Hadrian's Wall Ultra Marathon

On a chilly Saturday morning at the end of what would become the wettest June on record I found myself at the start of The Wall Ultra-Marathon. Over the next two days I would attempt to run 69 miles on mixed terrain along Hadrian’s Wall between Carlisle Castle and Newcastle.

I had first thought about running along Hadrian’s wall a couple of years ago when I was first starting to run regularly. At the time I the furthest I’d ran was a 10k. I but the idea to the back of mind and started looking a half marathon events. Move forward about a year and just after my first full marathon my colleague James sent me a link to The Wall. I studied the event a few times over the coming weeks but it wasn’t until about six months later and after marathon number two and some off road running practise that I finally booked my place on the 69 mile two day slog.

TRAVELLING TO THE START

I travelled up to Carlisle on the Friday night with my wife and supporter Abigail. After stopping off at Carlisle Castle to register we checked into our hotel a couple of miles. I was excited and nervous about my first ultra run and I checked and re-checked my kit before finally getting off to sleep just after midnight to the sound of rain driving at the window. I was resigned the fact that it was to be a wet weekend.

SATURDAY

I was up and dressed pretty quick on Saturday morning and I couldn’t wait to get to the castle and get going. Arriving at Carlisle Castle about 30 minutes before the big off I felt relaxed as I stretched and checked my kit. Due to the immense amount of rain that had fallen the start of the race was delayed while the route out of Carlisle was checked for flooding. Whilst standing in the crowd at the start listening to a race marshal shout instructions at us my mind started to wonder. It seemed strange to think that the race I was about to start wouldn’t finish until tomorrow afternoon. If all went well.

At about 0820 and after a short countdown we were off. Stage 1 would consist of a 15 mile mostly road run before reaching the first pit-stop at Lanercost. The crowd shuffled out of the castle and I made a quick stop off to kiss Abigail as she cheered me on my way. I wouldn’t be seeing my wife again until I arrived at the halfway camp site at Vindolanda in 32 miles time – the furtherest I would have ever ran in one day in my life.

Heading out of Carlisle I was pretty soon tiptoeing around puddles in an attempt to keep my feet dry only to be met with a shin deep water crossing less than two miles in whilst running through a park. I wasn’t to concerned about my soaked feet however as I had a change of socks in my pack. As we left Carlisle I was able to set a steady pace and enjoy eating up the miles before finally reaching pit-stop 1 in Lanercost.The Lanercost pit-stop consisted of a tent full of food and drink which was a welcome sight. I tucked into some flapjacks, a sandwich and a banana. After a bit of stretching I refilled my two litre bladder and changed my socks. I was now ready to get going again but it had started raining so I stepped under the tent to wait it out for a minute or two. The rain fell harder so decided to change into my wet weather trousers and jacket. By the time I was all water-proofed up and ready to go the rain had stopped. I decided to leave my water-proofs on as I was sure I’d not seen the end of the wet stuff.

I made my way across the field to the exit on the far side the the start of stage 2 which would take me 17 miles to the mid-way camp site. The 17 miles past quite well and I walked the steep up hills and ran the flat and down hills. This system seemed to work well and gave my legs and feet a good rest. After quite a few miles of hills and intermittent rain I arrived at the first checkpoint. The checkpoints were small tents set up along each stage providing water and sweets. I grabbed a handful of Harribos and a couple of cups of water and headed back out along the wall.

The next few miles seen the first real bit of trail running and it was very enjoyable after the miles of road that had past under feet so far. The scenery was beautiful and I enjoyed seeing some sections of the actual Hadrian’s Wall as I plodded along. At times I was running across open fields and climbing over stone walls using wooden ladders. Some of the people in front of me struggled to get over the walls as the twenty plus previous miles started taking their toll. I felt OK so far and I was able to tackle the walls without looking too much like an old man. I had passed through another checkpoint a few miles before which had a small cafe and as the tiredness set in I was now regretting not taking the chance to get a coffee down me. The thought of meeting Abigail at the camp site kept me going. That and the thought of a good sit down and some hot food.

Checking my watch and trying to remember the route details I was sure that I had about a mile to go before the camp site. I spoke to another runner as we walked up a hill and I told him I thought we only had one more mile to go. He said that he thought it was even less than that. He was right. As I passed over the top of the hill the half-way Vindolanda camp site opened out in front of me. I ran towards it feeling a great relief and a suddenly feeling the heaviness in my legs. I heard my name and turned to my left where I seen Abigail cheering and clapping me home. I got to the end of stage 2 and Abi came over and gave me a big long hug. It was great to see her after what had felt like a very long 7 hours and 32 miles.

I headed into a large tent with Abigail and joined the other tired runners as we all sat around with our hot soup and coffees and tasty flapjack like snacks. It was only now that a noticed how bad my chaffing was in my private areas. It stung and was quite painful with every movement. I hadn’t noticed it too much when I was running but now it was bad. I would have to be careful on day two.

