I travelled down the day before to stay in a small B&B in a little village called Ipsley, just a few miles out from Goring. It was the perfect place to stop, a cottage with chickens in the yard and a host (Jill) who couldn’t be more helpful and enthusiastic in supporting my race endeavours.Not only did I get a magnificent breakfast but Jill offered to contribute to my run by picking me up from the finish and letting me use her B&B once more free of charge to shower, sleep and have another fried breakfast before heading home, all I had to do was make it to the finish in one piece.

Race day begins with registration and the scout hut in Goring where I met some familiar faces in Alan, David, Andy, Javed, Luke and others as well as new faces that were later to become firm friends. A swift kit check ensued as ever efficiently organised by Lindley and Maxine (more about her later) before we took the short walk to the start line ready for this epic adventure. I hadn’t been so nervous before a race in a few years and was glad to get things moving so I could see how my legs were feeling.

Generally I find the first stages of the race quite easy to run but harder in the head as I’m think 23 done, only 227 to go… What a head f***… its only once I get further in that I begin to relax. All was well and the only concerns I had were about managing my water levels as we only had support at the checkpoints for this although I learnt as we went along that day times were ok as there were shops and pubs etc we could drop in on, it was the night sections we had to take care with as then we were reliant on the taps along the river and canal.

I began running the race with Dave Faulkner, running 10mins on 2 off trying to keep my speed below 5mph, the course itself was fairly easy to follow but more undulating than I expected, each section had its own distinct features, some undulating some gravelly, some long and flat some just awful, I remember getting to CP1 in a little over 5 hrs to be welcomed with a trophy (awesome), well, we all got one… Things went a little pear shaped here as I had a complan meal replacement drink to boost my calories and spent the next 3 hours trying to keep it down, everything suddenly became hard work, although I was getting through the miles alright it seemed like a hard graft getting there. Things began to improve around Windsor and I was feeling a lot better running into CP 2 which I reached just a darkness was approaching. This was time for a sock change and it was here I noticed a few superficial blisters appearing which is unusual for me as I never get them anymore.

Maxine was on hand though for the first of many appointments to tend to my feet and she taped them up nicely ready for me to get going on to CP3 at Yiewsley and the first night run.

I took in my drop bags 2 head torches, a small petal which provides adequate lighting and a heavier one that powers light across a football field and opted for the lighter one as (a) there are only 5 hours of real darkness and (b) we were running into London so a lot of this would be on pathways which are generally flat or lit up. I began to run low on water and was getting concerned as I couldn’t see much opportunity to find a source, all shops were closed, as were the pubs so I had to think outside the box. I crossed a bridge where I could see a John Lewis loading area and lorry. Surely here I could find someone to top me up, I found a guy who in broken English explained that everything was closed and there was no water, so I continued and my worry levels went up a notch, I still had water so wasn’t panicked but at this early stage I should still be taking on plenty of water, not rationing myself. Fortunately a few moments later I passed some workmen in a Kier site (at 2am?) and they gave me a small bottle which helped me top up a bit and on i went. Less than half a mile later were a small group of people playing the guitar so I slowed to listen and gather my thoughts. I decided I needed to empty my pockets of wrappers etc and found a bin to put them in. As I did I noticed in there an almost full litre bottle of evian, a message from the gods surely that I was being looked after.. I checked it was clear not yellow, sniffed, did the taste test and sure enough it was gorgeous water. I topped up what I needed and left the rest of the bottle in the middle of the path for the next runner coming along in case they too were short. The section through Richmond and Syon Park I remembered from previous events and with a few hiccups safely got through there onto the canal and the start of the long path up to Braunston.

It was here that the wheels began to fall off for me in a big way, I could feel my feet blistering some more and they were starting to bruise now which didn’t bode well with over 170 miles remaining and I allowed myself to start making excuses about why it was OK to quit CP 3, all of which were bollocks really, I was going through a low point where i just didn’t have the minerals for it and when I finally reached Yiewsley I was ready to throw the towel in and think I actually said so to Maxine. The only thing stopping me at the time was the memory of all the times I had quit before and wished/known I had more to give and remembering the banter I had at the start with Alan and Dave that said anyone quitting would admit to being a s**t runner. I decided to give it an hour and make a call then. Maxine sorted my feet out again, I was beginning to collect a couple of blisters per CP. Then my old running pal from marathon of Britain days Peter Mulvihill dropped in to say hello, I felt a bit of a sap admitting to him how I felt and he said “Steve, what else have you got planned to do today?” I looked at him for a moment thinking ‘what the f**ck kind of question is that’, before it sank in and I realised there was nothing in the world I had to do that was more important than reach the next checkpoint. Oh, and a text from my wife that she had told the teachers and parents at my daughters school and they were all following me on the tracker, so you can see it was impossible for me to quit now and I pushed on.

A word on the tracker - I think this is a revelation for ultra running, not only does it stop cheaters (we know they are out there) but it allows our families and friend to feel part of our journey, I had people from around the world following the progress and their messages of support carried real weight.

I pushed on from here to CP4 at Rickmansworth and soon caught Alan Rumbles who was about to drop through injury, nothing you could do mate but be proud of a good training run and look forward to the next one, hopefully you won’t be out for too long.

