20/09/2026
(Saturday 5th September)
Marathon/Ultra 368 - Run Forest Run Half Day Hustle:
This post has been a little while coming as I had fracture clinic on 3rd (same old, but moving forwards) and have been a bit overwhelmed with everything for a couple of weeks, but here it is!
I met Rob and Craig in the morning as Rob was giving us each a lift to Newbury, where the race was. It was a 12 hour timed event that started at 7am, but we turned up just after 9am as Rob and Craig weren't planning on running further than a marathon, (or even that, but let's not go there ...). I knew that, as much as I wanted to, it wasn't a good idea to run for 12 hours this early in my fitness recovery, so it was a blessing, plus, it meant 2 hours extra in bed!
As we drove in, we saw some familiar faces, including Kerry, Keith and Andy. As I was filling my water bottles, Chrissy, Caroline and Tracey completed a lap, so I knew we had some good company out on the course.
The course was a 2.15 mile mixed terrain loop which I enjoyed, even after 30 of them! I decided I wanted to run at least 20, then 25 laps, by which time I figured I may as well just run until the end of the race.
64.5 miles (104km) later, it was 7pm and the end of the race. I was pleased to claim 1st place overall in 9h55m. Andy was 2nd place and 1st male, completing just over 62 miles (100km) in 11h55. Congratulations mate!
After the race, I had a 1.5 mile walk to Newbury station, where I found the trains were all over the shot thanks to a grass fire in London. I eventually, somehow, got back just after midnight ahead of a cool down 10k race in Littlehampton on the Sunday morning.
This was my longest post femur break run ๐๐ค๐๐ปโโ๏ธ