13/14th June 2015- South Downs Way 100

A wet night and drizzly morning started the South Downs Way race, but it dried out before the 6am start on Saturday. The task of completing my first 100 miler was daunting, but the tactic was to break it down, getting from checkpoint to checkpoint. It was cool for the first 22 miles and so was easygoing from the start to the 2nd checkpoint at Queen Elizabeth Country Park, getting there in just under 4 hours.

Following the marker posts

It was warming up though and I was having to drink more than usual, but I was still eating well at checkpoints, while trying not to stay at checkpoints longer than 5 minutes each time. It was a long run through farmland and wooded areas with a couple of hills to get to the Washington checkpoint at 54 miles but I got there in a little over 10 hours. Runners we're greeted by Elvis and a cowboy and I had a twenty minute break to eat pasta, have a coffee and sort out kit from my dropbag.

It seemed hotter now and was hard going up the first hill, but some good running followed to Botolphs CP at 61 miles, but after this I struggled to eat much (just nuts and fruit).

Looking back over Botolphs

By mile 70 at Clayton Windmills CP energy levels we're low, but I eat a little and just kept going. It was good running to the checkpoint at 76miles but now I was feeling sick. I had a coffee and off into the dark up the first hill, which was pretty tough. I gritted my teeth and just concentrated on the nest next checkpoint at Southese 84 miles and then over the hill that followed and then along to Alfriston at 91.6 miles. I still felt sick and low on energy, but managed to get a littel soup down and some coffee and with the end feeling near, I headed back off into the night and uphill to the next CP at Jevington and following this up the last hill to the trigpoint that overlooks Eastbourne where you could see the floodlights that marked the finish at the athletics ground. Despite feeling sick I just ran all the way to the end wanting just to finish. Following the last downhill and through the streets of Eastbourne it was a lap round the athletics track to finish in 22 hours 7 minutes and 25 seconds, just after 4am Sunday.


My first 100 miler done and in a time I was very happy with.

Finishers T shirt and belt buckle