Written by Jennifer Bradley - http://runningandbaking.com

When the email arrived with dates for the UTMR training camp I was delighted – the same week as the Zermatt Ultramarathon so I’d be able to stay out in Switzerland for the week and do the race and the recce. Perfect (yes, this is how my ‘holiday’ planning goes).

The UTMR has been on my mind a while now – since I spotted it earlier this year. It’s organised by Lizzy Hawker on her Swiss training ground around the Monte Rosa – the second highest mountain in the Alps – going into both Switzerland and Italy. This year it’s ‘edition zero’ and the route will be 105km over three stages – in a horseshoe not quite circumventing the mountain. Next year it’s hoped to be one continuous 160km loop around the mountain with an all-in-one option and a 4-day stage race alongside.  The profile is just as you’d expect for a route loved by the 5-time winner of the UTMB; challenging, with a lot of climb.

Google-Earth-view-of-3-stages

We met in Grächen , 4 days after the Zermatt Ultramarathon for me – so I’d been doing some hiking in between and felt pretty recovered. I’d had a good run in Zermatt, finishing 11th woman and pleased with 5:41 for 45km of mountain up to 3080m at Gornergratt (including some climbs in between!). This was a chance to get some more mountain miles in my legs; not something you get much of in central London.  The group was seven strong – Martin and Mandy, a couple from Macclesfield who claimed to be walkers – but can certainly run, Marcus a good Swiss runner, David a fellow Brit, Mira Rai the Nepalese superstar (just after she won the Mont Blanc 80km and before her recent second place in the Tromso skyrace), and our guide Lizzy. We met and had dinner – all getting on well and excited about the 4 days of running ahead.

With all of our gear for the next 4 days on our backs (or in my case for the preceding 5 days as well…it was a two t-shirt week!) we set off from Grächen on the Wednesday Morning for the first stage, which isn’t going to form part of this year’s race, over to Zermatt. This stage was pretty rocky and set the scene for more to come; I had to quickly re-gain my mountain legs whilst clambering over some rocks on a pretty narrow ledge. A couple of hours in and I’d forgotten we were perched at the edge of a 2,000m+ drop to the valley floor. With the Matterhorn in sight most of the day and a visit to what is simply the most impressive ‘hut’ I’ve seen – Europahutte, with very good cake – it was a hard but rewarding day out. Some debate about how far it was – officially 36km but Garmins were saying anything up to 42km and we had a decent diversion thanks to a unpassable bridge. It was pretty late when we got to Hotel Bahnhof in Zermatt and after dinner we all got a good night’s sleep.

For the second stage we joined the route that makes up the race – passing above the race start at Cervinia and continuing to Staffal. Out of Zermatt we had a decent climb up to the Swiss border – and a fair amount of passable snow to cross into Italy. Lizzy had been there only a couple of weeks before in more snow so we were relieved it would be much less again by the time of the race. The actual route of the race (the first stage this year) is to travel up from Cervinia over Colle Superiore then Resy and Passo di Rothorn –with a fairly steep descent into Stafal.

Looking out across the Swiss-Italian border

We stayed in a super little hotel –  Nordernd – which has a good restaurant underneath (having found the only other restaurant in town didn’t have a chef we ended up back at the hotel to try it).

After an excellent breakfast we started up to Col d’Olen then stopped briefly in Alagna to pick up some supplies (lunch) and then we went up to a summer vacation spot where we saw more people than I ever imagined (turns out there’s a bus to the refuge). After leaving the hoards of Italian holidaymakers behind we started on the long climb to Colle del Turlo at 2738m – on a well made path that had been established in medieval times and military personnel had re-surfaced in the 1920s. The day’s run finished, as the second stage of the race does, in the lovely town of Macugnaga. I ran for much of the day with Mandy and Martin – with Mira and Markus ahead of us – Lizzy had told us to keep going until we got to the lake… from the top we could just about see the lake and it seemed to get no closer for a very long descent. The terrain for this section has ‘ankle-breaking’ potential in that there’s rocks and grass mixed up so you have to watch every step. On arriving at the valley floor there’s then a long stretch by the river to the lake – which we eventually reached. Mandy and I celebrated with gelato at the small cafe by the lake before setting off on the last couple of km to the hotel.

mac

Our last day (and third stage of the race) continued, as had been the case all trip, to be hot and sunny. If the race conditions are the same it’ll be great for me – I love running in the heat – but if thunderstorms set in it could be a very tough course; some of the descents were steep and rocky. My Salomon speed cross trail shoes coped well so I’ll be running in those.  The last day from Macugnaga to the finish in Grächen went over Monte Moro Pass, down to a large reservoir and then up and over to Saas Fee. It’s a long, tough final stage. Whilst some of the path around the reservoir is very run-able the climb up to Mont Moro is hands-on-knees and there’s some steps and hand-holds to help get you over the top.

coffee

Coffee break

Quick stop at Gandegghutte to re-fuel

Quick stop at Gandegghutte to re-fuel

I had a wonderful week – especially those four days running, hiking and laughing with the group. It was an absolute privilege to spend time with the Lizzy and the amazing Mira Rai – trying to keep up with her down the descent into Zermatt on the first day nearly did me in! As Lizzy put it  – it’s a beautiful and brutal route; I’m really glad I know how tough it’s going to be but I’m looking forward to seeing those mountains again!

Lizzy heading up to the border with Monte Rosa looming large

Lizzy heading up to the border with Monte Rosa looming large

Written by Kevin O'Rourke - http://ultrakev.blogspot.co.uk

Robert Young is in my opinion a living legend. Known as the MarathonMan he has completed some amazing feats including winning the Race Across America and running 370 official marathons in 365 days. These included many ultra marathons which he classed as just a marathon.

I was recently lucky enough to be included as crew for Rob's recent challenge. He was inspired by Dean Karnazes and his epic run of 350 miles without sleep and he wanted to break that record.

I was going to join Rob at the 350 mile point in Milton Keynes for the next 53 miles before I would hand over to the next pacer. This blog is a summary of that little jog we had.

My daughter had kindly agreed to take me to the meeting point on the main dual carriage way of the A5 in Milton Keynes at the MK Stadium roundabout. This was the agreed meeting point and the 350 mile marker. It was at this point the Karnazes collapsed with exhaustion and could no longer continue. Could Rob make it to this point....I had been following his progress since he started on Tuesday morning at 9.30am and it was now Friday morning at 11am.

We drove further down the road as we thought it would be fun to go Rob hunting and see where he was. I had seen on a previous crew post that he was currently between Wing and MK so I knew where he would be.

The rain was pouring down and there was Rob with 3 pacers running down the centre of a very busy dual carriageway. This road has nowhere safe to run apart from the centre but due to the appalling conditions lots of cars had been phoning the police to complain. We met Rob just before the police were asking everyone to kindly get off the centre path and move onto the far more dangerous side of the road.

A quick conversation and we left to secure the necessary McDonalds and extra strong coffee that Rob requested at the handover point.

I had never met Rob before, never even spoken to him but I felt honoured that he would allow me to run with him on this challenge and that he would let me be part of the historical miles. I had been warned that he is a bloody nice bloke as well as an amazing athlete and being a miserable old git I was sure this wouldn't be the case.

