Author: Vikki Powles

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East Coast 10K 2025

The East Coast 10k was the last race in the Sportlink 10k series. Having ran 6 of the races I decided to do this one as your 7 best results out of the 9 races counted (really just to see where I could finish in age group).

Managing to get in via the waiting list after they added extra places gave me the chance of another run I had never done.  Nita, Emily and Rob were entered and Paula made it a nap hand via the waiting list.

Accepting a lift from Paula we made our way to Great Yarmouth.  Parking was easy enough on the road side which was free. Funny enough Rob turned up at the same time and parked behind us.

Making our way to the Marina centre and registration the rain started, much to Paula’s delight(!).

Once inside the queues were quite long but registration was fairly swift. With well over 1000 entrants and the rain outside the hall was fairly crowded.

Making our way out for the start however was very busy and no clear indication of the start or predicted time zones.

The five of us found ourselves well towards the back. Realising this Paula, Rob, and myself try to make our way forward a bit. Whilst doing this we found the race had started and we were well over 1-2 minutes crossing the line.  This made the first 1k a bit of weaving through slower runners for us.

The route led along the road side of the prom for approximately 1k past the pleasure beach before turning towards the sea and running beach side of the prom northwards. Around 4.5k it turned back to the road and then ran southwards passing the Marina Centre and the Pleasure Beach to retrace the first 1.5k. The race finishing back past the Marina Centre on the sea side of the Prom.

A nice flat route but probably too big a field for the course. However we all achieved good times which we were pleased with.

Rob J 47.03
Paul W 47.12
Paula S 50.13
Nita 1.00.51
Emily J 1.09.15   (PB)

Personally a positive run and time, seeing me finish in 5th place in my age group for the Sportlink 10k series.

Report by Paul W

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Volunteering at the Inaugural Winter Warrior Ultra

Saturday, November 1st, saw the inaugural Winter Warrior 50km ultra marathon take place.  Organised by Boghopper Races, the event challenged runners to follow the Boudicca Way from Norwich to Diss – the reverse route of the successful summer 50km race.

I’d originally planned to sign up for this event over the summer as a great stepping stone towards the Peddars Way Ultra next February. However, due to a persistent knee issue, I made the sensible decision to withdraw.  Feeling a bit down about not being able to run, I decided the best way to regain my motivation was to be around inspirational people pushing themselves over the 50km distance. So, I signed up to volunteer for the day!

Checkpoint 1 and Tracker Monitoring

After being added to the volunteers’ WhatsApp group, I was pleased to see fellow club members Kerrie and Kirsty were also helping out. My main assignment was Checkpoint 1 (CP1), located about 11km into the race.  The night before, there was a last-minute call for someone to monitor the runner tracker and contact anyone who went off-course. I happily took this on, knowing it would keep me entertained while stationed at the road crossing later in the day!

Saturday morning was an early one. I packed plenty of snacks (essential for long shifts!) and extra warm layers before heading off to CP1 at the beautiful All Saints Church in Shotesham. All the food and drink had been dropped off the day before, so we got straight to work: setting up tables, spreading out the refreshments, filling water jugs, and “flattening the coke” (if you know,
you know!). It was lovely to see Kerrie and Kirsty and have a good catch-up before the runners arrived.

Everything was set up just as the first runners started coming through. The first three arrived together at an incredible pace, followed by a steady flow of participants. Being the first checkpoint meant all the runners came through in a relatively short space of time, which kept things rather hectic!

Road Crossing Duty

Once the tail runners had passed, I made my apologies around tidying up (sorry, Kerrie and Kirsty!) and set off on the 20-minute drive to my next post: Road Crossing 3 at Tivetshall, where runners would cross the busy A140 for the final time.  On arrival, I met my companion for the afternoon, a lovely fella named Steve from Coltishall Jags. Our job was to warn runners of the upcoming crossing as they approached. We had to be vigilant, as we found a few runners had somehow managed to approach on the wrong side of a
hedge, requiring us to direct them back about 400 metres to rejoin the correct path! At one point, I even had to help the runner in third place cross a ditch after he’d come up on the wrong side; unfortunately, he was overtaken as he got back on track. Being 40km into the race, the runners were far more spread out, so we had to man the crossing until 5:00 pm when the final runners came through.

My tablet came in handy for monitoring the tracker. It was quite fun making sure everyone stayed on course! This involved checking the link every five minutes and reviewing their positions. If someone appeared to be off track, I’d wait a few minutes, refreshing the page to see if they realised their mistake. If they kept heading the wrong way, I’d give them a call. I had to make several calls that day, but luckily, everyone answered, and I managed to get them all back on route. One couple went off course several times – we joked about the extra distance they’d given themselves when they eventually came through the road crossing!

Once the last runners had safely crossed the road, we removed all the signage, and I drove over to the finish line in Diss to drop it off. I let the organisers know I was heading home at that point, as I had an 80-minute drive ahead of me.

Finding My Running Mojo

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed the day, despite it being a long one. The weather was great (though it did get cold as the sun went down), and watching everyone pushing themselves gave me loads of inspiration – it definitely helped me get my running mojo back!  I would absolutely recommend signing up to help out at one of these events and will definitely be volunteering at more of them. The extra bonus? Apparently, I can now sign up for a free
50km race myself, which is a nice saving!

