This is an event organised by the Surrey group of the Long Distance Walking Association (LDWA). It’s 20 or 30 miles over muddy trails, following a route description and / or GPX file. I wanted to do this event in 2025 but broke my toe falling down the stairs over Christmas and didn’t recover in time.
My main goal for 2025 was to hit a sub-20 5k, and I just got this by one second on December 30. This did not leave me with a lot of time to switch up training before the Tanners on January 18.
I took advice from Gemini and focussed on completing a 2.5hr rehearsal run the week before:
This went well, all my kit worked out fine (runderwear is awesome) and nutrition wasn’t an issue, so was looking forward to the event. I was trying to make sure I took enough carbs, inspired by David Roche, but wanted to err on the side of not having massive gut issues.
There were four of us running together, and I was the slowest and least experienced at long distances: the 24k I did the week earlier was the longest I had ever run. It had been raining hard all week, but the weather had cleared for Sunday and it was great running conditions. Cold, but not too cold, no wind and dry.
First 15k went off really well, a few moments where the heart rate went up on the hills, but generally good. We were passing a lot of walkers who had set off earlier, as well as slower runners who might be on the 30 mile route. Gemini had told me to finish my first flask of carbs (90g) by the first checkpoint at 15k and I did that easily.
After the checkpoint, there was a very steep hill which we needed to walk up but it felt good knowing it was basically downhill to the end after that.
The pain started for me around the 24k mark, my left knee started to really hurt. The other guys were all moving well and easily but I was starting to struggle. I thought about asking to walk for a little while, but I just kept going while I could keep going. If I could do another step, then I could do another ste after that. 9km left to run felt like a lot, but while I could do the next step I would keep going. Focussed on keeping the cadence up and trying to maintain form. My knee actually stopped hurting after about 27 or 28k, but then everything else was hurting instead.
Heart rate was ok, but my legs were struggling. I was out of carbs to drink, probably should have asked to stop for a minute to get my emergency dates out, but it was easier to just keep going and try to hang on to the group. There was a checkpoint at around 30k I think, and I took a few jelly babies – probably should have taken more food there but I was still worried about my guts. Also just too tired to be thinking clearly. The course had split at the first checkpoint, with the 30k group going in a different direction. By now we had overtaken all the walkers and stopped seeing any other runners. At this checkpoint they told us there were two others who had been in already, which was a nice incentive.
Conditions on the course were generally good, not too muddy but about 5k from the end there was a massive bog with no dry option to avoid the water coming over shoes. After running through this I thought that I had some patch of mud stuck to the back of my calf, but it was just my muscles seizing up. I also managed to pull the bite valve out of my flask as well, amazing how everything gets harder when you are more tired.
Without about 2k to go, I knew I was going to make it all the way in, but I wasn’t thinking about much apart from left foot, right foot. Taking inspiration from Murakami and thinking of myself as a pure running machine.
We made it to the finish, the first finishers of the event (which is not a race). I was very glad to stop running. I ate a load of food, first sweets and then a Sunday pub roast. Had to stop driving on the way home to stretch out my hamstring and avoid an accident.
A great event, would love to do it again. Great organisation, great value as well. Really whetted my appetite for longer runs, but so good to be on the trails. Moving through nature as a group.