we wouldn’t be held on the final stages.

We had chosen Sean to run the 7.2 mile stage that finishes in Wissington. Sean had trained really hard for this. His job usually makes running in the summer months more difficult but he had committed to continue to train especially for this event. Sean had Marie as his bike support and Kat Ca was now doing the first of her 2 stage support in her car. Last year this stage was cancelled due to a ram raid in Feltwell so this was a new one to time and do the changeover at. I’m pleased to say it all went well.

At Wissington Sean came in at a good pace to hand over to Anna L ready for her run to Downham Market. She set off confidently with Paul W on his bike and Kat still doing a great job as car support.  As the sun started to rise Anna was seen coming into Downham looking really strong and smiling ready to hand the baton to Suzanne

Suzanne was prepared just in time for Stage 16 to Kings Lynn with Maddie taking over cycling duties. The sun was well and truly up now on a beautiful still morning and a great temperature to run in.   No longer needing car support, Maddie on her bike was great company on the stage

Time for me (Ant) to head over to Stowbridge to prepare myself for my LONG run to Lynn Sport to finish off the Relay. The support as I came into the stadium was amazing. I could hear the cheering as I came the round the track to the finish line. It helped me get those last few metres and I have to say we were the most vocal club at the finish (in a good way)

We came in 37th out of 60 teams with a total time of 27.19.09 knocking 1 hour 16 mins off our predicted time and I think that is a great achievement for the club.

So now this year is over with it is time to look forward to next year and the planning has already started so watch this space and Facebook/emails for details. It is not just runners we need but also cyclists, car support, help with getting runners to and from their start points and caterers to help keep everyone fed and watered. If you would like to run we would need you to be able to run at an average pace of 8:40 minutes per mile (5:23 per kilometre).

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Aylsham 5K & Alex Moore Relay 2024

Aylsham 5K 

Rob and I were quite excited about a 5k run, as there don’t seem to be so many. It seemed perfect weather for running, not too scorching and not actually raining.  Was lovely to have a bag-drop and proper loos and everything seemed really well organised. There was a lovely buzz in the market place and some of our amazing club were there to support which is always lovely, there’s something special about people turning out to support. We did the usual group photo, followed by another one for those who’d chosen that moment to warm up/go to the toilet.

Then there was a short debate about which direction the start headed in because of course we’d all looked at the map, hadn’t we!

The clouds gathered as we started but then I focused on the lovely downhill, concentrating on running with good ‘form’ like Kevin had been discussing on Monday (I figured what worked uphill might work downhill too🤣). I must have done something right because the first Km clocked in at a cracking pace and looked like I was in for a pb. The second Km was flatish, I discovered long ago that flat isn’t my thing, that Km was nowhere near as speedy but I still felt strong.

I was getting a bit lost in the twists and turns of Aylsham and at one point was overtaken by someone taking the most enormous strides…and was feeling a bit tired, my watch bleeped 3k but there was no 3k marker, and there was a steep little climb off the Marriott’s way in this Km too which had made my calves grumpy. At the 3k marker my watch said 3.3, but I thought maybe it was just one of those situations where my watch had lost satellite contact, or they couldn’t put the marker in the exact spot, or both….

More twisting and turning, past the old water tower done up for accommodation with a glass windowed staircase. Had a close moment with a silent electric car, and got passed by a runner to whom Kevin would have had a few suggestions to make about form…arms swinging from their elbows…but they were going faster than me so can’t have been doing too much wrong!

I now fancied having a little lie down in the road, and I’d normally only feel like this at 7k into a 10k, or half way through a half marathon, so I knew I’d got my fuelling totally wrong (with it being an evening run) and possibly was not well hydrated too.

I thought I was either running really badly, or maybe really well, that must be why I was tired. At the 4k marker I knew it wasn’t the latter and I was barely going to make sub 30. My watch was still 0.3k out so I started allowing for that and once there was 500m to go started counting sets of steps (3 sets of 4 footfalls make 0.01k for me🤣).

I was delighted we didn’t have to do the full hill up to the church like in the Autumn Half Marathon and tried for a slightly sprinty finish…only to be thoroughly out-sprinted by the runner behind me.

We compared watches and everyone had over clocked the distance which seemed odd.

