Copthorne 50*

I managed to finish the Copthorne 100 back in 2022 which was one of the toughest races I’ve ever done. I made it round in 31:18 - less than hour inside cutoff. I was pleased to have finished the longest Copthorne event first time - only 15 people have finished it out of approximately 90 entrants. Blog here: https://76thmile.blogspot.com/2022/12/copthorne-100-2022.html?m=1

Then Allan announced a special anniversary edition which would be 200 miles. 72 hours cut off and 19.5 laps. The lap is 16.6km to give the right distance for 50k - it means the 100 miler is 103 miles… plus I did a bonus 3 miles loop last time so figured I had 40 hours extra for 94 miles. I’ve done Lon Las 253 plus 3 races of 145 miles plus so figured I had a good chance of finishing 

I signed up in the summer of 2023 and had it in the background for a long time. In that time I had finished Spartathlon plus a pair of sub 24s at Thames Path and North Downs Way 100s. I had hit 200 miles every month this year so in good shape.

Mrs Dave kindly dropped me off at the start at about 1.30pm. It didn’t start until 4pm but it was her lunch hour so it was that or the train - I’m only a few miles down the road so would like to have avoided hanging around being a bit nervous.

It worked out well though as I snagged a good spot for my kit and set up my sleeping bag and air mattress. It was actually quite nice chatting to all my fellow competitors and catching up with Allan and Mike. Also my kit was a bit of a mess as I had just chucked things in a bag

There were some impressive running CVs. There were Spartathlon, UTMB, Lon Las, Western States, Centurion Grandslam, and Lakeland 100 finishers - and that is just me! 

There were some other very impressive finishes including Tor Des Geants, Swiss Peaks and 100s of 100 mile finishes amongst the 15 starters.

I was sat next to Sam Jelf who I know from Fetcheveryone, but hadn’t met in real life plus Rae who had come over the channel from the Netherlands. I was worried the 2 hours would really drag but it wasn’t too bad with lots of good running chat. Tony Trundley also popped in to see us off.

Most people were wrapped up in lots of warm kit. There was a roughly 50/50 split between shorts and tights with one chap wearing tights and shorts. Justyna put us all to shame starting in short shorts and a tshirt. 

Eventually it was time to get started. We headed out to the start - the 15 runners plus a few spectators. It was a very low key start with a bit of a countdown the Allan saying go.

It is a running joke in Bad Boy Running to lead races if you can.  I set off with a brisk jog and held a surprising lead so eased back to let everyone past but no one overtook. The start is gently downhill for the first k so ended up leading until the first set of steps where Alex came past me.

I gradually gave up a few spots and was in about 6th spot for the descent from box hill and the short loop. The route on the way out is the bridge and back over stepping stones. I mindlessly followed the group in front over the stones - they were progressively deeper underwater with the last one being ankle deep. Starting a 200 with wet feet was a mistake - it would be back over the bridge every lap after that. However I did at least have one token crossing.

First rep of Box Hill was in the bag. Just 19 to go now. At the top it was the tail end of a beautiful sunset. The 4pm start meant it was almost straight into darkness but at least I got a couple of miles without turning the headtorch on. The darkness hit just after Donkey Green.

I was caught by Alan Risk and Carl Jones on the descent towards Satan’s staircase. We had a good chat - I knew Alan a bit from brief interactions when I volunteered at the 2021 edition. He was looking forward to Friday evening when he was going to listen to Falkirk play - I would argue running an ultra is punishment enough without adding Scottish football to the mix. The did win 1-0 so hopefully they enjoyed that.

We finished the easy half of the loop - I had a debate with Alan about which half way harder. It is hard to believe the half with Box Hill and Satan’s staircase and be the easy half. We ran straight past the Mickleham aid station which was the main centre for the other races which would start in 39 hours time but was closed now.

To second half starts with a long slow climb past the abandoned stolen cars up to the gallops. It is a long drag as the gallops are also slightly uphill. They were beautiful with frost and stars making everything sparkle. The other side of the gallops are kamikaze hill which wasn’t too bad as they weren’t too muddy. Then another steady climb before Headley Heath, the private tarmac road before making it round for lap 1. The box hill checkpoint is pretty much the high point of the loop which explains why the Mickleham to Box Hill bit is the hardest

First lap was 2:15 which was spot on with timing plan. Carl and I only stopped to fill up bottles rather than going inside. There was Mountain Fuel blackcurrant on tap which was lovely - especially as it was nice and cold as it was left out in the sub zero temperatures.

Carl and I headed off for lap two. Alan came past us again as he had stopped in at the aid station - he sped off and that would be the last we saw of him. You don’t see many people in the race as there were only 15 to start with. 

Lap 2 was done in 4:55. I didn’t have time in mind for lap two but was aiming for 3 laps in 8 hours so ok for that. Allan was working off 3 hours per lap plus faffing when he came out with the 72 hour cut off so I had banked an hour on that.

Lap 3 started to drag. It was cold but not brutally so. It was also amazing the microclimates of different parts of the route. The gallops were frozen solid but parts by the river were much warmer. When combined with different levels of effort made it relatively tricky to manage temperatures. I would be roasting at the top of box hill but cold by the end of donkey green a few minutes later

I have a no winter ultras rule. I love the short warm nights and can deal with heat but hate long cold ones. However the only exception is for Allan’s races. The long night was affirming the rule - I was 3 laps and 8 hours in and it was only midnight.

The race has superb volunteers and lap 3 pit stop featured mini Cornish pasties and a cup of team.

Lap 4 was ok - Carl and I had found a rhythm together. He is an interesting chap and ultras have helped him through a lot of challenges including recovering from some serious health issues. 11:05 for 4 laps was a decent bridge towards the Sub 32 for 10 laps which would be needed to finish in time

Lap 5 things started to crash a bit. The guidance for cutoff for 50 miles was 15 hours. I had hoped to be out on lap 5 after a 1 hour nap but it was looking like I would be arrived closing to 15 hours let alone leaving it. A few very minor navigation errors and the effects of a full night out in the cold and dark took its toll.

I finished up lap 5 in 14:47. The cut off was 15 hours so I could have viewed this as being almost timed out but Allan was relaxed with cutoffs. That was enough running for me… I waited around a bit at the checkpoint chatting to Allan and Paul White. After a bit of thinking, I bonged the gong. I wasn’t going to be able to push it to make it through another two nights and my pace wasn’t quite good enough 

Carl settled down for a nap and Paul headed out for a 6th lap. I had run quite a bit with Paul in 2022 and I don’t think anyone has done more Copthorne laps than him - not even Mr T and Gimli. He ended up getting 11 laps in to be the penultimate person in the race before dropping Saturday morning.

It has made me appreciate my 2022 100 mile finish a lot more now. That was a year I finished UTMB and Western States so was in my best hill climbing fitness. This year I was not quite at the same level - I made it 50 miles in 12:06 that year and was almost at 60 miles by 15 hours. Admittedly that was with an 8am start so I got 3 laps in before dark in 2022.

The Copthorne 100 is great race - an understated challenge that seems like it shouldn’t be that tough by the short sharp climbs and descents add up plus the comfortable aid stations and wonderful volunteers make it all too easy to hang around eating and drinking tea.  It should be on your list. Not sure about the 200 - hopefully Allan puts on again. Maybe if I spend all year working on my hill reps, I might have a chance… Having said that as of writing, it looks like only one runner out of 15 will finish so it might be Britain’s toughest 200 mile race so I will need a lot of training…

Spartathlon 2023

Spartathlon had been on my radar for the last 10 years or so. Back in 2015, I was comfortably on for qualifying when I went through 50 miles of the Centurion A100 in 8:47 and needed to finish the last 50 in just 13:43 to hit the old qualifying time. I took over 8 hours for the last 25 mile leg to finish in 22:40 and miss out by 10 minutes. Later that, year the qualifying time for 100 miles was cut to 21 hours and I took me years to improve enough just to qualify.

