Written by Lizzy Dyson

This event was my first tentative foray into the world of ultramarathons. I had run my first marathon 2 years ago, coincidentally at this event too and I was keen to try something longer. I’d spent the spring and summer of 2016 training for a marathon in September, which I then followed with two more in October and December, so I was feeling relatively well prepared.

The evening before the race Bobby turned up at my house. I’d got in touch with Bobby through the event’s Facebook page as I’d seen a message from him on there saying that he was planning on getting a train to Totnes but couldn’t work out how to get to the race start from there. To cut a long story short he ended up staying round my house as it seemed the easiest way for us both to get to the race without getting out of bed any earlier than we already had to. Bobby was in the UK having flown over from the USA, on his way to running the Kilimanjaro marathon. Devon didn’t exactly seem to be on the way to me, but anyway, here he was.

It didn’t feel like I slept much that night. I couldn’t stop thinking about the race and the hours crawled by. In the end I got up at 4am because I was bored of lying in bed and I was hungry! We left the house at 5.40am and drove down to Chillington. It’s only about 30 miles but the roads are small and windy so it took an hour to get down there. The car thermometer was reading just under 0C. The marshals directed us to park on a residential street, then we got on a minibus which would take us down to the event HQ. It felt a bit surreal having all these people emerge from the darkness and converge on this bus. Once it was full we set off for the final 3 miles down some very windy and steep lanes. It was just starting to get light and we could see the sea ahead of us, and the lighthouse out on Start Point. At the event HQ there were a couple of big marquees and a very efficient system where you worked your way down the line collecting your race number, electronic dibber, Clif bar, and t-shirt in turn. Registration closed half an hour before the race brief started so I had plenty of time to drink the coffee and eat my second breakfast (a sandwich with Lotus biscuit spread and gooseberry jam!) that’d I’d brought with me.

The start was at 8.30am and it was uphill right from the beginning, a long slog up a grassy field. After so long standing around in the cold it felt like hard work and my immediate thought was “Oh no! I’m really unfit....I’m never going to make it”. I banished these stupid thoughts and as the path levelled off it began to feel a lot easier unsurprisingly! We were out onto the coast path and the view was glorious. The sun was out and the waves were crashing against the rocks below us. There were only around 125 runners so we soon spread out a bit and even though the path was pretty narrow I didn’t feel like I was being held up, or that I was holding others up. We wound our way around the coast on the cliff edge. Some of the path was quite technical and rocky so you really had to watch your footing. I kept looking up and around me to take in the amazing views. I found it easy to settle into a very comfortable pace, trying to ignore what the others around me were doing so I didn’t get caught up in going too fast. We rounded Start Point, and then Prawle Point. The path was undulating but the hills weren’t very long. I walked the bits of the uphills that felt like hard work, but didn’t worry too much about which bits I ran, and which bits I walked. After around 10 miles the coast path started to head up the estuary towards Salcombe, which we could see across the water. At 11 miles I reached the first checkpoint, almost 1/3 of the way round and I was feeling good. At the checkpoint they had jelly babies, custard creams, and cut up bits of Clif bar. I took a small selection and set straight off again, munching as I went. The course looped back inland before rejoining a section of the coast path that we’d already run along. It was good to be back on the coast, but a little tricky as we were now running in the opposite direction to the outward bound runners who were a mix of the ultra runners towards the back of the field, and the front of the marathon field who’d started 30 minutes behind us. The path was often only wide enough for one person so you’d have to make a quick decision as to whether you were going to let the other person pass, or they were going to let you pass! I spotted Bobby at this point, he had a big smile on his face and I was glad he was enjoying it too! I made it through without mishap and then headed back inland up to East Prawle.

The second checkpoint was here with the same selection of food as the first. I had another custard cream and some more jelly babies and jogged onwards. This next section was a mixture of country lanes, boggy bridle paths and footpaths across fields. There were some longer hills on this section, and I walked quite a few of these. There were lovely views across the countryside and I was feeling very cheerful. At 19 miles I arrived at an intermediate water stop. I’d finally almost drained one of my 500ml bottles so a marshal filled it back up for me from a watering can! I took a few jelly babies and onwards I went. At this point the route had looped back on itself so we were just above the event HQ, although you couldn’t see it. So now for the northern loop! More pretty hamlets, country lanes and bridle paths. The route descended to Stokenham, crossed the main road, then there was a long slog up the hill on the other side. I remembered this hill well from when I did the marathon here 2 years ago. It was at this point that I started to feel really tired. Luckily this time I was still feeling really good and very happy to be out running. It had clouded over and all of a sudden I felt a bit chilly. Normally in a race I’d just carry on and deal with it, but I was mindful of the fact that I still had a long way to go and I should look after myself, so I put my gloves on. It sounds silly, especially seeing as they were in a pocket so I didn’t even have to stop to put them on, but it can be so easy to just ignore these things and carry on.