We did a finishing photo and caught up with everyone. I got over my grump at my time when it looked like we’d run slightly over 5k

Liam popped over and said hi, (he ran this one for his first club Ryston, and Maureen was running for her second club Norwich Road Runners) and everyone seemed to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere.

We sampled the wood fired pizza and some well earned unhealthy snacks.

Later, like everyone else, we learned we’d run 5.25K because some teenagers had slightly altered the course. It doesn’t sound much but it took me well over a minute to run that extra bit so my time was more respectable than I thought and Alex did get his sub 20 5K, even though it didn’t look like it. The youngsters probably thought they were just having a laugh and didn’t realise the potential seriousness of sending 400 runners where the traffic wasn’t marshalled, all was well that ended well, and the organisers did a fantastic job of letting us know what had happened.

Definitely one I’d do again, and suitable for all speeds if you can run 5k continuously. A great atmosphere and lots of cheers on the way round, and if you did fancy a pint afterwards the pubs were open too.

Nita

Official Results (Chip Times) – 5.25K

David C 20:06.7
Kevin H 20:18.2
Alex 20:29.2
Rob J 22:12.3
Matthew 25:04.0
Malcolm 28:51.8
Nita 29:46.6
Andrew B 31:42.4
Catherine T 37:13.6
Vicki A 37:14.1
Marie 38:14.9

Alex Moore Relay

Alex Moore relay is a team event comprised of 3 people doing laps of 2.2miles – runner A does 1 lap then hands the baton to runner B who does 2 laps. Runner C then does 2 laps, comes in to collect their other 2 runners and they all do the last lap together. Does this make any sense? Well it’s taken me about 5 years of doing it to be able to explain!

We had a fair few teams in this years event and it starts & finishes at The Goat Inn in Skeyton.  What’s not to love about a pub at the end? It’s been really hot the last couple of years of doing it so it was nice it was a bit cooler on Sunday.

I chose to be runner C in Nita’s Nutters team, so 3 x 2.2ml laps.  You have the company of your team mates for the last lap though so it really helps to keep you going. I can’t recommend this event enough – it’s so nice to be part of a team and the other RntS are cheering you on at the end of every lap. The only downside is running with a baton makes it get a bit sweaty but the pint at the end cooled my hands down nicely 😉🍻

Paula

Official Results
Speedy RntS (David C, Ant & Kevin H) – 01:26:11
Better Lace Than Never (Dane, Will, Ana) – 01:37:03
Runners-next-the-Sea 1 ( Sean, Matthew, Rob J) – 01:39:03
Runners-not-next-the-Sea (Evette, Bob L, Kevin S) – 01:47:11
Nita’s Nutters (Nita, Maureen, Paula) – 01:54:06

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Norfolk 100K 2024

Towards the end of last year, Positive Steps announced that 2024 would be their last year of organising and hosting events. As an addition to the regular grandslam that they do (completion of Peddars Way, Norfolk 100k and the Bury 50k within a 12 month period), they were advertising this year with an ultimate grandslam; so completion of the standard three races plus the Marriott’s Way and Norfolk Coastal marathons and the Bury to Clare Challenge. This intrigued me and I found myself signing up for the Peddars Way and saying, yes I was entering for the ultimate grandslam.

Peddars Way was an absolutely brilliant way to get extra distance in my legs in preparation for the 100k and it was also good for the route recce; the latter part of the Peddars forms some of the first part for the 100k. With the help of Kerrie and Lucy, I got some of the route practised and fresh in my head, especially parts which I hadn’t done before – mainly from Morston quay towards the finish.

In the last few weeks before the big day, I had done a lot of mental homework; working out what time I wanted to be at the first and second timed cut-off points and my average pace to achieve this. I also planned drop-bags for each check-point with drinks, snacks and motivational messages to myself for when I got there to get me through to the next point. I felt this helped me go through the check-points quite quick as I didn’t have to stop so long for lots of refilling and picking at snacks. I also had a jug with coke in to make it go flat ready for Saturday.

On the day my alarm went off at 4am so I could get to Castle Acre in good time, I wanted to start at 6am which had been allowed; the official start time is 7am but I figured if I wanted a fighting chance to complete this, then it was a good help! My partner Mark drove me there and getting out of the car you could see it was going to be potentially a good day and I realised I hadn’t put my sunglasses in! Collecting my race number and tracker, I felt unbelievably sick and shaky – I was so nervous. I could have quite happily got back in the car and gone home. Seeing Lucy and Nur there helped me relax a little but I still felt sick, worried I was going to get lost early on and still doubting I was going to make it to the finish line. Especially when everyone else there looked so much more confident and capable. I had said to Mark that if I call him to pick me up to say no! I missed Kerrie as we had run all the other events together, today I was on my own but was nice knowing she would be along the route later with Marie on their own mission. Mark waited until we had set off and then went.