Enjoying a coffee after a hard day of running

Eventually I dragged myself out of the warm food filled tent and I was ready for my next challenge – putting up our tent. The wind and drizzle made the tent erection difficult but Abi was great and before long we had our home for night. I left my one woman support team to sort out the inside of our tent and I headed towards the showers. The chat amongst the tired dirty runners in the shower queue was up beat and friendly. We all had the same sense of a job well done but as yet unfinished.

Despite my fears the showers were brilliant and I was soon feeling very clean and relaxed. We headed towards the food vans and we’re soon sat in the camp site bar with our vegetable currys and another coffee. I was tempted to sink a beer or two to help me sleep but I resisted and opted for an early night and some much needed rest. Tomorrow was another day, and another 37 miles to go until Newcastle.

SUNDAY

When I eventually got off to sleep I slept well but woke early. Abi slept as I ate my museli and prepared my backpack and mixed my drinks and it wasn’t long till I was at the start ready for the 13 miles of stage 3. The Rat Race official pointed up to the top of the massive Barcombe Hill top which had dominated the view from the camp site and told us that was where we would be heading. Shortly after 8:00 we were off. We walked out of the camp site and headed up a slight hill. It wasn’t long before all the runners were queuing up to pass through a small gate in the fence at the foot of the massive hill we were to scrabble up. We all formed a single file line as we made our way up, sometimes on all fours.

I felt a great sense of achievement as I reached the top and paused for breath. I looked back down at the line of tired runners steadily climbing to the top. The old Roman fort could be clearly seen as could the camp site. Somewhere down there were a team of wives, husbands, friends and supporters packing away tents and loading up cars.

Checking in just ahead of Beard

I ran on along the top of the hill and eventually joined back on to the road I had left at the bottom of the massive hill a few miles earlier. The road was long and undulating and past through some small villages. Eventually the route took me off road again and I headed across fields and through woods. Looking back this was one of my favourite stretches of the whole run. I tall man with a beard over took me a couple of miles from the end of stage 3. I fell in behind Beard and ran with him for the last couple of miles to the end of stage 3 and the first pit-stop of the day.

Abi was waiting for me at the pit-stop. She got me a coffee as I tucked into a sandwich and a snickers. The sun was shinning for what I think was the first time over the weekend and I fished my sunglasses out of my bag. Sun cream was applied and socks were changed as I sat on the grass sipping my coffee. When I stood up again I had a slight dizzy spell. I steadied myself and thought about what could be causing my spinning head. Was it dehydration? Hunger? Fatigue? Probably a bit of all three. Once I was sure I was OK I said goodbye to Abi and set off on the next stage.

A change of socks and a coffee

Stage 4 was 17 miles long and when inspecting the route in the months previous I had decided that it might be the toughest. I was right. By now I had ran about 45 miles over the last two days and I still had 24 to go. Mentally and physical this was going to be difficult.

I felt a bit sad as I said my farewells to Abi. I wouldn’t be seeing her again till the end ans I felt a bit anxious about the last two stages which stretched out ahead of me.

During an uphill walking section I got talking to two runners who were also using the hill as a chance for a rest. Once the uphill ended we ran on together. Once again I found the company comforting and I was able to eat up a few miles whilst chatting to my temporary running friends and we only parted company when I stopped for a “comfit” stop in a nearby field.

The next few miles were tough. I carried on walking the up hills but each time I started up again my legs felt very heavy and stiff and I was feeling very tired. My under-carriage chaffing had returned with a vengeance and I tried my best to block it out. I’ve done a lot of running over the last couple of years and most of what I was experiencing wasn’t new to me. I was experiencing something new however. As I dragged myself along listening to my bag rhythmically bouncing up and down on my back I started to fantasize about home comfits. My mind drifted as I imagined hot home cooked meals, a comfy couch and a cold beer. As I passed couples out for a Sunday walk I glared at them in jealousy wishing it was me strolling hand in hand with my wife.

Looking back now I think these feeling came from the fact that I had spent so much time over the weekend in a state of discomfort. I hadn’t eaten a decent meal or been able to relax in what felt like ages. These feelings came and went over the next couple of hours and I actually found it quite an interesting experience.

I eventually arrived at the mid-stage check point and stopped for a drink, some Harribos and a chat. After a couple of minutes I noticed the steward at the check point was a dead ringer for Prince William! I told him of his likeness for His Royal Highness and asked him if he’d ever heard this before. The roll of his eyes and his labored nod told me that he had heard this particular comparison many times, maybe even many times today.

I started back on my way, slowly loosening my legs over the first mile. It wasn’t long before I had befriended another couple of runners. This time it was Andy and Martin from Southport. We chatted a lot over the remainder of stage 5. Ever so often Andy would slow down or break into a walk and we would make some distance on him before waiting for him to catch up. Andy and Martin had ran many races over the previous couple of years mostly together together and they had even ran the Wales Marathon only a couple of weeks earlier.

