TCS London Marathon 2022

Believe the hype. The atmosphere. The crowds. The organisation. The landmarks. The London Marathon is everything I’d imagined it would be…and more! 7 years I’ve applied through the general ballot. 7 years of rejection. 7 years of watching it live on the tv, soaking up the atmosphere from the comfort of my sofa. 7 years

Robin Hood 100

“When you run for 10 miles you have ideas. When you run for 100 miles you have epiphanies.” Michael D’AULERIO A 100 mile run. ONE HUNDRED miles. Who’d have thought when I started this running journey back in 2015 that I’d be towing the start line of a 100 mile race – I certainly didn’t!

Birmingham Canal Canter 26.2

The Birmingham Canal Canter is organised by the Long Distance Walkers Association (LDWA) and is open to both walkers and runners alike. With the option of either 18 or 26.2 miles, they offer a circular route exploring Birmingham’s extensive canal network – with it’s mix of rural countryside, industrial heritage and state of the art

Conti Thunder Run 24hr – Solo

The Conti Thunder Run is the original 24hr trail race consisting of as many 10k laps as you can muster in 24hrs. Held in the grounds of Catton Park, Derbyshire, it attracts thousands of runners each year and with the option of running solo, in pairs or relay teams of up to 8, it’s inclusive

Ham & Lyme 100k

The Ham & Lyme 100k follows the stunning Liberty Trail which runs from Lyme Regis in Dorset to Ham Hill Country Park in Somerset, before turning around and heading back to the start line to finish on the promenade. I went into the event both physically and mentally unprepared. On-going Achilles and knee issues meant

Bluebell Challenge

The Bluebell Challenge is organised by Big Bear Events and challenges you to run as many 2.9 mile laps as you can muster within a 6-hour time limit. I’d come across this event fairly last minute via social media and the ‘lapped format’ immediately caught my attention. Held in the grounds of Hartshill Hayes Country

Millennium Way Ultra

Well, I f’ked that up! The Millennium Way Ultra – despite milestone PB’s at 30 and 40 miles – left me feeling somewhat disheartened and proof that not all races go to plan. For anyone who wants to know how not to race an ultra, read on… The race itself is a 41 mile point-to-point

Ashby 20

Ashby 20 – now in it’s 30th Anniversary – is a 20 mile road race ‘organised by runners, for runners’. Based in Ashby-de-la-Zouch – a small market town in Leicestershire – the race attracts over 1000 runners and is considered to be ‘one of the last long runs’ in the calendar before the major spring

London Marathon BABY!!!

After 7 years of rejection, I finally got the email I’d been waiting for – and with it comes a flood of emotions. Excitement. Relief. Stress. Anxiety. I swore I’d never do a road marathon again. My passion lies on the trails – give me mud over tarmac – countryside over suburbs – hills over

Scott’s Dirty Dozen Trail Race

To quote the official website, the Scott’s Dirty Dozen Trail Race is “quite simply the best trail running event in the area.” I happen to agree. Set amongst the beautiful backdrop of Cannock Chase in Staffordshire, it’s the true definition of a trail run – with plenty of single-track, forestry trails, mud, hills and the

Imber Ultra

I first ran this event in 2020 and was keen to give it another go despite last years event falling victim to the pandemic. The Imber Ultra is a 33 mile mixed-terrain race taking in the Salisbury Plain and the Imber Range Perimeter Path. Jointly organised by Avon Valley Runners and the Rotary Club of

Country to Capital Ultra

The Country to Capital Ultra is a 43 mile point to point race from Wendover in Buckinghamshire to Little Venice in London. As the name suggests, the route covers approximately 23 miles of glorious countryside, woodland trails and muddy tracks before hitting the Grand Union Canal for a further 20 miles of canal tow path

Endurance Life: Gower Ultra

Another race that’s been on the radar for quite some time. The Gower Ultra – as described on their website – is a 32.9 mile trail race ‘set against an awe-inspiring natural backdrop of cliff tops, downland, woodland, sand dunes and world famous beaches’. With over 4,000ft of elevation and the prospect of gnarly, wintery

Volunteering – Robin Hood 100

Ask any race director and they’ll be the first to tell you that without volunteers, there are no events. It’s true. I’m guilty of taking races for granted. Don’t get me wrong – I’m the first to acknowledge and thank all volunteers – whether that’s in the local 5k parkrun, a large inner city marathon

Conti Thunder Run 24hr – Solo

My first 24hr event. The Conti Thunder Run is the original 24hr trail race consisting of as many 10k laps as you can muster in 24hrs.  Now in it’s 12th year, it’s held in the grounds of Catton Park, Derbyshire and attracts thousands of runners who are up for a challenge – whether that’s running

The Piece of Cake Trail Marathon

The ironically named ‘Piece of Cake Trail Marathon’ which proved to be anything but… Located in the spectacular Carding Mill Valley in the Shropshire Hills, this is another one of Denzil’s ‘How Hard Can It Be Events’ which have now become a firm favourite of mine in the calendar. With options to run either a

4x4x48 Challenge

The challenge: run 4 miles, every 4 hours for 48 hours. I stumbled upon the 4x4x48 challenge a couple of years ago and it has resonated with me ever since. Popularised by American fitness guru, ex navy seal and ultra runner David Goggins, it’s now an annual event featured heavily across all social media platforms.

