Niall is training for an ultra. Rosie is training for an ultra. I was not. But when Niall suggested entering a new event, a 50k trail ultra, I thought why not. I’d only FOMO if I didn’t enter!

The race started at a farm near Market Harborough and took us through the villages, bridleways and footpaths of south Leicestershire and north Northamptonshire. Gently undulating, nothing technical, lots of miles in beautiful countryside. We were buoyed by support from Christina Brady (who cycled 100km to support!) and Dave Cross around 35km point just before the route took us down the Brampton Valley Way. The last 5km felt like the longest 5km ever; tired legs and lumpy fields are not a good mix!

It is a fun, local and beginner friendly event. There were 3 aid stations approximately 8-9 miles apart, so having your own kit and fuel is essential. The route was largely unmarked, which meant self-navigation or relying on a device.

Niall finished a very strong 6th place, and looked like he barely broke a sweat! Rosie had run an ultra a fortnight before and smashed it! For me, this was my third ultra (I’m hardly ultra material) but I really enjoyed it (type 2).

Joonster