Starting at 6am I was surprised at the amount of other people who had also chosen to do this and I was quite grateful that some of them were going at a similar pace to me, so when we were going through the muddy section at the start there was always a bit of company and chatter around me. Picking up the Peddars Way route after a few miles was nice as I recognised it from earlier in the year and I didn’t lose my way as I had worried I would. Coming down towards the main road at Holme, my mum and dad were there which was such a lovely boost. Getting to Holme and then fairly much all the way along the route there was a horrific headwind which really sapped my energy and I found myself power-walking a lot more than I’d have liked, but it was needed. The wind was absolutely relentless in places and at a direction that it was hardly ever behind!

Getting to the hall at Burnham Overy Staithe was good as there was a proper loo to use! A quick use of the facilities and grabbing my drop-bag with headtorch and extra items in for the latter part of the run, I was in and out quite quickly. Knowing that I would see mum and dad at Wells, I gave them my bag so I didn’t have to carry it for quite so long and off I went again. The bank from Burnham Overy was blustery but had a lovely surprise in the form of Ana, David and his girls. They cheered my name which lead to others also doing it, another lovely boost.

On the back path from the dunes towards Lady Annes drive, I felt a bit sick again but kept on going and sipping some drink so as not to become dehydrated. I’d noticed my hands were swollen so I tried to keep them moving to ease it off a little. Getting to the car park at Wells, my mum and dad were there with the anticipated Mr. Whippy! 🙂 It was good, but I couldn’t stomach it all. I walked along the bank with mum, promising her that if I still felt bad I would stop. Getting to Wells and along the way, there were quite a lot of people walking who were asking what event we were doing which was nice.

Getting to Wells and having two cheer crews was fab, so thank you Paula, Vicki, Kevin, Evette, Chris, Ceri and Tim.

A lovely chap on the quay also had a cola ice-pop which was gratefully received. It was much easier to stomach than the ice cream.  Leaving Wells led onto the marshes and as ever, the angry music came out. There is just something about that stretch!! Coming up towards Stiffkey (the first timed cut-off which closed at 17:45) I realised that my mileage calculations were incorrect, for once in my favour and I actually had 7 less miles to do than I’d thought. This improved my mood so much as by that point I was fed up with the wind, the sun and the hard-packed stony paths! The angry music had helped as well. 😄 I left Stiffkey at 16:30 so was very happy with myself.

Stiffkey to Cley (the next timed cut-off and last checkpoint) was a bit of a blur, except I got myself into a small muddle navigating my way through the grounds of the windmill and then I was on the bank and couldn’t think where the check-point was. Being on the bank and seeing various cars and vans on the road below panicked me into thinking that I had been in the wrong spot for the check-point. I gave Kerrie a quick call to confirm where the check-point was and to reassure myself. The wind made hard work for conversation but it was so nice to hear her voice. Also good to see Chris L drive past and give a wave to as well. 🙂  Thank you too to Lucy H who made a solo special trip out to Morston quay to cheer. I was chatting to a lady who I was running with at the time and explaining that Morston was the finish for the coastal marathon so I expected to see banners there. I didn’t not expect to see Lucy there but it was a fantastic surprise – thank you. 🙂

The marshals at Cley were complimentary about my drop bag and another speedy turnaround meant I hit the shingle beach, still with a face full of wind! Ironically, as much as my feet were hurting by then the shingle was much nicer on my feet as there was a bit of give. The other bonus of the shingle was that with the incessant wind, I didn’t keep getting sand in my face – every cloud and all that! I also had to put my jacket on as it was starting to get chilly now the sun had gone down and it was so exposed, my pace was also slower as well so knew I’d feel bad if I didn’t do the sensible thing. I also decided to play the alphabet game again which I’d done earlier into the run but I was getting frustrated with myself as I couldn’t remember an actors name; I must have looked very random stomping along the shingle yelling ‘Richard’ and yet I still can’t remember who I was trying to remember!

