Race information
- Name: Beat Box Hill
- Date: 10 October 2026
- Distance: 21KM
- Location: Box Hill, Surrey
- Time: 2:07:59
Goals
| Goal | Description | Completed? |
|---|---|---|
| A | Sub 2hr | No |
| B | PB (sub 2:11) | Yes |
| C | Complete the race | Yes |
Training
My training was quite disrupted for this, I hadn’t been very consistent with the weekend runs in particular. Combination of being away over the summer, my wife being away and other things going on. I wasn’t following much of a plan, beyond a quality run, a long one and a couple of easy ones. So mileage was all over the place in the couple of months leading up to this. I was really just using this as a bit of a target, to then kick on to train for the Winter Tanners in July.
I ran this event back in 2024 (https://www.thesearesomethings.com/running/beat-box-hill-half-marathon-a-trail-running-adventure/), and since then I have done a 20mile event, and ran the London Marathon (reverse) in April. I also set a half-marathon PB. I am a lot better at fueling myself now, getting those carbs in, and I hoped that would make a difference.
I had a bit of a scare in the Monday coming into the race though, as a weird foot injury flared up, leading me to go to A&E for a possible stress fracture. They couldn’t see anything on X-ray, but I didn’t run all week and it was touch and go whether I’d be able to make the race
I’d also tweaked a hamstring on some intervals back in August, and was still feel some tightness there. Getting old sucks.
Pre-Race
The 21k didn’t start until 10am, so it was a very leisurely start to my day, with some porridge and toast after waking up at a normal time. The parking information wasn’t clear, and I blithely drove to where I parked for the event in 2024, to find that it was just a field this year. I was expecting to see some signage for parking or for the event near the bottom, and to have to walk up to the top of Box Hill, but as I got closer and closer I couldn’t see anything. Ultimately I just parked right at the top of the hill and then walked 100m or so to the race start, so it was super easy and convenient, but a bit stressful. I had loads of time though, and the weather was great. I did a couple of jogs to test the toe out, and while I could feel it, I was pretty sure I could run on it.
Race
The race starts downhill, since you start at the top, and I managed to get into about the right position so that I wasn’t having to weave through people or let them pass. I could feel my hamstring in the first couple of km, but then it warmed up and I didn’t notice it again.
I was running on HR alone, but had upgraded my watch since the last time I did this event so could see how far through the elevation profile I was, which was re-assuring. I tried to keep below 160 bpm for the first few km, and then below 170 until half-way. Fuel-wise I had 180g of carbs in a 500ml soft flask, then another 500ml of water with electrolytes in the other flask. I’d trained with 90g / hour, but not for two hours.
I was pretty steadily moving through the field, feeling good. There were fewer steps than I remembered from 2024, but I put my hands on my knees and power-hiked the steep inclines which went well. The HR definitely spiked over 170bpm, but I felt like I could keep doing that indefinitely, felt really strong. The first 10k has the bulk of the elevation gain, and so it felt good to get up the long hill in km 9 and know that the second half was flatter. I kept telling myself I was feeling good as well, having learnt from Alex Hutchinson.
I could feel my toe, but it wasn’t getting worse or really bothering me. My left knee did start to protest at some of the descents, and my left calf was really not enjoying the last few km either. I tried to go down steps in particular with a flat foot to avoid using that calf at all. In 2024 everything was cramping towards the end of the race, I could barely run for more than a few strides before having to stretch. This year was much better.
It was clear with about 3 or 4 km to go that I wasn’t going to get under 2hrs, since there was a big hill to do towards the end, but sub 2:10 was definitely possible. I was having a bit of a back-and-forth with the runners around me as well, as neither of us could get clear of each other.
In the end I crossed the line just under 2:07. A big improvement on last time out, although there was a little less elevation this time, but I was really happy, considering I wasn’t sure if I’d be able to run at all. The weather was great, the course was awesome with loads of interest and great scenery.
Post-Race
A good selection of goodies after the race, I stretched off and made the short walk back to the car to head home. A few beers in the evening and a trip to the Boiler Room to see James Lavelle meant I was north of 34k steps for the day and quite broken on Sunday. Fantastic event, just need some better communication about the parking situation. Would recommend.