I finally had a qualifying time when I ran sub 20 for the 2020 Thames Path. However I had unfinished business with Lon Las in October 2021 and then a rematch with UTMB in 2022 meant that qualifier expired. Fortunately I had managed to dip under 21 hours for Thames Path in 2021 so had one year of eligibility left but wasn’t expecting much from my roll of the dice.

I had kind of forgotten about my Sparta application - 2023 was meant to be a light year after Lakeland 100 and Lon Las in 2021, and Western States & UTMB in 2022. I already had a place in GUCR so was reasonably set for 2023.

Then this popped up on Strava. 

My wife very kindly signed off on me abandoning the family to go jogging as she knew Spartathlon was a bucket list race for me. 6 months later, I was on the start line for Sparta.

The race started at 7am - just before sunrise outside the Acropolis. For some, it is the best start line in Ultra running but it is a bunch of people hanging out in a dark car park but had quite a nice vibe. I was pretty apprehensive to put it mildly

I had got to the start line a bit later than most as I ended up on the second coach from the hotel. My room mate was a bit slow getting ready so we ended up on the second one along with Diana (winner last year) and a random Mexican. This was a massive result as the coach was very chilled and got to chat with ultra running royalty.

The first few miles were quite nice. I was near the back and it was gently downhill - the main priority was not to hit any street furniture or fall over. It weaved its way through Athens with the roads closed for traffic. This year it was on a Saturday morning so less disruption than normal.

I’m tucked in behind Ivor with David Harvey in red

First couple of miles were downhill and first aid station out of the way. It was remarkably stuffy for 730am which was ominous but it was a case of taking it one mile at a time. The first hill was a run-walk for me and quite a few people streamed past me. I was aiming for 9:45 a mile to get me to 20km in 2 hours but accepted giving 2 minutes back by walking the climb. Me and David Harvey were pretty much the only ones walking it.

A nice downhill was next to offset the climb and 28 minutes for the next 3 miles got me back on pace. 5 miles in 50 minutes set me up for 12 miles in 2 hours.

At 6 miles, there was a junction where we crossed the Athenian version of the M4. The traffic had been held in both directions for quite some time (Fotis was through in about 30 minutes and I was nearer 60) and there was lots of impatient drivers not too happy.

I had just about got across the junction and was maybe 50-100 metres along the road when the road was reopened and hundreds of diesel trucks and cars accelerated past me. A double kick as the fumes weren’t nice, and I was clearly very much at the back of the race. I hadn’t really thought about it as I was running my own race but it was a sharp reminder.

Spartathlon has strict qualifying criteria - sub 21 for 100 miles or 180km in 24 hours excludes most people. Given then that my qualifying time from 2021 was only 20 minutes inside the minimum, I knew I would be at the back but it was still a bit weird as it was the first time I had been in that position in a race since school.

The next 10k or so was along the main motorway out of Athens. It was as bad as it sounds, and there quite a few scrap yards and uninspiring views. A highlight for me was the Hellas Petroleum refinery. I work in Marine & Energy insurance and there was a major fire in 2022 there. The refinery is quite imposing but was also towards the end of the motorway section. Fotis would almost have been off the motorway when the traffic was released 

It was surprisingly sociable running on the hard shoulder. I ended up running with Chris Rice - an absolute beast of a man with an unusual running gait. He was one of 12 to finish the 2018 Spartan Death Race so in the potentially unique position of doing both.

I also ran with a couple of Greek guys - one lived in Sparta and the other was from Athens. They had lived in Australia and Manchester so it was a good chat.

The first major aid station with timing was at 20km. The cut off here was 2h10 and I made it here in 2h01 so just 9 minutes to spare. However my plan was 2 hours so I was only a minute off that. It marked the end of the heavy traffic and now it was more residential streets.

This didn’t last long as a left turn meant it was back into another refinery with dozens of massive storage tanks on both sides of the road. This wasn’t a route used by regular traffic so it was nice enough to run along.

After 17 miles or so, the route joined up with the coastal road. It was hard to really enjoy it given the weight of what was ahead plus it is hard to truly relax on road with no pavement but it is a beautiful section here. Not too hot either yet and the sea made things cooler than in the city

The next major milestone was the marathon checkpoint. It had a cut off of 4h45 and I was comfortably through in 4h22 with a healthy buffer of 23 minutes - roughly 2 miles at my current pace. My next goal after that was the 50 mile checkpoint with a cut off of 9h30 so and my aim was 9h which was achievable with an average pace of 12 minutes a mile which is run walk for me. I had been doing some walking breaks but had averaged less than 10 minutes a mile to here and 13 minutes a mile would still be within cut off.

I met my crew for the first time here. I hadn’t planned on having crew but Graeme Boxall was due to crew someone else and when they withdrew he kindly offered to crew me. His friend Julia came along too and they came to meet me here. My needs were fairly limited - the checkpoints generally only have coke so I got a refill on electrolytes drinks and some non-coke fizzy drinks like sprite.

It was a bit of a climb here - not that big in the grand scheme of things but a bit of a drag. I joined up again with Chris Rice - he was running topless due to chafing issues whereas I had almost every bit of skin covered. Lots of ways to do these things….

The route alternated between coastal roads and sections through the middle of towns. I was losing a few places here and there on my walking breaks but I had my own game plan so was pretty relax. I ran with Darren Strachan for some of this section and cross paths with a few of the Brits here too.

One of the great things about Spartathlon is the British Spartathlon Team. They organise team kit so you get to run in team colours. This has the huge bonus of being able to instantly spot your team mates and also crew had kit provided so crew could team up and support each other 

Big shoutout to the sponsors for making it happen. They feature on the crew kit but sponsors are banned for participants. The kits help avoid any issues

In the first 50 miles, there was a bunch of Brits who I crossed paths with and had chats but my run-walk pace was a bit variable.

I largely ignored the cut offs between 26 and 50 miles. Each aid station has a sign with a selection of metrics such as cut off time, distance to go, distance to the next CP etc but there wasn’t a single one in the entire race that I managed to take in more than one or two of them. The main one I worried was checking that my Garmin was tracking with distance which it broadly was.  This is just as well as my healthy margin of 23 minutes had dropped to just 15 at 51km and was also 15 minutes at 65km.

I manage to feature in Andy Persson’s video here too

A few more landmarks of the route were ticked off. The shipwreck of the Mediterranean Sky and the circles of the fish farms before another major refinery to pass through. 

I was coping quite well with the heat but quite a few weren’t. I saw David Harvey and Andy Persson both struggling with cramps in this part - I don’t think I had any significant cramps the whole way round. I didn’t do a lot of heat training - running in hoddies and a nice mini heatwave in September were about it.

There was one particularly memorable moment. A German chap who stood against a wall in the middle of aid station right next to the drinks and started vomiting. This led to a range of emotions. Firstly disgust as the chap could easily have moved the road a few steps away thus keeping the aid station hygienic and saving the volunteers an unpleasant job. Secondly empathy - the guy’s race was in tatters and we were only 15-20 minutes up on cut off so he didn’t have much margin to play with. A thirdly joy as it meant others were having a much rougher time of it and this chap was mostly likely going to be one of the 40% or so DNFs and that would improve my chances (I know it doesn’t work like that).

After the refinery, it was some fairly major roads up to the Corinth Canal. Quite a lot of people don’t even make it here so it was quite emotional to get here. It was pretty much the only photo I took on the way and took a few seconds out to post on Facebook 

Once across the canal, it was a short distance to the checkpoint and the second crew spot. My crew were possibly a bit optimistic with their arrival time - they are in the backdrop here behind Camille

I had got here in at 9h04 so 26 minutes to spare. My mental planning had been all about getting to here just over 9 hours so it was a relief to get here without having used up to much. Just as well as I still had 103 miles (164km) to go.

 I had only really worked towards 100 miles and 22h10 being the next milestone. I hadn’t really researched from here onwards and it doesn’t really feature in YouTube videos so it was a bit of an unknown for me. However I had a good idea of pacing so was just taking it one aid station at a time. 