I ended up stomping along with another runner which was really nice and then she was getting chilly so she went off and I carried on stomping. Getting into Sheringham was a relief as I was finally back on smooth flat tarmac. Managed another run and then got yelled at – another runner had spotted that I’d missed the turning to take us off the prom and towards the dreaded Beeston Bump and called me back – luckily I hadn’t
gone too far past so a quick double back and on again. Having never been to Beeston Bump before, all I had heard was how hilly it was. Sadly, the rumours were true.  I had heard that there are steps on the hill which are useful, but when the step comes up to your knee you know it’s going to be a struggle regardless of how far you’ve travelled to get there 😂. Reaching the top and knowing I had to go through the area for the tracker to register I was careful, no way did I want to be disqualified for not registering through that point! Down the other side and up a quiet lane, over the train track and onto glorious grass for the finish line. So grateful to Kerrie, Marie and Lucy for waiting for me to finish (plus partners and children!) and then we waited for Nur who wasn’t too far away either. ❤️ 

So that’s four out of the six events complete so far and looking forward to the last two knowing that the toughest one is done.

Thank you to everyone who messaged, tracked, supported and generally took time out of your day to be the awesome RNTS crew we all know and love.

Kirsty xx

Official Results
100K
Lucy M – 14:21:03
Kirsty L – 15:10:50
Nur – 15:34:04

50K
Marie – 07:37:47
Kerrie – 07:45:37

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A trinity of top efforts – The Lap, Holt 10k & Cambridgeshire Track and Field

The Lap

It was early June 2022 when (possibly after one too many ciders) I made the decision to attempt to run my first ultra marathon. I’d obviously been doing some browsing online which had alerted the Facebook algorithm to keep spamming me with posts for The Lap. This was advertised as an entry level 47 mile low route (oh,the irony) around Windermere, which takes place in May and September. The May race follows the route clockwise, which is supposed to be the easier option due to where the climbs are located, and the September route follows the route anticlockwise. Having remembered reading that it’s a good idea to find a race that inspires you I thought, what’s not more inspiring than running around England’s biggest lake? and signed myself up for the May 2023 race.

Towards the end of February 2023 I was struggling with hip pain and was concerned with how the training was going so made the decision to defer until 2024. When I realised the 2024 race would fall on the day of my 47th birthday I thought 47 miles for 47 years must be fate, or as I later discovered bloody foolish!  Honestly the pub is a much more reasonable birthday option.

As it turns out this wasn’t going to be my first Ultra as I ended up doing the Weavers Way 50km in October 2023.

Fast forward to this year and I’d managed my highest ever four months of mileage in training so felt – somewhat naively – prepared and ready to go. I was equal parts excited and absolutely bricking it. I’d booked a caravan for the weekend at a nearby holiday park so had convinced Em and Summer to come along for the ride.

Registration was open 19:00 to 23:00 on the Friday night where I had to collect my race number, map, tracker and have a kit check to make sure I’d got the required kit in my bag. This was an incredibly smooth process which helped settle the nerves and the stunning scenery backed up the assumption that this was going to be a beautiful route. By the time we arrived back at the caravan it was getting on for 22:00, so I decided to try and get some sleep as I need to be up at 03:30 to eat and get to the start for the 05:50 race briefing. Sleep wasn’t great (it never is for me before a race) and it didn’t help having to chase the biggest ever beetle which was flying around the caravan at midnight sounding like a helicopter. Waking up just before the alarm went off I got up and set about sorting out some Heinz spaghetti on toast with cheese. Ever since this was recommended to me by Lucy for long run fuel it’s never let me down.

Breakfast eaten, dressed and gone to the toilet for the third time – apologies if a bit too much info – I was in the car with the sunrise and heading to the start.

We’d been promised a lake inversion the night before, with a nice mist expected to be rising from the lake, but on arrival there was no mist and you could already start to feel the warmth from the sun.  It was going to be hot. At the race briefing we were reminded that ultra running, for the majority, is walking dressed as runners. We were also told that they were expecting the course record to be beaten which it was by both the Male, Joel Jameson (07:27:22) and female, Lucy Gossage (07:57:41) winners.

Everyone self seeded themselves into position – firmly at the back for me –  and the air horn was blown to start the race with a lone bagpiper playing. I found the start quite emotional as I knew, after nearly two years, whatever was to now happen I’d finally made it to the start.

