This is the second event by Big Feat Events that I’ve done. I did their Big Pilgrimage back in 2024 which was quite unique and I really enjoyed. With it almost Christmas, I had a little itch for one more ‘big’ run before the end of the year. The timing worked out so I signed up.
The next week it was an early start to drive to the New Forest in the pissing rain on Sunday morning for an 8am start. Arriving at the Holmsey Campsite I was already pretty wet after walking from the car park to the registration tent. Thankfully the rain stopped just in time for the start of the race.
The rain briefly stopped as the race started
The route promised lovely crisp and glistening frosty winter trails. From the off though it delivered wet and soggy muddy winter trails instead. The muddy patch at the start line held runners up before a brisk run on tarmac. Although it was covered in surface water. This was to set the tone for the day. With wet feat from the start though, it made for great fun not giving two hoots as to where I placed my feet and trying to avoid the mud or wet. It was amazing though how many people were actively trying to avoid both the mud and puddles at the start!
I’ve been to the New Forest twice before but never have I covered this sort of distance there. The trails were mostly on marked footpaths that were wide and forgiving. They were however either water logged or caked in mud throughout. Whilst I had good grip on my shoes, it did make it a little tougher on the legs constantly trying to stay up right and push off the softer ground.
I set off running and maintained the run pretty much the whole day. I walked briefly on the longer of the hills and after aid stations when I was still stuffing my face. Given it was wet I tried not to hang around at the aid stations for too long as it was clear I’d get pretty cold rather quickly. About midway through the run the heavens opened and it pissed down. I couldn’t get any wetter so it wasn’t too much bother.
Enjoying the wild horse roaming free
As beautiful as the route was, my mind was very distracted. The day before I had the amazing fortune to b drawn on the waitlist for the Western States Endurance Run in America. As great as this is (the chances are so slim and I’ve been applying for 7 years now!), the frustration is that I am number 49 on the waitlist (out of 75). The reality is that I’m more ‘out’ than ‘in’ and only a few times before has the person in 49th got an entry to the race (and each time that was all in the last few days before the race!). So my mind was crunching the options and scenarios all day long! It made the time fly by!
Wet Trails and Wet beard
waterlogged throughout
Towards the end of the route we had to cross a ford. We’d been warned in advance about this crossing and it was funny listening to people moan about as we approached like we weren’t already soaked from head to toe! Given the weather it was fuller than expected – they’d suggest ankle deep but it was more like thigh high. It was icy cold, but refreshing. As I crossed a shorter lady behind me needed assistance from another runner as there was quite an under current.
Towards the end of the route the different courses all came together and I found myself running near more and more people. I was still moving strongly until the last 5 km when stomach cramps hit me out of nowhere. I tried to ignore them but the last 1km they won the fight, grounding me to a halt a few times and playing on my mind. I was so close to the end. As I crossed the finish line I grabbed my medal and kept running straight to the facilities!
Despite the weather (I probably haven’t run in that sort of weather since I did Lakes in a Day!), it was a really fun day and I made my way around far quicker than expected which was good as I could get home earlier! I was planning on getting as close to 6 hours as I could but end up coming away with a 5 hr 20 finish. A lovely end to wrap up another year of running.
I’ve done a few races by the Freedom Racing team. All have been fairly local and I’ve enjoyed each one. A few years ago they set up another race in Sussex – the five trails ultra. It connects a loop using five different walking trails – the Serpent Trail, New Lipchis Way, The West Sussex Literary Trail, the Monarch’s Way and some of the South Downs Way. I’ve run on parts of each of these and wanted to do more of them. The location of the start and finish is a bit of a pain to reach on public transport so it was never convenient to do. But now I have access to a car I signed up along with Natalia and Nick.
We planned to arrive early and take advantage of the rolling start rather than wait till 10am to begin. We weren’t quite as efficient in our logistics though and only ended up starting about 20 minutes earlier than the masses. Either way, it was nice to begin on peaceful trails. I do like a rolling start. No fuss. No waiting. No crowded trails nor annoying noises or smells from other runners. There was the odd one or two runners who ran passed us as we first navigated the, familiar to me, Serpent trail path. Somewhere in the first 10 km we also caught up and passed a few who started before us too.
We reached the first aid station pretty quickly as it was fairly flat until this point. Stuffed our faces with the goods available and set off knowing we’d soon be on the first and biggest climb of the day. As we started ascending the front runners from the mass start came speeding passed us. Effortlessly they made their way up the climb. Nick and I recognised the climb from a similar race we did before – the Maverick Race South Downs ultra. We struggled up the climb that day much to the enjoyment of the photographer lurking in the trees. It felt a little better today.
We left the Serpent trail and did some kms on the New Lipchis Way. There were long wide descents and beautiful woodland trails as we made our way to the second aid station for more sandwiches and snacks. Here I handed in some headphones I found a long the way and we chatted to the race director’s parents who were very friendly as they always are out on Freedom Races volunteering and supporting runners.
Leaving the aid station we had a long but gentle climb and then another lovely descent. We ambled along the South Downs way for a bit and a little on the Literary Trail where we got ever slightly lost as we missed a turn off as we were deep in conversation. Back on track we enjoyed more woodland trails and open fields. The ground was muddier in places but overall dry and compact.
We ran a little bit on the Monarchs Way. Around the third aid station I can’t remember so much. We were battling through our own thoughts and mental processes. The day was drawing out and around late afternoon the temperature started to drop as the sun began to set. Up high on the final aid station at Bignor Hill car park we could feel the chilly air.
For the last 10km we had one big descent and then it was mostly flat again. We passed runners and runners passed us. For the last few kms it was quite a little group and we focused ourselves to hold our position and keep ahead of the others. We managed it. Speeding up in the last km as we came back in to the finish line. We saw some familiar faces and left pretty quickly to get changed and leave for home before we got too cold.
Another great adventure and excellent race by freedom racing. The route is a good one beautiful throughout and we were very lucky with the weather and the dry conditions. With the exposed South Downs, it could have been a miserable autumnal afternoon if it was damp and wet!
Another race in Austria, another mid race cancellation…
The Mayrhofen Ultra Z101, I won’t lie, scared me. For weeks we over analysed the profile and route. The technicality of the race sounded more on the extreme side of the events I’ve attempted – The climbs were long, steep and many (there were 3 climbs in excess of 1,000m and 2 more just under!). The final descent was almost a whopping 1800m drop over about 8km. The route was self-navigation (not marked). The finisher rate in previous years was less than 50%. But it wasn’t those things that worried us the most, it was the cut off timings there were 31 hours to complete it, this sounded very hard!
When over analysing, we made the mistake of comparing previous finishers times and ITRa scores. We were more worried now. In previous iterations, there were finishers finishing in the final 30 mins with an ITRa score in the mid 600s. Ours were all in the 400s. There were people finishing in the final 3 who’d done sub 30 hour UTMB times (we did 45hrs!) and 19 hour TDS finishers (we did 35 hrs!). Fair to say we were feeling the pressure and were prepared for a long, hard weekend of suffering.
The day before the race at the race briefing the organisers talked through the course and some of the many difficult sections with cables or high summits or the final boulder section after 80km we’d most likely do at night. They also discussed the weather which was wet and cold with plenty of snow expected on the summits. They said they were monitoring the conditions and would update us.
The day of the race we might have cheered a little when we received an email advising that there was a course change due to the snow. We wouldn’t be going up the Schonbichler Horn. It looked incredible but as the highest summit over 3000m the conditions were deemed unsafe so we wouldn’t be diverted along the road through the valley instead. The new course was slightly longer but had about 600m less elevation. We felt this made the cut offs more achievable for us and we now had a fighting chance of making the cut offs.
Start line vibes
45 mins before the race start we were at the start line ready to have our kit checked and receive our trackers. There we were told the the start would be delayed by 1 hour due to the rain. It was absolutely pouring it down. We were there in full waterproofs and were already soaked from walking down from the accommodation! So whilst annoying that we were delayed (and would now definitely be doing the boulder field in the dark the following night), we saw the benefit of hopefully starting in drier conditions!
Torrential rain and snow capped mountains
Come 6pm, the weather had indeed improved and we were off. After a fast start along the road and the climb to the village of Finkenberg, we soon entered the forest. Quickly the field of 60 or so runners spread out and the four of us settled near the back of the pack. Soon we were separating out amongst ourselves. Whilst aiming and wanting to run together, we we each individually focused on getting through the first two climbs as quickly as possible to assess our situation and timings.
These first two climbs of the route were huge. We’d climb 1300 on the first climb over about 9km and then over 1500m on the second climb. We’d see approximately 3000m of climb in the first 30km. With the amended route, that was now almost half the total elevation gain of the route! Paul and Darryl were ahead and I was a little further back then Matt a little behind me as we climbed. The climb was steep but the terrain friendly with mostly dirt tracks through the forest. We followed short, narrow switchbacks up endlessly through the forest. Eventually Darryl was lost to sight as I caught up with Paul and Matt close to us both.
We broke through the forest towards Gamshutte, the first aid station. There was a short out and back section to the refuge where we saw Darryl was already on his way down. The rest of us climbed up the last few hundred metres and took a few minutes to sort our fuel and eat before heading back down. The day light was diminishing and we put our head torches on. Paul had issues with his torch so Matt provided the light whilst he fixed it and I ran on.
The descent was steep and frantic as we dropped 1,000m. The trail here was again short switch backs but with loose wet soil. I ran freely with gravity assisting the pace. The forest was so dark and quiet. Despite still having some light outside, the dense trees blocked it all from reaching us and we ran under the feint glow of our head torches. A few times I slipped, the wet mud causing a few scares and the sharp hairpin bends keeping me focused. Luckily I never fell and in no time at all I was nearing the bottom, somewhat hot and out of breath.
As I continued there was no sign of any of the others, neither Darryl ahead of me nor Paul or Matt behind me. From here I knew the course would be pathed and gravelled road running through several smaller villages that gradually climbed before the next ascent really started. I stopped quickly and tightened my laces then set off, knowing I’d need to run as much as this section as I could to give myself a proper chance of finishing within the cut offs. I ran on and on and on. It was so long. The climb was the sort of climb at home I wouldn’t run, a gradual incline of about 300m over 9km or so. I kept on running though. My frustration was that, despite running it all, I was never catching the glimmers of head torches I’d see in the distance and was even overtaken a few times. I kept my head strong though and didn’t let this phase me or stop me running.
Eventually there was another aid station on the side of the road. An extra unexpected one at the start of the next climb. Due to the diverted route we’d come back here the next day, so I think that’s why it was there. I was glad and refilled my bottles ready for the 1300m climb over about 3km.