The course changes a lot here. The organisers are quite restricted on the route at the beginning and end due to limited choices but here they were able to move more towards rural roads through farm land. The terrain change helped as well as the massive boost that I had made it to Corinth. A lot of people don’t make it this far

The route out of the Hellas Can Factory was a modest climb. Given that I had just refuelled, it was a chance to consolidate a bit. It was quite reassuring knowing that I was well done the road and still within the cut off. I managed to get the modest climb out of the way and onto the flat straight section before 9h30 was on the clock.

One of the benefits of the team nature of the event was that my crew could help out with other runners. I had given Graeme the nod that David Harvey and Andy were struggling a bit with cramp so were able to get stuff ready if needed.

On the way out of Corinth, I ran with Ivor a bit. I’ve known him since 2016 when we did the SDW100 together and he lives one stop from me on the train so we bump into each other on commutes and on the North Downs. He was having a very tough race with some digestive issues but was battling on. He zoomed off up the road after a while as I was taking it a bit easier.

Next crew point was Ancient Corinth. Julia and Graeme were having dinner in a taverna and had a bottle of sprite ready for me. I stole a couple of Julia’s chips and was very tempted to ask for some beer to turn my sprite into a shandy. There is only one crew point in the first 50 miles but they become more frequent so not much rest between them.

Just after here is one of the iconic parts of the route where you run past the ruins of Ancient Corinth. I didn’t really look at them much but are a major tourist attraction and lots of people had good photos of themselves here. 

Sir Ian, pictured by Ancient Corinth

I had 35 minutes in hand and all the Brits had made it this far which means at least it was a full day out of running for all 22 of us. 

The aim now was getting as far down the road before darkness. This year Fotis made it to the mountain in daylight but I would not be so lucky. 

I’m used to carrying mandatory kit from running ultras and took with me a headtorch, high viz, and base layer from the start. I had a drop bag at 112k with the same in, and also had a third set with Graeme so there was almost no chance of me not finishing due to kit issues. Others ran with nothing but a water bottle and their headtorches magically appeared despite being nowhere near a crewing point when it got dark. 

I had grabbed my big head torch from the 100k checkpoint (1945 closure time) and headed towards the sunset. I nearly stopped to take a photo but there were several Spartathlon photo club members so I figured they would take a better photo

The first memory of the night section was the first crew stop where Julia got me my first coffee of the race. Karl had dropped out by here which was a bit of a surprise for me and Kerry was also cheering us on. 

Pretty uneventful until checkpoint 31. I signed my first and only autograph of the race. I was so near the back that only the hardiest would still care at this point. A short way down the road, a guy was wobbling all over the shop. He nearly fell in a ditch and I kept an eye on him for a bit.

I was out into the countryside and it was very quiet for a bit. No other runners, no crew cars, no discarded cups/sponges etc so I worried I had missed a turn. I loaded up the GpS which confirmed I was on course with 132km still to go. Damn it not even half way. I knew this but had forgotten 

Spartathlon is bit more like a road marathon than trail race in terms of cup etiquette. Throwing a banana skin could get you DQed in a trail race but here some people would just toss cups or whatever on the road side. Not my style and it creates work for the volunteers to clear up afterwards. There were even discarded foil blankets from the mountain onwards.

I was back on track and hooked up with my crew at 112k. I had my emergency drop bag here which I thankfully didn’t need. It was smart to have it at a crew stop as it meant I didn’t have to collect it at the finish and had an extra spare head torch just in case.

It then a long decent down a well lit road to Ancient Nemea. From then on it was pitch black so not much to see there. This was where Hercules killed the Nemean lion. 

This also marked the start of the climb to the mountain and beyond. This was pretty slow going with a gentle gradient killing the pace. It was a case of the routine of chipping away for a bit then refuelling at the next aid station. I had started to recognise some the of the crew cars. They would overtake me then pull up at the next station. I could see how I was doing relative to them based on when they would come past

There was a regular Toyota, one with a stupid exhaust you could hear from miles away, and one with a big roof box. It was a case of leapfrog for hours until the mountain base but I did make up a chunk of ground on the boy racer Toyota as it didn’t come past me when I got to one of the aid stations.

The mountain base camp was another key point. I had taken it relatively easy on the climb. I’m not a good uphill runner and didn’t want to burn myself out here. I lost about 20 minutes on cutoff in the 10 miles before the base but was ok with that and made it there for 21:34 versus 22:10 cut off.

There was a lot on here. I did hear a story of a British running getting a massage off a young greek lady. Well she got him set up and when he came round after a few minutes on the table, it was a hairy bloke sorting out his legs.

I didn’t hang around and got cracking on the climb. A lot of the climb is done by the time you get to the checkpoint - but there is still a lot to go and it can be dispiriting looking up. There was one turn in particular where it looked like I had a mountain left to climb.

I got to the top roughly when the cut off for the base passed. It was nice to have a visualisation of the time gap. I didn’t hang around at the top as I wanted to get the descent out of the way. I overtook quite a lot of people on the way down. Apparently it was a lot rougher in previous years - I quite enjoyed the mountain bit which was a nice change for the legs.

I struggled quite a bit after the mountain as it was quite cold and a thick fog. The headtorch reflected off the droplets which made things difficult. It felt like a was running next to a river or sea but there wasn’t anything there

Eventually I got into Nestani where Graeme and Julia were. I put my head down for 6 minutes. I figured 5 minutes sounded too generic and 10 too long. It was great to rest my eyes and regroup for a final push. I was 170km done in under 24 hours but still 75k to go.

It was a bit tricky getting out of town here. The markings were great normally but not obvious in a town centre. There was really only one way so got it eventually. 

It was almost dawn but a very foggy and cold. It felt a lot like early morning on the Thames path but on a long straight road. It felt great after a cup of coffee and a micro sleep - I made back the 10 minute stop easily over the next hour. I passed a guy who was struggling with cold and tiredness and must have put 20 minutes on him during this section.

I was very happy with the cold and fog and keen to cut into the distance here. I still had my head torch on well after day break as there were quite a few cars now. I had high viz on as per the rules but a lot of runners didn’t.

I didn’t get a photo but this one of Rob Jones is a cracker.

Quite a few people were wishing the fog away but I was very happy with it being cold as the sun would come soon enough. 

By the next crew point at 193k it was bright sunshine again so the hat went back on, sunscreen was scrounged from James Ellis’s crew and headtorches deposited.

I had caught up with Laura and James who had teamed up to march it in. I was on good form here but spent a bit of time with them. I was last Brit for a quite a bit so was often on my own in the night but had caught up a lot in the morning.

I now had leapfrog with Matthew in his crew car. Laura and Matthew both work for Virgin Atlantic and are a great runner/crew combo. It was nice to get a cheer from Matthew between checkpoints. Apparently Graeme and Julia had done the same earlier when Laura was ahead so they could tell I was catching them up.

The last 50k switches to being on a relatively major road and there was a horrendous 5k climb at a steady 4% gradient. Enough to really knock the pace when combined with the midday sun.  Once that was done, there would only be one more before the finish.

It was a pretty uninspiring section with petrol stations for aid stations but each on was a step closer. Eventually the last climb started. It was back to running on a hard shoulder - plenty of room but a low point was an Audi tosser thinking he was a racing driver and cutting the corner on the hard shoulder. 

I had almost entirely used aid station food the entire way round. I was drinking a mix of water, coke , and orange juice combined with crisps, peanuts, and random bits and bobs. The orange juice actually worked well - I initially had it by accident thinking it was lucozade (one of the sponsors) and feared for my stomach but the relatively natural taste worked for me in moderation 

With about 20k to go, the last climb was complete and we started to descend to Sparta. It would be downhill all the way which was perfect for me as I still had some running in the legs. I had caught back up with Ivor and we walk-ran together for a bit comparing notes on our journey vowing never to do this again.

