NDW – Run With Dai

North Downs Way 100

Published on August 25, 2025 by runwithdaiLeave a comment

This was my second time running the North Downs Way 100 by Centurion Running, 5 years after my last outing. I’m not in a story telling mood so won’t be recounting step by step this adventure. 100 miles is a long way and I’ve described the course and experience in detail already, but I have captured some thoughts:

The why – Why did I sign up to do a 100 mile run I’ve already run? Why did I sign up when I swore I onl want to run 100 mile races that offer something truly different and special to me? Western States is why… As I mentioned in my last post about the Glossglockner Ultra Trail, I now needed to complete a qualifying event to be eligible to enter the lottery for the Western States Endurance Run. I toiled with many other qualifying races, but the logistics, costs and timings were all unfavourable. So it was really coming down to doing one of the Centurion Running 100 milers. I didn’t want to run the NDW, so it was a bad place to start in terms of not really being mentally invested, but the logistics were just by far the easiest to accommodate. Despite this, the desire to get that WSER qualifier was strong enough to ensure I would finish though.

The short notice planning – Signing up to a 100 mile race with just a weeks notice is weird. It did however remove a lot of anxiety involved with the lead up to big events. Whilst it was kind of silly, it also feels good to know that I can do that. Not just start. But finish strongly! In the week leading up to the race, I went back and compared my previous time with that of Paul and Maria. We were all similar (finished within 30 mins of each other’s times over different years) but had massive variations in our pace. Maria was consistent throughout. I blew up at 50k, but then covered the last 40k significantly quicker. Paul had a speedy mid section and then blew up at the end.

My 5,6,7,8 Plan – From this I made a plan. Finishing was the goal (that is enough for the WSER qualifier). Finishing quicker than my 2020 time would be nice. I figured if I could move more consistently it would be a good day. I broke the race into 4 x 40km and gave myself a really intelligent and thought out arbitrary timings for each. Do the first 40km in 5 hours. The second 40km in 6 hours. The third 40km in 7 hours and the last 40km in, yep you guessed it, 8hrs. That would give me a 26 hr finish. Nice. Now the more informed reader will be aware of a gapping flaw in that plan. The race is 103 miles. So not exactly 160 km as per my plan. It also didn’t accommodate for any ‘dwell time’, of which there would be plenty. But I didn’t care. That was enough of a plan for me to be satisfied.

The friendly faces – There were many people I met at the start, during the race and at the finish. At registration I saw Pierre who was working as the Official Photographer for the event. Thanks so much for the pictures! Sarah who I met during registration and then ended up running the first section with. We had a good ‘ol natter and put the world to rights. Come the first aid station I couldn’t keep up though and she sped off. After box hill I never saw her again as she finished an impressive 3+ hours before me as fourth lady. Incredible performance. There was also Frank who was volunteering at Box hill. Thanks for the mood boost and filling me with food and water! Ian and Jamie were at the finish line and were out pacing other runners throughout the night. I always see them both at various races, Ian I shared many miles with on the North Downs Way back in 2020! Then there was Jamie (another) and Robin who I shared some miles with throughout the day. Always good to have company.

The first 40km – The start felt good. There are lots of flat sections and runnable trails from Farnham to Dorking. I ran pretty hard. Think I did it in about 4.5 hours which I was very happy with. The section after St Martha’s in particular I don’t enjoy (it’s so flat and repetitive) so I was glad to keep moving through these sections. At Box Hill it amused me how people have turned Box Hill into a mountain. The amount of huffing and puffing and sweating. The amount of runners using poles. It’s become this mystical beast. People walk up there in their Gucci trainers carrying buggies for fuck sake! It’s only about 100m of climbing!