There was another long descent down towards Slapton, including some slippery board walks through a wood. Just after the village was the next checkpoint. I dibbed in and again there were jelly babies and custard creams. It’s a good thing I’m easily pleased! The next section was dead flat for at least a mile which was a very unusual sensation. The path ran alongside the road at Slapton Sands. I finished my custard cream and jelly babies but realised I was still hungry, so I ate an energy bar that I’d made, mostly from nuts and dates. I actually carried around a huge picnic with me for the whole event but this was the only thing I ate from it! I arrived in Torcross and jogged past people enjoying coffee and cake outside a beachfront cafe. It did look rather tempting but I carried on. Up a lot of steps...down a lot of steps, and there was the village of Beesands. It’s a tiny village and it was full of runners who’d already finished. This event has 4 distances altogether; 10k, half-marathon, marathon and ultra. The 10k runners and half-marathon had all mostly finished by this point. I weaved by way around the people and cars, then rejoined the coast path heading west again. At this point the route passes the event HQ field, and there was a signpost; right for finish, left for ultra. This must be a very challenging point for anyone not feeling good, but the thought of finishing here didn’t even cross my mind. I was still having fun!

So I carried on, now retracing my steps from several hours earlier. It was cloudy now but still beautiful along the coast path and I was really enjoying the views again. I rounded Start Point, then turned off inland, now following the signs for the 10k race. Here was the final checkpoint, and luckily still with some jelly babies, and you guessed it, a final custard cream of the day. Not far from here I rejoined my route from earlier and started to see some more runners. These were mostly marathon runners with a couple of half-marathon runners too. I’d been running on my own for the majority of the event so it was really nice to talk to some people. Someone asked me how many hills there were left for them. I wasn’t really sure what to say so I went with “a few!”. I arrived back at the water stop where I’d had my bottle refilled with the watering can. This time instead of carrying straight on with the other runners I turned off right and back towards the coast. From here it was a glorious mile of easy downhill running through fields. I rounded a corner and could see the sea laid out in front of me, and the field with the finish line in down below. I felt amazing and flew down the path, over taking people who were finishing the half-marathon course. This was the field that I’d slogged my way up first thing this morning, feeling unfit and sluggish. I now bounded down it...or at least that’s what it felt like! I crossed the finish line and I could finally stop.

I dibbed in, was given a Clif bar, my results print-out, and had my mandatory kit checked. I was 7th overall and 1st woman in 5:39! I got changed as soon as I could, and I was just sorting my stuff out when Jon, my husband arrived. He’d cycled down from home to see me finish, but I’d underestimated my finishing time so he didn’t see the actual finish. He’d had a nice ride though! I ate some of my picnic that I’d been carrying around all day with me, and we waited in the marquee. The windy was picking up and the sky was turning dark. It wasn’t looking very appealing outside anymore. I couldn’t see Bobby anywhere, he’d been doing the marathon course. I thought he might be in the pub keeping warm, so I sent him a text. I wanted to wait around for the prize presentation anyway so I wasn’t too worried. After not too long I spotted him, he’d just finished. I don’t think he’d expected it to be quite so hilly as it was, but he’d had a good time and that was the main thing!

The sky was looking very ominous, so Jon went to collect the car. Once the top 3 women had finished we had the prize presentation. The men had had theirs earlier so it was a very select affair; the 3 women, Bobby, and a friend of one of the women. Just after the prize presentation it began to chuck it down with rain. We hastily retreated back into the marquee to wait for Jon. I felt very sorry for the runners still out on the course, but the marshals at the finishing line did an amazing job cheering every runner back in, despite the rain. Jon arrived and we bundled into the car. Bobby was getting the train back to London that afternoon as he had a flight early the following morning. We dropped him off at Totnes and waved him goodbye. I didn’t envy him having to sit on the train, then sleep in the airport tonight. My plan was a hot shower and then putting my feet up on the sofa for the evening!

So all in all I really enjoyed my first ultra.