We started in the forest. Wow it was steep. Big lunging steps and rocks covered the path through the forest. The climb was endless short switch backs with no real break from the steepness. It took about an hour to get through the forest section, where we then climbed on the open mountain. It was dark. It was mostly off track. The ground was saturated with water. Looking up, I could see up high in the sky was an array of head torches lighting up the route. To my left the summit, clearly covered in snow and white in the darkness of night.
As I climbed the wet grass gave way to white snow. At 2000m the ground was covered in a thin layer of it. I could see why there were concerns about the snow that changed the course – we’d still be climbing close to 3,000m later on and already the snow level was down around the 2,000m mark! Regardless though, I plodded on. For an age. As I reached the higher level where I could see head torches starting the snowy summit I could feel the air getting much, much colder. I was aware and told myself I would layer up before too long to ensure I wasn’t cold when we summited.
There was a path somewhere!
I carried on. Slowly using my poles to drag my ass up. I did stop half way up the final ascent section to put on my coat and gloves. I couldn’t fit my fingers into my gloves properly so just rammed them in as best I could, knowing that eventually they would warm up and I’d have more manoeuvrability when they weren’t so cold. The climb was slow but eventually I summited about 2 hours after I started. As I breached the saddle, wow! the view was infinite. In the dark of night the full moon lit up the mountains all around me. The sky was so clear and as far as I could see there were snow covered mountains. Such a view was worth the climb!
Moonlight lighting up the night after the second climb
From here we traversed the side of the mountain towards Friesenberghaus hut. Way off I could see it. Lit up in the night. Beyond it head torches leaving and continuing the journey on towards the next mountains and refuge. I carried on, eager to get to the aid station. Then the route got harder. What looked like a quick traverse became a slow steady scramble as I climbed over huge snow covered rocks. They were so slippery. The only good thing was that the previous runners had compressed enough snow to make it easier for me to navigate the boulders and follow in the footsteps of those before me. It was quite nerve wracking with the slippery rocks.
The Freisenberghaus Hutte- the end of my race. A few head torches can be seen on their way to the next refuge.
Eventually I crossed the boulders and and the path became more clear and I trusted my footings again. Out of nowhere two ladies ran passed me. Again I was amazed how fast they were moving as I was running too and not exactly taking my time. It is always so impressive to see how quick and fearless other runners are!
Into the aid station I arrived and immediately stared chatting with the volunteers. They were so friendly and helpful. They filled my bottles and gave me warm beef soup. As I was chatting the lady answered the phone and I heard her say “oh no”. Then it came. They said the race had been terminated. The weather conditions had deteriorated and they were concerned about the route further along and the safety of runners. It was an odd feeling. It didn’t phase me in anyway. Just pure “oh well” acceptance. I took more soup and chatted with them some more. They told me there was another hiking path and I could descend to a road after 5km where they would arrange transport for us. I told them I’d wait for my two other friends to arrive (Darryl had already passed through) and went inside the refuge to wait in the warmth. Inside the two ladies and 3 more runners were also warming up. I noticed immediately that they were all wearing snow spikes. No wonder they were so confident with their running, although, I wouldn’t have wanted to wear spikes on the big boulders!
After a while I went back outside to look for Paul and Matt. I could see two head torches in the distance, probably finishing up the boulder section. The volunteer checked the tracker and confirmed it was them. She also confirmed Darryl was out of sight and on his way to the next aid station (which was a short section only about 5 km away). She asked me if I wanted to tell them the news or leave it to her. I said I would but that they wouldn’t believe me. I called out in the night and cheered them in. Then I broke the news. As predicted, they didn’t believe me. She confirmed, it took them a few moments to come to the realisation that it was no joke. Disappointment set in.
We went inside in the warmth and had more soup before taking the descent down off the mountain. It was a long 5km path as we descended 700m to the lake. The terrain not much better with large rocks and saturated paths. We had a few stream crossings and a very slippery wooden bridge to navigate to the road by the lake. Here we waited and maybe 5-10 mins later a mountain rescue team arrived and collected us. We started driving home before turning around and heading the opposite way. We drove to the halfway aid station and picked up more runners (and our drop bags). The cramped medical van drove us so far before we pulled over and squished into a taxi for the rest of the journey. We did eventually get back to Mayrohfen and, thanks to Paul’s boldness, we also got the taxi to stop outside our accommodation to save us a ten minute walk back through the town.
On the journey we discussed our thoughts and feelings. A few times the idea of getting up early and doing one of the other races (the 50 or 30kms perhaps) came up. But it was too late. We didn’t get to sleep till 5am and those races had early starts and buses to the start lines. It took us a while to realise the extent of our work out too. We still ran 35km with 3000m of ascent at night. It was no easy run and we were all a little achy when we did eventually wake up that day!
One thing is certain, for now, no more runs in the temperamental Austria mountains!
I was looking at this race by Embrace Ultra, the Three Castles 50k last year. I couldn’t make it so added it to the to do list. A year later I was able to join their second edition. By this point I was living a lot closer to Kent and have access to a car, so logistics were pretty straight forward for me. I had a 20 mile drive to the finish line where I could get the organised bus to the start.
Leading up to the event the organisers provided a load of helpful information and guidance for runners. It was a great start! Come the morning of the event, I arrived at 7am to the school in Tonbridge ready to get on the bus by 7:20 as instructed. We were waiting at car park/school for the buses and it all felt a little bit of a rush (we were told ‘don’t be there before 7 but be on the buses to leave by 7:20’). As we waited though, there were no buses, soon enough we could see them arrive and park up on the other side of the school. By the time they came over to us and we boarded it was 7:45 before we left the school grounds. This was quite good for me as I was in the second starting wave so would have less time waiting around at the start near Rochester Castle.
Rochester Castle, the backdrop to the startline
Registration was straightforward. After a short wait I had my number and tracker and started walking down to the start line. I was there with plenty of time and sat and listened to the wave 1 briefing and watch their start.
First wave of runners assembling
The race director gave plenty of information in the briefing and I heard him mention that the initial few miles of trail had single track. I made a note to try and start near the front of my wave and not get caught in a bottleneck. The waves were split roughly by expected finish time with under 5 hours in the first wave and over 5 hours in the second. I was thinking I’d get to the finish in about 6 hours, so didn’t want to get too caught up on the single tracks if I could help it.
Positioning myself towards the front of Wave 2
As we started I soon found myself running in a breakaway group of about 10 people. That worked out well for me. After a few kms it became a group of about 5 of us. We covered some road kilometres before hitting some trails as we ran under the M2 bridge. I recognised the bridge as the crossing you use on the NDW100. It made me smile now running under it.
After about 5k I was very surprised that we already caught up with a group of about 10 runners walking the route. I expected to catch up with some runners from the first wave throughout the day, but not this soon considering they started approximately 30 mins before us. They were very cheerful as we passed. I was doing the math in my head and thinking that they wouldn’t make the cut off at that pace…
The trails alongside the river were scenic as we made our way through the village of Wouldham and on towards Aylesford. They were hard packed underfoot and very dry and uneven in places. After about 13km we had our first aid station. I made a quick stop. There was plenty going on. Loads of sweet and savoury foods and great vibes and support from the volunteers. By this point I’d passed loads of runners from the previous wave too. I was moving up the field! I didn’t stop for long and got back out on the course and kept moving. The course was pretty much pancake flat so I thought I’ll keep running until I inevitable tire somewhere between 30 and 40k then switch to a run walk strategy.
Somewhere
After Aylesford we were back running along the river to Maidstone. I think we passed the second of the ‘three castles’ here but I can’t remember. It was very hot now and closer to midday. There were loads of riverside cafes and bars and plenty of cheers and support for runners. We crossed over to the other side of the river at Maidstone. Somewhere a volunteer was informing runners of what position they were in (as in how many had passed him anyway). He said something 130-odd as I went passed. If true, I really had been passing lots of people and the wave set up wasn’t that accurate/strict.
Somewhere else
Come the second aid station I was thinking I hadn’t seen another bib from the second wave for a while. But I was constantly around other runners. I took a bit longer at the second aid station and ate a few jam sandwiches to keep me fuelled. From here the rest of the route blurred in my memories. We basically ran all the way to Tonbridge following the river. Sometimes in the open on canal paths, sometimes on single track and forest trails. There was a third aid station in a camp site somewhere and I remember thinking it seemed to be a nice area for river sports. There were people swimming, kayaking and paddle boarding all day long.
As we reached Tonbridge it was getting busier and we ran a little bit through the town and by the castle. It was lovely and I made a mental note to come back one day and explore the area more. We then left the river for a loop of about 5km out and around the town to make our way back to the school. By now I’d slowed a fair bit. From 30ish km in my pace had dropped as I aimed to keep running. Over that last 5km I walked a few times to break it up. Specially as we had a few road sections. The last km or so along with he busy B road. By then I’d lost all interest in running.
Could be anywhere
I got back to the school and jogged around the track to the finish line. Job done. I was way ahead of my 6 hour target and actually closer to the 5 hour mark. I grabbed a hot dog and alcohol free beer and headed back to the car. Rather than faff with a drop bag for the finish I left my changes of clothes in the car. And rather than walk back to the school changing rooms I thought I’ll strip down in the car park. Little did I realise that I parked over looking the trail. Hopefully no one was greeted by my bare buttocks on that last climb to the school grounds!
Overall an excellent day out with great organisation by Embrace Ultra. Got my eye on their 100km loop in Kent later in the year now…
The Shere Marathon is organised by the Surrey Trek and Run shop. A few friends had mentioned it and so I signed up with short notice with Carl and Natalia as a team. It would be a good chance to run together before out next event. We arrived early into Shere for an easy start with a small field of runners and a modest start line which we joined right at the back after saying hello to some other friends at the registration area.
ready to roll
The start saw us run a lap of the playing field, following someone with a smoke/flare, before joining the trail and beginning the first climb out of Shere up to the North Downs Way (NDW). A lot of the route would be along the NDW and the Greensand Way trails. Both are trails I know pretty well and I was certain I’d run all of the route before at different times previously. On this occasion we’d be running a loop clockwise, Initially along the North Downs then dropping off and passing through Wotton towards the Greensand Way.
From Wotton the route is very similar to that of the Freedom Racing Hurtwood 50 as we tackle the three hills of Leith hill, Holmbury hill and pitch hill. Unlike Hurtwood though we carried on to Chilworth and back towards the North Downs Way. The final climb on this course takes you up the ‘drain pipe’ path to St Martha’s and then we run along the NDW to Newlands Corner (which was very busy!) and back to Shere.