So there I was waiting in the driving rain for Rob to finally arrive, and we waited and waited and then waited some more.

He was running well, the weather was not so bad so what was happening. We got in the car again for a quick recce to find him but no ROB! Suddenly an ambulance flew past us sirens blaring and we thought the worst.

I had mentioned that the main A5 was a really busy road with no footpath and maybe he would be better off running down the old A5 Watling Street as this had paths and was a parallel road and if anything would add a mile or so to his planned journey. maybe he had decided to run this route instead. We drove up that road and still no Rob, this was getting worrying.

I quizzed the crew via the chat, kept ringing their phones but no one was answering and still no sign of him.

Then I got a message, they had stopped to play a game of Quoits in a field as you do 345 miles into a run with no sleep.

We started to race to McDonalds but the road was blocked. I decided to run there instead to buy food and coffee and asked my daughter to drive back to the meeting point. I had around 5 minutes to buy the food and run back to be there at the correct time. I ran into the most packed McDonalds ever with kids and parents queing up inside and outside in the drive through. This was a big problem but a quick conversation with Tony the manager and he very kindly gave me a bag of burgers and a coke and refused to take any money!

Rob ran up the slip road to the 350 mile point, I was expecting fireworks, high fives, screaming and shouting about his amazing achievement but in true Rob style he just said "Ah well" and sat down to eat and drink.

Crew handover at mile 350

A few handshakes of congratulations and then things got a little strange for Rob. Picture the scene, we are sitting on a main roundabout at the top of a slip road and suddenly the bushes opposite start to move and four ladies come out from the undergrowth and run over to Rob. They were some of the ladies I train in my run club and they had come out to find Rob and get a kiss and a cuddle and give him their support.

Enough of the jollies it was time to run and off we went into the unknown. I won't say I was feeling 100% happy as it was just me and Rob now, on the crazy busy dual carriageway in the driving rain. How would he be? would he stay awake? what is he collapsed on my watch! what if this and that.....the questions were endless.

I didn't need to worry as Rob was overloading on caffine now and began to tell me all about his remarkable and terrible life. We swopped a few tales and the run was becoming great fun despite the weather. he managed a steady run walk strategy and when he was running it was around 8-9 minute miling and his walk rate was 15 min pace.

Then the pain really started to kick in. his legs were suddenly not responding. I asked how he was and in typical style he said his legs hurt a little and he would love a massage but that was impossible.

Kev to the rescue! I called my great friend and superb massage therapist Sarah Nesbit  and cheekily asked if she was busy. Sarah knew what we were doing and 15 minutes later she drove past us and said she would meet us the the Stony Stratford exit by the Travel lodge. I had visions of Sarah massaging rob in the rain on a portable bed but she had somehow managed to secure a room for free where she could work on Rob! This was becoming a bit of a theme where the people and business freely gave to help this amazing man.

Sarah's magic hands
Sarah worked hard to try to ease the pain, I worked hard to keep his spirits high and to ensure he stayed awake and lucid. I had to check his feet as he had been telling me how they were the perfect example of a runners feet according to a leading expert. No blisters at all, no damage of nails just wet feet! This was crazy, how could he have 0 blisters after all this running and in soaking wet shoes. Rob explained that he looks after his feet well, yet more subtlety.

We were then joined by another one of my athletes and another runner who had been following my progress reports on the Ultra Running Community Facebook page. Helen was also an ultra runner and was fairly local and had asked me if she could join in the run.

Her addition to the run was amazing as she brought out the fun side of Rob where I was all about the running business. So off we went on the road to Towcester still on the A5 but with a path this time, what luxury! The rain continued to pour and the lorries kept us covered in spray and dirt. Rob had changed his running gear after the massage as I had brought some spares with me but we were now out of gear.

Shitty weather circa mile 365
This is where the back up crew came into play. There was no back up crew so I created one on the fly. I called my wife Julie and asked her to come and help. She brought loads of fresh kit, socks, shorts, tops and jackets. Helen called her man John and he turned up with more gear and the game was back on.

We were regularly running at 7 min miling at this stage and walking fast in between. Julie and John were driving ahead and stopping every few miles to give fresh kit or food as needed. Things were looking good.

 Stupidly I mentioned to Rob that at Towcester the back up crew had secured pork pies and sausage rolls, he launched into a 5.30 min mile pace and I started to curse him as I couldn't run that fast for a sustained period. This shows the strength of the man and what a machine he really is.

Towcester check point came and went, more new clothes were required as the waterproof jackets were useless at this stage and everything seemed to be constantly soaking wet. The night was approaching and Rob was beginning to deteriorate.

The walk breaks were getting slower, the runs slower still, he was retching, not drinking enough and in a bad way. The rain continued to pour and Helen and I continued to keep his spirits up. John and  Julie kept driving ahead every few miles and did what they could to help. Things were getting bad now as Rob has lost all sense of humour and I actually heard him say he wasn't feeling that great.

NOT FEELING THAT GREAT!

The master of humbleness and understatement as always.

Despite this discomfort Rob showed himself to be a true gent as he was more worried about Helen being hit by branches than he was about himself. As we neared the next agreed stop point Rob began to get worse. Once we go to Weedon he asked to sit in the car for a bit as he didn't feel great. His head was spinning and everything was hurting.

I was now in a real situation. I had a duty of care to Rob and had to make some very tough choices.

The next 7 miles would be all on road with nowhere to stop for us or the cars.

We had run out of dry kit and shoes and although we had food none of it was palatable at this point. Rob was dehydrated and getting worse.

His throat was very painful and he was worried about everything. I took a picture and called a Doctor friend of mine at 22.11pm. The diagnosis wasn't great but this was a telephone call and a picture that wouldn't bloody send.

We decided to call 112 the non emergency service and requested an ambulance to attend and make an assessment of Rob. Our thoughts were that if he left the scene and went to hospital the race was over but if they came to him he was still in the game. Who do you call for adjudication for records like this. Especially at 22.30pm on a Friday night.

The ambulance finally arrived, Ron was sweating and shivering. we briefed them on the situation and the assessment started.

Whilst this was being done a car pulled in and a couple got out and asked if we knew anything about a crazy runner or had seen him! It was one of Rob's old army mates and he was driving around trying to find him. I wasn't the only one playing find Rob games that day.

The ambulance crew were very concerned about Rob's heart rate and in their opinion the race was over and he was to be taken to hospital. We had a quick discussion and agreed that after 373.75 miles and around 90 hours this little jog was over.

We all followed the ambulance to the hospital and I went in to see Rob. The doctor assessing him was asking questions and Rob was saying things like "I've been for a little run". His humility even at the lowest point was superb.

The doctors were understandably concerned about his heart rate but as he is such a supreme athlete his low heart rate is natural. Throughout the time in hospital Rob continued to talk about running the Thunder Run 24 hour race the next day! This was in the original plan, run to that race then race it.

Rob did make it to the race to cheer on fellow runners and support others in his selfless way. He will be back to smash other records and is already talking about the lessons learnt from this little jog.