The North Downs Kiss – I was running the section from Box Hill to Reigate with a guy I met called Jamie. Chatting away I must have completely switched off. I stubbed my toe and fell spectacularly. I let out a whelp and did a sort of shuffle stumble forward. Thankfully the shuffle gave me time to react and break the fall. Rather than go down like a sack of spuds I sort of skidded along the trail as I gave the North Downs way a kiss. Frustratingly it’s a Root-y, lumpy area and I did feel some impact. Grazed arms and knees mostly and I was covered in dirt which clung to my sweaty skin. I was shocked. It messed me up a bit. I was happy and moving well. Now my body was shaking and my mind wobbled. I couldn’t shake the thoughts about what damage I might have done. I told Jamie to run ahead as I walked and tried to compose myself. It took me a few km. I walked up Reigate hill and walked / shuffled to the aid station at Reigate cafe. I took ten mins here to sit down and breathe. I was ok. My hip hurt. But I was fine. The rest did wonders and I was able to shift the negative thoughts and get back out there. Turns out I didn’t break the fall entirely. A week later I still have a massive bruise on my hip which has gone through the whole spectrum of black, blue and then yellow!

North Downs Kiss – A week later the bruising was subsiding

Caterham – Running through Caterham was odd. 8 months ago I moved there. Now I was 38 miles into a 100 mile event running along trails I run every week. It was a mental thing running past knowing I could quit and be home within a few kms. It was never going to happen though. It also surprised me how hilly it is here. I run these trails without thinking every week, with 38 miles in the legs you feel every incline!! From Caterham to Otford it was hot. Not like in 2020. But it was the warmest part of the day on one of the most exposed parts of the trail, running through many open fields was tiring and energy sapping in the heat. I clocked the second 40km including an extended stop at Knockholt in about 6 and a half hours. Perfect. Right on time. Ready to go get Paul.

Secret Service – Leaving Knockholt a spectator made a weird joke about “look out for the secret services”. It went over my head. Down the country lane we came across some coppers. I thought nothing of it. Later on I found out that JD Vance was in town visiting the Foreign Minister who lives down that lane. So there was a high security presence. The joke made sense then all those hours later!

Meeting Paul at Otford – It was good to have a friendly face and someone to chat with. It had been a while since we’d seen each other, longer than usual! So it was good to catch up here over the next 14 hours or so. He’s such a top guy and happily volunteered to support me through the NDW to get the WSER qualifier.

Night time – I’d forgotten how many road sections there are in the race, even so in the second half of the race. There was a long flat section after Wrotham (about 60 miles in) that I couldn’t remember. And the roads to Blue Bell Hill and those at the end through Ashford were also longer than I remember. Conversely, there were a lot more hills in the last 30 miles than I recalled. A few of the obvious once I recalled but there were lots of undulations I’d completely forgotten about. Also at night the red moon at was epic. Here’s a picture from Pierre the photographer.

Bluebell Hill – Once upon a time there was an aid station here. There isn’t any more. It threw me. I thought I looked at the race instruction but clearly missed it. It was annoying as mentally I was looking forward to the stop and break. It made the section harder mentally as we carried on for a few more miles before reaching Detling. On the climb to Bluebell Hill I ticked over the 120km mark. That last 40km was a tad over 6 hours, far better than the 7 I’d planned for.

Pot Noodles – My drop bag for Detling (mile 82) was just 4 Pot Noodles. Nice and simple. Making sure me and Paul had something to fuel us for the last 20 miles. Paul wolfed them down. I spent 30 mins trying to get through them but only managed one and a dribble.

Sleepy Time – Arriving into Hollingbourne I was tired. Very tired. I’d shut down and was just trudging along. Not really talking. I was swaying aide to aide and my eyes were closing. I tried a 2 min trail nap but it wasn’t enough/ didn’t work. I told Paul I needed a 10 mins stop and wanted something I could sit on. Thankfully the ‘cyclist/ramblers rest’ spot on the Pilgrims Way had a lovely bench. We stopped and had a snooze. A little while later I was still sleepy. It was starting to get lighter but in the forests it was still pitch black. I found a stile and had another ten mins. I think I went to dream land on this one. Paul woke me up and I was fine afterwards. Daylight had arrived and the tiredness subdued.

The Pilgrims Way – This last section, the last 10 miles, was a constant plod and shuffle. Way better than 5 years earlier. The trails are now flatter with gentle undulations and mostly on gravel tracks until the last 3 miles of road to the finish line. We had a sit down and coffee at the aid station at Lennham and then breezed through Dunn Street into Ashford. It took about 8 hours to cover the last 40+kms.