I managed to get some decent pace so pushed on a starting catching people. I have never seen so many broken people at a race. Some horrendous leans and all sorts of really quite bad walking wounded 

It was pretty special to not only be finishing Spartathlon but to be finishing strongly. My race plan was all about hitting a measured achievable pace and I had a tiny bit left in the tank - using all the fuel up too early would have been a disaster. 

The pace required is never that bad but it aggregates up. The first 50 miles in 9h30 isn’t too bad but then you have 100 miles in 26 hours. Again that is very manageable but it all adds up. With 50k to go, I had 8 hours to do that which again is fairly straightforward on paper but on the basis that walking is maybe 5-5.5km you still need to do doing a chunk of running late on unless you’ve banked a good amount earlier.

I think that is what drives the DNF rate. Amongst the faster runners, it is maybe a 15% DNF rate but when you only have maybe a 1-2 hour margin, you have limited margin for error so a bad day isn’t a 38 hour finish like I had in GUCR, it is a DNF.

With 5 miles to go, I was getting toward Sparta and cars were beeping horns and people shouting from balconies. I managed to run the last 5 miles in under 55 minutes which was amazing.  I ran past Chris and Sir Ian and was almost getting towards mid pack.

I had started my run to the finish a bit early but managed to keep it up all the way into the finish. I regretted not having left a British flag at the last aid station but collected Graeme on the run up to the finish.

The crowds kept building and I thought I was almost there repeatedly but eventually it was the two of us running to the line. No kids on bikes for me but that was ok. The massive cheer from the British team at a bar on the finishing straight made up for it

I thought I had timed it so I had a gap to go straight up to King Leonides but the guy in front was taking loads of photos so I had to wait my turn. It took the spontaneity out but I got my turn eventually. 

There was an extra surprise at the finish. I did the whole laurels and water from the river etc and then I was done. Or so I thought. They kept asking if I needed medical help but I was fine (a lot of folks weren’t) but they were very insistent. I figured I could wait a few more minutes for a beer so grabbed a seat

I was then treated to a medical team sorting out my feet and lancing blisters. My feet weren’t too bad for blisters but 36 hours of marination must have been special. I then headed over for a finish line beer - I had gone sub 35 so had an hour to spare.

I managed to cheer in a few more Brits and we had 17 of 22 safely over the line - much better than the race average. I’m very grateful to have the help from Graeme and Julia crewing me, the other members of the Spartathlon team, and the incredible organisation of the ISA. When I finished, I said I would never do it again. But I said the same when I first finished the Thames Path 100…

The next few days were pretty special with the Spartan mile (400 metres) which is can second in a time of 82 seconds, and a couple of dinners plus a day sightseeing in Athens 

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I’ll do a lessons learned plus hints and tips at some point. I’m still amazed I got round without too much drama. In some ways not knowing too much probably helped me…

100 tips for the Thames Path 100

I finished the Thames Path 100 last May for the 7th time. Only 4 people have finished it more times than I have (Tremayne Cowdry, Ed Catmur, Ken Fancett, and Markus Flick). I’ve also been fortunate to finish all 7 of my attempts in under 24 hours. There isn’t a 700 miles / One week buckle but I do have the 500 one with the 1,000 mile one in my sights for the future

I’ve written a race report for five of them plus a related blog for the first one. I haven’t got round to writing a blog for the 7th so figured I would write a listicle on it with my hints and tips. Takes these on your own merits and they are just my opinion.

 There will always be the guy who has never run it who knows better than I do… and the person who had a hot year who questions the need for warm clothes at night

So let’s go

1) Almost everyone starts too quickly. Don’t be put off by the nob heads who fly off at parkrun pace 

Photo of me leading the 2023 edition

2) If you see someone in a Bad Boy Running vest, shout “Fuck You Buddy” at them (or FYB if you aren’t in appropriate surroundings). You can buy them in the bad boy running shop if you want one. I was on the podcast recently where I mention this race a few times

https://www.badboyrunningpodcast.com/1614244/14432270-ep-533-running-ultramarathon-s-greatest-hits-dave-stuart

3) Registration is one of my favourite parts of the race. For me it is a chance to catch up with friends but if it is your first time, relax and you will be made to free welcome. Being the first 100 of the centurion year, it tends to attract a lot of first timers - many who think a flat course should make it easy (hahahaha)

4) There a couple of potential bottlenecks early on but they make sod all difference to your time so just relax. One is right off the bat so start at the front if you really care. The second you will only hit if you don’t follow the course markings at the start. The straight route goes through a kissing gate which is fine if you are first but not so if you are 15th. Stay on the marked path and you avoid the gate

5) Don’t use a camelback or similar bladder. The aid stations aren’t that far apart and a litre should be plenty. If it is really hot, take an extra soft flask and carry it for the first mile or two after the aid station until you’ve drunk it. A camelback take ages to fill and volunteers (unless they are extremely nice) will leave you to it as they are a nightmare to get right and not cross thread.

Bonus reason not to - you have no idea how much you have left in it. The first year I used one and filled it at home. Just before the start I drank some and it was empty. I panicked it had leaked so rushed inside to refill it and picked up a spare bottle. Turns out I had been nervous and had sipped my way through 2 litres since I left home.

6) The race briefings are very helpful to listen to. Everything you need is on the superb website so read that a few times but there are sometimes late diversions or things to be aware of.

7) Start eating and drinking early on. It can feel easy in the early stages but you don’t want to deplete reserves unnecessarily. I start with my first gel after about 30 minutes

8) Unless you are elite, you will do some walking at some stage. It is better to start walking early on - I typically take my first one after about an hour. Lots of people run until they are tired and then it goes pear shaped quickly 

9) First aid station is after about 10 miles and the first few are relatively far apart. However this works out well as you only need basic supplies early on so don’t waste too much time but it can get a bit emotional later on

10) Try to run the last bit to an aid station. You will get a rest while you refill so ok to get in a bit tired. Plus photographers often hang out near aid stations

11) Be organised arriving to checkpoint. Get your bottles out early and unscrew them as you get there. Saves a bit of time which adds up.

12) There are usually three options for drinks early on. Coke/Pepsi, Water, and Tailwind. Don’t be afraid to ask the volunteers for which one you want. They usually carry jugs of it and aren’t mind readers 

13) My usual approach is to have a bottle of tailwind, one of water, and some coke in my carry cup. I then have two options of going pure tailwind (brave but can be good some days), or the water plus proper food/gels. 

14) Buy a Light My Fire cup - they are excellent and good for a cup of tea/coffee later in the race. Usually available from the centurion store

15) Don’t use the speed/soft cups. They are great unless you actually want to drink from one - it is like trying to drink tea out of a condom. You are better off using a sawn off capri sun (which would pass kit check if you are stuck)

16) The centurion store is a great resource. You can order online and pick things up on race day. They bring all the stock and set up shop at registration which is handy if you forget something 

17) Thank volunteers when you leave the aid station. It wouldn’t happen without them

18) Consider being a volunteer for the race. You get a free place so there is a financial incentive plus you will meet a bunch of people who might be doing the race next year too. It is lots of fun and you might learn something seeing the race from the other side

19) Take a few photos along the way. You might lose a few seconds but it is nice to remember the early bits are quite pretty - Hampton Court is a nice early landmark as well as Windsor castle. 

20) The photos are handy for writing blogs afterwards. There are loads out there ( https://ultrarunningcommunity.com/race-reports/187-thames-path-100 ). Also increasing numbers of vlogs too (shout out to Film My Run). Reading/watching them might help you if you can’t recce the route

21) Take some Vaseline/body glide etc with you from the start. I once forgot to grease my nipples and realised about 5 miles in. Would have been a disaster if I only had it in my 50 mile drop bag. There is an argument to have both as Vaseline can reach parts bodyglide can’t. The small versions hardly take up any space

22)  I keep all the things I hopefully won’t need until the finish in a big ziploc bag. Wallet, emergency base layer, blanket, spare torch, and gloves - nice and dry if I need them

23) The kit list gives the option of buff or hat. The buff is a good opportunity to show off - my western states one usually wins the top trumps. Typically I will just have the buff until Henley and then grab a proper hat from my drop bag. If it is a cold one, you will appreciate both.