Report by Andy P
Photo Credit:  Giles Thurston

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Reflecting back on Autumn 100 (18-19 October 2025)

Sadly a DNF but completed 95 miles on foot.

Organised by Centurion Running, Autumn 100 (A100) is a 100 mile (approx 161 km) race with 16 aid stations and 16 cutoffs, the final cutoff being 28 hours. It takes place on the beautiful trails in West Berkshire and South Oxfordshire and involves 4 legs of approximately 25 miles of out and back (so with each leg being about 40 kms), all in different directions from and to the same point. The map resembles a cross and the race starts at the intersection of two little villages, Goring and Streatley. Legs 1 and 4 are on the Thames Path so are mostly flat while Legs 2 and 3 have uphills and downhills, the former being through beautiful trails through ancient woodland to Swyncombe and back to Goring, while the latter is mostly on chalky and stony paths all the way up to Chain Hill and back to Goring.

I was very happy with how I did on Legs 1 and 2. Leg 2 was familiar terrain to me from previous races in the area. I knew it would be hard but also beautiful. On the way back to Goring I ran with another runner for about 10 miles or so. We had a nice conversation along the way.

I completed Leg 2 knowing I’d actually set a pb for myself for the first 50 mile (81km) distance.

It was, of course, only halfway and there was more work to be done!  Each time I came back to Goring  I had access to my drop bag (the beauty of this race set up) and I had a change of clothes for each leg and some food of my choice in addition to what is offered at each aid station (which is actually a nice spread). We’d been told Leg 3 would be cold and windy as it is quite exposed so before I went out on this leg, I got changed to ensure I was well wrapped up. I was comfortable and warm. It started to rain at this point but as it wasn’t heavy rain my windproof top was sufficient in keeping me dry. I didn’t need my full waterproof jacket.

As this race involves out and backs, as a back of the pack runner I was continuously seeing runners coming towards me. This is a nice feeling even if you know you have yet to cover the distance they have already covered when they go past you.  It also means you are not out on your own and they can cheer you on while you cheer them on, too.

My experience on Leg 3 with the out and back was quite remarkable as I continuously saw headtorces approaching towards me in pitch dark. There would be a few, then five or six, then another five or six,  then nine or ten, then one or two and so it went like this with what seemed to be at least a hundred runners. It was a truly beautiful spectacle! I wish I had taken a photo of this experience!   I didn’t take any photos at all during the race. On the way back to Goring I was mostly on my own and was able to run at reasonable speed. Arriving at Goring before the final leg I made sure to change my top and tried not to hang around too much before the final leg.

I set off for Leg 4 with another runner. Again it was good to keep one another company. At this point I was doing more walking then running but managed to get into a running rhythm all the way to the penultimate aid station at Reading. I had a low point after the Welcome to Reading sign. Although I’d read that the aid station was nowhere near and there was at least 4 miles (nearly 7 kms) yet before I would arrive at the checkpoint. The sun was out and the views were gorgeous but I was getting exhausted physically and so I was run/walking. I was aware I might not make it to the Reading aid station within the cutoff but I managed it and arrived there just over 15 mins before it would close. The cheers I got from all the volunteers here, some of whom were in the balcony, were very motivating. After a quick run up the stairs (don’t know how I managed that!) to wash my hands and get some squash, I made my way back down again and back onto the Thames Path. 87.5 miles was complete. I had 12.5 miles (just under a half marathon) to go.  And I had 3 hours 45 mins to complete this distance. I could do this. I smiled and headed on. Soon after I felt some pain at the bottom of my spine. I worried as my bone density in that area is low. I was in discomfort. I realised somehow this pain was also not allowing me to run! I stopped to stretch my legs and back but couldn’t lift my legs to stretch my quads. My back pain was not easing off. I thought of going back to the Reading aid station to declare defeat but no I had enough time and I would sort my back out and carry on. Sadly whatever I did made no difference. On the contrary things worsened as I started to develop “runners’ lean” – a phenomenon well-known in ultras but one which I had never experienced ever before. It was distressing. I could not stay upright. I was leaning to the right, bent over almost to my waist(!) and trying to walk was agonising. By now I was halfway to the final aid station but all I could do was walk slowly, stop and stretch and then carry on.  The course sweeper was now in sight so when he caught up with me we walked together for a while. We had a nice chat. The remaining distance to the final aid station where my race would end seemed too far away. By the time I could make it to the final aid station the sweeper bus was waiting to collect me. I had covered almost 95 miles on foot. The last 5 miles had to remain unconquered.

A 100 is a fabulous event and I hope to be back to conquer it!

Photo credits: Pierre Papet, the official race photographer

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Ana’s Dublin Marathon 2025

I am not quite certain when I got it into my head that I would one day run the Dublin Marathon and drink a pint of Guinness straight after. Years passed and unfortunately due to my job being somewhat restricting in terms of holidays and being able to guarantee to get back to work in time, I never got the chance, until this year. This is also the first time I travelled to another country to run a race, which is normally against everything I believe in. However, it had to be done.