Maegen Fitness Lifestyle

I’ve never obsessed about my weight. I lead a fairly active lifestyle. I’m fortunate enough to be able to run 4 to 5 times a week, averaging between 30-40 miles outside training blocks and have completed distances from parkrun to ultramarathons. I’m happier, healthier and fitter than I’ve ever been yet my BMI classifies me

Running Review of 2020

What a year! No-one could predict what 2020 had in store for us and as I type this, things looks pretty bleak as we head into the New Year. Running feels pretty insignificant compared to what’s happening in the real world but I’m trying to normalise things as much as possible. Running has always helped

The Waseley Hills – (Unofficial) Marathon DNF

Not all runs go to plan. The Waseley Hills, at 150 acres is situated in South-West Birmingham and is a popular range of hills which form part of the North Worcestershire Path. Off the back of completing a marathon around the Lickey Hills a couple of weeks ago, I’d set myself a challenge of running

The Lickey Hills (Unofficial) Marathon

The Lickey Hills – my old stomping ground and the setting for my latest adventure. With over 524 acres of hills, woodland trails and panoramic views over the surrounding countryside, it’s an idea location for a bit of Type 2 fun! I’ve been running the Lickey Hills religiously for the past 5 years – it’s

The Black Mountains

I love an adventure! I’d run the Black Mountains at the end of last year, not as a race but with a group of friends who have the same love of the trails as I do. The hills have some serious elevation, throw in some technical, mixed terrain and you have the idyllic runners playground.

Worcestershire Circular (Unofficial) Ultra

I’d got the idea of running the Worcestershire loop from Kate, a friend from club who had devised the route and posted it on Strava. The route was a 32 mile circular starting and finishing at her parents house in Bromsgrove. I lived a couple of miles away so starting and finishing from mine would

Scott’s Dirty Dozen Trail Race

The Dirty Dozen Trail race is a stunning multi-terrain run which meanders its way through Cannock Chase in Staffordshire. The course itself is a challenging route on muddy terrain, with both single file and hard stone tracks underfoot. It also has it’s fair share of hills and features the ‘Ditch of Doom’ – which if

Bromsgrove to Worcester Circular (Unofficial) Ultra

The ultra that almost never was… Storm Ciara was expected to cause havoc across the UK and with winds of up to 80 mph forecast, there had been Amber weather warnings in place prior to ‘race day’. Not technically a ‘race’, a group of fellow runners had come up with the idea of running from

Icing on the Cake Marathon

The first race in the calendar and one I very much look forward to. The Icing on the Cake‘ marathon is set in the Shropshire Hills and covers just shy of 5,500 ft of climb in and around Carding Mill Valley and the Long Mynd. Last years event was cancelled due to snow so I’d

Lakes in a Day

It was 07:59 and I was standing at the start line for the Lakes in a Day 2019 ultramarathon. Everyone around me looked nervous, it felt unnervingly quiet and I felt sick to the stomach. What lay ahead was a 50 mile race from Caldbeck to Cartmel covering the length of the Lake District from

Working Away, Night Running and a Return to the Malverns…

Week 17 – Peak Phase w/c 09.09.2019 Recommended mileage: 55 milesActual mileage: 40.3 miles I was fortunate enough to be working in Cornwall this week but only managed to get in a couple of runs due to work commitments. Both were circular coastal runs; one from Cardis Bay to Hayle and the other slightly further

Navigation Training and a LiaD Recce

Week 16 – Peak Phase w/c 02.09.2019 Recommended mileage: 50 milesActual mileage: 48.8 miles Monday came around fairly quickly. Ruth and I were at the Moseley Folk Festival all day Saturday and Sunday was spent tobogganing for Oliver’s birthday – I still can’t believe he’s 5! I’d rested the knee somewhat in terms of running

Post Holiday Blues and Another Injury Scare

Week 15 – Build Phase w/c 26.08.2019 Recommended mileage: 40 milesActual mileage: 21 miles I’m aware that I’ve not posted for a couple of weeks but I’ve just returned from a 2-week family holiday on the Isle of Wight and went on a social media sabbatical; which was just what I needed! I’ve learnt not