The first mile was a nice plod with a long line of people walking/shuffling alongside the banks of the lake as there was a stile about a mile up which was causing a bottle neck. I started chatting to a gentleman next to me who informed me that he’d run half of it in September before pulling out and was determined to complete the other half today. I thought this was supposed to be entry level not the kind of run where we set ourselves the target of halfway.

Once over the stile it was down a nice country lane before shortly hitting what was to be one of many climbs for the day. This was a series of various steps up through some woodland at what seemed like a near vertical angle. It was also at this point that I fell over for the first time of the day, it wasn’t to be the last.

At the top and there was a nice bit of gentle downhill over varying terrain before arriving at the first aid station in Far Sawry. The spread laid out before me was nothing short of incredible and, after having some cheese, a couple of cookies and a jam baguette washed down with coke, I filled up my near empty water bottles and cracked on. The next few miles were lovely with some gentle accents and descents over rolling hills and past a few smaller lakes before hitting the steep climb up to the top of Latterbarrow. It was at this point that I realised no matter how many times I’d run up the Drift this was going to be on a whole different level. It was also at this point that I cracked out the hiking poles and they stayed out for the rest of the day.

Stopping at the top to catch my breath I admired the view whilst trying not to think about the two big climbs to come. The descent from Latterbarrow was almost as tough as the climb up trying to negotiate the rocky path down without falling. After the initially steep section this then turned into some nice lanes as we ran down into the second aid station at Skelwith Bridge. It was here that I discovered the joy of orange segments and demolished a handful of these with another cookie, some peanut butter and jam sandwiches and a bit of malt loaf. Again this was all washed down with a good few cups of coke and the water bottles refilled. I was starting to worry about hydration. Those that know me will know how much of a sweaty runner I am and at this point the “hat drip” had gone from one, to two, to three and then promptly stopped. My t-shirt had also gone from being soaking wet to completely dry. I fetched the extra water bottle I’d stashed in my bag and filled that which gave me 1.5 litres until the next aid station. Unfortunately there was the two biggest climbs before I’d arrive at this and by the time I arrived I was well and truly broken.

Leaving Skelwith Bridge there was an initially gentle climb up a county lane but looming in front of me was what I could only guess was Loughrigg Fell and I knew we had to go up and over this. The path up to the top was winding and steep and I had to take plenty of rests to catch my breath and stop my head from spinning. All the while I was trying to forget about the fact that this was the easiest of the two big climbs, the second of which was right after I ‘d come all the way down from Loughrigg. The views from the top were again stunning and I was a bit disappointed that any pictures I took didn’t seem to do justice to how steep the ascent was. After stopping at the top for far too long I started on the descent which consisted of a steep track down into Ambleside.

Coming through Ambleside I was desperate to find either a pub or a shop as my water was running low. As I walked past a climbing shop the owner let me know that there was a lovely cafe next door, the only problem being that it was up two flights of stairs. Dragging myself upstairs I bought 2 bottles of ice cold water and a can of coke to try and help me get up Wansfell Pike.

It was as I was leaving Ambleside to start the climb up to Wansfell Pike that I decided to quit, for the first time. I was feeling incredibly flaky and was having a mild panic that I’d require a full on rescue operation from halfway up. I thought that turning around and heading back to Ambleside seemed to be the sensible option as I’d be able to get a taxi back to the start, hand in my tracker and stick to the flats of Norfolk that I’m used to. After a sit down and a stern talking to myself I tried to push on until at least the halfway checkpoint at Troutbeck.