We set off very early on Friday morning, around 3 am in order to get a flight from Stansted to Dublin. It was a cheap flights affair with Ryanair. Super quick I must say, which made me wonder why I never ventured that way considering how easy it was. This was also my first time in Ireland. I love the Irish people and was very lucky to meet some throughout my life, starting from the time I worked in Bosnia for the British Government. The kind who will always be up for fun and mischief. We spent most of the day mingling around the city and went to the expo. The children were a bit disappointed after being at London’s ExCel, however it was really well organised and it did not take that long despite there being a massive queue when we arrived. I was so excited all day long. We discovered some lovely pubs, live music where ever you go. We ate in a traditional Irish pub and decided then to lazy about for the rest of the day, which really was not too difficult as we were all pretty exhausted. One thing that shocked us all was how much colder Dublin was than home and the wind from the sea just made it even worse.

I woke up early on Sunday morning because the clocks moved. Andy and the children were still asleep so I took a quick shower and took all my stuff to tape and patch up in the coffee bar of our hotel. I took a strong coffee with some fruit and yoghurt for breakfast as I was worried that my stomach may not cope with anything else. I was so nervous, like any other time. I went to Dublin to enjoy this race. I made a mistake with London in April thinking that I could go and beat my Norfolk time, but all I needed to do was just enjoy the moment. Then of course, I did not feel that good anyway and the moment was spoilt. I thought this time I would go with no expectations and just enjoy the atmosphere.

The plan was to walk to the start near one of the central city parks. I was in a second wave. The city was pretty much gridlocked anyway. However, when I got out in front of the hotel I met a lovely Irish lady and a lad from Kent, Lucinda and Mike who were getting a taxi into the city. I joined them, which was really nice just to chat with someone and forget about my nerves. She said she was planning on trying to get into the first wave in order to avoid being held back by the crowds. We split up once we got there. It was difficult to push through into the first wave anyway. The organisers were checking numbers and making sure everyone joined their wave. Unfortunately, I had to join a toilet queue. Which was rather long. I could have just gone to the start line, but having had issues with my stomach in London and being uncomfortable, I just thought this was more important. As it happens the queue was fun. I got to meet some newbies to marathon running and a very funny Irish girl in her 20s who used the f word quite a lot (must say almost every person we spoke to in Dublin did, it was used in all sorts of occasions to express all sorts of emotions). By the time I got to a free toilet, my wave was on its way. I ran from the toilets to the start line to catch up. That, of course, was hilarious. I was having to duck and dive around fellow runners to find a clear spot for my feet, which meant my pace was all over the place. And like that for several miles. It is not London, but all seasoned big event runners will know what I mean when you are fighting for your small spot of tarmac all the while avoiding being tripped over. Finally, we got into the biggest park in the North West side of the city, Phoenix Park, which is just simply fabulous. Apparently it is a home to an American ambassador to Ireland. And some deer. I loved running through there. I felt light. Found my pace and without effort was passing runners who left the start line before me. I had a cranberry squash and a few haribos. I tried to drink as much as I could and space it as well as I could. It was a cold and wet morning. I did wear my long sleeve top underneath RntS t shirt, new style. I felt great, until I did not. At around mile 22 I felt faint. This was something new. I ignored all my pains and am used to hurting. Mainly my left foot with plantar and the usual painful toes because of bruised toenails. However, I could not ignore feeling faint. I realised I screwed up my fuelling and it was too late by this stage to do anything about it. I chose not to take gels and then remembered that I have been fighting off a cold for the last few weeks of the school term. Silly girl! You can fool about in a half marathon, but not on 26.2 miles. No hiding here. Every decision can be costly. I just thought I would slow down a bit and see how it goes. And it did for a few miles and then at 25 it got so bad I was having weird thoughts of collapsing and being taken away. Not finishing is my biggest nightmare. I kept saying to myself that was the main thing. I am so close and yet so far. What do I do? So I slowed right down to walking and crying. Not sure how long I did that for. People were shouting around me. I just walked and cried. Thankfully it was raining. Then I screamed really loudly and pushed myself forward. Nothing mattered at that point other than crossing the finish line. I was angry with myself for not being as well prepared as I should have been. Forgetting that my body needed more care and that my mind doesn’t work in synchrony with it. I did my best to just focus on the now. I was imagining that pint of Guinness and thinking who I was dedicating this race to. No fainting on the finish line would be ideal. So I got there. Strava says it was a PB but just because I ran almost 26.5 miles. It did not matter because Andy was there at the end to greet me with the kids.

So Dublin! It is a lovely race. Well organised, picturesque route and a great support all the way around. The people are superb. A lovely running spirit. I recommend it, but not sure how easy it would be to get into it. I was lucky as I had a GFA from London. It is very expensive though. Nevertheless, every race is educational. I learnt something again. Not just about racing, but also about myself. I have to say that I prefer smaller events for full enjoyment of running. However, you cannot beat the feeling you get when with 1000s of other human beings battling their personal demons to reach the finish line.

Gordana Sucur-Hills – 3:29:24