The Finish – I crossed the finish line in about 25 hours and 20 mins. Almost 2.5 hrs quicker than when I ran the route in 2025. Pretty much nailed my 5678 plan. I’m aware that a sub 24hour finish is possible. I don’t need to move faster. I just need to spend less time at aid stations – the tracker suggests it had almost 2 hours of dwell time. I looked up other runners finishing hours before and hours after me and many stop at aid stations for only a fraction of that time. Still, it works for me. I like to faff about.

Final Thoughts – As always all the centurion staff and volunteers were awesome. It is such a well planned and organised event, as are all the Centurion races. And so, the objective was achieved and the bonus secured. A Western States Qualifier for the year is obtained and the dream is kept alive…And of course the biggest thanks to Paul. Since I mentioned the Glossglockner cancellation he was in my corner supporting me. Helping look for alternatives. He made the logistics for the NDW much easier and cheaper too by letting me stay in Guildford the night before, driving me to the start. Insisted on keeping me company for almost half the run. Drove me home. Looked after me. Not many would do so much. Only a few weeks back he flew to the states to do the same for Matt at Hardrock100. He’s one hell of a good friend!

Farnham Pilgrims Marathon

Published on September 16, 2020 by runwithdai2 Comments

Whilst out on a recce run of the NDW100, a group of us discussed various runs later in the year we were hoping would still go ahead (Covid innit) and which were on or near the NDW. Two that were on the list were the Eden valley Ultra and the Farnham Pilgrims Marathon. They were the same weekend in September though. Arlene had an idea – double weekender! We all agreed to sign up. Only Arlene did….

I did sign up to the Eden Valley Ultra, and got as far as the registration screen for the Farnham Pilgrims Marathon. Only I didn’t complete the registration as it said there were over 400 places available. I held off. A few weeks later, whilst running the Fox Way, we found out that the Farnham Pilgrims Marathon had sold out. Doh. Arelene was booked into a double weekend on her own. Oops.

As the weeks went by, with some luck I managed to get on a waiting list and subsequently obtained a spot on the Farnham Pilgrims Marathon. We were back on! Little did I think that after the NDW100 I would not want to spend much time on the North Downs Way again. Oh well.

Shortly before the race weekend the organisers announced the protocols they were putting in place to ensure the event went ahead safely. One of which was dedicated start times. Arlene was starting at 07:20 and myself 2 hours later at 09:10. We said we’d see each other at the finish line, and we did….

The week before the race I was speaking with Rob from the Wild Trail Runners who had also signed up. He kindly gave me a lift to the race, which I’m so thankful for as it started in the middle of nowhere if you weren’t arriving by car. Upon arrival you were requested to arrive no more than 20 mins before your allocated start time and to wait at your car until your wave was called forward. Rob was starting at 08:40 so I had a little longer to wait in the field until I was beckoned forward. Temperatures were checked and wrist bands issued rather than numbered bibs. A short wait in a taped off area before we were released onto our marathon journeys.

With the first steps I was aching. After a fairly speedy 50km the day before, it is fair to say my body had definitely not recovered. I was also probably grossly under fuelled for such an adventure having missed lunch the day before as well as being in a calorie deficit from the race.I knew it was going to be a long day ahead and I was full of acceptance of the torture I was about to endure. Everyone from my wave had overtaken me before we’d made it out of the starting field (probably about 20m!). I was at ease.

I joked about the start of the race being in the middle of nowhere, it is, but it was also very familiar to me after the NDW100. The start was in The Sands, along the road on which the Farnham Golf Club is, which was about 3 miles into the NDW100. Today we ran around the roads on the other side of the golf course and continued around Seale, we’d come back through the fields I’d run during the NDW100 on the way back to the finish. After Seale we rejoined the North Downs Way as we passed through the instantly recognisable Totford Woods and on through the village of Putenham. I was passed by many runners up to this point, thankfully though most were the half marathoners who were speeding passed and who turned off at Puttenham. We passed through Puttenham Golf Course which I again recognised from the NDW. Here though is where we deviated from the NDW and, rather than following the NDW towards Guildford, we took another set of trails further south which saw us run along many single tracks, stables, and country lanes until we reached and crossed the A3100 further south along the River Wey. We then followed the river and snaked along the trails for a few kilometers near Chantry woods.