The next few hours weren’t pretty. The climb up to the top of Wansfell Pike was steeper and longer than Loughrigg. For me it consisted of walking for a couple of minutes then sitting/lying down trying to stop my head from spinning and resisting the urge to go to sleep. Upon finally making it to the top there was slightly kinder section across a ridge to the highest point of the race at Baystones. I’d well and truly made up my mind by now that I was done. I was going to make it down to the halfway point at Troutbeck and hopefully secure a lift back to the start. I was remembering the conversation at the start of the race and thought making it over the two biggest climbs was a fair achievement and there was no point completely breaking myself in the process. Yep I was definitely done as I headed into Troutbeck. Then an annoying nagging feeling told me you’ve got one shot at this. Initial goals may have long fallen out the window but I hadn’t just dragged myself over those past two climbs to go home with nothing to show for it. We’d been given a t-shirt at registration and I knew I wouldn’t be able to wear it if I didn’t finish. On arrival at the halfway checkpoint, being about 32km into a 78km race actually falls well before halfway,  I’d managed to agree with myself I was going to have a cup of tea and see how I felt. With cup of tea in hand I also discovered that you can shove Twiglets into a mini Battenburg and then plug the ends with cheese, trust me it’s a thing! There was also the benefit of a pizza truck at this aid station so I managed to force two slices of pizza down me. Whilst eating the pizza another runner, who I’d been passing on and off climbing up Wansfell, sat down next to me and proclaimed he was out. He was shivering, despite the heat, and said he was freezing cold due to dehydration. Not wanting to suffer the same fate I told one of the marshal that I was pretty sure I was done too. His reply was that it was only 8km to the next aid station so why not try and at least get to there. He also told me that I’d done the worst of it but I didn’t like the fact that, when I asked him where it went from here, he pointed and said, ‘you see that hill over there…’  As it turned out the hill he’d pointed to wasn’t too bad a climb and, once at the top, there was a nice flat section down some quiet roads for a few km which gave me a real boost. On leaving these roads over a stile (purely the devil’s work) I noted a sheep’s skull sat on top of the wall. About two minutes after this one leg went into a deep rut sending the other leg and arms into a nice boggy section and I was brought, quite literally, back down to earth with a bump.

Although only 8km to the next aid station this stretch seemed to go on forever before finally coming across a gazebo in the middle of a field manned by what can only be described as angels. They filled my bottles, made sure I was fed and watered and when I decided again that I was going to quit managed to convince me that trying to get to the next aid station would be a better option. I stocked up on food as I knew that the next aid station was water only and got ready to head into the night.

It all becomes a bit of a blur from this point on. There was another climb up to Gummers How which was through a boggy wood in the dark. I remember having a stand off with what I was convinced was the biggest beetle I’d ever seen sat on the path in front of me. After a good minute I realised it was a frog. The top of Gummers How was a bit of a low point as I had to lie down to try and prevent myself from being sick. After managing to hold down my stomach contents I pushed on and caught up with a lady called Kat, who was having a bit of a panic about the descent having hurt her ankle. We stuck together for the next 10km or so before she dropped out with about 10km to go as her ankle was hurting too much. I’ve since found out she’d actually broken it en-route. We also caught up with a couple of guys who’d completed it before. When one of them dropped out just before the final aid station as he couldn’t face any more hills I knew it wasn’t going to be a nice easy finish.

Coming up to the final aid station at Finsthwaite there was another particularly nasty climb through a wood which was a real struggle. On arriving at the aid station I asked for a cup of tea with milk and sugar. They didn’t flinch when my reply to, ‘how many sugars?’ was, ‘make the spoon stand up’. I knew at this point I had about 9km to go but at my current pace this was going to take a good few hours still. The one thing I knew on leaving the final aid station was that I was going to finish this. Sure it may have taken me many more hours than I’d initially planned but a finish was a finish.

Those final 9km weren’t pretty and seemed to throw everything at me, more hills, brambles, trees to climb over, boggy bits and treacherous downhill sections which would have been a challenge even in daylight with fresh legs, and I hate to think how many swear words were uttered but I pressed on just wanting to finish this thing now. With one final tree to climb over and the sun starting to rise I finally saw the finish line. At 04:14 on Sunday the 12th of May after 22 hours 13 minutes and 17 seconds I crossed the finish line. Handed my finishers medal and beer I limped across to the car, sat down and sobbed. I couldn’t believe what I’d achieved and that after nearly two years since signing up I’d actually finished. I came so close to quitting that day on many occasions and had to get my head out of some dark places along the way but I’d done it, never – and I repeat, never – for me to try it again.

Although as I’m sat here reflecting on it writing this down there’s another of those nagging feelings that’s saying another shot in 2026 sounds like a plan. Just don’t tell the wife.

Andy P


The start line


Early morning views


The top of Latterbarrow


The impending climb of Loughrigg Fell

Holt 10k

I did Holt 10k last year and really enjoyed the route and being such a local race, it’s a really nice one to do.  So signed up again this year.

With a 10 o’clock start, Kerrie and I didn’t have to leave home too early, which is always a bonus.  We arrived at Holt and met up with the other RntS runners and supporters.