Over all the day was great with perfect weather, if maybe a little on the warm side. It had been a while since I’d run many of these trails but the memories soon came back. The three ‘peaks’ of Surrey we navigated fairly quickly and easily. Then the more rocky terrain started to slow us a little as we made our way through Paature wood and Hurtwood. We made one small navigation area but otherwise made it round without any issues. Personally I don’t like the section of the NDW after St Martha’s as it’s flat and runable, getting back to this section reminded me its my least favourite part of the route. So it was a bit of a slog back to the finish and then subsequently going down the narrow hill back to the recreation ground was hard going on the tired legs.
Overall we had a great day and it was a lovely little day out ahead of the next race in Bulgaria…
Oh how we’d been looking forward to this one. Many, many years ago I had a short trip in Bosnia when I was travelling around the Balkans with friends. We took a few days to travel to Bosnia and visited Mostar. It was stunning and I’ve been wanting to go back and visit Sarajevo ever since. When I came across a 105km ultra trail race near Sarajevo, I knew I’d sign up and that Paul, Darryl and Matt would come too.
After a few logistical mishaps leading up to the summer we flew in to Sarajevo the day before the race. On Friday we made the short journey into ‘town’ from where we were staying and did a bit of sightseeing. As we made our way back to the accommodation chaos descended on the town when a major power cut (affecting much of the Balkan region!) hit. We spent the next few hours in the increasingly hot accommodation, preparing for the race that would start at 10pm whilst wondering if it would go ahead – with no power surely the event was a safety risk. Alas, a few hours later power was restored and we were on our way.
On the way to Javorov do, Bjelašnica, where the race would start and finish, we stopped off for food at a lovely restaurant Lisa had found. They weren’t too impressed when we turned up in full running kit but reluctantly let us in. With full bellies we then continued to the start line to register. Bjelašnica might be familiar to some as this is where some of the events of the winter Olympics of 1986 were held. Now the surrounding area has many new and modern ski resorts set up.
The Vucko ‘Black’ trail starts high up in in the mountain resort Jorovano Do which is about 1,250m up in the mountains. The Black trail starts at 10pm and we arrived just before 9pm to register, have our kit checked and attend the technical race briefing. The race briefing was very thorough and detailed as every section of the race was talked-through. We chuckled when we were told to watch out for bears, snakes and other animals. After the race briefing we made our way outside to the start line along with 40 something other runners. We had our full mandatory kit checked and soaked up the atmosphere where many supporters lined the starting arch to send us off.
10pm start line at Javorov do
It was an excellent start line and we ran off onto the trail, quickly hitting a climb in the forest. The trail gradually became steeper as the single track led us away from the start line. The soft soil led us up and we crossed a road where loads of people cheered from their cars as they waited for us to pass across the road where we went straight back onto the forest trails. The smells were fresh. The ever so familiar feeling of calm washed over me. I love this feeling at the start of a race for the first few kms where all my anxiety and stresses flow out of me and the excitement of what is to come replaces them. My kind of freedom!
The clarity of the full moon at night
The night was warm. Very warm. Sarajevo was experiencing higher than normal temperatures and there were reports of high 30s being reached during the day. We weren’t going to be cold, that we knew for sure. Even as we climbed higher the temperature was warm and the air was still. The path led higher and we emerged from the forest onto trails that skirted along the side of the mountains. They were rocky underfoot and had a slight camber. Above us, dominating the night sky, was a full moon glowing orange. The night was hazy and light and I imagined having no head torch that I’d still be able to see enough. The night sky made beautiful silhouettes of the surrounding mountains which were visible. The mountain trails took us off the path, descending and ascending the undulating trails in a most direct fashion. Beneath us the gravel tracks gave way to lumpy grass and big rocks to skip along.
We passed through the first two aid stations, in what felt like no time. The first was a simple tent in the middle of nowhere after a steep and slightly technical descent. From which the mountain paths continued as we reached the second aid station which was at Lukomir, Bosnia and Herzegovina’s highest populated village at almost 1,500m. As villages go it is very small, just a tiny settlement of old stone houses and I believe a small number of families living there. At the aid station we talked and joked with the volunteers and tried all the food combinations they offered which it seems other runners weren’t interested in (Chocolate spread on bananas was a firm favourite for the boys). We then set off with strong vibes and encouragement to ‘enjoy Herzegovina’. That I was sure we would do!
Ready for the refreshments at Lukomirsome how looking demented just 20km in
The trails into Herzegovina where rocky and undulating. More skirting around the side of steep mountains and the vast emptiness as we traversed along the top of them. With the warmness and stillness of the night, we were sweating a lot and my shorts were soaked through. By now we were mostly alone though. At some point Darryl had quite an ingenious idea to combat the wet clammy buttocks that we were experiencing – just pull your pants down. So we did. For short bursts we ran with our ass cheeks out, bare to the world. Now it was a night of many full moons! Wow it was refreshing though. I’m not sure how in all the running I’ve done I haven’t thought to do this sooner. The dry air evaporated the sweat and our bums felt free and liberated. It may not have been pretty but it sure was effective. This was going to combat any chaffing for sure. Thankfully no one came running up behind us in the night!
Out in the wildness of the mountains we found ourselves on a slightly more rocky section here as we descended then climbed again. After which we found ourselves near Ivana, A runner from Croatia we’d shared some kms with earlier in the night. She was nuts, in a good way. She was so full of good energy and vibes, happy to talk and laugh her way along the course with complete freedom. We stuck around her for as long as we could keep pace through the night. At one point her scream of “Fuck you Paul Martin!” had us laughing as something was misinterpreted.
Daybreak over Dubočani
Somewhere on a decent, the calm night gave way to the freshness of morning and darkness started to recede. We arrived at a small aid station on the side of the road that was Dubočani. We tucked into some warm some soup for breakfast. We needed it. At 05:00 the sun was already breaking through. We could have stayed here a while if only it wasn’t for the amount of flies buzzing around. Little did we know they’d soon become the most irritating thing about this race. We swatted them away whilst we devoured the soup and then finished the descent down towards the river crossing where we would make our way to the other side of the Rakitnica River.
We were excited for this. From what we’d heard, and from the pictures we’d seen, it seemed like quite a wide crossing. Last year, with high levels of water, the crossing was relocated. This year we were fine though. We were ready to wash off and cool down. When we did reach the river it was surreal. So beautiful with a morning mist layer covering the crystal clear water. It was however absolutely freezing. We were contemplating a full on bath, but just after 05:00 it was just a little too cold for us to commit. So instead we went up to our thighs and washed our faces, hair, arms and legs and decided against that sit down wash! A scream from above drew our attention as we looked up to see Ivana high up on the climb out of Dubočani, we waved at her and enjoyed a few more minutes before making our way across and starting the big ascent of the route. We had about 900m to climb in one go and then another 300m or so further on.
Rakitnica RiverCrossing the River
The climb started off wet and muddy, steeply climbing through the forest before we broke free onto some dirt tracks leading to a small village. Sheep dogs were barking, protecting their herds as we neared the farms. We then zig-zagged our way up as the terrain became steeper and more rocky. It was a slow climb, which was annoying as the flies were loving us. They were so irritating. Many of them bashing into our heads, flying into our ears and in Matt’s case tens of them enjoying a free ride on his head/hat. We tried to mask our sweaty smells with sun cream, which worked if only for a short while. Despite this, the climb and early morning gave us the first real glimpse of the incredible environment we were in. The silhouetted mountains now showing in all their glory. Layer after layer for as far as the eye could see. It was quite a sight! We even saw a snake!
Rocky ClimbMorning ViewsSnake!
Eventually the climb levelled out a bit and we found ourselves on a long dirt track with a very gradual climb, the start of the 300m section. We had no interest in running this, as runnable as it was. We knew that we were close to the next aid station now – Grušča polje – and here we’d have our transition bags.
At just short of halfway, here we were greeted by the aid station in a small building. We were so glad to be able to go inside and escape from the heat (yes at 7am!) and the flies. We sat down and loads of friendly volunteers started helping us as we ate and changed our clothes. We talked with them about the route and experience so far and showed the picture of the snake we saw. Consensus seemed to be a viper (can’t recall what they said) but not one of the venomous ones or something to be concerned about. A viper though, that’s exciting! We were served big pasta dishes with lumps of tender meat and noodle soups. There was so much food and drink. Darryl even had some medical support for his feet. I dried mine off, re-taped them and applied fresh socks and dry shoes. It was bliss after the soaking at the river crossing, so glad I had a spare pair of shoes.
We spent a long time here and many runners came and went. We weren’t bothered though. We were so far ahead of the schedule we expected. Eventually we did leave though and began a long walk as we re-joined the dirt track with its gentle climb through the villages. Now we had about 15km to go to reach Puzimsko groblje.
The gravel tracks soon disappeared as we reached the highest point on this section and we went off track again. It was grassy, it was open. We passed through a section with stone circles where we took a rest and saw a hiking group in the distance. We were weaving around the high mountains, along the basins and up through a saddle. We started descending again and it was a little tricky underfoot as there were more rocks and we weaved our way down and into the valley below. Much of this section followed the same – off track, lumpy grassland scattered with rocks. Weaving around and through mountain passes. It was beautiful but tough. This was the longest section and there was little variation and no shelter from the increasingly brighter sun. Our focus was to just get through it as we’d then be around 60k in, a decent milestone.
There was a small road crossing and a very twisty section where I powered ahead. Every time we thought it would be nearing an end we’d see flags/markers way off in the distance. We’d reform together and crack on then over time spread out a little. We’d been moving for over 12 hours now and we were feeling it.
We skirted a rocky section around a mountain that had plenty of loose scree underfoot and we could then see the aid station up in a verge/layby in the distance. When we eventually reached it we all collapsed into the seats and started stuffing our faces with watermelon. The watermelon out here was so fresh and juicy! We felt that. That section, being the longest, with naff all shade and increasingly warmer temperatures of the morning drained us and we all looked exhausted. Copious amounts of Coke and watermelon were consumed. We needed the break but probably spent too long here. Loads of runners came through and they all hardly stopped and left quickly. We were the only ones that hung around. Not that it bothered us, we were enjoying it.
After sitting down and leaving the aid station I decided to check my phone signal and my emails and messages. I’m in the process of trying to sell and buy a house and over the course of the morning I had received an offer through that met my expectations. My brain snapped into focus. The run became my second priority and as we left the aid station I was head down in my phone pinging off emails to different estate agents and telling them “I’m up a mountain in Bosnia!!”. It was stressful but I was buzzing. A wake up call that gave me energy.
Once I was done I put the phone away and chased after the others whom I’d told I’d catch up. It was surprisingly muddy and there were lots of little trip hazards as we ran through a forest section. No wonder I was all over the place when I wasn’t looking at anything other than my phone. I caught them up just as we came across a weird little climb that diverted us around a fence to re-join the path through a long grass area. We’d seen pictures of this as the organisers had ‘cut’ a path out through the grass. We tried to move with more pace but it was so damn hot now that our pace and effort didn’t make a damn bit of difference.