24) There are lots of options for bags/race vests. I ran my first one in an Osprey talon 11 backpack which is used by many commuters. A bit big but did the job. Since then I’ve used the Ultimate Direction Scott Jurek. I bought it in 2015 and it is still going strong. I’ve worn it for all my 100s - I use the bigger one for the longer races. I ran with it at Western States where I met it’s creator 

25) Use the GPX if you can. The course is very well marked but it can be possible to miss a turn in one of the villages. I treated myself to a Garmin 6X Pro about 4 years ago and it has been magnificent with the 60 hours battery and good mapping. For bonus points, add waypoints so you know how far to the next aid station 

26) Marathon mark is a good point to celebrate being in ultra marathon land. However you are probably less than 20% through by time.

27) I’ve had a few damp races. In 2021, it was fairly mild with moderate rain. I ended up running in a long sleeve cycling jersey I got from a charity shop of a fiver. It is not particularly waterproof but does enough to keep the worst of the rain off without overheating. For me, I view waterproofs more as temperature regulation rather for keeping me dry. When it is 17c or warmer, you will get wet from the rain or from sweating. If you wore two layers in the dry, you would expect to sweat - let alone when it is 100% humidity on the rain. This Andy Cole article explains it really well https://ajc-joggingon.blogspot.com/2020/11/my-waterproof-jacket-still-leaks.html?m=1

28) If it is raining, wear a baseball cap. It is really annoying when you get rain in your face

29) Cooling arm sleeves are amazing if it is a really hot one. They keep the sun off (less sun screen to apply) and can be soaked in water or have ice in extreme conditions. They also mean you can last a bit longer before the base layer needs to go on at night

30) 30 miles in starts to give a steer on how your race is going. The cut off here is 9.5 hours as the schedule allows for even splits but in practice almost everyone slows down a lot so if you coming through here close to the cut off, you are in trouble. Based on past results, 5h30 is par for a sub 24 and 6h30 is a good benchmark for a 28h finish.  https://76thmile.blogspot.com/2016/03/centurion-tp100-results-analysis.html?m=1

31) Watch out for Windsor Castle from about 50k/30 miles in. Hard to miss it unless you have your head down. In 2023 there was all the coronation stuff going on.  It is on the left hand side

32) I’ve had great success with the combo of Hilly compression socks and Injinji toe liners. The double sock combo seems to work well for me. Can be a bit hot and potentially heat rash when finished but seems to do the trick for blisters. I add some body glide foot stuff in addition. 

33) I’ve done 4.5 Thames Paths in Road shoes and 2.5 in Trail shoes. The best for me was light trail version of my usual Mizunos. Was ok on the road/hard trail early on but enough grip for later on. Trail shoes on wet tarmac can be sketchy but not as bad as road shoes on wet trails. I reckon for about 75% of the course, road shoes are usually better.

34) The kit list requires a whistle. There is a good chance your backpack or head torch has one on it already 

35) There are some less than picturesque parts of the route. To get onto Maidenhead bridge to cross the Thames, you have to go through a multi-storey car park. It definitely confuses a few people. Easy for the mid packers as you will see runners ahead of you on the bridge so less likely to mess up the turn.

36) The first time I ran the Thames Path, I packed two emergency blankets in case I needed to use one so I had a spare. I’ve never used one in about 20 races so one is enough - I suspect I would only use one if I DNFed or needed to help someone

37) There is usually (Facebook) chat about the spare base layer and when you can use it. I figure you should carry two spare layers if you are worried about being cold. It can get very cold and I’ve had races where I’ve ended up carrying two base layers. Nobody DNFs because they carried an extra layer but a few get very cold and drop

38) At 38 miles is Cliveden. I stayed there at Christmas and you can see the holiday cottage just before you turn left. If you have crew, I can recommend a visit there for them while they wait for you to get to Henley. It has remarkably good trail running (walking) on site and excellent scones 

39) I’ve had problems with running in compression calf guards. The gap between them and my socks felt like a stress fracture - the knee high socks give a more even pressure. I learned this after the 2015 A100

40) Runderwear and Rockstar shorts has been my answer for the last 5 years for relatively chafe free middle regions. Rockstar stopped production a few years back but runderwear are still going strong. Add in a bit of body glide to keep things from catching fire

41) It is unlikely Nordic walking poles will help you on this race. However I’ve seen the legend that is Sandra Brown power walking with them on the flat Thames path so it works for her

42) Make sure you’ve done a chunk of fast walking in training for this race. Practice run-walking in training rather than trying it for the first time on race day. I have less need for this as I get my training in race walking across London Bridge on the way to and from work

43) Use churchyards/graveyards as a chance to take a walking break. It shows respect and makes you appreciate that you are still alive and able to do this bullshit that you signed up to

44) Be strategic crossing the road. Cross early if you see a marker on the other side. Leaving it late might mean you have to wait or worse, take an unnecessary chance crossing the road. 

45) If you haven’t seen a marker for a while, take stock  and make sure you aren’t lost. If you think you might be lost, it can be worth waiting a bit for another runner to catch you up rather than wasting a big chunk going the wrong way. 

46) I’ve done some races with a desert style sun hat with the cloth bit round the sides. They are more “proper runner” style but I’ve got on much better with a wide brimmed England Cricket hat. It doesn’t have the flappy bits which start to piss you after a few hours.

47) On the canal races, you are next to the water for pretty much the entire time whereas rivers have a lot of private land which means detours. There is a great detour between Hurley and Henley where you go through the private estate of a very rich person. It has its own cricket ground and you get pretty close to the Mansion. It has its own Wikipedia page https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Culham_Court,_Berkshire

48) Drop bag is at the next aid station. I try to keep things to a minimum as having too much stuff can waste time and result in not picking things up. Divide into electricals, food, and clothing. I pick up my big dog head torch, and few gels, and a warm hat and stick my base layer on here. Also put in a plastic bag to for anything you deposit (eg if you change top or socks)

49) If you are aiming for sub 24, Henley in 10 hours should be your goal. For cutoff dodgers, 12 is an upper bound here

50) Henley used to be listed as 50 miles but now is down as 51 and possibly is close to 52 on Garmin. It is a really long drag to get to Henley aid station. You can see the town from far away but it takes ages to get there. The aid station is on the far edge so takes even longer. Also weaving through people on a night out is a pain and doesn’t help the frustration of an aid station which is further away than expected.

51) This is the most important aid station of the course. It has a drop bag and some hot food (usually pasta). It is a good chance to regroup and prepare for the night. There is a bit of buzz here which is nice but be careful not to spend too much time here

52) There is a lot of chat about changing shoes here. I’ve done it once and massively regretted it - I switched from high drop highly cushioned road shoes to low drop trail shoes. My hamstrings didn’t like it and I ended up walking it in from Reading

53) Don’t eat too much at Henley. There can be a temptation to trough down multiple bowls of pasta to fuel up for later but it can take hours to digest

54) I really don’t get on with the Marsh Lock. It looks cool but it seems to get me. That is the case for many of the bridge of the second half which aren’t vehicle ones - the weirs at night feel particularly sketchy.

55) Halfway by time is roughly 55 or 56 miles - when you get to the Reading aid station, you are probably past halfway by time

56) I usually have my base layer for the night on by now. I try to put it on a bit earlier than I need to (ie Henley) as I’m often a bit lazy and find myself cold but don’t want to stop in the middle of nowhere

57) Head torch goes on about here too. I have made it to Goring when it was the 730am Covid start.

58) The steps up to the Reading aid station are legendary. They are more interesting at mile 87 of the Autumn 100. Then next 25 miles are shared with that race

59) There is the turn off here for the Kennet and Avon canal shortly after the aid station. It is a lovely route but you don’t need bonus miles (people have taken it in the past)

60) Headtorch strategy… I start at Richmond with a reasonable headtorch which would pass as my main one (petzl tikka) and a small spare one. I then pick up a massive one (Petzl Nao+) at Henley so the reasonable one becomes my backup and the spare on becomes third string. At Goring I pick up a spare battery for the Nao+ . If I’ve gone through 3 head torches, it isn’t my day (but my phone could be 4th choice). 