It had been a wet morning and we were expecting a wet race, however luckily the rain stayed away, although it was still a warm morning.

The route starts at Gresham school and heads off with a nice downhill start towards the  garden centre.  Just before the garden centre, you are sent left down a track to meet the small country roads. The roads are not closed, but the traffic is sparse and didn’t cause a problem.

It was good to see Paul and Libby along the route cheering us on. Mark and Vikki were out on the route too, supporting everyone.

At mile 4 the route turns very undulating, with a lovely downhill which can only mean one thing, there was a sharp uphill which I admit was a struggle.  The route then takes you back towards the school with the lovely downhill start being in reverse back to the finish.  It was great to see so many RntS supporting at the finish and cheering us to the finish line. The support from others makes such a difference on a race and is very much appreciated.  Thank you everyone.

David C

Official Results:
Ant – 00:40:20.2
David C – 00:41:27.3
Alex – 00:43:40.4
Ellis – 00:45:04.4
Rob J – 00:45:59.1
Will – 00:46:33.8
Kevin S – 00:47:52.6
Andrew T – 00:48:01.0
Matt – 00:49:54.8
Paula – 00:51:00.6
Gemma – 00:51:25.3
Evette – 00:54:04.5
Seb – 00:59:04.7
Nita – 01:03:33.4
Chris L – 01:03:42.3
Vicki – 01:13:36.3

Cambridgeshire Track and Field

I ran the 3000m in the Cambridgeshire track and field championships last Wednesday at St Ives.

Its 7.5 laps.of the track, there was a mild head wind down the home straight and first bend and luckily the rain held off.

I got a 17 second seasons best which was only set 10 days prior.

Sometimes when you don’t feel race ready mentally and physically, that’s when your best runs come, and today was one of those days for me.  As it’s a championship event, athletes have to run for their first claim club, so I was representing Ryston Runners.

I was 1st vet 35, mirroring the same achievement in the Norfolk County Championships earlier in May.

Cat F-W

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Bury to Clare

Bury to Clare, 5th May.

We had talked about doing this run last year when we went through Clare on the Two Castles marathon. Kerrie and Lucy had said that it was a lovely run, and now having taken part in it – I totally agree.

An early start for us. Kerrie kindly drove this time and we had to park at Clare to catch the bus to Bury. Absolutely love the bus journey every time as it builds the atmosphere.

Once at Bury well ahead of the 9am start we found a nice sunny spot to keep us warm, happens it was in the play area – not just for little ones 😄

We attended the briefing, there was so many people! This race is inclusive for walkers with a generous 8 hour cut off time for the 18 miles. We then walked to the start line which was a bit of a bottleneck as there was no self seeding of walkers and runners.

Once we all found ourselves into a rhythm, we were treated to fantastic views, beautiful sunshine and in the shadier areas, some lovely squelchy mud!

We ran/walked the route which gave us lots of time to eat our snacks and just really enjoy the day. Added bonus of not getting lost thanks to Lucy’s great navigational skills.

Kirsty, Kerrie and Lucy.

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South Downs Way 50

Event: SDW50
Date: 13th April 2024
My finishing time: 12:19:24

I knew SDW50 (South Downs Way 50 miles from Worthing to Eastbourne) was going to be a big challenge for me mainly because of the elevation profile and the cut offs at every aid station and the finish. On race day, I made the decision to share the tracking details on the RntS FB page to make myself accountable. This helped put pressure on me to do my best.

SDW50 was my A race for the first half of this year so I decided to follow a purposefully self-built 16-week programme, incorporating some long distance races (in particular, Winter Wychavon Way in January and Hundred Hills in March) which I used for training runs. My weekly mileage was mostly how I wanted it to be (though it could have been a little higher) and I started doing strength training using weights. I am creation this has helped me in my running. In preparation I also studied the race results from previous years to see how long it took the last few finishers to reach each of the 7 cut offs so that I could aim for a particular time for each of these cut offs. This plan turned out to be a great idea for my pacing strategy during the race.

On race day the weather couldn’t have been any better. Although initially cold and misty, it soon turned into full sunshine with very strong winds, mostly tailwind (!), which certainly helped. That wind was certainly willing all the runners to reach their destination faster than they could have imagined!

I had lovely little chats with fellow runners along the route and said hello to countless walkers enjoying being on the Downs. The scenery was awesome. The hills, with the exception of a few very steep ones, were mostly runnable. It was liberating and I enjoyed the freedom to be able to launch myself forwards!

