as I wrote my goals for 2025 the black pen glided over the diary page, january 1st. "run a 50k ultramarathon". for context i am 62. i have two replacement hips. and i have parkinsons. for more context, i have run two ultramarathons before, race to the stones in 2015, and marathon des sables, allegedly the toughest footrace on earth, in 2016. 2025 i decided to push myself, and hopefully inspire others with parkinsons. my 2025 was a busy one, and my other goal of doing 12 publ

In April of 2024 I completed my first multi stage race, the Marathon Des Sable (MDS). At the time this was the toughest thing both physically and mentally I had ever done. An amazing experience running 250km in the Sahara. Following this I seeked out my next adventure which was my first 100mile race, the Tarawera Ultra in New Zealand in Feb of 2025. The two events could not have been more different, from sand to ancient rain forests. By now the adventure ultra running bug had

Marlborough downs 33 mile As I reflect on the past year, I wonder if the title of this article is fitting. Having completed my first ultra marathon, I suppose that makes me an ultra runner. But hey, I’m open to correction! The Beginning of My Running Journey While working in Normandy, I found myself juggling cooking for a client and training for my next challenge. During a sweaty, hard 12km run yesterday, I took time to reflect on my running journey over the past 18 months. S

Once, I heard a runner say that “ a race starts the day you register ”. For the Spine Challenger South, that definitely resonated with...

Climbing in the dark is a real treat! This was a long time coming for me, I was meant to do it to celebrate my 50th birthday in 2020. I...

Will I run alone on the Marathon des Sables

Limitless Trails organise this event, along with a 20 mile and (for the truly hardcore / bonkers) a 40 mile event on the same day. Having...

Standing on the start line at 4 AM listening to the traditional Maori welcome and blessing with 440 other runners I was excited for what...

• Three years ago, I did not know what an Ultra Marathon is - until my husband announced that he would pick up running again and...

My nuggets of advice for tackling the Maraton des Sables:   Set yourself a goal to either run or walk and engage a coach to help you have...

The tent The 2024 MDS felt like a fast year with temperatures cooler than normal. Start times were earlier than previous starting 630 Am...

In early 2023 I had the strangest notion that I needed to run a marathon. It was something that had always been on my bucket list and in...

The Barcelona Marathon – in which we learned what a Bestia Parda is Eight months before race day, Kerry started to assemble a gang to run...

Wednesday, 26th April Thoughts penned whilst lying on the floor of the tent after completing the long stage on day 4 The Sahara Desert,...

For those who don’t know, Cape Wrath Ultra is one of the UK’s bucket list ultras, alongside the Spine and the Dragons Back. Four hundred...

Sure, get fit, do miles and back to back miles, but DEFINITELY get training on CWU terrain. Tussocks. Bogs. Rocky Mountain passes. River...

Vietnam is always full of surprises and if you ever get a chance to run in Vietnam, look for the Topas Trail Race Series. Not only do...

The Cougar team completed the 3 Peaks challenge! Wow! That’s the first word that comes to my mind when I think about this challenge, it...

The Lap (a Lake District ultra) takes place in the same week as the famed Tor des Géants in the Alps, but it is rather more modest in its...

The UTMR (Ultra Trail Monte Rosa) has been on my wish list for a long time. I’ve dreamed about exploring this part of the Alps, in the...