Peddars Way Ultra – it was a long way 😉
Although the event was nearly two weeks ago, this is the joy of long distance running – different memories of the day keep popping into your head, some that make you laugh (ironically the queue for the gents loos was longer than the ladies), the wows and the highs; some parts of the run that you’d completely forgotten about in the days previous then surface again. Before the start of our day out we had seen the ponies galloping over Knettishall Heath – start line for the last ever Peddars Way ultra hosted by Positive Steps, first time for Kerrie and I taking it on and a return trip for Lucy to compete & complete for the 3rd time.
Originally a 48 mile course, a 3 mile diversion was put in place due to the river at the start being impassable. This did mean that they took out the run to the beach and back at the end but also the final route being just over 50 miles! Due to the diversion, we were treated to seeing some husky racing which looked fun as we made our way through the cabins at Elveden Park.
The first half is slightly easier underfoot with the second half being quite undulating. Fortunately it wasn’t quite as muddy as when we had done a previous route recce as that would have added a whole new dimension, especially once it got dark.
The bonus for a long run is that for those runners who run at a more leisurely pace mean they get to spend extra time with their chosen run buddies and I’m so grateful Kerrie chose me. We kept each other going and supported all the way to the finish line. Lots of inane chat along the way made the dark bits a little less spooky; as the visibility wasn’t so good, all our other senses seemed to kick in and made you feel ultra alert! (No pun intended!)
The checkpoints along the way were well stocked and at Castle Acre I collected my bag which I’d put some nice snacks in to keep us going over the second ‘half’. As we were tight on time rather than doing my original plan of swapping stuff over I just grabbed my bags, chucked in a few extras from their supplies and then carried it with me for the remainder of the run 🤣 Lots of offers to take my bag but I wasn’t giving up all my lovely snacks!
Long distance runs also make you even more grateful to all the supporters, whether they are tracking from the sofa around their own days activities or those who tracked and found us out in the beautiful Norfolk countryside. Knowing someone has taken time out of their day and made the effort to keep an eye on you, bring potential mood lifting goodies and to keep you grinning and gritting your teeth to keep digging and not giving up makes the absolute world of difference – thank you all ❤️
‘When your legs get tired, run with your heart’.
Kirsty, Kerrie and Lucy x
Official Results:
Lucy – 10:48:42
Kirsty L – 12:29:10
Kerrie – 12:29:19
(Note: Kirsty and Kerrie crossed the line holding hands, so times should actually be the same.)