So what lessons did I learn and can pass on to others.

First and most important is that we truly are more capable than we think we are. Watching Rob's progress throughout the 24 or so miles I ran with him shows me this. The strength and determination he showed was truly epic and will inspire me on future runs.

The value of a crew is paramount and ensuring you have enough clothing, shoes, nutrition and drinks seems obvious but cannot be emphasised enough. That said it was crazy to see how far Rob managed to run on very little nutrition and hydration.

Some of the things I expected Rob to know about considering his recent achievements were not things he had heard of or ever considered. Things I take for granted as an ultra runner such as

Magnesium flakes for recovery and spray during running

Spirulina Energy Bits (which he tried one and hated)
Taking Paracetamol instead of Nurofen for pain (during the entire run he only took 1 tablet at my insistance)
Compression socks

Some other surprising facts
Rob also suffered from severe chafing but never once did he mention it. I offered him some BodyGlide but he politely declined despite the secret pain he must have been suffering.

Rob never swore during the entire time I was with him.

He maintained a positive attitude at all times and was grateful and a gentleman to every person he met.

There are rumours of animals spontaneously exploding as he ran past but that's for another writer to document.

I can honestly say it was one of the most rewarding runs of my life and I would run with Rob anytime of day or night if he calls upon my services again. I would encourage anyone to follow him on Twitter and Facebook and if you get the chance to run with him then seize that chance.

Finally this was all to raise money for Rob's chosen charities so please make a donation of any kind through his website at this LINK

Written by Neil Turnbull - https://thefarsideofbeyond.wordpress.com

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My plan was to start the journey at Alderbury Police Station – the most southern Police Station in Wiltshire. I would then run in the general direction of  northwards, as I zig zagged my way accross the county and visited every Police Station in Wiltshire. The distance I would cover would be a minimum of 172 miles and I aimed to do this over the 7 day period of 05 Nov to 11 Nov 2014. The real challenge wasn’t the total overall distance. The real challenge was getting up every day for 7 days and running anything from 25 to 35 miles each day. Once I had reached the final destination at Royal Wootton Bassett Police Station, I would then lay a wreath at the Rememberance Day service being held at the War Memorial  by The Royal British Legion. A simple plan.

Pre event training went well, and I managed to only sustain one minor knee injury throughout all the training miles I logged. I also took part in the Salisbury 54321 Ultra (50K) as part of my training regime. This was a fun day out amongst like minded idiots – much better than slogging out silly miles by my lonesome – see the Events Page for a report.

I entered into talks with a local company – Prosec Consultancy regarding corporate sponsorship. Once again this felt very apt as they are the preffered choice of training providers to the MOD in respect of miltary personnel leaving the Armed Forces. I spoke to Andy and Brian from the company and they came up trumps for me. They purchased all the equipment and clothing that I requested, as well as providing me with a support vehicle and driver – Kieren – for the duration of the event. My work  colleague Gav also agreed to follow me around the Wiltshire countryside for the week……..support crew sorted. I also secured free accommodation, evening meals & breakfasts from several hotels on route. Everything was in place now. Red light. Green light. Go!

Day 1 – Alderbury to Tidworth

Nov 5th quickly arrived and set off from Alderbury Police Station on what turned out to be a glorious day weather wise. I made my way to Bourne Hill, Salisbury, somewhat quicker than I had anticipated and pushed straight off and onto Wilton. Everything was plain sailing and ahead of schedule as I arrived at Wilton (is this the smallest Police Station in the world?). Once again I didn’t linger and after a quick mouthful of flapjack (courtesy of Mrs Gav) and an application of Vaseline (I forgot earlier in my haste to get started) I ventured off towards Amesbury. A bit of a fast ball then presented itself in the shape of one section of the planned route for this leg actually being a private road. None the less an alternative (and longer!!) route was quickly worked out and off I set again. Approximately 5 miles up the road I saw a burger van and instantly had to have one. A quick word with Gav and Kieren to place my order and 30 mins later I was happily munching on a big fat beef burger as I plodded through Bulford. Happy days! I reached Amesbury, refilled my water bottles, ate a bag of beef jerkey, and plowed on with the last leg of the day. It was on this leg that I started to feel the efforts of my quicker than expected start (school boy error – I REALLY should of known better!!). Both my calf muscles were cramping up and my groin began to display it’s random and sudden tendency to shoot electric bolts into my nether region. Combined they managed to slow my pace towards Tidworth somewhat. But reach Tidworth I did some 29.33 miles and 5 hours 53 mins after I started. We then jumped into the support van and headed off to The Royal Tank Regiment who accommodated us in the WO & Sgts Mess.

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Day 2  – Tidworth to Tisbury

I awoke with a pain in my left foot and a large bruise covering the top of  the foot and the shin on my left leg. I was to later discover that this bruise was not infact a bruise at all…….. but something more sinister! Seperate to that issue I had sustained an injury to my right knee (Medial Cruciate Ligament strain) during the training process, and upon the doctors advise had been wearing a knee brace on that leg during exercise.  As I set off from Tidworth I had travelled no more than 20 metres when I began questioning the ongoing wisdom of continuing to wear the brace. It was annoying, it rubbed, it was sooooo sweaty underneath it, and I wasn’t actually fully convinced of it’s benefit. Needless to say the brace came off later that day, I haven’t worn it again since, and I haven’t had any reoccurences of issues with that knee. Of more concern to me was the pain in the top of my left foot and left shin. From the get go it slowed me down somewhat. I struggled for the entire day to find any respite from the increasingly growing pain in that foot and leg. It began to rain in the afternoon (which only added to my feeling sorry for myself – poor me eh!!) and I eventually reached Tisbury in the dark after 30.95 miles.

Day 3 – Tisbury to Westbury


It was quite apparent by now that my “bruise” was growing – and spreading! It had not only travelled further up my left shin but had also jumped legs too as I now had another bruise on the right foot and shin. Never the less I set off from Tisbury and slowly (pain induced pace) headed towards Mere. The journey was a very stop/start like affair, and upon arriving in the town I made my way to the chemist  prior to getting to the police station. I bought the strongest painkillers I could without a prescription and vowed to “dose myself up and continue”. A quick coffee, pain killers administered and I left Mere Police Station and ventured forward towards Warminster. This particular stretch was crippling for me and my support crew were now beginning to question my ability to continue. I had a very serious conversation with Gav in which he was advocating taking me straight to a doctor. I won that particular sabre rattling session and continued on my not-so-merry way. Along this route many of my work colleagues from the Warminster Sector Neighbourhood Policing Team came out to cheer me on. It was a real lift for my spirits (the first of several defining moments for me).I arrived at Warminster Police Station, stopped for photos and a hand shake with my Inspector, and immedietly set of for my last destination of the day – Westbury. This leg could of (and should of) weaved it’s way via the village of Upton Scudmore, however I was in so much discomfort that I elected to take the shorter-by -several-miles route along the A350. I arrived in Westbury, still later than originally planned, and was met by my supportive spouse to be Donna. Another 32.48 miles under my belt for the day. I stayed at home that night and Gav spent the night as my guest. I was still in denial regarding the concerns that others had for the state of both my legs and feet – they were both swollen, the left more than the right. The skin was stretched and exceptionally tight, and incredibly painfull to touch. My “bruising” had also crept further up my legs. After a chinese takeway for dinner I was berated with requests from both Donna and Gav to see a doctor. I eventually relinquished and Gav took me to see a doc at Shepton Mallet Hospital. I explained to the doc what I was in the process of attempting, and as luck would have it, he was also a runner himself. He looked at both my legs and quickly diagnosed a skin infection – Cellulitis. He drew with a green  felt tip pen around the bruising (which I now knew wasn’t bruising at all  – he informed me it was the wrong colour – it was the infection itself), and told me if it gets any bigger to go back and see a doc again. He also gave me a mountain of Penicillin to take and I left happy with the fact that (A) he hadn’t stopped me from continuing, and (B) I now had medication that would make be better…………..right?