I enjoyed meeting these two runners and swapping running stories and tips as we pushed on towards the end of the stage and our final pit-stop. Only a few miles out from the pit-stop we past a young runner who looked like he was really struggling. He was shuffling along and his feet looked as if they were the focus of his pain. As we passed we asked him if he was OK and I tried to spark up a conversation. He assured us that he was good although he obviously wasn’t. We ran on making a mental note of his race number and decided we would mention him to the stewards at the pit-stop.

Eventually the final pit-stop of the weekend arrived. It was small but had all the refreshments we required. Andy and Martin didn’t stop for long and were soon gone. I stayed behind at the pit-stop and filled up on flapjacks and fruit and filled my water bladder for what would be the last time. After a quick visit to the port-a-loo to apply some moisturiser to my chaffing areas and I was ready to set off the final stage of my epic run.

When studying the course prior to the weekend I was always looking forward to this pit-stop. I always felt that if I could make it this far without any major problems then I would be OK. The final stage was 7 miles long and I would happily walk it if I had to.

Off I set on stage 5. The final stage of The Wall Ultra Run. Just 7 miles between me and the finish line. I ran on feeling relaxed and happy and very tired. The scenery was now very different from the start of the day as I got closer to the centre of Newcastle.

About the set off on the final stage

Sometime before the end of the previous stage the battery on my Garmin Forerunner 305 watch had given up. I had noticed at the last pit-stop and set my Run Keeper iPhone app up for this final stage. It felt quite good to have out run my watch battery in the one event. My phone was tucked away in my waist bag which meant I couldn’t check my time and distance without fishing it out which was a bit of an inconvenience. About half way through the stage I caught up with my running buddies from the previous stage Andy and Martin. They had stopped two put their wet weather gear on when it had started raining and now they were taking it off as the rain dried up. I had ran on through the rain, not because I was conscious of my time but simply because I felt that if I stopped to fish out my coat It would be very hard to get my momentum back. I slowed to a walk and chatted to Andy and Martin for a while. After a few minutes I caught sight of the river which spurred me on. I left my running buddies behind and ran on.

Over the next couple of miles I mostly ran but also walked occasionally to rest my aching body. Martin wasn’t far behind me and he caught me up when I stopped to cross a road. Andy was struggling a bit and was some way behind us. We ran on together along the River Tyne. Eventually Martin left me when I popped into a near by bush for a quick unscheduled pit-stop. When I emerged from my rest stop I carried on running and around the next corner I spotted the Tyne Bridge off in the distance complete with it’s Olympic rings and behind that the Millennium Bridge – the finish line! This sight gave me a massive boost and I actually felt a bit of strength return to my legs. I had felt this “return of strength” before at the end of marathon races. The realisation that the end is there right in front of you seems to send a message to the whole body which responds with an energy you had not previously been aware you had. Sports psychology is fascinating.

I ran past the fishermen who lined the river as the Newcastle Millennium Bridge grew larger. As I got closer I could see the finishing area on the other side of the river. I would have to run over the bridge, the last hurdle before the finish line. I thought about Abi waiting on the other side of the river. I glanced across as I approached the entrance to the bridge and to my amazement I spotted Abi frantically waving at me across the river! I suddenly filled up with emotion and waved back with a massive grin from ear to ear. Abi stopped waving and then ran off out of sight to take her place at the finish line.

I ran onto the bridge and past a newly wed bride and groom happily having there photos taken. I think I actually ran between them and their photographer as I gave them my congratulations. When I reached the middle of the bridge I could here the PA announcer at the finish line shouting my name. “We have Chris Brown on the bridge!” he shouted. I raised my arms and the waiting crowd cheered me on. “It’s not Hadrian’s Wall any more!” he continued, “It’s Chris Brown’s wall!”. Abi had given him my name and I was loving hearing it being shouted out as I crossed the line arms aloft.

Crossing the line of The Wall Ultra run

I had ran 69 miles across the country from Carlisle to Newcastle. My total time was 16 hours and 6 minutes over two days.

I stopped and was hugged by Abi. My wife had been immense over the previous two days and I couldn’t have done it without her support. The thought of her waiting for me at the end of the difficult stages had driven me on and her willingness to get stuck in with the tent and drive the car around muddy fields and up and down and across the country had enabled me to concentrate on my running.

My body was very tired and I knew that there were aches and pains ahead but for know I was elated and had a great sense of achievement. I past through a small tent and was congratulated and handed my medal. I spotted Martin and made my way over and we shook hands. He informed me that Andy was due over the line any moment and we both waited and clapped him in.

Before long I was in another tent tucking into some hot vegetable soup and a coffee. It was the best soup I had ever tasted.

The best soup ever after two long days running