This was a slightly shorter section but it still took us ages. Almost 3 hours to cover less than 8km. I can’t remember much else as my mind was distracted. But here Matt started to really feel the heat. There were some smallish climbs in the forest and they just zapped his energy making it very slow going. Darryl was sticking alongside with him and managing regular rest breaks, Paul was pulling us up, setting the pace. Team work. The goal now was the aid station at Bobovica. Get to this aid station and rest again before tackling the big section with the ridge lines. Matt was a little worried about the next section due to the heat but stuck with it. Into the aid station we went. Darryl and Paul had a little lay down. Me and Matt tried to eat and drink as much as we could as we talked with the volunteers and got more info about what lay ahead. It was going to be long. Another runner on our race arrived into the aid station after completing this section (it’s a loop back to here via a different path). He said it took him 4-5 hours. So it was going to take us a lot longer. Matt was rejuvenated though knowing the total elevation was broken up slightly and that there was now an extra water stop before the descent – about 6.5k in.
managing the climbs
As we set out and started the climb there were two other runners from the red course (66k) who set out just before us. We followed them slowly as the climb led us into the shade of the forest. We played leap frog with them for the whole climb. They were up against a different time limit on their race and knew they wouldn’t make it, but were going to finish the section anyway. We were just exhausted. We all took breaks fairly regularly, to stop and manage the heat the best we could as we climbed through the forest which was steep and hot with more flies. Eurgh. We made slow but steady progress as it wasn’t too bad in the shelter of the forest but that wouldn’t last. We left the trees behind and continued up on the increasingly steeper and rockier paths. There was a short sharp climb that opened onto the side of the ridge line. We sat and enjoyed the spectacular views. I was with Matt and he desperately needed some shade. But there wasn’t any. We carried on up where we found Paul and Darryl spread out on the summit. What a place to lay down and relax. It was just missing the shade. The view showed us everything that lay ahead. A horseshoe of ridgelines with maybe 4 or 5 summits we’d navigate along the way around too the other side of the valley. Somewhere over there we’d descend. Somewhere…
Ridge!Incredible views
We carried on with trepidation. Up close though the footpaths were clear and solid. Nothing to worry about here. Despite the heat it wasn’t so bad either as there was a glorious wind to keep us cool. For the next hour or so we traced forward, following the dots in the distance that were the other two runners. After the biggest climb on the ridge we all got momentarily angry. We thought the water would be here. We’d been climbing for about 2 hours and drinking like there was no tomorrow. We were worried the water station had left without us. Surely not. Thankfully it was just our minds and fears. In the distance, at the end of the horseshoe we could see the structure of a bivouac shelter and people. This drove us forward as we enjoyed a nice descent on the mountain side down to where the water actually was. Somehow this whole section was only 6.5 km but had taken us over 3 hours.
With the ridge attacked, overcome and the spectacular views enjoyed, we stopped here too for a little while with Matt resting in the shade of the shelter. We refilled our water and talked and joked with the other runners and volunteers. We could have stayed here happily for hours. The view really was really something special. Alas, we clambered to our feet and all set off together, there was a long way to go back to the aid station to finish the loop.
As we set off it was mostly downhill, we had climbed a long way after all. We had about 900m to descend in total and the route set off steeply. It went straight down the side of the mountain then onto some switchbacks as we headed for a lush green ‘lump’ on the mountain side. Over it we went and further down as we started weaving towards the forest. It was here that I started to fade. I had to call a time out and sit in the shade because I was so hungry. I’d not eaten for the whole section, probably for over 4 hours by now, and hadn’t been managing my fuelling at all. I think I was fine but just hadn’t fully considered how long the ridge would take. I devoured a chocolate/nut bar and we set off again before all the flies swarming us bit us to pieces.
The forests here were incredibly dense and the smells sensational. All sorts of fauna combining to give the forest its scent. It was a completely new experience on this run with much of the route being exposed to suddenly be in what looked like a tropical rainforest. We enjoyed it. After some time, with lots of little climbs and further descents in between, we clambered across a boulder field. I hated that stuff. My feet were aching now and every boulder caused my feet to move in awkward positions and rub more and more. I was glad to traverse it and get to the other side!
Dense forests
Even after the boulder field the route seemed to continue on more and more. We were still weaving and winding around the mountain we’d descended for so long. After what felt an age we did eventually get back to the aid station almost 6.5 hrs after our first visit. That was a long section. We took soup and prepared our head torches for the next part as it would now be dark. Paul did his duty and gave Matt a good talking to, ensuring his mind was set for what was to come. He was ready. We estimated another 6 hours before we’d finish, a long way to go but gladly broken up into 3 sections. We said good bye to the other two runners and set off.
We now had 3 sections all about 7km or so in length, so a little more than half marathon remaining and the bulk of the elevation was done now. We’d always said we would get to the 70km mark and know when we’d finish. That momentarily lifted our spirits. The first section was mostly down hill and rocky. It was tough on my now very sore feet as we left the aid station off track down some steep and uneven paths to the river. The darkness set in very, very quickly as we bushwhacked our way along the path, following the sound of the water. After a short while we had the suspension bridge crossing which was… interesting. To get on it we had to climb some largely spaced ladder rungs and then make our way across some wobbly planks which weren’t connected to the guide ropes we held on to. It made for a mini test and adventure for our tired legs!
The trails were largely off track on this section. A few climbs and descents later we emerged from the darkness above a village with street lights glowing in the darkness. It was very loud here and we assumed we were at the aid station. Only it wasn’t and instead there were a group of guys partying loudly at 1:30. Music pumping and screaming and shouting. Darryl was adopted by them and almost lost to their party. I think they even offered him a lift home if he stayed and drank with them. We climbed up a road, leaving the village, and almost Darryl, behind. Then we saw the aid station.
Another aid station stop and another round of soup for everyone. Despite being the last runners, they were keen to put the kettle to use and get us warm drinks! The night was cooler than the night before and we took the moment to layer up as we left. This ‘second’ section felt long and hard. It started with a descent and climb in the darkness. Then our tired minds played tricks with us using the squished route profile on our bib numbers. We’d interpreted the section appeared to be flatter than it was. Only all around us were mountains. We were very close to where we’d run some 90 km and over 24 hours earlier – in the valleys, off track running along lumpy grassy areas. The terrain felt all to familiar but there didn’t feel like there was anyway out with out climbing! The feint glimmer of reflective trail markings confirmed this as they seemingly lead us upwards, climbing to the heavens. We had no choice but to follow. We did however have a choice to vocalise our dissatisfaction and confusion and we chose to moan like hell. Thankfully by now Matt was seemingly well recovered from the heat exhaustion of the day. The cooler night had certainly made things easier. But we were all tired, all so very tired. More times than I can remember we curled up on the floor and turned our head torches off to try and sleep. Sometimes we did, mostly we didn’t, every time we complained about the flies! It was very stop start as we slowly navigated to that last aid station.
From here we knew we just had 7km left to go. We were glad it was one of the shorter sections and not a race with a large section at the end. I was struggling though. The tiredness had gripped me hard. We continued what remained of a short climb before descending. Each step causing me to curse with the pressure on my sore feet. After the descent we found ourselves crossing the open mountain side, a gentle camber underfoot, Even in the darkness it was breath-taking. Looking down it only got darker and darker like an abyss. I remember thinking about the grass beneath our feet was that was wet with dew. It felt so different to the previous night.
After sometime, lights up ahead caught our attention, and then the sound of people. We were at a road crossing and volunteers cheered us in. 3km to go they told us (it felt like it should be more and it was indeed slightly more). From the road we descended sharply in the forests. The guys were spurred on, but I couldn’t keep up. The steepness and loose soil aggravating my feet. I called after them to slow down. It felt like the same forest paths we ran through as soon as we started way back on Friday night. It was close but, not the exact same paths. We had multiple conversations about the paths and debated whether we were retracing our steps.
After the descent we broke out onto a gravel track road. We had to climb again. Not far or high, and at a very respectable gradient, but our pace slowed. It felt like an eternity as we trudged onwards. I was hallucinating now. I remember asking Darryl if he “wants lemon with that” (seems that I was dreaming that I was working in a bar) and telling Matt to “Put the kettle on”. Darryl stayed with me, trying to keep me talking and awake as we plodded on. I probably spent more time walking side to side than walking forward!
Finally after the road and a further km or 2 through the forests we saw the lights of the finish line. The guys huddled up and we crossed that line together to the raucous cheers of a few volunteers who remained and clapped us in, telling us they’d been waiting for us and that we’d missed the party! We were indeed the final finishers. Lisa was there too, to look after us and drive us home. We sat for 10 mins and chatted with the organisers. 10 minutes later I was fast asleep in the back of the car. In 3 hours time we’d be awake and heading to the airport to go home.
We thoroughly enjoyed this event. It was tough, probably more so than we expected given the heat, but beautiful. The mountains and the route are incredible and the organisation of the event was spot on. Highly recommend this is added to your ultra trail bucket list!
The Hampshire Hoppit is a marathon (and half and 10km distances) event in its 9th (as of 2024) iteration. I think I saw it advertised on Facebook and thought “I’ll have a bit of that”. Even though it’s a week before one of the more daunting events I’ll run in 2024, I roped some mates in and signed up…
We made the drive over in the morning and arrived at the start line with about 15 mins to spare. The event seemed a little larger than I expected (a very detailed 25 page pre-race document containing all the race information was the first sign that this wasn’t a small event!) and there were loads of people gathered around the tents at the start line (which was beautifully located on the side of a hill). We registered, repacked our bags and began attaching our bib numbers as the race director wished everyone well and stated the race.
The group of 300 or so runners slowly crossed the line as Carl and I hurried Nick along as he thumbed about with his race number. We joked with a lady before we crossed the line as she flashed her ‘last runner’ vest and told us she can’t start until we do. Finally Nick got his shit together and we crossed the start line.
Back with the pack
The main group of runners were plodding along at a very conservative pace and we caught up with the pack after a few hundred metres as we began the gentle climb away from the start. We proceeded to make our way up the field slowly as we passed the first photographer of the day. Up ahead we could see the lead runners disappearing in the distance. As we chatted away, the time passed by so quickly. Before we knew it we’d done 10 miles, then half a marathon and then passed the 20 mile marker. The race was over so quickly.
From start to finish our adventure was uneventful (thankfully!). We ran together and chatted the whole way without problems. Towards the end Nick got struck by a case of cramp in the hamstring which almost immobilised him, but otherwise we made great progress and finished in about 5 hours, which was quicker than planned.