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Day 4 – Westbury to Devizes

I set off from Westbury, still in a lot of pain, but none the less feeling optimistic after the previous evenings visit to the doc. My step daughter Megan accompanied me for this leg and together we slowly made our way in the pouring rain until we arrived in Trowbridge. Megan and I parted company as I left Trowbridge Police Station but I had only travelled about a mile when Meg and Donna drove past me. The car stopped, Meg got out and said to me “I can’t leave you to run on your own  so I will run a bit further with you” (next defining moment!). We plodded on (it REALLY was a plod due to the pain constantly shooting through both my feet and legs) until we arrived in Bradford-on-Avon. At this point a lady came up to me and said “Here is a fiver – I saw you both running along the common and am glad I found you here. Keep going”. I was also met by Donna again (another defining moment) who made sure I had a hot drink and a bite to eat before I set off  for Melksham. I eventually arrived in Melksham after what seemed like a lifetime, the obligitory photo was taken, and I proceeded onwards with the speed of a youg gazelle (not!!!!) towards Devizes. I have very litle recollection of this leg beyond the memory of intense pain with each and every step. I remember climbing up a big hill as we arrived in Devizes and being glad that the day was over This had been the longest day, not in distance – it had only been 27.09 miles, but in the length of time it had taken me – 9 hours and 5 mins!!. I shared a room that night with both Gav and Kieren at The Bear Hotel in Devizes. I learnt from that night to never ever  share a room with any future support crew again. The reason for this nuggett of wisdom  –  Kieren’s non stop snoring successfully managed to keep me awake all night!

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Day 5 – Devizes to Calne

Prior to getting under way I was met outside of Devizes Police Station by my daughter Stacey and her Fiance Jon, who were both going to run with me for the day. They weren’t meant to be meeting up with me until the last day, but after several conversations over the phone with Donna they all felt that I could do with a bit of lift (defining moment again).

Despite the sunshine it was a bitter cold morning as the three of set off on our way to Pewsey. I was in the worst pain that I had been in all week and even just walking was a struggle for me. On the few occassions that I did run I could only manage about 50 metres before I had to stop and walk again. We continued on with this Death March until just short of 11am. Today was Sun 9 Nov and as such was Rememberance Sunday. Myself, Stacey, Jon, Gav, and Kieren, gathered ourselves into a huddle in a field next to the road, and observed a 2 min silence at precisely 11am. It was all very surreal the say the least.

We plodded on (plod is actually an inaccurate description of the pace I was managing – plod is way too fast) and as such we were making atrocious time – I was struggling and it was apparent to everyone around me.  Gav and Donna (via phone) were attempting to arrange a visit from a doc to assess my Cellulitis. The pain and swelling in both my feet and legs had reduced me to a highly innefective shuffle that meant after 3 hrs 35 mins I had managed the grand distance of only 8.76 miles. We stopped at Pewsey for a coffee and as a team made the decision to call it a day – for that day at least.

We made our way, in the support vehicle I will add, to The White Hart Inn in Calne which was the location of our overnight accomodation for the evening. I was joined at the hotel by Donna and Summer (our youngest of 6 years) and a plan was set to have a meal before I went off to see the doc again. In my head the doc would then give me a magic pill to take. This magic cure would instantly and immedietly reduce all the swelling and completely eradicate any and all of the pain in both of my feet and legs. This in turn would enable me to continue with the run the following morning. Ta dah!!

After a lovely Sunday roast provided by David, the Landord of the White Hart, Donna loaded me into the car and took me to Chippenham Hospital. The doc looked at both of my feet and legs, commented on the fact that the infection had continued up into both knees as well, and stated very clearly to me ” No more running. You stop now.” “What!!!!…… “Where is my magic pill” I thought to myself. She then told me that at the rate the infection was spreading it would reach my groin  and I would end up with Septicemia – very quickly! “That is a life threatening condition that will see you hospitalised. I am considering that I might still admit you anyway” she added. I then convinced her that I would abide by her instruction to cease running and rest. She supplied with me a further batch of strong Penicillin to take in addition to the batch I already had……… and I left…………….. despondent and crest fallen.

I returned to the White Hart and had a pint with Gav and Kieren, both of whom had been fantastic throughout the entire event.They really did leave me to only concentrate on running as they dashed around and were my bitches for the week!……………………….Then I simply went home. My journey was over after just a shade less than 130 miles, or if I’m being pedantic –  128.61 miles.

I followed the doctors ordered and rested the next day with my feet up. However a plan to finish the event was being formulated as I relaxed. My journey was over but others stepped in to fill the void on my behalf. Several members of my family all volunteered to run the final leg in my place (The defining moment).

At 8am on Tue 11/11/2014, Stacey, Jon, Meg, Cameron, and Josh, all departed from Malmesbury Police Station and ran as a group to Royal Wooton Bassett Police Station. They were ably supported by myself, Donna, Summer, and Meg’s boyfriend Adam, as we escorted them in our own vehicles adorned with Help for Heroes banners flapping in the wind. We all arrived in Bassett just after 10 am and gathered ourselves inside the police station for a cuppa before making our way to The War Memorial in the town centre. I joined the Remeberance Service and duley layed a wreath on behalf of Wltshire Police. Finished.

I have written a lot about being in pain and a lot about defining moments. The reasons for that are simple really. When I look back now at the feelings and thoughts I had during the event then the over riding feeling was of pain. Incredible pain in both legs. The over riding thoughts I had are of how proud I was (and still am) of all my friends and family for the support and efforts they all made in supporting me on this amazing journey.

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Written by Dan Page - http://www.danielpagerunning.co.uk

At the age of nine I was diagnosed with a disability called Perthes disease which made exercising more or less impossible. I spent weeks on end going in and out of hospital, being placed on traction and having to have a number of operations to lengthen the tendons in my groin. I had to have my hip pinned to try to increase the blood flow into my hip joint and this was followed by 6 weeks in broom stick pots. During this time I was wheel chair bound and then gradually progressed to using crutches and carrying out regular physiotherapy sessions to build up the muscles in my legs, as they were too weak to support my body weight. Perthes disease (also known as Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, or Calve Perthes disease, is a childhood disorder which affects the head of the femur (the ball of the ball and socket joint of the hip). In Perthes disease the blood supply to the growth plate of the bone at the end of the femur (called the epiphysis) becomes inadequate. As a result the bone softens and breaks down. The specialists told me that I would never be able to lead a fully active lifestyle due to the shorting of my leg and the weakness within my hip joint but  I stayed positive and tried to be as active as possible throughout my teenage years. I played as much football as my hip could handle and at the age of  eighteen I was finally discharged from the hospital.