There are folks who DNF (or massively struggle) because their main headtorch goes and they are left with something they got free with a packet of cornflakes and put their DNF or poor performance down to “bad luck”.

61) Reading town centre is a bit meh - there is one weird bit where is a place with loads of Swans sleeping. Feels a bit weird but probably sensible to let sleeping swans lie - a broken arm would probably lead to a DNF

62) 100k in now. This can be a slightly sketchy section at night. There can be some people out smoking “waccy baccy” huddled around fires next to canal boats with electronic dance music. I’ve never had an issues and had some fun interactions with folks here. Buddy up if you are worried on this section

63) The crux of the race is the Reading (58 miles) to Clifton Hampden (85 miles). It can make or break your race. There some longish gaps between aid stations which feel much longer in the dark and moving slower

64) The “Welcome to Reading” sign is here. It is a key landmark on the Autumn 100 (note the distance to the Reading aid station)

65) This is the start of another detour. This feels quite surreal as you make your way through a suburban housing development which feels like someone has been messing with the signs. There is a nice bit of elevation which helps give some variety to the legs

66) The start of the gates and potentially the first mud. It starts to get boggier here. If you are lucky and it is a dry year, this won’t be relevant but on the wet ones, it begins here 

67) Pangbourne and the bridge into Whitchurch. This was once yarn bombed which made for a very surreal crossing https://www.craftybug.co.uk/crafty-stuff/yarn-bombing-whitchurch-bridge/

68) Some years, the route went straight up the high street but the official route goes through some gardens and a church before rejoining the road. A bit of navigating to do but easy enough

69) Mount Whitchurch - this is another weird section where you go inland away from the river. There are the only two notable climbs on the route on this section. They are maybe 25m high at most but are steep with steps on some parts. Can be a bit weird on legs that have been flat for almost 70 miles

70) Goring is the second and final aid station with a drop bag. People overestimate how much they need here. I’ve never really used much from this drop bag and now just put a spare head torch battery in it and an extra base layer plus some gels.

71) Halfway through the Autumn 100 section now. Goring is a bit of trail running centre with loads of races going through here as it the intersection of the Thames Path and the Ridgeway

72) One of the great things about the Thames path 100 is that pretty much all the aid stations on the second half are indoors and have tea & coffee plus often hot food 

73) cheese and beans is ultra food of the gods

74) This section is actually quite nice when you run it on fresh legs at the start of the Autumn 100 - less so in the pitch black on tired legs. Some of the wooded parts can be quite muddy

75) Less than a marathon to go is a massive psychological boost. This section can take a lot out of you mentally as each light in the distance turns out not to be the aid station

76) The 76th mile is typically the point with the highest drop out rate in 100 mile races. There is still quite a long way to go and the even cut offs start to bite runners who are fading (ie all of them)

77) Wallingford at last. There are two aid stations used here - a small rowing club and a gym over the road. The rowing club was a rough place in 2015 as the cold and rain took a lot of people out when folks with inadequate rain gear suffered.

78) One of the other challenges with the Thames Path is lots of indoor aid stations. It is tempting to sit down and have a cup of tea and lose a chunk of time. But sometimes a few minutes rest can pay dividends later on - make sure you use the time rest properly rather than standing around and faffing

79) It can also be tough to get going again after being inside. It is often extremely cold for the first few minutes after leaving - try to push on to get some body heat generated quickly. You will be fine after a few minutes 

80) Benson weir is quite an experience at night. The sound of millions of gallons of water rushing beneath you while you jog across a metal grate and be unsettling for some. There was a diversion in 2023 which avoided this but added on a chunk - I wasn’t entirely upset about the extra distance

81) Benson Marina - a bit of a funny feeling as you skirt through a holiday park in the dark. This is more fun in the A100 as people are awake and cheering you on

82) Shillingford has some Road bits which give you a chance to pick up the pace - particularly if it is a muddy year 

83) You come off the Henley Road (watch out for the gap on the hedge on the other side of the road) and enter a microclimate. It is usually the coldest part of the course with freezing fog and frost quite common. There is often long grass so the combination of mud and frost leaves your feet very cold

84) and so begins a 3 mile bend to the next aid station. It is entirely featureless without lights. This could take you over an hour and leave you questioning your life choices

85) If you are on sub 24 pace you should get sunrise about now. It can be truly glorious but your hands will be too cold to get the phone out

86) Clifton Hampden aid station is a bit of detour of the Thames Path. It feels like a mountain that you need to climb through the village to get to the aid station. The hard work has largely been done now. It is usually a bit over the official 85 miles but the next section is usually slightly less than 15 on GPS

87) Time to get your head down and finish things. If you can to Clifton Hampden with anything under 20h30 you’ve got a chance finishing under 24. Power walking can get it done

88) Time to start thinking about how to get home afterwards - I can highly recommend the Oxford Tube. It is a lovely bus service which takes you to London all through the night so ideal if you finish at 5am or similar. The year with engineering works where I had to stand on the way home from Reading on the train still stings

89) It is only about a fiver to get a taxi to the train station from the finish. If you call one and let fellow runners know there is one coming, you will be a hero and might be able to split the fare (or just be generous and pay the fare and get eternal gratitude)

90) There are showers at the finish. Pack a small towel in your finish bag. The faster you finish the warmer the water. If you forget a towel, your emergency base layer is a good substitute 

91) The team are brilliant with drop bags. The halfway ones will beat you to the finish unless you are going sub 15. The Goring cut off is 19h50 into the race so if you are sub 20, your drop bag might still be there when you finish unless they do an interim shuttle. In 2021 I fancied my chances of going sub 20 (20h35 in the end) so I had a small drop bag (battery, gels and extra battery) which I picked up and left nothing behind so didn’t have to wait. 

92) There used to be an aid station here by the bridge. Probably didn’t need this one and the last one as people tended to skip the last one. In 2023 I ended up recreating the aid station by siting on a park bench to take a breather from the mud fest and imagined there were people there to talk . Sometimes you crack up a bit at the end of races.

93) After being on the right bank since Clifton Hampden, you switch over at Abingdon weir for the rest of the race.

94) Barton fields is the worst mud of the race and is bad even in a dry year. You just need to laugh and swear your way through it

95) Last aid station. You might even be able to skip it if you loaded up at Clifton Hampden 

98) The big power lines are the marker to know that I’m almost done. I had a “helpful” runner who told me very enthusiastically that I only had two miles to go one year. My Garmin was about to hit 100 but I still had a chunk to go

99) The last section is on tarmac and firm trail. Watch out for the gap in the hedge on the left and you are done

100) Always run the last bit. Nobody knows you’ve spent the last few hours walking when you sprint for the buckle

Hopefully you’ve learned a few things from here or jogged some memories. I’m hopefully going for my 8th buckle in May. 

2015 - my first buckle. A horrific experience but I’ve come back many times since

Copthorne 100 - 2022

I've known Allan Rumbles - the RD of Canary Trail Events - since the early days of the Wednesday nights head torch runs and done many runs with him. The most notable were when he joined me for part of a 50km Christmas day run and the ill feted attempt at Lon Las 2017 where I DNFed at 100 miles and Allan ended up at about 115 miles in the front room of a retired gold miner who still goes to raves.

I've followed his plans to create some epic races - firstly through the charity Christmas Headtorch marathons and Cluedo with Mark Thornberry - to fully fledged competitive race events like the Raven and Copthorne. I had volunteered at a somewhat chilly checkpoint last year at the Copthorne and came back this year as a runner.