I was very happy with my nutrition and hydration throughout the race: watermelon, grapes, pineapple, cheese, cheese sandwiches, cakes, pretzels, hula hoops, and soreen, alongside some electrolytes (2,5 sachets of Tailwind and several salt tablets), water and coca cola. I also had 3 gels with caffeine in them. Food consumption involved nice little picnics on the go; power hiking to move forward so as not to lose time.

We’ve learnt from our coaches that running form is very important. On steep hills uphill or downhill it becomes too easy to tense up but I knew to relax my shoulders and just enjoy the motion of running. I’m pretty sure I was smiling most, if not all the time. I kept checking my watch how I was doing against the times I’d set myself for each of the cut offs. Seeing I was well ahead of my anticipated timings in particular by the time I’d arrived at check point 4 (Southease) was gratifying. The race finishes after a lap of the athletics track at Eastbourne. When I entered the track there was so much cheering from spectators and some runners who’d finished before me. I remember someone shouting “Go get that medal” and me responding “I will!”

I was, and still am, very happy to have been able to complete this race without the worry of each cut off looming over me.

I don’t always make sense at the end of an ultrarunning event and usually feel dithery for a while. At the end of this race I was exhausted but mentally I could have carrier on! To see I wasn’t dithering at all when I finished and that I could hold normal conversations, certainly felt good.

Nur

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London Marathon 2024

Here is Stuart’s full race report:

‘Where do I start what a weekend and such an amazing event.

Thank you RntS for having this opportunity.

The dream marathon for me after being rejected for 5 years. This bucket list race has always inspired me to run to the best of my abilities.

Training never went as smoothly as I had hoped, some missed speed work and long runs, due to a calf twinge but it was too good a race to miss. So stepped back the training to recover and then get back to it.

I decided to follow the Hanson marathon method that had served me so well for Brighton 2022, and I ideally wanted a time between 3:30 and 3;45 to get a new PB as Brighton was 3:49. But under 4 hours was good enough in my mind.

Friday 19th was race pack pick up day, I took my eldest daughter with me on the train for the day and headed to the excel arena.

A really slick operation for bib collection I was dreading massive queues but it wasn’t bad at all. They now print your bib when you arrive and then send you into the expo to collect the finisher shirt before you race.

We headed back to London for the weekend on the Saturday and did the touristy sight seeing walking around 10 miles to keep the legs loose and nervous energy at bay.

Race day Sunday 21st…

Usual morning routine with the added tube and train journey. All public transport on race day is free to participants making everything super smooth and easy to get to the start pens.

I had a 10:10 green wave 4 start time and had to be at the start by 9:22 for security checks and the obligatory endurance events of queuing to use the portaloos or urinals.

We could watch the start of the elite and wheelchair races on the big screen and the atmosphere was electric, everyone was wishing each other luck and conversations flowed around trainer choices etc (as they do at every race we attend 😂)

Going into my own wave, my actual start time 10:16 and we were off, from the first second the crowds were absolutely amazing offers of jelly babies, oranges bananas and Haribo every few meters.

The first 3km I felt amazing and then the urge to pee kicked in so the next block of toilets was my destination, luckily in the marathon they make sure there are many at regular intervals.

Back to running and again the crowds were epic, live bands, DJs and local community groups entertaining as we ran (no need for headphones, not that you would hear your own music if you decide to use them).

The first big milestone for me was the Cutty Sark and it never disappointed, it was incredible sweeping round the bend past this beautiful piece of history,

Around the 12 mile mark I turned the corner and there she was Tower Bridge ,just wow!

A real pick me up at this point and one of the most incredible experiences of my life running across this true icon of Britain this made the running experience.

It started to get really tough around the 17 mile marker and I had my nutrition and hydration on point a gel every 4 to 4.5 miles and always taking on some water at every station, little and often for the whole race.

My Polar GPS was going crazy at times with the high rise building and the few under passes we utilised.

The crowds continued to be totally amazing.

The last few miles were tough and it became a mental challenge as much as physical. The last straight approached and then it happened my biggest and most needed pick me up – my cheer squad were there and grabbed my attention turned the corner saw the Buckingham palace and then the finish line.

A new marathon PB of 3:39:29 and I couldn’t be happier. ‘

💪