Category: Ultra Run (but open to walkers too)
Event name: Race to the Stones
Event location: Begins in Thame, Oxfordshire and ends in Avebury, Wiltshire
Event distance: 100km (can be done as two 50kms over two days, or just one leg of 50km too)
Terrain: Mostly trail, some road and pavement sections. Course is undulating the with a few bigger hills. Trail is sometimes narrow, sometimes chalky and has one prolonged wooded section with exposed roots etc. Not too much rain when I ran and found it manageable in sturdy road shoes.
Would you say the event was good value for money? Yes. Great support, logistics and information. Extra cost of travel and accommodation added up for me.
What tips would you give to others before they take on this event? No navigation necessary and aid stations are frequent enough so you don’t have to overload yourself. Know what you can handle food and drink wise (I chucked down crisps, coke, cake, pasta, gels, chocolate, sweets etc.!) as this can make or break the race. It’s an early start (mine was 7am) so useful to have a few training sessions to mimic this. I found taping the toes, investing in good socks and changing these half way through helped prevent blisters. Take time to soak it all in during the race. Biggest achievement of my running career and I tried to step outside the fatigue to enjoy what I was accomplishing.
Would you take part in this event again? Definitely, but I think that I will probably have a crack at some others different ultras before returning to this one (cost and logistics for me made it quite a commitment).
teachersrunclub.com 