I continued to play football until my early twenties but then my activity levels decreased and I put on a considerable amount of weight, but never really looked at myself as overweight. Looking back at the old me I was overweight and unfit, weighing four stone heavier than my current weight. A few of you might have seen the Fat Dan picture on Facebook. I eventually lost interest in playing football, I started to spend more time walking in the National Parks with my two boxer dogs and good friend Dan Milton. I gained an interest in walking challenges and completed the National 3 Peaks, Yorkshire 3 Peaks and the Lyke Wake Walk. This is where I developed my base fitness before embarking on the crazy challenge of running 100 miles in the Lake District.

 In 2012 we received some bad news about a close family member being diagnosed with cancer, I made the decision to sign up for the 2013 Ultra Tour of the Lake District, a 100 mile race in the Lake District for Cancer Research UK. I had to start running to get fitter to make sure I completed the race. A few months passed with me running on the local trails and then I decided I needed to join a running club to get some help and advice. After searching the internet I found a couple of local clubs and decided to join Clowne Road Runners. On my first training session I met Andy Ward who advised me to get in touch with Dave Tune at Blizard Physiotherapy and have a Lactate Threshold Test done, if I was going to take the 100 mile race serious.

On meeting Dave I was really impressed with how professional he was and his knowledge of training was fantastic. He made feel totally at easy and took the time to listen to me and explain everything, as there was so much information to take on board. A lot of the talk went over my head but he made sure I fully understood everything before I left. I told him my short term and long term goals so he could tailor the test and training to my needs. On completing the test he said that my running style and results suggested that I would be more suited to running on the roads and over marathon distance and not at ultras. Dave was confident he could have me running a 2hr 40 min marathon with the right training and support, I laughed at this statement as I never thought it would be possible as I was struggling to run 10min/ miles at the time. Even when I was playing football I was never renowned for my running.

 After my test I was given my training zones and a training plan to help me complete my 100 mile race. As the miles increased the support from Dave also increased and so did my confidence. I completed the race well inside the cut off limit and was one of the 25% to complete raising over £2,089 excluding gift aid in the process. I took advice on how to recover properly before going back to see Dave and having my training zones re- tested. We were both surprised to see how much I had improved. We sat down and chatted about moving to a road marathon and what I would have to do. We looked at how I would be able to achieve the target time he originally set of a 2:40 marathon and Dave was really confident that if I committed to a 6 month training plan he could get me running really well on the roads. I was a little unsure as I didn’t see myself as a runner but I made a commitment that I would finish the ultras off I had planned before taking a month’s recovery. This would put me in a good place to start on a strict plan that Dave would tailor to my needs. The plan allowed me to carry on progressing and to meet the milestones set along the journey and also ensured that I would be on track for the 2:40.

We decided that the Edinburgh Marathon would be my target race. I started off with a month’s threshold training to build my strength and get my body used to training on the roads. I had never done a lot of miles on the road before and I found that it was taking a lot out of my body. I kept in touch with Dave and he supported me throughout this time. At times I felt like I was contacting him too much but he assured me that he actually felt that I needed to have more contact with him, so that he could monitor my progress and guide me through. We identified 4 build-up races that would give me enough time to train and recovery properly. These races allowed us to monitor my improvement. I was instructed what I needed to do in the weeks prior to the race and how much recovery time I would need once each race had been completed. The week before each race I was given a predicted time that Dave thought I was going to run based around the information he had gathered from my training runs. The predictions proved to be correct every time, even though I often doubted my own ability to achieve them.

In six months I went from running a 5k in 19:02 to 16:16, 10k in 38:56 to 34:29, ½ marathon 78:11 to 73:45, producing times I never imagined possible. A few weeks before my first ever marathon I went back to have my Lactate Tests done. This time we looked at my capacity to run at the speeds around my predicted marathon pace to establish how my body would react. From this information we were able to put together a race plan that allowed me to run my perfect marathon.

The extra support I got in the final few weeks really helped, as I was over analysing everything and worrying that I wasn’t doing enough. With Edinburgh being my first marathon I didn’t have a clue about tapering but this was all taken care of. I believe I was in the shape of my life and feeling very confident on race day, maybe too confident as I set off a little too quickly in the early stages. At twenty miles my legs felt heavy, my mind was telling me it would be ok to walk for a while but as the finish line got closer, the crowds got bigger and there was no way I was going to give up. All of the very early cold, wet, windy mornings spent training weren’t going to be for nothing. I crossed the finish line in 2:42:27.

Without all of the information and support I received from Dave and his team I strongly believe that I wouldn’t have run a 2hr 42min marathon on my first attempt in addition I also qualified for a championship place in the London Marathon 2015.

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My 18 week training plan for Edinburgh will follow……

Keep up-to-date  with blog updates by following my Facebook page Dan Page Running

Follow my daily running on Strava https://www.strava.com/athletes/977631

Written by Mark Enser - http://herbifit.com

I run through the mud, low branches whipping at my legs and others aimed at my head. I dodge through the trees as my eyes scan ahead hoping to find a break in the vegetation that will let me find a path or at least an opening that will let me get my barings. It wasn’t suppose to to be like this. I had set out for a short run along a track through the forest, somewhere I have run dozens of times before but this time I spotted something new. A small trail leaving the main path and waking off through the forest. How could I resist. Now I am lost. The trail must have stopped being a trail a few meters in and turned into nothing more than deceptively straight gaps between the trees. My legs are starting to tire and I wish I had brought more to drink. So, why do I do these crazy things? Why not stick to the safe and easy roads and parks? A million reasons but here are my top five.
1. Peace. Few places are as peaceful as the top of the South Downs or deep in a wood at dawn or dusk. Few people want to use these magical places and there is enough space to lose yourself. After sitting in a car on a long commute and being surrounded by people all day the last thing I need is to dodge the traffic and crowds on my runs.
2. Fitness. Trails make you strong. Paths are constantly undulating (by which I mean endless hills, and oddly more ups than down) and hill work builds good form and powerful.legs. Hill work gives you speed when, or if, you get back to the roads.
3. Injury. Running on the roads usually means hitting the same part of your foot at the same force time after time. On the trails you are forced to change your gait and cadence with every step and avoid the worst of those repetative injuries.
4. Wildlife. Last time I went trail running I saw.a pair of buzzards circling over a valley sending rabbits in all directions. I saw a fox out hunting and pheasants bursting through the undergrowth. These things break up a run. They give you a reason to pause and take in your surrounding. Last time I ran on the roads I saw a rat. Eating sick.
5. Freedom. When I run on the roads I feel constrained. I follow lines, wait for traffic and stick to a route. When I run on the trails I have an adventure. I find new paths and streams to follow. I discover new routes between sleepy villages and new views around every turn. I feel free.
Eventually I come out of the trees and on to a path I recognise. I can see the sea off in the distance and know that direction will bring me home to a hot mug.of tea and a rock bun (trail runners fuel of choice). I head off down the path but then I see a trail through the trees. At least, I think its a trail…

Written by Jez Bragg - http://jezbragg.blogspot.fr

I knew it would be tight, but didn't quite imagine it would be that tight. Adrian Belton's record stood since 1989, and for very good reasons. It was a famously solid record illustrated by the fact that no one has really come close to threatening it in 26 years. 
 
