I was so excited when I signed up to RTTK with a group of friends in September 2019 I couldn’t wait to take part in my first ever Ultra event. Having never ran more than a half marathon most people I knew thought I’d gone a bit mad however I thought there seemed less pressure to complete an ultra than a road marathon, I mean who cares what time you finish as long as you finish right! I couldn’t wait. We threw ourselves into training then before we knew it life was put on pause and we all started to think we would never get to the start line! Then the email finally came, the event was going ahead.
The morning of the race was cold and damp, not the heat wave we’d been experiencing or prepared for! We were in the 8.30 starting wave so about 7.30 we headed from the hotel to Goodwood Racecourse for the start of the race and before we knew it, we were off. The route takes you along the spectacular South Downs way through wooded areas, along chalky trails and up hills bigger than I had ever climbed before. Man, they were tough, yes Buster Hill I mean you, but the picture- perfect views at the top, once I’d gotten my breath back, were so worth it.
There were 7 pitstops over the 54 miles all stocked with an array of sweet and savoury snacks and a selection of drink options. If you ever do one of these events, I can highly recommend the mixed berry skittles, I’m sure they had some sort of magical powers!
As the day turned into night we plodded on, running or bouncing as we liked to call it, walking, laughing and chatting, staying as positive as possible and lifting each other’s spirits until eventually after around 16 hours on our feet we eventually crossed the finish line. I was ecstatic, I really did enjoy every single step along the way, I never once thought we wouldn’t get to the finish line and I am immensely proud of what we all achieved. If you ever get chance to sign up to one of these events I would 100% recommend it, I guarantee you will have such an amazing time. This was definitely up there with one of the best experiences of my life, one I cannot wait to repeat. Now all I have to do is convince rest of the gang……