The Copthorne weekend is based around Mickleham village hall with a 10 mile loop enabling 4 race distances of 50k, 50 miles, 100k, and 100 miles. I had entered the 100 mile event as part of a field of 22 - there were 103 runners across the 4 distances. We  all set off en-masse at 8am on Saturday morning after a quick kit check where my origami canary passed alongside a few basic bits of ultra kit. Having a canary is non-negotiable entry requirement which is a nod to the miners background on the original Headtorch group.  

There were a lot of familiar faces at the start - I think I recognised at least 20 from other races. I started next to running royalty in James Elson, John Melbourne, and Drew Sheffield as we headed towards the first climb. The first climb is fairly mild with a decent gradient and the major landmark of a pair of abandoned stolen cars on right. I'm amazed someone managed to get one car, let alone two here down the trail.

Leaonardmartin.photo

Just behind Drew, and just ahead of John Melbourne - early days though

All the good photos are by Lenny Martin - he was out there all day and took some amazing photos.

The hill flattens off onto Michleham gallops which are one of my favourite parts of the course. It is a nice grassy carpet-like section (although slightly uphill) and the field had spread out considerably by this point already. I was probably nearer the back than the front but I was planning to take things easy.

Next up is Kamikaze hill - a very steep pitch covered in leaves and roots. The advice was to run on the right as there were more trees to grab onto. There is a road crossing at the bottom of it so best to keep things in control. I made up a few spots as it was much grippier than it looked. The trail was in great condition given the time of year.

Leaonardmartin.photo

Quads like Derek Henry after my year training for Western States and UTMB

The first half of the course gradually gains height with the occasional step drop until the first set of steps in the Headley Heath part of the course. Despite being fairly flat, it can be tricky in places with some awkward muddy dips before opening up on the heath part through the gorse bushes which is my favourite stretch.

There were some belted Galloway cows which had turned out to watch

Leaonardmartin.photo

I did this climb 11 times due to the deviation on lap 6

After about 5 miles, it takes a left turn and joins a residential road and it is tarmac all the way to the halfway-ish checkpoint at Box Hill village hall. This is a big upgrade for volunteers and runners with access to toilets for runners, and a much warmer environment for the volunteers. A compulsory lap of the hall carpark and it was onto the second half.

Leaonardmartin.photo

Leaonardmartin.photo

The route joins up with the North Downs Way for a bit before taking the 2020 NDW 100 detour but in the opposite direction before merging back on Box Hill. This was a section to make up time with a smooth surface and gentle gradient. I took a couple of stops to take photos to document the glorious morning.   

The original plan was to have a loop going over the ramblers bridge and back across the stepping stones but the river was too high so it was both ways over the bridge. The main climb of the route is the 148m vert of Box Hill. It is pretty much all steps which made it easier for me but might not be everyone's taste. The route peels off at the Box Hill viewpoint across Donkey Green for a lovely section through the wood to Broadwood's Tower.

There is a final sting in the tail of a short section of steps down towards the final road crossing at Whitehill Car Park with less than a mile to go. The last climb is ominously called Satan's staircase. It is about 500m of mainly steps but only about half of Box Hill. From there it is a descent to the finish with a section called "Goodnight sweetheart" before a right turn through the church yard and an alley before hitting the short road to the checkpoint. And that was lap 1 done.

I wasn't sure what to expect in terms of lap time but had aimed for 2h30 to build up a buffer on the 3h12 average I would need to complete the race. I was back in just 2:06 so already had built up an hour on the average pace needed. It didn't feel too fast so that was a good sign. I topped up my water bottles, grabbed some crisps, and a gel and set off for lap 2.

I was running with Paul Reader quite a bit and there was a lot of Western States chat. He was due to fly out to California to watch the draw with his 128 tickets (about a 70% chance of getting in - update he was drawn 9th on the waiting list so pretty much in) as part of a trip to the West Coast. He was a bit quicker on the climbs but I made it up on the flats and downs so we spent most of the first 3 laps in touching distance. 

Leaonardmartin.photo

Leaonardmartin.photo

I also ran with Richard Stillion for some of it too. He had got a bit lost on the second lap so I had managed to catch up with him. He had raced TDS back in August so there was some UTMB chat for part of the lap too. The second lap was completed before getting lapped so that was a nice bonus. Cumulative time of 4h20 which put me a full 2 hours clear of the minimum so I was in very good shape so far.

Third lap was fairly undramatic and about 2h25 so added another 45 minutes to the buffer. I had been running with a base layer and tshirt which was generally a bit warm but was comfortable on the more exposed parts of the loop. I was lapped for the first time with Ajay flying past on his way to an 8h25 win in the 50 miler. First 50k done in 6h45 leaving 25h15 for 7 laps - less than 3mph needed for a finish now. 

I ran with Paul and his usual partner in crime Matt Gaut for quite a bit.

Leaonardmartin.photo

You may have thought 3 x 10 = 30 miles is 48.3km. However the Copthorne lap is actually 16.56km making it perfect for a 3 loop 50k but it means that 10 loops of the course is 165.6km or 103 miles. Not a big difference but 3 miles is an extra hour at the end of the race.

The 4th lap was the last started in the dark - I knew it would probably be dark when I finished but I would see how far I could get. The marshals told me that all mandatory kit needed to be carried but I had my headtorches in my bag from the start. A bit of extra weight but not having them when needed would have been a disaster.

I joined up with Tom Hickman for some of this lap. We was doing his first official ultra with his previous longest run being a marathon virtual challenge. He was smashing it and looking forward to dinner in Spoons afterwards. The darkness was coming in as I made it to the Box Hill loop. I got to the view point and there were loads of cars for some reason by Donkey Green so in the interests of safety, I popped mine on. 38 miles done in daylight and it was the start of a very long night.

40 miles done in 9h25. I wasn't far off the 50k cut off of 9 hours and over 3 hours buffer had been built up. The 5th lap was done almost entirely on my own. I saw Tom on the Box Hill loop and cheered him on to his first 50 finish and shortly after finished my first 50 miles of the race in under 12.5 hours. Very happy days as this gave me nearly 20 hours to get the last 5 laps in. 

Leaonardmartin.photo

Tom has the red number just behind me.

I have a 10/24 rule of thumb for 100 milers whereby you 50 mile time is 10/24 of your finish time. For a sub 24, you should aim to get to 50 miles in 10 hours. Given I was at 50 miles in 12h24, I was on track for a sub 30 hour finish. That would make the difference between a lunchtime finish and a cut off chasing sunset finish,.

My 6th lap started off as solitary trudge into the rain. The first landmark of the route is the right hand turn after 500 yards or so which is the point at which there are 10 miles left on the loop and when the first hill properly starts. Then it was gallops which was starting to get waterlogged. It was runnable on the first 3 loops but the combination of tiredness and the slippery terrain meant this would be another walking section.

By the time I got to Headley Heath, Drew had caught up with me. He was walking with me which I assumed was politeness but he said it was because he had mainly been walking the first 3.5 miles of the lap. His view was that the first 3.5 miles was the hardest of the course - I had been swayed by Box Hill being the toughest but the first part is pretty slow going with some decent climbing and energy sapping terrain.

He asked if I had about 55 miles on my watch - I had 54 or so - and then headed off into the darkness. He was pretty much the only runner I had spoken too out on the course in the about 5 hours. I then caught up with a guy who was a lap behind - he was struggling with injuries but wanted to get to 50 miles so was going fairly slowly. Then I was back on my own again.

Something felt quite strange as everything seemed to be repeating itself. No to be fair, it was my 6th loop so things were obviously going to be getting familiar but things seemed to recent. My watch had stopped counting down to the end of the lap but was dutifully tracking each turn. I reset the navigation but I was still stuck at 7 miles left of the lap despite being 57 miles in now. I should have been at the village hall by now.

Had Drew's magnificent calves caused a deviation in the time-space continuum? I was really confused but kept moving. Eventually I made it out of Headley Heath and onto the approach to Box Hill village hall. I must have got lost somewhere and I was trying to work out how much distance I had lost. I came into the car park with 58 miles on my watch. Even allowing for the 103 expected distance, I was quite a bit over where I should have been. 

