It has been a long and tiring season, and in the days before the inaugural TRA Ridgeway Challenge I thought I would only go to the start to see some familiar faces. And then maybe I would run a few miles before retiring home, hoping that nobody would challenge the record of 16 hours and 48 minutes I set last year. The record looked a bit safer as the race was started at midday, requiring half of the running to be done in darkness. Accordingly I did not prepare for the race, did not look at the maps to familiarize myself with the route again, and most importantly I did not ask around to get a support team. But Marie-Anne sent our Italian guests to London and insisted in being my support crew together with Lena. Thank you very much for that; you have been a huge help.
When we arrived at registration there were quite a few old friends and a few new faces, and soon it was time to make our way up to the start on Ivinghoe Beacon. Six walkers had already started an hour earlier, now it was our turn, nine runners to go on the 87-mile journey to Overton Hill near Marlborough.
The race plan was easy, trying to cover as many miles during day light and then, if I was still in the top three to see how fast I could go in darkness on those rutted tracks. With this in mind, I went off not that much slower than a few months earlier for the relay team. It was a beautiful day and running without a backpack made me almost feel like flying. An hour and forty minutes later I was already approaching Wendover, a few more drinks and a cheese sandwich, and off I went on the second leg. On the next hill I caught up with the walkers, and now I was really in the lead. Over the next few miles I developed a lead of over six minutes, although the support crew of my nearest rival, Sam Kilpatrick tried to convince me that the lead was diminishing all the time.
Then at Swincombe Church I missed the sharp turn to the left and ran happily down the valley until I got to a junction where there was no Ridgeway sign. What now? In the end I went back and lost about nine minutes and the lead. But Sam had problems of his own, and soon later we were running together. Sam was one of the MOB competitors, so part of me was quite happy that we were now running together, but loosing the lead in this way was not nice. And I had planned to have ``dinner'' at North Stoke, a soup, and change of clothes for the night that is, and looking after my feet. It was tempting to stay with Sam instead, but from the Grand Union Canal Race I knew in ultra distance racing you first have to run your own race before you can think of running against others. After a nice cup of soup, some bread and other treats I started into the second half of the race. When I got to Goring, I could see Sam leaving the checkpoint, where he had had a break with some tea and fruitcake. Great - into the hall and out again in no time; ``Is that all?'' was the only thing I heard the officials saying, and soon after I caught up with Sam again.
A few miles later, darkness set in and I was glad I had already changed into a long sleeved top and had my head torch ready. The next few legs went by at the following pattern: I started a bit before Sam, doing my usual running-walking mixture until Sam and his support runners came along. Then we would run a bit together, and then Marie-Anne would run towards us from the checkpoint, and newly refreshed I would try and reach the checkpoint first.
At the beginning of leg 9, at Fox Hill, I decided to have another go for glory. And when I left the road, I could see Sam and his companion two minutes trailing. That was my chance. I turned off my torch, to give them less of an incentive. It was full moon and the chalk trek was well visible there. Running fast down the steep gravel trek to Osbourne St Georges was a bit of a gamble, and gave me another tumble hurting my right knee this time, but it paid of. At the next time check - Marie-Anne waited for them, to let me know via mobile - the lead had increased to eight and half minutes. Mission almost achieved. One mile from the finish, Marie-Anne gave me another scare, when she met me to run the last bit with me. ``They are just behind you, I saw their lights before yours.'' I could not believe it, and my body definitely did not want to do anything about it, but Marie-Anne would not have that and somehow I managed to increase the speed again. Finishing time 16 hours 39 minutes and 49 seconds. Faster than last year - a new record. Sam finished fifteen minutes later. Afterwards we went to the rugby club for a shower and some food. While most of the competitors were still on the run, we made our way home to Oxford, witnessing one of the most beautiful sunrises we have seen for a while.