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In 2014 I ran my first marathon in a time of 2:42:27 at the Edinburgh Marathon, which was more than I thought would be possible on my first attempt. It also had a additional bonus of qualifying for a automatic championship place at the London Marathon, for when I choose to race in the Capital. My biggest achievement has come in the world of ultra running, completing The Ultra Tour Of The Lake District. This race is considered to be one of the hardest races in the UK and is the most spectacular long distance tail race which has ever taken place within the UK. The circular route encompasses the whole of the lakeland fells, includes in the region of 6300m of ascent and consists almost entirely of public bridleways and footpaths. The route starts in Coniston and heads South before completing a clockwise loop manageable upon your first calculations but don’t be fooled. The climb, descent, rugged terrain, darkness and tricky navigation generally ensure a 50-60% failure rate over the 100 mile course. Seasoned ultra runners have tried and many have failed, a finisher’s medal in the Lakeland 100 is possibly one of the most treasured possessions you will ever receive. I have also completed The Fellsman which is a high level traverse covering more than 60 miles over very hard rugged moorland. The event climbs over 11,000 feet in its path from Ingleton to Threshfield in the Yorkshire Dales. Most of the route is over privately owned land, the use of which is secured by the organisers for the weekend only. This being the case, the route does not follow well defined footpaths, so the entrants’ navigational skills with a map and compass are tested as well as their physical fitness. My finish time was 12hrs 36min. I am the current course record of the Sky Running Welsh 3000’s V3K (bad weather route), 8hrs 46min. The V3K is in three sections taking in all the mountains over 3,000ft in Wales, also known as Welsh 3,000s or 15 (or 14) Peaks .Â
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