Race report by Andy Stevens
So here I was on the start line of the very same race that I had to admit defeat in last year and withdraw with ruined feet.
Thankfully the weather this year was much improved. The course was dry at least but we did have a strong headwind to deal with for pretty much the entire route !
This is a Rat Race Adventure Sports event. They have a reputation of putting on incredibly well organised races and other endurance events and the route was point to point. You started at Bamburgh Castle in Northumberland and pretty much followed the beautiful but brutal coastal paths all the way to Edinburgh Castle in Scotland.
With elevation of over 8000 feet to deal with over the route, clearly doing all my training in and around Copenhagen was perfect preparation ! From one of the flattest areas in Europe to gnarly Scottish hills. Still, I had spent a lot of time on my feet in the months leading up to the race and the only goal was to finish. The time was irrelevant.
The course was predominately trail overall; from narrow, rugged coastal trails to sandy and rocky beaches and across livestock fields where the cows looked at us a little puzzled as we all streamed past.
Crossing the border into Scotland at around the 26 mile mark was a boost and that heralded around 15 miles of some seriously tough climbs and descents. Up and over St Abbs Head involved some incredible views from the cliff tops that you had to earn first by getting up there !
Pit stops were spaced between 9-14 miles apart and were incredibly well stocked. At every one I had a fixed routine; shoes and socks off, dry the feet, trenchfoot cream and talc applied, same or fresh socks back on. Eat, drink, fill the water bottles and crack on. Ultras are sometimes referred to as a mobile picnic and this one didn’t disappoint with more food and snacks than any picnic I have ever been to ! I knew the importance of fuelling and hydration. You burn around 10,000 calories in an event this long so you need to keep on eating and drinking – even if you don’t fancy it.
The night section was pretty cool. Running around woods, across beaches and along fields with just a head torch to illuminate the immediate area in front of you. I I had hooked up with a couple of other runners for this part and we kept each other’s spirits high with jokes, random conversations and a lot of laughing despite the growing aches and tiredness.
After what seemed like an eternity (and happily passing the exact point where I DNFd last year !) I got to the North Berwick pit stop at Mile 74. Just a marathon to go and the night section was now over and we were greeted with a beautiful Scottish sunrise. The next part was a mix of sandy trail and tarmac but I knew we were heading closer and closer to Edinburgh. The legs were very weary by now but the feet were in good shape.
After the 83 mile pit stop it was just a case of mind over matter. Ignoring that voice in your head which is telling you to stop. Ignoring the feeling of utter weariness in your legs which was making any kind of meaningful running impossible.
The section between miles 88-93 was probably the worst. I didn’t actually realise that your legs could hurt that much. I knew it was going to be exhausting at this stage but this was a totally different level to anything that I had experienced before.
After momentarily falling asleep eating a bagel at mile 93 pit stop it was time to get the last bit done. All tarmac into Edinburgh and you could see Arthur’s Seat in the distance. I had a bit of a second wind at this point and was very much looking forward to getting it done. The sting in the tail was a climb of around 100 steps up Arthur’s Seat, a steep descent that trashed my quads (which were already trashed) followed by a never-ending two mile uphill stretch in the pouring rain up the Royal Mile dodging the tourists who were totally oblivious to how I was feeling !
Whatever state I was in, I had promised myself that I would run the final section and run over the line. Crossing the finish line was an incredibly emotional experience. Emotions caused by the exhaustion, pain in my legs, sleep deprivation, a realisation that, yes, I was now a 100 mile ultra marathon runner and finally getting redemption from last year’s DNF all boiled up. 102 miles altogether in just over 30 hours. As I said at the start, the time was totally irrelevant. It was me v the distance.
There are plenty of far more able ultra marathon runners than me at the club and their advice, support and help was absolutely invaluable. Special mention to Pete Gough for sharing all his experience with me (and a very funny photo at mile 85) and to Richard Allan for his messages of encouragement on the day. Cheers guys.
Now, some weeks of R&R whilst I work out what’s next.
Andy.