Wide paths
The route was delightful with amazing rolling hills and green fields. We joked that the fields here felt posher than those back home! If it’s possible for a field to be posh?! There were plenty of single tracks through forests, wider trails through ploughed fields and the occasional short road section. Despite the heavy rain the day before the ground was solid and a joy to run on. Towards the end of the race we briefly ran a narrow path alongside a river and had to run through a deep puddle in the last mile. We groaned at having wet feet so late in the race.
Sun and smiles
The aid stations were numerous (alternating between water only and water with snacks) albeit basic, and there were an abundance of volunteers marshalling along the whole course. They were almost at every turn and intersection cheering us on and directing us. Road crossings were also manned with highway maintenance stopping traffic to allow runners to pass. It was very well organised and everyone was so friendly and helpful. I remember joking with one volunteer in the last km on our way up the final climb as I asked her why she was laughing and she said back “because you three have been jabbering away the whole time”. She wasn’t wrong!
Down to the finish
As we crossed the finish line (which is back where we started – its a looped course) we were greeted by volunteers who gave us our medals and a finishers pint glass. We also got a ‘goody bag’ with crisps, sweets, chocolate, popcorn, a coaster and a pen with the race logo on it. There was a finishers tent too where we could use our pint glass to get free beer! I think it is fair to say you get your monies worth with this one! We sat down and enjoyed the views from the side of the hill as we regained our energy.
Overall, what a great event. Low-key and all about the local community and runners. The trails are beautiful out in Hampshire.
Since I started writing down my memories and running adventures, I’ve also summarised each year in a single blog. No different this year, only the content is a little blurred and includes a bit more personal snippets than I usually care to divulge, this being my running blog and all!
So where do I begin? Chronologically of course, but is it possible to recap the year that was 2020 without mentioning “the situation”. Probably not. It sucked for most people. Covid-19 that is. I don’t want to focus on it, but I have to acknowledge it. Like everyone else, it wasn’t the year we expected or planned for. So what started off looking like another action packed year of adventure with races spread across the year ended up being more fragmented with an unbelievable adventure followed by months of lockdown, a frantic flourish of running adventures before ending the year back in lockdown. It really was a year of good, bad and ugly running…
Way back in January, in the shadow of Brexit, I left the UK late on the evening of the 31st January and began my planned adventures as I flew to New Zealand. The concern of Covid was becoming real and changes at airports and public places were starting to be seen. One week spent exploring the North island of New Zealand with the ‘Trail Maggots’ made me forget all about it. I felt untouchable on the other side of the planet. So off to Rotorua we went as I kicked off my year of running with my virgin ‘miler’ – the 100 mile Tarawera Ultra Marathon. My journey had begun with, once again, my biggest challenge yet!
My first 100 miler
Tarawera – What an experience! What a physically and mentally draining experience at that. But what a rewarding one. Crossing that finish line after 27 hours running around the spectacular lakes, mountains and waterfalls made me feel invincible. A hero to myself. Inside, my achievement gave me that warm satisfactory glow we all desire. I wore my finishers pounamu for weeks. Less so out of pride and more out of fear of losing it. I’ll never earn another medal like it!
Straight after Tarawera I spent another two weeks exploring the South Island of New Zealand with incredible adventures planned with Jorge, Natalia and Sean. I was now officially back at work (remotely) and was fortunate to be able to manage my time and squeeze in plenty of runs and hikes with the others. I didn’t want it to end, this was a dream. I still think about it. The space. The mountains. The tranquillity. New Zealand is a phenomenal place.
Next stop, for another week of work before two more weeks of holiday, was a stop over in Bali for a small piece of rest from running and hiking which, sadly for me, didn’t live up to the touristy hype. The places I visited in Bali were beautiful and dreadful at the same time. Still, I met Amir a few times on my travels here, ran around the Mt Batur volcano rim and recuperated a little ahead of the next adventure.
The next one really was the adventure of a lifetime. Adventures in Borneo. So much to say here. The Maverick team. Joanna, Richard and all the guys at Adventures in Borneo. The group of other runners, all the guides. The jungle. The rivers. The pineapples. The warm and welcoming Borneons… What a country. What an adventure. The only thing that would have made two weeks of running around Borneo (and seeing Orangutans) would be to have finished it off with a race. Oh, wait… I did! On the last day of my adventure I ran the Borneo Ultra Trail Marathon and finished in the top ten ahahaha what?! Told you it was like a dream!
This must have been early as I’m smiling
The loneliest finish ever, there was a single person at the finish line
Got to share it with this lot though
The dream quickly became more of a nightmare though as I left Borneo as they entered a nationwide lockdown and made my way back to the UK. I had just two weeks left in my job and I was now panicking about where the work will come from as, the moment I touched down I was advised to collect my laptop and work from home for the remainder of my contract. The UK I’d returned to was unrecognisable. And not because of Brexit which had dominated our lives for so many years. Within a week of my return the UK had too entered a state of emergency and a national lockdown soon began.
Two weeks after I’d flown home, I joined thousands of others in the rapidly growing unemployment community as the lockdown was enforced and the future became bleaker. I was lost. I was worried. Coming back from 6 weeks away to find I was now out of work was not ideal. Still I was thankful. I had a roof over my head, my health and some savings. I tried to remain positive but did find I was bored very quickly. Even doing all those DIY tasks I’d put off for so long and getting involved with various Instagram challenges (including walking steps everyday throughout April) didn’t occupy my mind enough. Turns out work really does give us a purpose in life! A fortunate turn of events in May meant I did find work again thankfully. I was one of the lucky ones.
And so lockdown continued. Race after race was cancelled. I, like many others faffed about rearranging flights, accommodations and trying to recoup money wherever I could (and now in December still am!). The lockdown brought other benefits though. I found myself running semi frequently. Although starting work again I soon fell out of this routine as I struggled to adapt to a new one entirely built around staying in my bedroom for the majority of the day working. Then, a new challenge lay on the horizon though and my running increased once more. The Centurion Running Community One event. I planned it with a personal challenge – to run the entire Capital Ring route with Paul. What an adventure, what a challenge, I was focused once more. In June, just as lockdown began to ease, we set off on an incredible adventure and a challenging one given the circumstances (access to food, water and support along the way was severely impacted). In just a few weeks though I’d refocused my mind, had a purpose once more and even managed to explore many new routes locally within London in the build up.
Ran around London we did!
Fortunately, as the summer progressed, I maintained running thanks to the series of virtual events organised by Maverick Race. I’ve never been one to get involved with virtual events but these were with a difference. It wasn’t just a “off you go, do what you want” approach. They set up their event village and joined in with us each time and flooded social media throughout the day. It did feel like the closest substitute for a real event and provided a buzz that had been missing for so long. What a community!
In the middle of it all there was also a trip to Chelmsford to run with Joe. Joe and I, along with some others, had been doing various press-up challenges throughout lockdown and out of the blue Joe decided he wanted to run a marathon. So he did. With just a few runs under his belt he jumped straight in and ran a full marathon. What a guy!
As the lockdown restrictions continued and the cancellations came one after the other, wiping out my race plans, I was thrown another unexpected challenge. I had a place in two races on the same day in August and I hadn’t yet pulled out of either. The trip to Norway was inevitably cancelled but the Centurion Running NDW100 was still hoping to proceed. Suddenly, I was in line for another 100 miler again 6 months after my first. How had this happened!? This wasn’t the plan.
With just two months to re-plan and yet again refocus my mind for the next challenge, it is fair to say the training and build up was utter pants. I’m sure it was for everyone with the uncertainty. Truth is, by this point I came to accept that I’ve wrecked my body. My legs ached and hurt constantly. I’ve said it for a while. My approach is not sustainable. I can’t keep running so many long distance events and take the weeks off in between. I need to get back to a consistent level of running and training. The consistency I started to see at the beginning of lockdown was a thing of the past. But, hands up, I’m an addict. I can’t stop myself looking for the next challenge and signing up to more events and places to explore. I can’t convince myself to rest, repair and begin again. Maybe that would be my next challenge – To find wisdom and search for that sensible bone in my body, before I break that too.
And so, August came…. Further lockdown easing along with changes to operations and protocols meant England Athletics started to agree permits for running events to begin again. NDW had been given the green light. 100 miler numero deux was on. It was happening.
100 miler number two.
It was a formidable challenge. Turns out a heat wave decided to hit the UK that week. As if it wasn’t going to be hard enough already now we had temperatures of high 30s to battle against also. Battle I did and with the help of Nick and Jon as my crew and pacers I earned my 100 mile buckle to go with my Pounamu. 55% of runners DNF’d that day. Perhaps I was still benefiting from running in New Zealand and Borneo earlier that year and had some heat acclimatisation still!
The following week I returned, hobbling, to my favourite event – the Stour Valley Path 100 – for my fourth time. This time though, not as a runner. I volunteered to earn my yellow Tee and give back to an event that I partly hold responsible for my fascination (obsession?) with ultra running. Thanks Mathew! After experiencing the Covid protocols from a running perspective the week before at the NDW100, it was surreal to experience it from the volunteer side that weekend and be part of ensuring the safety and wellbeing of other runners chasing their goals.
Volunteering is all part of the fun
Two weeks later came my first ever DNS (‘Did Not Start’) at the Wild Boar ultra in Bulgaria. We felt it wasn’t right to be swanning off and travelling the world during a pandemic so, instead, I went to Brecon with Jon and co. It was a sort of gentle easing back into running after the rigours of the NDW. I could have risked it and gone to Bulgaria but it wouldn’t have been the adventure I signed up for without all the others there too. Plus, I found the comparably small hills along the North Downs Way far more challenging than I expected. My Mountain legs were gone and I really would have struggled with the elevation of the Bulgarian mountains!!
After the adventures in Brecon, I was now booked into a double weekender with the Farnham Pilgrims marathon the day after the Eden Valley 50km. Earlier in the summer, as races were cancelled I started to book replacements. This worked out well as races started to get the go ahead but with limited places, they were selling out fast! The Eden valley Ultra was a joy. My first run with the Runaway Racing team and a beautiful looped course just South-East of London. The sun was shining for a super warm Indian summer day. I met Arlene and Jon and set off alone to chase a sub 6 hour finish. Coming in about 5 hours 20 with a big smile on my face I headed back to London to rest ahead of the following Day’s adventure.
Really enjoyed the trails on the Eden Valley ultra
The Farnham Pilgrims Marathon was also far better than I expected. Only because It ran along some of the NDW100 route, I assumed it would all be too familiar, but it wasn’t. The sandy course took me through parts of Surrey Hills I’d never explored before and I enjoyed running in the sun once more. The legs definitely felt the pains from the previous day and I completed the marathon in a similar time of just over 5 hours. The support from the Rotary Club throughout the event was top notch. We were well looked after despite the restrictions they had to put in place.