This stage was long and uneventful and my first meeting with Peter the Swede whose path I crossed many times before the finish. CP4 came and went (thanks Maxine) and on to Milton Keynes. This stage is one of my favourites as i have run it many times and lived in Leighton Buzzard as a child. I dropped into Tescos for some sandwiches and ice cream, and sat in the grass up the river eating them while checking in with home, I wasn’t far off half way now.Again I left a bottle of water and an ice lolly on the bench for the next runner through but Im sure it melted within a few minutes, but hey its the though that counts. Between here and the three Locks pub I spoke to an Irish chap who was walking there for a pint, are you sure I said, its about three miles away! I soon jogged on as i couldn’t understand a word he was saying, he was very Irish and I was tired. At mile 125 I skipped jumped and whooped, punched the air Rocky style for its all downhill and homeward bound from here.

CP 5 was great, really well organised and marshalled, guys I forget your names but you were awesome and here i stopped for an hours sleep as did the chap running with Sleepy bear… I still don’t know the story behind it but they both finished the race..

Milton Keynes to Nether Hayford next and another stretch I know really well, I skipped along here until Blisworth when again i dropped into the local store for some groceries, id forgotten to pack toothpaste, brush and deodorant so got those here along with some food to keep me going. Approaching Nether Hayford I kept stopping as my feet were now giving me grief, bruised, blistered swollen and hot it was a recurring theme to stop and let them breathe for a few minutes before carrying on. It was while having a pee stop I saw a ted shirt flash under the bridge behind me and thought, ‘stuff this you and sleepy bear are not passing me before the checkpoint which was only a couple of miles down the road. I opened the burners up and took off and it felt great to be eating up the ground again. after an age I looked back and was astonished to see he had closed the gap and I thought if you can do that Im not going to kill myself staying in front of you, you can have it, only to see it was Javed, who had already run 250 miles before this and was still quicker than me. We had a quick manhood and set off into the checkpoint together for some welcome food and rest. Here I remember sleeping for 20 mins and it feeling like an hour. My feet were hurting now and was starting to think about painkillers. I would allow myself 2 per CP if I had to but not for the first 4 hours, it was now impossible to make 4 mph and I had to focus for 3 mph with all the stops.

I was up and over Braunston tunnel with no issues but my feet were killing and at the locks stopped to ret my feet for half an hour and eat some ice cream. Eventually I got to CP7 (Fenny Compton I think) and had a sleep in front of some pigs (??) Setting off from here was the toughest section, it was the third night and coldest too. I walked it through to the M40 and grabbed 20 mins sleep on a bench then passed through Banbury which was eerily quiet, I was struggling again and before long Peter caught up with me and he was running, perfect i thought, i need to tag onto him for a few l=miles and see if I can get going again, and we ran two miles straight at 11min mileing, which at the time felt super quick. Peter then tired and I continued, passing Henrick who had a thigh problem and catching up with Javed who had been having problems of his own, he was struggling to get going and we teamed up into the checkpoint together.

Things got a bit strange for me now and I can’t remember too much about where I was and when, I was beginning to waver and hallucinate and there was one 5 mile stretch where i was worried for myself, i knew what i was because my internal dialogue was working but had no idea about the time or where I was, my head was all over the place, I just knew to keep moving, it was the herd of buffalo I saw that convinced me I had issues and need to sit down for a while and eat. I think this happened the day before actually but Im not sure.

Anyway, Javed struggled in the morning and I helped him through, in the afternoon it was Javed returning the favour, Im sure he could have pushed on and bettered his time but he stayed with me until we got to CP9, I have a good 6 mile spell at the start of the leg but after that the pain would be too much and once we reached the Thames River again it was a relief to stop and put my feet in for 5 minutes, man they didn’t like that, it was the equivalent of brain freeze but it didn’t go away for ages.. on we plodded and it was getting slower and slower, the only consolation for me was that we were less than 40 miles to go and I knew I was going to finish..

Another friend Simon dropped in to say hello, he had been following us on the tracker and brought some ice cold water which was heaven, and it was good to have someone to talk too. Soon after he left I felt a really deep blister forming on the ball of my foot and stopped to tend this as Javed carried on and then I got confused as to where I was, I was tired, I knew the signs, I was going into the red zone of energy reserves and didn’t have a great deal left, I desperately wanted to be at the checkpoint but was losing it and needed someone to drag me in.. fortunately in races like this if you wait long enough someone will come along to help out and this is exactly what happened, first Dave and Phil, then Peter and Henrick, together they dragged me through to Abingdon and the final checkpoint, now there are just 19 miles to go on paper but from previous runners `i’d been told it was nearer 21 miles.

What a difference a checkpoint makes, now I was feeling great mentally but my feet were another story and Maxine wasn’t here… she had to rush off to the finish where other runners were beginning to arrive and would also need her help, fortunately Keith Godden was on hand to patch me up. Keith was another of the unsung heroes, he came to support Javed on his run and ended up as a source of support to many runners, patching our feet up and offering words of encouragement and wisdom, his was a calming voice and welcome at a time I was floundering around. The support team once again were immense, hot beans and sausages (veggie), fruit and custard and plenty of coffee.