Whilst the trails were new to me, they were similar terrain to the other trails along the Surrey Hills – sandy and bumpy. Lots of short sharp climbs and lots of trudging through loose sand tracks. In these first ten miles my legs only felt heavier and heavier and the quads and hamstrings burned with the extra effort to push off from the sandy tracks. It was also another scorcher of a day. Thankfully there had been a few water stops already and these were going to be ample throughout the course, or so I thought – the one section they weren’t, was from here to St. Martha’s on the Hill, probably where I needed it the most.

As we edged closer to St Martha’s the incline began to increase. If you don’t know it, the church is on one of the highest points along the Greensand Ridge. Situated just outside of Guildford along the NDW, it is a trail frequented by runners. It’s not the highest nor hardest climb in the area, but it does take some effort.

I’ve never approached the hill from this route before. First we passed a field with lamas, before we started gradual climbs through desolate and barren (recently harvested) fields, before zig zagging up some sandy trails from the south. I soon realised where along the ridge line we were emerging. Along the way the same woman passed me twice, first powering past me, the second time making up for time lost after a wrong turn. I was more confused by her when I saw her for the second time. Up top I was out of water, huffing and puffing from the climb and had a dry mouth from my failed attempt at eating a Clif bar. I thought there might be a water stop at the church but it wasn’t. I had to continue down, tracking west along the NDW for a little longer before reaching the much needed water stop which was nicely situated in some shade. I took a few minutes here and used about 2 litres (1 in my bottles and 1 to drink / pour over my head). It was a very sweaty day now. From this point I was seeing a lot of runners now. Both those over taking me and those I was catching up from earlier waves.

Refreshed and cooled, I had a nice little jog on the go as we descended back towards Guildford. My legs were now more numb than painful and the shuffle was consistent. We broke off from the NDW again as we followed the trails up to Pewley Down (which had some amazing views!) before following the NDW again back to Puttenham Golf Course. Along the way I took advantage of every water stop I passed. Refuelling and pouring a bottle over my head to keep me cool. I was struggling a bit in the heat.

Back at Puttenham we turned off for the final set of trails I was unfamiliar with. Now we followed pretty much the route that the half marathon took earlier in the morning. Well, I thought I was unfamiliar with the trails but it turns out we had a short section along the Fox Way which I recently ran too. I recognised a sign on a gate about not leaving dog poop on the trail! After this we ran a few hilly sections passing through Puttenham Common which I really enjoyed. I enjoyed the hills, because I didn’t have to run, I enjoyed the views which were spectacular and I enjoyed the ponds we ran alongside. I was surprised how many more beautiful trails there were. I hadn’t thought I’d be seeing so much more of Surrey on this run.

Emerging back into Totford Woods we had about 3 miles to go. I knew what was ahead now as we’d have a long straight stretch through some fields that we bypassed on the outbound journey when we went via Seale. Here the photographer was waiting to snap us. Out of the fields it was a slow and gentle incline along the roads back to The Sands. Just before entering the field I passed a runner dressed as Superman doing his 100 marathon. Impressive. I cheered him on before taking out my Buff to cover my face (as requested from the organisers) as I entered the finish line. I plodded on in, collected my medal and found Rob and Arelene patiently waiting at the van. It took me about 9 minutes less than the day before (8km shorter). I’m undecided if I enjoyed it…..

I did enjoy the new trails I experienced and the stunning Surrey Hills and countryside. I also enjoyed the marshals and all the volunteers from the Rotary Club of Farnham Weyside. Everyone was so helpful and cheerful. The people really do make the event and I’ve heard in ‘normal’ years there is an abundance of cake and home made food during this marathon!

I didn’t however enjoy the experience of back to back races. I’ve not yet been seduced by multistage events (although briefly considered registering for the 2021 Dragon’s Back race but thought better of it!) and doing my own back to back has only reinforced that this isn’t for me right now. I prefer the challenge of being in the moment and persevering rather than stopping and starting again the next day.