Twinning with Rob
Shortly after my double weekend, we received confirmation that the Cappadocia Ultra Trail in the Urgup region of Turkey was cancelled. We’d expected this and thankfully I hadn’t booked the flights to Turkey yet and didn’t have to worry about chasing any additional refunds. I deferred to 2021 and started crossing my fingers once again. I’ve heard such amazing stories of Urgup and I’m itching to get out their and explore.
September was finished off with my maiden trip to the Peak District with the Maverick Race and their X Series event. This was my first of the X Series events and I was excited to pop my Peak District cherry too. The weekend was fantastic, travelling and exploring with Nick, Ale and Maria. Nick and I ran the whole route together and were accompanied with Daisy who we found at the start line. It had been almost a year since we’d run together and it was great to catch up and hear about all the changes in the last year.
Excited
Still excited
I had such a good time in the Peak District I immediately told the Maverick team I was available to volunteer at their Surrey Hill events the following weekend after my own plans for that weekend were cancelled. A group of us made the way down from London to help out which involved running part of the course, marshalling a road crossing, screaming and shouting into the rain and then helping sweep up the course markings after the final runners. It was good to be out volunteering again and it made me reflect on the different volunteer roles I’d supported events with over the past year. Definitely reach out to event organisers and offer up your support if you are contemplating volunteering.
Still high with excitement I managed to bag a last minute place in Maverick’s X Series Dorset ultra too. I was hooked. Ignoring the recurring aches and pains from all the running I’d been doing. At this point I couldn’t shift my mind from thinking that, all going to plan, with the remaining events I had booked in I’d be able to hit my 50th Marathon (official event of a marathon distance or longer) before the end of the year. It was a goal, a target now!
Maverick Dorset was like picking up exactly where we left off a few weeks earlier. A group of us headed down to the coast and the next morning left the starting line together for another 54km adventure. Through the morning rays we stuck together laughing and enjoying our adventure for 30kms or so until we split off into pairs to finish the day. More beers and Jimmy’s coffee awaited at the finish line before we headed back to the hotel to stuff our faces on some amazing fish and chips like champions.
The following weekend I was heading down to the somewhat familiar trails of the Beachy Head Marathon – I’ve run this course before, on the 30th December 2017, just as I started getting into trail running. But that was a social, group run. It wasn’t an organised event and now it was finally time to go and experience the route under race conditions. It was a tough day as I did set myself a time target for this event. After speaking with Paul and the cancellation of our planned trip to the lake district, I was now planning to be pacing Paul to a sub 20 hour finish on his SDW100 run in a few weeks time. With some incredibly basic math, I needed to be sure I could comfortably run a sub 5 hour marathon on the South Downs. This was my opportunity and I set out and achieved just that. It did give me some confidence as I’ve become so used to just plodding along and enjoying myself too much to care about finish times!
The next day, I headed back down to Eastbourne to help Jon crew Elisa and Lou on their South Downs Way 50 miler. It was great to be back on the other side of the fence and supporting and cheering once more. The girls were phenomenal and both ran a brilliant race to beat their goal and target time. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone mess about and enjoy a 50 mile run quite as much as they did!
I was now heading into a busy period with more back to back marathons and ultras. Next up was another first, the inaugural Wild Trail Runners Marathon as organised by Weronika. A few months earlier I’d offered to help support and run the route with her. The aim was to complete a trail marathon in 6 hours. No pressures. I just needed to help guide some runners depending on the numbers and local restrictions. It was back on the North Downs Way and running from Guildford to Merstham once more. There were about 13 of us so we split into two smaller groups and set off for what we knew would be a wet and miserable day. It certainly was wet, but not miserable as we slipped and slid along the trails. Sadly two runners dropped out before we reached Box hill so we reformed into the original larger group when Weronika and her runners caught up with us. Weronika pulled off a fantastic day and we were all treated to a Wild TR branded beer and a homemade medal for our efforts. I didn’t know then, but it was likely that this bonus medal was to be my last and final medal of 2020…
Arriving home that Saturday evening, everyone’s least favourite Boris announced that England would be back into lock down for a month. Within hours it was confirmed, the SDW100 was cancelled – I’d no longer be pacing next week. The Wendover Woods 50km was also cancelled and soon after it was confirmed too that the Camino Lea Valley ultra would also go the same way. My adapted plans to complete my 50th marathon in 2020 were over. There were bigger things at stake once more and rightly so.
This set me thinking. It was time to do the sensible thing. It only took a second bloody lockdown for some sense to be knocked into me. It was time to rest. With the Cheviot Goat scheduled to be just 4 days after the lockdown was proposed to end, my expectations for it to go ahead were small. My intentions to start the event if it did proceed, they were becoming increasingly smaller… a few weeks later it was indeed cancelled and I deferred to 2021.
And so it was the most opportune time to rest I would have for the past 3 years. 2020 has taken its toll on me physically. I achieved a lot. A helluva lot! 3 of my 5 furthest runs had been completed this year. I did it without any structured or even routined training. I lost a lot of fitness and winged a lot of my events. I relied on my brain and experience (no bad thing!) and to some degree just shrugged my shoulders and got on with it. I was in physical pain. For months now, during each run, no matter the distance, my right leg hurt. It started with a calf pain after the Tarawera Ultra Marathon in February. It morphed into a shin pain after I ran the Capital Ring. Then since the end of summer it was my ankle that was the problem. It was weak. It felt brittle. It hurt a lot even when I wasn’t doing anything. My mindset was simply to normalise it. If it doesn’t hurt any more intensely when I run, then I’ll just keep on running. After the last marathon in October, I had similar pain in my left ankle too. Great, twatty twins for legs. Constant pain wasn’t a good enough reason to stop and rest in my mind. But, Boris had thrown me a lifeline. An opportunity. I had nothing to run for in the next four weeks. Removing the Cheviot Goat from the equation meant I had no goal or focus until the beginning of 2021. Suddenly I had time to stop. Time to rest, to repair and then to rebuild. My Lockdown plan became clear in my head. I planned to not run (yes! Not to run!) for 6 weeks. 6 weeks without pounding the ground, 6 weeks with a shift to low impact exercise to maintain fitness and strength. 6 weeks to allow my body to heal. I’d then start again, easy and low mileage and build it up gradually. The goal was to give myself a chance, a chance to get through 2021, as the way things are lining up, 2021 will fuck me up even more than 2020 did! What I was doing was not sustainable. A new approach is needed, a new beginning was required.
This had become my biggest challenge and thankfully the lockdown removed a lot of the temptation to run which made it easier. It didn’t however remove the temptation to plan and sign up to more events which I succumbed to way too easily. I made it through 5 of the 6 weeks. I was happy with that. I could have made it to 6 but I started exposing myself to running again and the temptation became too much. I felt good. I felt like I’d had a strong and consistent 5 weeks and vowed to continue the strength training, yoga and cycling that I’d reintroduced to my daily routine. 2021 was inching closer and I had new goals and targets to prepare for…
Quite a collection of real(!) and virtual achievements during a pandemic!
That was the year wrapped up. 2021 is now full of deferrals and substitutes and packed more tightly than 2020. 2020 started amazing, went rockier than the Trans Gran Canaria of 2018, but, somehow, I ended the year with almost 50 marathons under my belt (by completing another 8 official events). Wow, how did this happen? I vividly remember telling people about my plans to do my first ultra just 3 years ago. Here I go though, cracking on, I’ll hit that 50 milestone in 2021 for sure and might as well target the 100 at some point. For fucksake Dai…
Final Thoughts….I am in control. My happiness is paramount and everyday I have the courage and ability to protect that happiness. 2020 came with challenges, heartbreak, fear and more worries than I’m comfortable with. Difficult decisions and obvious sacrifices were needed and there were plenty of mistakes made along the way. Whether it is running or my personal life, I know I can, I’m sure I can and I will and I do. I trust myself and know I’ll never forget what I can control and what I can change to achieve what I set out after.
In last year’s recap I noted down some standout memories, so I thought why not, lets do it again…
Best Views
The lakes of the Tarawera 100 Miler in New Zealand. Just stunning.
Borneo Ultra Trail. The mountainous landscape and dense jungle forests and Mount Kinabalu as the backdrop
Maverick Peaks. Talk about unadulterated skylines. Hardly a building in sight. Not the highest, but a spectacular landscape.
Lake Tarawera
Mt Kinabalu
Peak District
Hardest Race
North downs Way. I didn’t set out to do a second hundred mile event in 2020. But as I approached it, I did want to make sure that the first one wasn’t a fluke. This was supposed to be easier than the first. It turned out to be harder. One of the toughest I’ve done. A heat wave in the UK, my body was drained. My mind was constantly fighting. The 55% DNF rate says it all. I’m proud to have completed this one.
Borneo Ultra Trails. The heat and humidity on this race is by far the worst I’ve ever experienced. It was a long hard day out in the jungles of Borneo. Powered by fresh Pineapple and a rest of well over an hour where I didn’t stop sweating at the halfway mark got me through. Jumping on a 15 hour flight 10 hours after finishing was probably not the best decision I’ve ever made!
Let it be known that you can measure the difficulty of a run by your love of the Chair! The state of me!
Destroyed mid race in the NDW100
Destroyed mid race in the BUTM
Best Achievement
Tarawera. My first 100 miler. Like any first, it will linger in your memories forever. What a place to experience my first 100 miler. Everything about this event was fantastic. I’ll never forget this achievement.
Trail Maggots in New Zealand!
Best Kit Bought
Tough one, I’ve not had to buy much this year as I already own far more kit than I need. Almost by default it goes to the Adidas Terrex Agravic Split Shorts. Less the ‘best’ and more the ‘new’ item of kit I’ve enjoyed the most – I needed new shorts. The shorts are proper short but kitted out for trail running with multiple waistband pockets and pole holders. They are made of pretty much no material (not reflected in the ridiculously expensive price!) but are so comfortable to wear.
Short twins
Most overused Kit
Inov8 Roclite 275G. Damn these shoes are like slippers and boy are they tough and hard wearing. They’ve been on all the big runs in the last year. I’ve now switched to using them for the last half of these races (which in a few cases have still been 80km runs!) as they are so comfortable and offer great protection when my feet are a little worse for wear. The Graphene grip is fantastic too.
Squirrels Nut Butter. You don’t run 100s of miles without chafing and the Nut Butter is by far the best anti-chafe solution I’ve used. My skin would be non existent without this!