I made the decision to enjoy the final leg and take it slow to preserve my feet as much as I could. I got my head down for an hour and a half and finally set off at 10pm. I was walking now at a steady 3+ mph and was comfortable, the terrain was good and quite runnable but it was darkening and I didn’t want to risk turning my ankles so stuck to walking quickly. After about 7 miles Peter came past me running a steady pace, his head torch was brighter than mine and for the first time I wished I had brought my heavier one as this was very runnable ground. I hooked up with Peter and we chipped along at a good pace for 20 mins or so until I had to ease off, I was flagging again and Peter still looked strong… Walking into a set of locks there was a potentially tricky piece to navigate involving a cafe and weir and here i bumped into Andy, who seemed to be out of it, he was sitting staring at his map on the floor.. ‘How long have you been sat here like this?’ I asked. ‘Dunno, an hour, maybe more, I can’t figure it out?’ he said.. ‘The map says go to the right of the cafe just over there’ I said, ‘come on, lets get through this bit together and see how you feel’ and off we went. As we hit the main road there were two lads stood by the bus stop, one of them was soaking from head to foot, both had enjoyed a few too many sherbets and were more than happy to tell us which way we should be going.. We never did find out why he was soaking and didn’t ask. I mile or two later we bumped into Peter again, his wheels had fallen off big time an he was struggling.. his torch was beginning to fade, he had no back up and was annoyed with himself for not charging it at the checkpoint. What made things worse for him was that he had bad blisters on his heels which made walking agonising and it was easier to run, but with his light fading he couldn’t do that either.

A couple of times Peter simply stopped, he was on fumes and struggling and it wasn’t safe to leave him so we went back for him and had to pull him along ‘just keep moving’ I said ‘we hit the road soon and then you can run a little and take the pressure off your feet’ but he wasn’t listening. Eventually he stopped again near a couple of fishermen and said we had to go on without him as he was going to rest and wait for some daylight before pushing on again. I could tell now that he needed to be alone with his own thoughts so very reluctantly we left him there, at leat he was safe and near people.
I could now smell the finish line, we were only a few miles away and it was just a matter of time and patience, we were through a nature trail, down the road and through the pub car park and across some long fields, I looked behind me as Andy and I went through a gate and there was no sign of Peter, a few moments later we saw Maxine who had walked out to meet us and walk us home, seconds later we heard yelling.. it was Peter charging past us like he was on rocket fuel, no kidding, I couldn’t run that fast on a good day, he was absolutely flying and shouting ‘come on, race you to the finish’ and in a puff of dust, he was gone, out of sight leaving me watching his shadow disappear. Fair play I thought, I wish I could run like that, but was happy to walk the last few yards in and finally meet Lindley who had been looking after my medal for so many months. Job done.
‘Is Peter inside already?' I asked Lindley. ‘Nope’ he replied, ‘still waiting for him to finish’… we did laugh, a lot, for all that effort and sprint finish he had missed the final turn and run up into the village, eventually 5 mins later he showed up to claim his medal too..

This was my 150th and most memorable marathon, it will live deep and long in the memory and is the first time I have written a race report, mainly because the wheels fell off early and I had to dig deep, I learnt an awful lot about running and myself, met some truly magnificent people and had my passion reignited for distance running. Some of the key things I took away from this event are:

• Train with a pack heavier than you race with, I didn’t and could feel it in my legs early on.
• use a very bright head torch so you can run at night
• Run in trainers at least a size bigger, your feel will swell and you will need the space.
• My trainers were half a size too small, the combo of blisters, taping them and swelling caused the toes to be squashed in a bit, which caused more sweating, wet socks rubbing, blisters etc. it became a vicious circle of bruising and blisters and Im convinced that had I gone a half size bigger again I would have been fine and shaved at least 5 hrs off my time.
• Don’t think of the race as I did which was ‘ I can run for 70 miles easily then get my head down to the 24hr mark and then repeat x 3 and a bit.. It doesn’t work like that, most runners get by on half an hours sleep here and there, maybe an hour if lucky. I don’t know many that slept for more than 4 or 5 hours, except Javed who can turn the switch off at will..
• The food I use for marathons doesn’t work for long ultras, things like Nakd bars, I don’t use gels and as a veggie its hard to find the right food to keep me interested, Soreen lot worked but takes ages to eat.
• Use the many little shops and pubs for ice creams, chips, crisps and bonus drink breaks.
• Don’t be afraid to ask the public for help, they love our story and a smile goes a long way.

Final thoughts are to thank Lindley, Maxine and their team, nothing in life gets achieved without a great team and this was one of Lindley’s greatest assets, they were all fantastic supporters of our race, they understood the stresses on our bodies and seemed to know instinctively what we needed and when to leave us alone. I can pay no higher tribute than to thank them for getting me through.

But my abiding memory is that of running with Javed, a truly special man, he has reshaped the way I think about running, may you skip and dance your next ultra journey with a smile on your face, a squadron by your side and may the force be with you.