I wasn't really sure I would be able to change that, but you don't know until you try, and I knew full well this could be my one and only opportunity to (a) complete a Ramsay Round, and (b) lay down a solid time. So I prepared a schedule to get me round a few minutes inside the record (shared only with my support team), and set off from Glen Nevis Youth Hostel at 0300hrs yesterday in near perfect conditions - blue skies and just a slight breeze on the tops. The opportunity was there.
 
I was 20 minutes up after Leg 1 and feeling confident and in control, but the heat in the middle part of the day sapped my strength and chewed away at the 20 minutes to the extent that I was only on par with schedule at the end of Leg 2. No contingency time to play with at all, and some ambitious split times to achieve on the final Leg across Mamores involving 11 munros. It would be quite some battle to get the job done.
 
As a result the intensity of the whole experience cranked up significantly on Leg 3 - I clawed back a few minutes here and there - but in reality I was right on the cusp and it could have gone either way. 
 
With the margins so tight I kept thinking what it would feel like to miss out by a few minutes - it would be a difficult thing to live with. I genuinely didn't know the record was achievable until the second half of the descent off the final summit, Mullach nan Coirean. I've never thrown myself down a mountain so recklessly, but boy was it worth it. In training I ran the last split in just over 60mins, the schedule said 55mins, and we ran it in 49mins. That's what adrenaline does for you.
 
I arrived back to the Youth Hostel and the record was mine - 18hrs 12mins - knocking 11mins off Adrian's time.
 
It's impossible to put into words the emotions involved in a run like that, and how it felt at the end. A huge relief obviously, but it was an experience so epic and dramatic that it's almost too much to digest. I guess in time that will happen and I will gain a bit more perspective, but all things considered it certainly feels like a real career highlight.
 
I will put together a more detailed write up in the next few days along with some insights from my support guys, but for now I just want to say a massive thank you to my brilliant team who made it all possible:
 
Leg 1: Cam Burt, Chris Busby
Leg 2: Olly Stephenson
Leg 3: Jon Gay & Graham Nash
Static Support: Gemma Bragg, Charlie Ramsay, Murdo McEwan & Anna Busby.
 
Selection of photos (Photo Credits: Olly Stephenson, Cameron Burt & Gemma Bragg)
 
 
 

 
 

 
 







 

 

Written by Lee Masters

St Davids coast path marathon in the far western reaches of wales is a toughy but is well worth the trip from Bristol. This was to be my 37th distance event.

The majority of these were marathons, a couple of  multidayers and Dartmoor Discovery & Beacons ultra both on 2 occasions so knew what to expect on my 2nd running of this gloriously scenic event.

The first half of the race went well, a gentle pace with the intention of having a good day out. At around 14 miles I was starting to struggle slightly with sore legs, I sent my other half on her way as I didn’t want to hold her up. Approaching the marshall station at 15 miles I decided enough was enough as I was really starting to struggle. The intention was to advise a marshal that I was pulling out and warm down in the 2 miles back to race HQ. As I approached the marshal station I had what I can only describe as severe heartburn. This was not a major concern as I had had this on and off for the past week but had no symptoms on race day until this point.

I sat in a hut at the marshal station (Whitesands beach – On any other day this would have been an idyllic setting for a breather) within 10 minutes my heart burn had become agonising and so the call was made by the marshals to get the medic who was on duties at the event on the day.

Within what felt like hours but was probably little more than 10 minutes I was led down & aspirined up by the paramedic and wired up to an ECG machine. The results looked a bit suspicious but at the time were thought to be due to the effort of running 15 miles with what looked like a chest infection. An ambulance crew was called in to be safe and I was transferred to the ambulance to be taken to Haverfordwest Hospital for tests. My ECG details were passed to the cardiac unit at Swansea Morriston Hospital for their opinion and my gentle journey to Haverfordwest was interrupted by a call from Swansea asking for blue lights straight to their unit (Watch out for the speed bump outside the hospital – brutal). This was a concern for me as even though I was on pain killers I was on my phone in contact with family & leaving messages with other colleagues who were at the event.

Swansea was a surreal experience. In short sign a form, catheter in arm, clot vacuumed out (& presented), stent fitted then wheeled to another room for cheese & pickle sandwich, chocolate cake and a much needed cup of tea. Had it sunk in that I had actually had a heart attack and I had watched the whole operation procedure on live x-ray, granted ex-smoker and diet full of snacks but I’m pretty fit & 41 years old. Even the cardiologist was a bit gutted for me. Just seems like I had a freak incident and was just very unlucky. Blood pumping due to the event which pulled a bit of plaque from the artery wall and caused the clot. (Don’t panic all you runners – this was a rare occurrence)

Swansea staff were superb and I was referred to as the athlete which was a nice touch but also made me a bit down as I immediately wondered if I would get to do events again. A few “inmates” couldn’t find any news articles in the local papers. We then collectively agreed it’s probably  because normally heart attacks in marathons are only news worthy if the end story is bad news. Maybe I was lucky.

The last few weeks have been hard. Family, Friends and my good lady have been wonderful. Even though I’m the one who had the attack the thoughts of will it happen again, what do I do now, does he need babysitting have been through everyone’s mind let alone my own.

Despite various clerical issues & waiting lists (Long story and not going to get political here) I will eventually have more tests to confirm the damage done (Low EF a few days after for those in the know) and will be sent on a rehab course. Although I am a phone call away from support there is little  (if anything) for family, friends. It is quite scary how much this affects those close to me & believe me they don’t know how much their support has helped.

I am spending a lot of my time at the moment going for walks. Guide is brisk walking and not get too much out of breath. I am hoping that as I seem to be doing this with no serious issues that my pre attack fitness has given me a head start on the way to recovery. I have also cancelled Outlaw triathlon & lakes in a day this year so that I don’t put pressure on myself. If I can get back to St Davids next year to finish the event (They do a half as well passing through my DNF spot) I will be a happy boy
 

Lee Masters

Written by Jules Roberts - virginmoneygiving.com/homelessrun

Jules Roberts
Jules Roberts carried a 10-kilo pack and slept rough on his run from London to Alsager, near Crewe, just before Christmas.

It was 11pm on 22 December. Dinner had consisted of two scotch eggs, a packet of pork scratchings, a lump of cheddar and a couple of oatcake biscuits. Hardly the best fuel to help my legs recover, having run 120 miles in the previous 40 hours and still with a significant distance to go. I was crawling into my bivi bag, lying on the cold floor of a pub car park on the outskirts of Tamworth. The smell of urine was overwhelming. It was my second night sleeping rough and I was beginning to wonder what I was doing.