Fav Race Swag
Maverick Race won this one. For all their events, besides a medal you get items from their many sponsors. Iced Coffee, beer, protein bars, protein shakes. Whatever goes on the day of the event you are doing. One thing is for sure, when you finish, you struggle to carry everything you’ve just been given. Most generously, this was also reflected in the virtual event series Maverick put on in 2020 with many vouchers, discounts and stickers arriving in the post for the events you completed. These guys know how to please us!
Maverick Swag-athon
Best Dog
There were a lot of dogs on the trails this year. There were two standout candidates though…
The late comer that was Bruce with his little bowtie – a ‘borrow my doggy’ dog that Nick started bringing on runs. Boy can this lil’ fella run and he’s the quietest dog I’ve ever met.
Then there was little Bonnie who took us on a run around the Thursley Nature Reserve in Surrey. She started off unsure, but a few hours later was chasing me around the field.
Bruce with his Bowtie
Bonnie leading the gang
Thought of the year
“That was a good few miles of running!!” After what would always turn out to be just a few 100m of running during the tail-end of the NDW100 event. Time and distance were certainly distorted for me!
When Nick offered me painkillers in the NDW100 my response was “nope, don’t fuck with the boys in the Command Centre“. Got to keep the mind clear and stay focused, pain and discomfort is a remainder of the reality of the situation.
Fav Trail snack
Pineapple. I’ve never tasted pineapple as good as that fresh pineapple growing on the Pineapple Ridge in Borneo. It has always been my favourite fruit but this took it to a new level!
Baby Pineapple
Best Medal
Without doubt the Tarawera 100 mile finisher Pounamu. I will probably never receive such a fantastic finishers gift again. Personal, chosen by me from the hundreds of variants on the finishers table. Earned, not bought. This is something else!
POUNAMU!!!
Most memorable moments
Running around London with Paul. it made for a great Strava map!
Finishing the NDW100 knowing that it meant the first 100 miler I finished wasn’t just a fluke.
The end of the rest period!! I was glad to be back running again.
Not sure if I mentioned we ran around London?!
Most beneficial training
Toss up between stairs (again) and yoga. Let’s go for yoga. 20 minutes a day has now become part of my routine. Never have I stretched so much in my life! To be fair, I did try yoga for the first time in the most spectacular of places in Borneo…
2020 was not all that bad it seems, but lets not be too positive – let’s get some miserable shit in here as well this year, simply because I’m a grumpy Grinch…
Most irritating comments of the year
“This must be easy for you”. This always feels like some sort of backhanded compliment smothered in self pity at the same time. Here’s the thing, no, no its not. No run is ever easy and they can’t be compared. For example, having run a longer distance previously doesn’t make a shorter distance run any more achievable or certain.
“What’s your next race / what have you got lined up?”. I may just be a grumpy twat, but this always feels like a bit of small talk and an opener for someone to just brag to you about what they have coming up.
“I couldn’t do what you do”. That’s bollocks. You can. Anyone can. I’m not special. What you’re really saying though is “I don’t want to do what you do”, because if you did want too, you would.
Social Media trends that annoyed me the most
Boosting one’s self worth by offering some much needed “top” tips to nobody who asked… oh it’s warm, top tip – drink water and hydrate when you run. Never thought of that one. No one cares.
Advertising the water repellent fabric on your (gifted) trainers by running through tiny puddles. Sigh. No one cares.
Measuring your trail running CV by the amount of mud on your shoes/socks/legs. Well done. No one cares.
The ongoing need to demonstrate one’s resilience to weather by captioning that you are wearing shorts. Congrats, we can see that. Guess what… No one cares.
The Instagram inception stories… you know the ones where I share a story you tagged me in and then you share my story and I share your story of my story of your story and down the narcissistic rabbit hole we go. Yep, No one cares.
Posting a story of your own post on Instagram. Got to hit that “look at me” algorithm. Still, No one cares.
I could go on but I won’t because clearly I do care. Dammit.
Worst recurring song lyrics stuck in my head
“Have you ever put butter on a pop tart, its soo frikken gooood…” Cheers Nick. It’s been lodged in there for months
On my last few runs it has been “Scooter – Fck 2020” that has been stuck on loop. Every so catchy/terrible and certainly the song of the year.
After a less than fruitful sleep, we were all crammed into the minibus for our transport to the start of the Borneo Ultra Marathon. I had two strategies for this race (1) keep hydrated (2) try and regulate my temperature as much as possible. I wasn’t sure how this race would pan out but I knew to have any chance of surviving the heat of Borneo I’d have to get this right!
Surviving the heat wasn’t the only concern amongst participants of the BUTM. Despite the carnage and ongoing concerns of the Covid19 virus that was sweeping the world, BUTM 2020 was going ahead. I felt bad for the race director. He was in a difficult position. 3 weeks prior they’d advised they were proceeding. Then the global situation intensified. The Sabah region had stayed pretty much virus free until pretty much the day before the race when. So, despite last minute updates to government’s advice the race was still going ahead. This did cause some stir and there was some noise as other races in the following weeks were cancelled. But what can you do, how do you cancel and international event at a few hours notice? It’s a lose lose situation for the RD. Some last minute provisions were made and as we queued up to enter the registration hall, all runners had their temperature scanned and our hands were sanitised. There was advice provided to for social distancing where possible (but let’s remember in the grand scheme of things this is a low key event and it doesn’t draw a crowd of spectators!).
After registering we made our way to the start line which was just a short walk away. This is also where the race would finish as we cross the final wooden suspension bridge across the water. We did the usual pre-race photo rituals and those of us doing the 100km or 50km made our way to the front of the start pen (the 30km has a later start). With little fanfare we were off and started running back through the small town and passed the hall where we registered.
We soon began the first of many long climbs and I settled in near Meghan and Carl as Spencer and Jake ran off in the distance. It wouldn’t be long before I’d turn off and begin a different route for the 100km. First though we began the steep road climb. The pace immediately slowed to a bimble in the darkness of the early morning. The sun was starting to shine and I was hoping to experience this sunrise again in 24 hours time.
A few km in and the 100km runners broke away, turning left away from the 50km runners who’d continue the climb a little further. I had this to look forward to later on where the later half of the 100km follows the same 50km route. For now though, a small quad buster of a trail descent. The ground was lumpy and hard, but my attention was drawn to the views of the surrounding area as the day broke. I briefly chatted to a Canadian woman doing her first 100 mile race and an Irish man from Wexford also doing the 100km (who’d go on to finish 2nd!). I stopped to capture a few pictures and ran on when the roads flattened and became gravel trails. Already the field was thinly spread and I found myself running alone. At the end of the descent I saw a 100 mile runner running back towards me. I assumed we’d gone wrong but he explained the river crossing was ahead and he didn’t want to get his feet wet so was going to cross the suspension bridge. I agreed with him, in the week before my feet took a beating from running in wet shoes and socks as I cooled in the rivers. I promised myself that if I stopped at a river to immerse myself I’d removed them first. It was too early to need to cool in the river though so I followed him across the scariest bridge I’d ever been on. The suspension bridges in Sabah are essentially rusty old wire fencing (think chicken coop wire) with wooden planks along them, not always attached! This one however was missing one side of the wire ‘rail’ as it was broken and hung loose and flaccid along the bridge. The planks in many places didn’t exist and the wire was full of holes. We shimmied across with two hands on the existing rail and sidestepped it. The bridge swinging and bouncing with the movement of runners. I was sure we’d fall in the river!
Shortly after the bridge fiasco, We crossed a concrete road section breaking up the river and even before 8am I was realising just how hot it was and how hot it would get. It was scorching and I was dripping with sweat already. After climbing some more gravel roads we ran into a field where we were scanned before crossing the field and running a trail path along the river. We then began the first of the ‘bigger’ ascents which was a mix of gravel roads and more hard and dry packed trails. Here the heat of the morning really struck and I noticed a number of the local runners would stop whenever there was a bit of shade from the trees. I decided to adopt this technique and grab a few seconds breather also. This would help my goal for regulating the body temperature. It was relentless. I soon realised I’d be stopping a lot on these climbs and taking it slowly so I made my peace with that. As we climbed I also started to think about my liquids. I was getting through my 1.5ltrs (I had an additional 500ml bottle to add to the hydration for later in the day) and I was wondering where and when I’d come across the first water stop. I changed my watch screen to check the distance and somehow I was on 15km already. I was confused as I’d not seen the water station. I thought it must have been in the field where I was scanned (I remember reading about that field in the race notes), but I didn’t see anything. It was a good thing though, it meant that I wasn’t far from the second water stop and had made good early progress.
The second water stop came just before the next big climb and I was glad. I was ready for some food and water. As I arrived I was more confused than ever though. I couldn’t see any water and the only food options (fruit) and fizzy drinks had prices on them and a woman telling me it was RM3 (less than a pound) for a coke, 100Plus or bottled water. What?! I wasn’t going to buy liquids in a race in the high 30degrees out of pure stubbornness. Thankfully I was eventually directed to massive water butts on high platforms with hoses coming from them for drinking water. This made more sense and no wonder I missed it at the last stop. As I refilled my bottles I realised I’d made a kit packing error – in my haste packing the night before I’d put all my caffeinated Tailwind in my race pack rather than the drop bag for the second section at night. Great. I’d be buzzing with caffeine throughout the day now. I decided to try and ration it and water it down a bit to save some for when I’d need it most when I’m tired at night.
As I left the water station we began the first jungle/trail section which was quite technical but also short before the wider trail climbs. Just like the climbs before, this was completely exposed and I was seeking out the shadows to cool down. It was a slow slog to the top but I was able to run a bit as we descended into the next water station. All along the climb and descent there were locals at the side of the road, in cars, outside their houses selling fruit and drink. I didn’t like it. It didn’t seem right to have to buy essentials (yes I class coke and isotonic drinks as essentials in ultras!) during a race.
During this section I recognised several trails from our runs the week before. I ran a familiar ridge and passed a house where we saw a monkey and a pig before passing a place which had amazing views of Mount Kinabalu. Some trails looked so familiar but I wasn’t sure if I’d been on them too! I then arrived at the third water stop and things became a little bit clearer. A volunteer asked me if I wanted fruit and when I asked if I needed to pay he replied saying “no, fruit is free for runners”. I ate so much pineapple my tongue went funny from the acidic goodness. It was ace. I filled all 4 bottles of water and set back out.
And so onto the biggest climb of the race. I was aware this one would be tough and the 14km section (straight up and back down the other side) would take about 4 hours. It was so exhausting. As the sun rose higher in the sky, with it the temperature began to sore. I was looking for the shadows. They were pure temptation. Like a voice calling you over. Come to me. Rest a while. Sit down and take the weight off your feet. Maybe stay a while, stay here all day if you like. I had to challenge myself not to succumb to the relief but to keep moving. I made a pact. I’d stop every time an opportunity presented itself, but not the first shadow, always the second or last one. Make some progress up the climbs and break it up. Each time I’d stop I’d count to ten with deep breathes, resting my hands on my knees and my head lowered to the ground. In and out. I’d watch my heart rate decrease in those ten breathes. Sometimes dropping 30+ BPM. I was working hard in the heat despite moving slower than I’ve ever climbed before.