I stuck my head into the hall to say hello to the folks in the hall. Lindley and Spencer were there and I had a quick chat and share my bonus miles with them. I also figured it was worth speaking to someone to check I wasn't going completely mad and good to see some friendly faces before heading back out into the terrible weather. I've looked at the results since and I lost about 30-40 minutes with bonus miles.

It was a fairly downbeat lap. In theory, it should have been a good one as it started with being halfway done by distance, and crossed the midpoint by time - for a 100 mile race is typically 57 miles. Lap 6 was the half marathon lap... 

I got back to the village hall and had a good laugh with the volunteers about my misfortune. They picked me up with a cup of tea and an excellent pasta Bolognese. I was going with the approach of taking on a chunk of calories at the start of each lap and then topping up with a sweets or a gel and some sports drink. There was one chap who was looking like dropping out and I shared my views on the course (incurring a swear jar fine). I headed back out with him still sat there gazing into the distance.

There was a slight recalibration of my target finish time after the 4 hour lap. I had finished 6 laps in 16h21 so had just under 16 hours for 4 laps left. Barring injury, there was no reason I wouldn't finish. I set off on lap 7 just after midnight having already run 25 miles in the dark. Typically 7 hours with a headtorch on would be enough to complete an entire night section of a summer race but this was just over half of the darkness done and close to 7 hours left.

On lap 7, I watched every turn with an eye to see where I had gone wrong. About 2.5 miles in, I could see on my watch there was a rogue line coming in from the side just before I headed up the steps. About 2 miles later, there was a left turn where most of the traces had gone, but one had gone straight on. I was briefly running with a lapped runner at this point and nearly missed the turn again. He was convinced the route was straight on but it most definitely wasn't. I don't think I'm the only person to miss this turn and probably won't be the last. It is clearly signed with an arrow and repeater tape when you make the turn so it was definitely my fault. 

The lap had become much harder with the change in weather. It had been raining steadily from sunset onwards and the trail was muddy and slippery. It had been pretty much perfect for the first 40 miles but sections like Kamikaze hill were very tricky. The sandy section on Headley Heath had become pretty grim and pretty much all the first third of the course was walking now. The road to the Box Hill village hall became surprisingly tricky as the fog had come in reducing visibility to a few yards, and there was standing water by the speed bumps to avoid. 

There was a chance to make up some time on the North Downs Way section. It was pretty good in places but towards Box Hill, the adverse camber of the trail made for very challenging underfoot conditions. Getting to the steps of Box Hill was a relief - at night time, the steps were by far the easiest part of the course as the stable footing more than made up for the steps.

I finished up lap 7 a few seconds under 20 hours. This left 12 hours meaning I had 4 hours per lap left which was very achievable. Lap 8 would be my lap in the dark as dawn would break in about 3 hours or so. First up was my usual pit stop of pasta and tea before heading out into the darkness.

The 8th lap was a case of waiting for sunrise as that would give a big lift and also make for easier progress with the improved visibility. I figured it would be roughly halfway through the lap but the fog meant I ended up doing pretty much the entire loop with the headtorch on. It hit low battery as I made it past Broadwood's Tower and the combination of the low light of the morning and the weak beam of my headtorch saw me home. I came prepared with 4 headtorches and 2 spare batteries as it was going to be  a long night. My first NAO+ battery only lasted a lap but the other did a solid 3 laps. The night section is probably twice as long as your average 100 miler night section.

On the last part of the lap, I hooked up with Paul White - we made it into Race HQ about 5 minutes before Drew came in to win the race. I had been lapped by Drew at about mile 53, Fumiaki at about 63, and Chelle at 78 but nobody had lapped me twice which was a small victory.

It was an extended break before starting lap 8 as Drew was presented with his winner's trophy and there was less urgency now as I had 8h15 for 2 laps. It wasn't going to be sub 30 but a finish was very likely now. It was time to head out with the headtorch safely stowed in the bag (I had a small emergency one in case something went wrong on lap 10)

Lap 9 onwards was a case of walking it in. The trail was treacherous in places and my required pace was only 2.5mph which is not a particularly fast walk. Having daylight helped quite a lot but it was still raining pretty heavily. The Goodnight Sweetheart section had gone from being easy to being like a slip n slide. 

For the final pitstop, it was now a breakfast menu. I had a lovely slice of toast and jam with the compulsory tea - I also had a cup of coffee for a final boost. There were now only 4 people left on the course. There were 3 finishers so all that was left was Sinead just ahead, Paul & me, plus Alison who was a fair bit back and would have some work to hit the final cut off.

The lap of honour was kind of fun with each part ticked off in turn. The abandoned car, the gallops (which were now repopulated with dog walkers), sliding down Kamikaze hill, a final lap of Headley Heath, ... And then my watch ticked over to 100 miles just before I made the turning I missed 16 hours earlier. I popped into the hall to thank the volunteers for hanging out there in case we needed them. It is weird but having it there makes the lap much easier knowing you have a place to stop if you need it.

This left 2h30 for less than 5 miles so it was a stroll to the finish. One last climb of Box Hill, a traverse of Donkey Green, past Broadwood's tower, down the steps to Whitehill car park, a final climb of Satan's staircase and then the run into the finish. I had done the last 2 laps with Paul and he was safely finishing now with gravity on his side so I pushed on as I had a bit of running in my legs still as the previous 8 hours had been mainly trying to safely walk it in rather than chasing time. I had managed not to fall the entire race which was a minor miracle.

I put in a token sprint finish to cross the line in 31:18 with 42 minutes to spare on cut-off. 5th place out of 23 starters. Paul crossed the line a few minutes later and Alison was the final finisher with less than 5 minutes to spare. Unbelievably, this was Paul's first ever 100 mile race having only started running in 2019.

Mr T supervised my post-race tea and stroopwafel

As a running challenge, the 100 mile version is up with there with some of the hardest that are out there. There have been 12 finishers out of 46 attempts (26% completion rate) which compares with about 50% for Lakeland 100, and the Arc of Attrition which are regarded as two of England's toughest 100 mile races. 

The looped nature of the course makes it mentally much tougher as it is easy to just call it a day if things aren't going to plan. It also feels a bit pointless compared with a massive loop like UTMB or point to point like the South Downs Way. You also know exactly what you have to do (and do multiple times). By dropping out, you aren't missing out on seeing things so that makes it harder to keep going. 

There is more elevation than the Lakeland 100 but with 8 hours less to do it in. The Lakeland 100 terrain is much tougher compared with a dry Copthorne loop but when it gets moist, it is a different matter as the wet leaves and mud combine with tricky cambers to make it challenging. I used hiking poles Lakeland 100 but didn't here. I don't think the climbs justify it, and it is mainly running so I felt they would get in the way. However I probably could have benefited from them when on the last lap or two.

I also suspect that if the Copthorne 100 was in June, it would see a much higher finisher rate but being in November it has 15 hours of darkness and up to 50 miles done in the dark. The small field means you are often battling away on your own. All of this adds up to a great challenge and will should grow in popularity - especially now Wendover Woods has moved to July from its traditional November spot.

The race has amazing volunteers and hospitality. Also thanks to Leaonardmartin.photo for some great action shots - all the photos of me are taken by him.  The central race HQ means that resources can be focused on one hall with great hot food and drinks provided through the night even with only a handful of runners still out there. The nature of the event also draws in crew members to help out non-crewed runners. A shout out to Drew's mum, and Team Imamura San who I'm sure were wearing crew t-shirts by the end. And thanks of course to Allan for putting on the race. Once the rush of the first lap was done, it was personal service every lap for the whole 30+ hours.

This is a race that should be on the bucket list of British 100 mile runners. It is a big step up in difficulty from Centurion 100 milers and you need to have pretty decent mental strength as well as physical ability to get round in the 32 hours. My slowest Centurion 100 was the NDW100 in 25:30 so this is maybe another 6 hours on top of that (and another 9 Box Hills). And it is currently one of the rarest medals out there and quite a few DNF scalps...