A couple of months previously, I’d seen an announcement on Facebook from my favourite charity, Walking with the Wounded. They were launching this year’s Walking Home for Christmas campaign, which encourages people to walk home from their office in the runup to Christmas. This year the money raised was going to help homeless former servicemen and women. One in 10 homeless people in the UK used to serve in our forces. This statistic really hit me and I decided that I was going to get involved. As I’m an experienced ultramarathon runner, running the three miles home from my office wouldn’t grab anyone’s attention. I was, however, going to my parents’ home in Alsager near Crewe for Christmas – 160 miles away. Plan made: I would run back to their house over three days and, in keeping with the homeless theme, would carry all my kit, and sleep rough en route. Before I could back out, I put a statement of intent on social media, and that was it. No way out …

At 8am on 21 December, I was outside my office in central London. I was going to be joined for the first 20 miles by ultrarunning legend Pete Chandler, five-time finisher of the 145-mile Grand Union Canal Race. This was a man I needed to listen to for tips. We set off, central London eerily quiet early on a Sunday morning. My bag, which weighed 10 kilos, immediately started digging into my shoulders and rubbing my lower back. This was going to be a long three days. Mercifully, the weather was compliant: cold, yet dry. We cruised up Edgware Road, heading out of London; we crossed a motorway and whooped with excitement having crossed the M25 and therefore “left” London. Only 15 minutes later did I realise it was the M1 and we had some way to go until the M25. Never mind. In almost no time we had hit St Albans, Pete’s stopping point. A quick embrace, obligatory selfie and he was gone.

Then the slog started. Once I hit the other side of St Albans, it was on to the busy A5 and head on into traffic. I simply had to plug away. I hit Dunstable and a car pulled over; a couple thrust £20 into my hand, which really cheered me on. The boost was huge, my pack felt featherweight, and I sprung off again. Time to resupply on liquids again, and a McDonalds appeared. I knew I was short on calories and needed some caffeine so I created what at the time I thought was the world’s best sports drink. A large chocolate milkshake, supplemented with two double espressos and two packets of salt. Mix, stir and drink. I felt great for 30 minutes, then the effects of four shots of espresso kicked in. Wow. Maybe not the world’s best sports drink after all.

Darkness fell and I still had a long way to go to hit my target of 60 miles for the day. Perhaps starting my run on the shortest day of the year wasn’t the smartest idea. I hit the double marathon mark in just under nine hours. Pleased with this, I updated Twitter accordingly. Seconds later, there was a message from Pete: “Slow down mate, you’ve got a long way yet.” I was not going to ignore his advice, so made the decision to walk for the rest of the day. Plodding along the A5 dodging traffic was not much fun.

60 miles came up, and time to find a spot to sleep. I jumped a hedge into a field and settled down for my dinner of cheese, pork scratchings and whisky miniatures. I was cold, so cold. I struggled to get to sleep with the noise of the A5 ringing in my ears and nagging thoughts of foxes. I had seen a lot dead on the roadside. Was I in a fox-heavy area? Would they come for my food, or my face? In the early hours of the morning, something cold and wet touched my nose. A fox? Jumping up ready to do battle, I quickly realised it was the toggle from my bivi bag. It was not a good night’s sleep.

At 6.30am, I heard a “Helllloooooooooo” cutting through the inky black of the night. My friend, Christine, had come to join me for the morning. She brought coffee and sausages with her. Fortified by these and a quick radio interview, we set off. Slowly.

Day two was always going to be the worst. My legs felt like lead. The pavement on the A5 went, and we were running towards traffic on busy roads. We did not make many friends with the drivers. Christine’s energy kept my spirits high and I was desperate to absorb some through osmosis but alas, it did not happen. After about 20 miles and a lot of moaning from me, she had to go home, so we said our farewells and away I went, playing chicken with the entire Eddie Stobart fleet. I eventually conceded defeat. Google maps might think it is OK to run head on into traffic on a pathless dual carriageway, but I certainly didn’t find it OK and I am not sure what the police would have said. I pulled out the maps. The original route was the shortest way possible so this would add on distance, but safety first. At least I’d get on to some slightly more scenic roads.

Several hours of trudging through the darkness later, and another 60 miles down, I found myself in Tamworth. Only 45 miles to the finish. But my primary concern was where to sleep. Should I push on up the road to get further out of town? At this point, my legs gave me the answer. I couldn’t move. It had to be as close as possible. Pub car park it was, then …

As I was questioning why I was doing this, I remembered: “I am running home for those who served our country and don’t have a home to run to.” That sobering thought put an end to my moaning and I drifted off. At 3am, the pub landlord woke me up. “Uh oh, he doesn’t look happy” was my first thought. Then he picked up my bag and walked off with it. “You’re NOT sleeping out here before Christmas mate, you are sleeping on my floor.” Three hours of blissful warmth were shattered by my alarm. Today was the last day, a big day. Time to get moving. I got the head torch on and set off in the dark.

Finally off the A5, I was running along the A51, the adrenaline of the final day had kicked in and I was moving well. Then, I saw a vision of beauty. Karl Hinett, a good friend, running legend and Walking with the Wounded veteran had come to join me for a few miles. Karl was badly injured in 2005 in Iraq by a petrol bomb and his recovery and outlook on life are truly inspirational. The word “hero” has lost its meaning these days, being applied to goal-scoring footballers, but Karl is the true definition of a hero. Having him join me lifted my spirits and we ran along catching up about some of our running plans for next year, his immortalisation in a Grayson Perry work of art, and his lovely new wife. The miles flew by, then time for him to go. Another embrace and selfie, and Karl took off the way we came. Moving a lot faster this time!

Jules Roberts
Jules Roberts bedding down for the night during his epic journey.

My pace dropped, the novelty of running with a 10-kilo bag had really started to wear thin. My back was raw and bruised. My knees were stiff. I was still really struggling to eat, managing one energy gel an hour. My body was screaming at me, everything hurt, I was depleted, broken down, but I was still moving and I only had 35 miles to go. Easy. I rounded a corner and a cyclist veered off the road. “Hi, Dad, nice of you to join me.” My dad had rode down to keep me going. “Eh, lad, this is meant to be a run, not a walk, get moving.” It was a great few hours, father and son, talking about why I was doing this, and he updating me on how well fundraising had gone.

When it was time for him to leave, I had 15 miles to go and I was seriously motivated to get it done, but the pain in my knee was horrendous. I was reduced to a walk. Jogging was too painful. I resigned myself to the fact it was going to be four hours until I finished, so plugged along. Darkness fell again, it started to rain. At this point, I didn’t care. Alsager approached, one mile to go. I got to the top of my road, almost home … and the railway crossing barriers came down to let the London-Crewe train go past. The train I usually get.

I got to my parents’ house and they were waiting outside. A hug, a laugh and a quick reflection on the epic 165-mile journey, but this wasn’t the finish – the pub was 200m away. It was probably the slowest 200m I have ever covered.

