The Downland Trail 30 mile

Following yesterday’s problems with traffic I was determined to arrive in good time for this challenging 30-mile event, which meant a 5am start.

As one of the earlier arrivals, I was impressed to see such a hive of activity. There were plenty of helpers and with much of the work already complete, I headed over to the refreshment hall! I entered to see a huge selection of rolls being prepared but sadly none were ready, so I left again hoping that it wouldn’t be too long before I’d be back and tucking into them.

At registration I was happy to see some other runners who I had meet at previous events – including Terry, who I think was surprised to see me having giving me a warning a few weeks before that this a really difficult event.

With a name like ‘Downlands’ you hope there will be more downs than ups but sadly that wasn’t to be. The route took me 15 miles across the South Downs, then double backed on itself for the 15 miles back to the finish. The worst thing about following the same route back, is that you know what you’ve got to come!

The start line was in a dip, so the first two miles were a tough uphill struggle but once on the Downs what spectacular scenery. Running over the South Downs was, of course, all off road and I quickly learnt the benefits of trail shoes over the road shoes I was wearing. After so much rain, the ground was very soft and at one point we were required to run through muddy water. Once through, I noticed that unlike the other participants wearing trail shoes, mine retained the water and were squelching with every step. What was worse is that my shoes also seemed to have retained a ton of mud, which added to the weight I was carrying.

The trail wasn’t without its hazards and I wasn’t the only one who experienced difficulties. At one point, where the ground was slippery one girl fell. Fortunately, she was fine. I stopped to help her up and we ran together for a while.

I had one clear objective today – to finish. Unlike many of the other runners, I wasn’t going for a personal best or a fast time (lucky given my finishing time) but after the 13 miles yesterday, another 30 miles today was a big ask for my body. I also wanted to use the distance to try out some energy supplements, which can give you a boost when running long distances. It is a careful balance between boosting your energy levels with these things and making yourself ill. I’m not sure I’ve nailed it yet, I wasn’t ill but they are so sickly I felt it come the end of the run. They do give you a buzz though when you first take them so I guess I’ll keep practicing.

After a gruelling number of hours, as we were climbing the last hill we could just see the tips of the windmill from where we’d started – I’ve never been so happy to see anything in my life. Despite the difficulty of the course, the scenery was beautiful and the sun shone making it an enjoyable experience. The course was well manned, with friendly support teams at the 8, 15 and 22 mile markers, as well as the odd marshal dotted along the route to ensure no-one got lost.

I managed to catch up with some of the runners after the race and established I’d be likely to bump into them again in the not too distant future.

After 30 miles you don't get a medal - but there was a great T-shirt and some rejuvenating foot cream, which was fantastic product placement by the Body Shop but no medal to add to my expanding collection.