Eventually I began to reach the top and there was a woman selling drinks. I knew there was a false summit but the trail descended quickly so I asked here if this was the top and she replied ‘yes, all downhill to the next water stop’. I packed away the poles, composed myself and cracked on. She was wrong. It was the false summit and we still had 300m of climbing to cover. I was annoyed! As we began the descent I saw a runner turn right but I saw the markings go to a trail to the left. I stopped and was about to call after him when I saw markings that went the other way too. Another runner also stopped and we debated which was right. We followed the first runner and saw more markings further on, we hoped it was right!!
When we weren’t far from the end of the descent we reached the 4th water stop. We were now 40km in. I filled my bottles and went and sat in the shade in the hut. It was quiet here with only one other runner doing the 100 miler. I sat with my head between my legs and necked a lot of water. A woman asked if I was ok. I felt fine, just too hot. She told me I was 11th. Just outside the top ten and the 10th runner just ahead. I laughed at her. That’s crazy I said and I told her I need to slow down then. I sat back and chilled out. That might have spurred people on, but not me. I went the other way. Top ten?! That’s not me. So I decided to stay here for at least ten mins and recover from the exhaustion of the climb. I eventually got up and went to another hut full of fruit and gorged on more pineapple and watermelon. I tried chatting to the women who prepared it all but they just kept laughing at me. Some sweaty white guy stuffing his chops and not stopping to chew.
I carried on. It was only 4km to the next water station and I now felt recharged and fuelled after the lack of food earlier in the morning. I was able to run a little and the ground was quite forgiving. The next water station was a confusing one as it was also one I’d revisit later in the race. I sat down for another 10 mins and applied more suncream and had some more fruit and water. The exit to this station was a massive suspension bridge and we were then running on some undulating trails heading back towards town. About halfway along the trails the runner I was following stopped. He said he didn’t see any trail markings any more. He was right, I’d stopped paying attention and now also didn’t see any. I ran on a bit but still didn’t find any. I loaded the GPX on the watch and it seemed like we were ok to continue. It wasn’t on the track but it looked to run parallel. We both sat on the floor and composed ourselves. Even thinking in the heat was draining!! The trails did indeed meet once more and we crossed several more suspect bridges. We then ran passed a junction in the race I recognised from the morning (which I’d also visit once more later in the race) and along some road. I was plodding along and before I realised it I was back at the start. Halfway. Time for my drop bag, food and a good sit down and rest.
I was about two and a half hours ahead of my predicted time so I messaged the group. They’d all finished their races now and were still in the area so they came to see me. I was a beautiful sight for them. Half baked with a wet towel draped over me, feet up and chewing on potatoes and other veg (I wasn’t fancying my chances of keeping the chicken curry down!). I was sweating so much. It just wouldn’t stop. I tried to relax and cool down but to no avail. As we talked I found out they’d all smashed their races. We had first female in the 30km, second female in the 50km and several winners in their age categories. Incredible. They went off to collect their podium prizes before leaving back to Kota Kinabalu. Spencer was staying with Jess to crew her sister on the 100 miler and she was flying, she’d arrived and left the aid station. I was getting comfortable. I was content with how the race was going so decided I’d stay for at least an hour. I ate more, bandaged my feet and kept trying to stop sweating. Eventually Jess and Spencer started packing my stuff up and kicked me out, back on my way. Cheers guys.
The next 50km would be broken up. Two big climbs and descents. A bit of flat/undulating trail. A tough trail climb and descent then two small hills and a fairly flat but slightly inclined 8km to the finish line. I was focused.
I started the first climb at a steady paced hike. The temperature had now dropped and the suns heat was diminishing. The climb was immediately easier than those in the morning/midday heat and I no longer needed to stop as I hiked. I felt good. The descent was quite runnable and I plodded on consistently.
I reached the next water stop and took another ten mins to relax. The next climb was tougher than I expected as it was through trail and jungle forest. There were some very steep sections. As I started to climb, it began to rain. Thankfully in the forest I was quite week sheltered so I let the rain cool me. I was also not worried about getting wet because the temperature was still high twenties and I was already soaked through with sweat still.
I summitted as the sun was setting and I took a moment to enjoy the views of surrounding mountains In the twilight. Quite surreal. As I continued along the ridge it soon became dark and I had to put my head torch on. The next descent was a little harder than I expected as the darkness settled quickly and the ground was very muddy and slippery from the rain. I almost stacked it a few times!
At the end of the descent I arrived back at the water station (with the big suspension bridge) from earlier in the day. I cracked into some noodles and rested again. Too my surprise, four 100km runners then showed up (one woman running in some flimsy rubber sandals!) and I was a little shocked. I’d seen only a handful of runners since I started the second loop and most of those were doing the 100 miler. I thought I’d been making better progress now. Clearly not though! I followed them out and we retraced the undulating trails from a few hours earlier. This time I walked behind them. Then, I lost sight of them. I noticed some head torches lights just above me and realised this was were I had to look at the GPX route earlier. I quickly ran back and found the actual root this time and soon caught them up again. We next arrived back at the intersection of all the routes for my third time and I started to veer right. The other runners carried on straight. Aaah. I hadn’t been caught up after all, they were still on their first loop. I was at least 20km ahead of them. That made me feel better.
I was happily walking the next section when I once more realised I’d done this route earlier in the day. I crossed the concrete road through the river again (disoriented and thinking I was going the opposite direction this time – I wasn’t). Despite looking at the route and the elevation I hadn’t quite noticed how many paths I’d duplicate. I knew what lay ahead though. Gravel and pathed roads, climbs and a small descent. Then I’d be at the water station I missed on my first pass (the very first one!). I was getting sleepy now though. I thought about sleeping for ten minutes when I arrived but I settled for coffee instead.
It was back out through the field and along the river before somewhere I turned off on to new trails I’d not yet experienced. Next it would be the biggest and most technical section of the last 50km. Spencer had warned me about how technical this but would be in the dark so I felt prepared.
I don’t really remember the climb. But I do remember the descent. It was brutal. It was very steep and very rocky and rooty. The ground was covered in wet leaves and slippery earth. I was going slowly. I was also feeling it in my feet and the they were hot and raw. I couldn’t wait for this to end.
It was quite surreal being in the jungle at night. The noises were very relaxing and the floor was moving, crawling with insects. I saw so many armies of giant ants, big ugly spiders (eyes glistening in the torch light!) frogs and bats. A few times I stopped and turned off my light to enjoy the darkness and look up at the clear night sky. It was peaceful out here on the mountain with the stars shinning through the gaps In the trees. As the trail flattened out I realised how tired I was actually becoming. I was definitely beginning to fall asleep as I ran and wobbled from side to side. At one point I saw Spencer laying on the ground next to me. I jumped awake as I almost stepped on him. He looked up and said “you alright mate?”. I was beginning to hallucinate and needed more coffee!
I stocked up on caffeine and more noodles at the aid station and carried on for the final two lumps of the race. It was working. The warm food and caffeine enabled me to run the down hill sections which were gravel tracks and road. We crossed many more suspension bridges (quite a few in dire need of repairs!) and I even passed a few runners. Before I knew it I’d covered the 10km of trail and was at the final water stop. I felt good. It felt like a long time since I’d finished a race actually running a bit. Normally I’m resigned to just walking by now! I promised a quick final stop. More coffee and I ate a whole pack of PowerUp sweets I’d had for over a year. A resealable pack, I chewed them all down. This would give me that final kick of energy. And it did. After a quick turn around I was running. I was now churning out some sub 7 minute kilometres as the watch ticked passed the 100km mark. I even ran some of the small inclines and kept the moment going. Partly I didn’t want the people I overtook catching me up. I did now wonder how far off I might be from the top ten all these hours later.
The final section felt quite disorienting and I felt like I was running around in circles. Constantly crossing bridges and looping around. As the kms ticked down I could sense the end. One volunteer I passed (checking bib numbers in) congratulated me. I smiled. He was right. I’d done this. The few km ahead were a formality. I was feeling it. Smiling. Running with confidence again.
Up ahead I saw the bright lights on the other side of the river. All very quiet, but this must have been it. The final bridge crossing. I’d read about it. You finish this side of the bridge and walk across to collect your medal. It wasn’t exactly as climatic as that for me though. There was no one there. I crossed the bridge and ran under the finish arch to total silence. At the finish line two volunteers. One checking all the mandatory kit. The other handing out the tshirts and medals. Very subdued at 05:00 in the morning! Which is always to be expected. I’d come in under 24 hours, I was very happy with that.
I walked back to the registration hall, collected my drop bag, found the driver Joanne had arranged for me and headed back to the lodge to get some sleep. In 12 hours time I’d be on a flight back to the UK and in 24 hours time I’d be heading to work, and my adventure would have sadly come to an end! What an adventure it has been though!
Joanne and Richard from Adventures in Borneo had prepared an incredible two weeks of running and adventure for us. The Planning and organisation and support from them and their team was incredible. They’d supported us through the race too. Not only with the logistics and organisation but through their advice, experiences and getting us exposed to the trails and climate beforehand. The group, now friends, who’d done the adventure all performed incredibly. When I found out the results at the half way point I was amazed. So strong and everyone had such a great time. I too had a great run and did squeeze into tenth place in the end. Unreal.
The race itself was enjoyable. I started off mentioning the difficult circumstances surround the event and I am so glad I was able to run the BUTM. The trails and route was pretty epic and the volunteers and organisation were great and helpful. The pre-race information was, if anything, too informative (detailed route instructions that you’d struggle to visualise) and as far as I could tell the whole event ran smoothly. The trail markings and directions were great and any fears I had of running through the jungle at night were not valid. I also mentioned about having to buy drinks. This was the biggest negative for me. I believe it’s intended to support the local communities but I think this can be achieved via the entrance and registration fees. It’s great that people are out providing extra support to runners, but I don’t think this should be at the expense of the provisions at the actual aid stations. This was the first ‘supported’ race I’ve done where I’ve eaten most of my own nutrition stash. There just wasn’t much at the aid stations to have (pineapple and noodles aside!). I’d definitely recommend this event and do now have my eye on their sister race ‘TMBT’ (Interpreted as either ‘The Most Beautiful Thing’ or ‘The Most Brutal Thing’ depending who you speak to!) held in August each year…
Run With Dai 