Category Archives: Races

The trail racing season started for Mirsie last weekend. This was the Ephesus 61k event. It started and finished in Selcuk in south west Turkiye and which went through the ancient city of Ephesus. Built in the 10th century BC it’s a stunning UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Mirsie admittedly wasn’t in the greatest of form and suffered from stomach cramps during the race. Nevertheless she finished second in her age group and in the top ten of female finishers. Result! She said afterwards:

“I had done very little training… however it was a very pleasant trail with lots of beautiful wild flowers and olive groves…. A lovely atmosphere.”

She’s now off training in the Greek National Park of Mount Olympus to get ready for her Istria 100k UTMB race in Croatia next month.

I travelled to Kranjska Gora in Slovenia to race the Julian Alps 100 mile event on 16th September. It was to be the last event of the season and, as it was part of the UTMB World Series, it was a big one!

However as we arrived the weather turned bad with heavy rain the day before the event. It also began to snow on the mountain peaks. On the advice of mountain rescue the organisers called off the 100 mile event just three hours before the start. Instead I then opted to race the 100k event that evening. Expecting it to take around 24 hours we started in the dark at 9pm in heavy rain, with spirits lifted with the rousing tunes of the local brass band.

As we steadily climbed to higher altitude during the night we experienced all kinds of weather. From heavy rain and wind to extreme cold and snow. Conditions became increasingly dangerous with numerous call outs to mountain rescue to help with broken bones and hypothermia. Once conditions worsened further the rescue helicopters were prevented from flying. At that point the organisers had no option but to call off the race. We were shepherded to the next check point and then bused back to the start. A disappointing end to the event but completely understandable in the circumstances. Time to rest, travel on and begin to plan for 2023.

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We turned up at Mošćenička Draga,, a beautiful fishing village in Istria, Croatia to watch the Golden Trail series Croatia national final. On the off chance they might accept a couple of late entries we asked and they said yes! I entered the 16k race while Mirsie took part in the main marathon event. It was a lovely sunny day and 300 competitors across several races started from the harbour. Mirsie was delighted to find herself finish on the podium not once but twice! She was third female overall and first in her age group. Congratulations!

Chamonix is one of our favourite places due to its outdoor vibe. The atmosphere was electric during the UTMB races this week. Thousands of runners, supporters and spectators arrived for one of the eight races which are part of the Ultra Trail de Mont Blanc running festival.

The town was packed. The expo was huge. Runners were out on every trail, every moment of every day. The superstars of trail running – including Killian Journet – were to be seen ambling along the streets and in the coffee shops.  And it was to be Killian who, despite testing positive for Covid, won the main event and achieved the remarkable feat of being the first person to run the 100 mile race under 20 hours. The young American Katie Schide came in at 23.15 hours – the second fastest time ever for a woman.

We spent several weeks in Chamonix and the surrounding area while Mirsie prepared for her race. It’s an inspiring place and I’m sure we’ll be back many times in the future.
 

I started the TDS race from Cormayeur at midnight Tuesday AM (23rd August 2022). The race is designed to test you every which way: mentally and physically. It’s beautiful all the way.

I found it challenging. Physically I felt fine but mentally it was difficult due to lack of sleep. As I ran through my second night of continuous running I felt I was sleep walking. Due to the challenging ridges I felt it best to stop racing after 100k and 24 hours and 37 minutes. David met me at Beaufort feed station with the van and within half an hour of arriving there I was sound asleep.

The 90 mile TDS event may be shorter than the 100 mile UTMB race but it is a notoriously tough race. It’s extremely well organised one with clear route navigation and plentiful feed stations. I’m now very familiar with the route and better understanding the challenges involved in completing it. Would I do that race again? Yes I would!

This was a spectacular route in the Mamores. The weather was almost perfect and despite a nasty fall on  scree I was very pleased to finish second female in my age group. Result!