I signed up to this event for a few reasons: mainly it started close by so no need to have to sort out transport logistics to the start and start time was 12pm on a Saturday, so I could do my usual 120km ride on the Friday, then an evening in the pub, and not have to worry about an early start. It was a no brainer!
I hadn’t realised other club runners were doing the event until I turned up Norwood Rec and bumped into Steve W. Should have known really that if there was a half marathon on, he would be doing it. Steve said he’d also seen Steph, Lara and Kat who’d all just set off. The start times were set at 10 min intervals and I think the aim was for the faster runners to start later so that people finished around a similar time. In reality I think it was a bit more random than that.
The 25km route followed the Capital Ring route from Upper Norwood to Richmond, whilst the headline event, the 55km ultra, had started much earlier in the day in Woolwich and we joined runners who were 30km in on their route. Somehow I managed to miss Kat on the route, almost missed Steve if he hadn’t shouted at me when he saw me. Even being as unobservant as I am, I could not miss Lara in a CPFR shirt and hiking boots combo, moving at quite a pace! None of these Alphaflys for Lara, she had gone old school!
The route took us out through Biggin Woods to Norwood Grove, along Streatham Common and over to Tooting Common then Wandsworth Common. The second half was the slightly more undulating part taking us through Wimbledon Park, then into and across Wimbledon Common, over the A3, then into Richmond Park. We crossed the park diagonally, passing through the Isabella plantation and ended with a short section along the river and into Richmond.
I think my expectations for the route were actually quite low and I was really surprised at how much I was enjoying my surroundings. We could not have asked for a more beautiful sunny day. It’s not the alps, but for South London, it is a really scenic route. It did feel a little strange running through busy areas, particularly along the river in Richmond, with a race number on weaving my way around people enjoying a relaxing Saturday afternoon, but in the main people seemed unperturbed by a sweaty runner shuffling past. I nearly got taken out by a dog twice but overall no issues. I had taken the executive decision to ignore the mandatory survival blanket on the kit list. As useful as this could be when out on a trail, I thought if I ended up needing a survival blanket on a 25km run on a sunny day in South London, something had gone very wrong. Luckily it didn’t.
In total 188 people completed the 25km. Much to my surprise I came 5th and 1st woman finishing in 2 hrs 6 mins.
I would happily do the event again, but seeing some of the 55km runners looking more and more tired as the race went on, that did nothing to inspire me to run further than 25km anytime soon. If however anyone is looking to take on this longer distance and hasn’t run anything like this far before I would recommend the Ultra London event that actively encourages beginner ultra runners and walkers. It was well organised. We were given the gpx file to upload and follow but the route was also well signposted with event signs and ribbons and I only went slightly wrong once.
287 people completed the 55km with winner coming in at a swift 4 hrs 16 and the final person 10 hrs 52.
Probably the least said about the post race logistics the better, but this was mainly train strike related. Steve, Steph and I ventured back to SE London. Three tubes an Uber and several hours later, we were very happily refuelling in the Greyhound in Sydenham.