I managed three pints before I started to drift off, but that was long enough to briefly reflect. What an experience. I am a veteran of many ultramarathons, but this was the hardest I have ever done. The monotony and danger of running on the roads, the heavy bag, not being able to eat. Normally in a race, the lows are offset by highs, but the second day was such a constant low, it was a battle to get through. But the corresponding high at the end cancelled out all of the suffering. I have been blown away by the generosity of the public. People I have never met going online, stopping me in the street and donating. My friends and family have been incredible, too. This is what Christmas is really about: not the consumption, but doing something for others and feeling good about it. This is the best Christmas present I have ever given myself.

If you wish to donate go to virginmoneygiving.com/homelessrun

Written by Matthew Hearne - http://www.svp100.co.uk

Everyone loved Paddington Bear when they were a child, right?! Well, imagine my excitement when I found out that Paddington Bear was coming to London in the form of statues scattered throughout the city, designed by various celebrities.

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In celebration of London’s art, culture and innovation, and the release of Paddington the movie – visitlondon.com, the NSPCC (National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) and STUDIOCANAL presented The Paddington Trail from November to December 2014. They distributed over 50 bears across London close to museums, parks, shops and key landmarks.

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I kept on seeing photographs of various friends with the statues on Facebook. They were clearly a popular attraction, as the bear near my office in Bank was always surrounded by people taking their photograph with him. One day, I saw that a small group of friends from the Serpentine Running Club had been for a jog around a number of the bears, and that made me think…I wonder if anyone has managed to visit every single statue in a single day on foot. ‘No’ was the answer (after all, who would be so crazy?), so I decided to use my SVP100 Race Director experience to arrange a run with a few friends.

The first challenge was to determine the optimal route and distance between all of the bears to see whether it was indeed possible. After downloading the Paddington Trail brochure, I set about capturing the postcode location of each bear. Having completed a Masters degree in Geographic Information Science many moons ago, I knew it was going to be possible to create a map of all the points. However, I also knew that it was going to be incredibly challenging to determine the optimal route. Just look up ‘Travelling Salesman Problem’ on the Internet, and you will see the mathematical complexities involved, particularly with over 50 bear locations.

With the help of an ultra running friend (Rob Whitmarsh) from the Serpentine RC, and another friend from the Datchet Dashers (Jonathan Davies), we set about trying to determine a route between the locations. We came up with a few suggestions, with an overall distance of ~50 miles. As such, it sounded feasible as a run, but I really wanted to sense check the route. To do this, I contacted a former employer called Geoplan, who specialise in spatial problem solving. They very kindly took my list of postcode locations and provided a suggestion for the optimal order of bears. This was fortunately very close to one of our original ideas, so we fine tuned our route and calculated that the run would actually be closer to 48 miles.

Ideally we would have started out at Heathrow T5, the location of the most Westerly bear. However, some of the bears located near the O2 Arena (the most Easterly location) were only accessible up until 5pm in the evening. Given the time constraints, we decided it would be more sensible to start at the O2 Arena and finish at Heathrow. That way, we could see most of the outdoor bears in daylight hours.

So, the next thing…would anyone actually be interested in running around all the bears? I set up a Facebook event and socialised the idea on the Ultrarunning Community page, in addition to emailing the Serpentine RC. I was amazed by the enthusiastic response I received, and within a couple of days it appeared that I was not going to be running alone. Richard Cranswick had also shared the event with the Social Ultra community, and word started spreading. At one point, people started signing up at such a fast rate, it was necessary to change the privacy settings on Facebook as I was worried about the logistics of having too many people running through London.

With the popularity of the concept growing, I decided that I’d need a small team to help out on the day, along with an objective for the run itself. My enthusiastic friends Rob and Jonathan kindly volunteered their services, in addition to a chap from the Clapham Chasers running club called Adam Marcinowicz, who had previously cycled around every single bear. With Adam’s expert knowledge of the bear locations, Jonathan’s expert navigation skills, and Rob’s creative flair with a camera, we were ready to tackle the challenge. Given that the bears were going to be auctioned off in order to raise money for the NSPCC, it was also a good idea for us to try and raise a little money for this charity whilst we were running. As such, I had responsibility for the social media side of things, Tweeting throughout the day under #marmaladerun with the link to our fundraising page.

We met on a bitterly cold Sunday morning on the 28th December, just outside the O2 Arena, unsure of how many people would actually turn up to participate. After negotiating with the security on the door to the arena, we were kindly let into the warmth to hang out by the coffee shop. Within a short space of time we started to see others dressed in fluorescent clothing, clearly there to join us. By 9am, we had a nice group form, and clad in the bright green colours of the NSPCC, we set off to find the first couple of bears within the O2.

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I could give you a very insightful breakdown of our progress throughout the day, but I’ll spare you the detail. However, our route can be seen in the map towards the bottom of this page.

As we started running between the bears, we began picking up other runners. We all felt a bit like Forrest Gump in the scene where he is running across the US. At one point, there were 23 of us, which was a really nice number of runners to manage. Many more than that and it could have become problematic keeping everyone together. The group contained quite a mixture of capabilities, ranging from seasoned ultra runners, to those who had not really run further than a half marathon before. I’m not sure whether it was the excitement of seeing all the bears, or simply the excellent camaraderie on the day, but the miles flew by. Before long I heard people saying “this is the furthest I’ve ever run” and the bears certainly motivated one of the runners (David Evans) to complete his first ever ultra distance (i.e. over 26.2 miles).

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So, to try and keep this write-up as short as possible, I’ll summarise my personal highlights and a few of the more difficult moments.

Highlights:

  • - The beautiful sunny weather, with clear blue skies;
  • - Having such a happy, friendly group of people to run with, representing a range of running clubs;
  • - Taking in so many amazing sights around London on a single day;
  • - Knowing that we were receiving sponsorship money whilst running around the bears;
  • - Seeing some friends run their longest distances ever;
  • - The huge smiles on our faces as we hugged the bears;
  • - The support from the general public along the way;
  • - The warm reception provided by our fellow runners as we arrived at Heathrow;
  • - The free food and drinks kindly provided by The Five Tuns in Heathrow Airport T5;
  • - Seeing all the Paddington bears in one day!

Tougher moments:

  • - Hanging around Greenwich Observatory at 9:30am, waiting for the doors to open;
  • - Navigating through the crowds of tourists and performers in Covent Garden;
  • - Leaving the penultimate bear in Chelsea knowing that there was a long stretch out towards Heathrow along a motorway;
  • - Trying to eat a frozen chocolate bar around 45 miles into the run;
  • - Running along a grassy verge whilst ducking under road signs on the approach to Heathrow T5.

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All in all, the run was almost exactly 49 miles in length (you can see the route below). Jonathan and I arrived at Heathrow T5 after 10 hours and 15 minutes worth of running, and Adam arrived approximately 50 minutes later. We had visited a total of 56 Paddington bears, with photographs taken at each location. It had been a fantastic day, and we were lucky to have been joined for most of the run by a lovely group of runners. Everyone thoroughly enjoyed the challenge and there is now talk of doing something similar around Shaun the Sheep in London and Bristol! Paddington Bear, you have inspired us!

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If you enjoyed reading about this challenge, please feel free to donate to NSPCC through the following link: https://www.justgiving.com/teams/Marmalade