I was running for CLIC Sargent in memory of Matthew Campbell who sadly passed away early this year.
If anyone would like to donate, please go to my Justgiving page here
This is a race from Neptune’s Staircase on the outskirts of Fort William to the Queen’s Park Stadium in Inverness. 73 miles of varied terrain, starting at 1.00 am on Saturday 5th July, with 24 hours to complete. My apologies for the length of the report!Runners were bussed from Inverness down to Fort William, where registration took place in a cosy pub. At 12.30 am we were walked across the lock gate to the start. After a short briefing, off we set. Head torches on for the first couple of hours until dawn broke. The first six miles or so were along the side of the canal to Gairlochy, where the path then wound through some woods before dropping down to the side of the loch.
Before we knew it, we had arrived at the first checkpoint at Clunes, ten miles in. A quick glug of ginger beer and off again, heading up the side of Loch Lochy. This is where we were treated to the fantastic sight of the sun coming up, reflecting on the loch. Just stunning. Through Laggan Locks where the mist was hanging around over the boats, making for quite a spooky effect!
Then into Checkpoint 2 just after the Laggan swing bridge. I had been hoping I’d put a pot of jelly into this drop bag, and sure enough, there was. Happy Days! There were quite a lot of midgies swarming about here, so that put paid to spending too much time at this checkpoint.From here on, things started to become quite undulating. Fortunately I had done a few training runs on the route, so knew what was ahead of me! I thought I might have a proper toilet stop at Invergarry, however I arrived too early, so I would have to hang on til Fort Augustus. Coming down to Oich I realised that I would have to choose between a proper toilet and running. I chose the proper toilet, so had to run/walk the next five miles! It was very definitely worth it 🙂
The only downside was that I had been running with a friend, so had to send her on, leaving me to carry on, on my ownsome.Fort Augustus, apart from having lovely toilet facilities, was also where I had another drop bag. So a change of t-shirt and some more nosh and ginger beer. Things were now becoming very undulating, if I wasn’t going up, I was going down. So a lot of determined power walking going up, followed by lovely flying downhills.
And into Invermoriston for Checkpoint 4, to be greeted by, “Jenni, do you want a beer?”. Well, it would’ve been rude not to … I partook of the toilet facilities and then headed off after having spent probably too much time blethering and drinking beer! There is a very steep hill out of Invermoriston, but I overtook two runners (which I had already overtaken before the checkpoint, but they had been more economical with their time …) so that was a boost. This section from Invermoriston to Drumnadrochit is really tough, there are two very long hills which seem to go on forever, but on the plus side, there were also two long downhills. I overtook some more runners here. It had gotten really hot on this section, I filled my bottles up from a stream, but was glad to reach the waterstation at 45 miles.
Then a long road section and a steep downhill into Drum for Checkpoint 5. This is where I had arranged to meet my OH and Tomas, as I thought it would be a real boost at 50 miles to have them there. Which it was, but I was still feeling really good and running well, I had thought I would be struggling by this point. I was just over half an hour up on my wildly optimistic schedule, so I must confess I really faffed here. I had planned a change of clothes here, which I did (and sheltered in the toilet block whilst a mega heavy cloudburst happened outside), and brushed my teeth as well. Said my farewells to Ian and Tomas and off I set.There is a couple of miles of road, and then off into the woods for a four miles uphill slog. Some of the sections are really steep in here, so quite difficult to do any running. This is where I started to feel tired for the first time, and even had some hallucinations – there were monkeys throwing fir cones at me, and strange creatures morphing out of the moss covered rocks and tree stumps. At least the thought of the monkeys chasing me kept me going up the hill! When I got to the top I allowed myself a seat on a treestump for two minutes. Popped the Ipod on and off I went again. Psychologically I was home and dry now, as it was almost all downhill from here on. After a while I checked my map and realised I was only a couple of miles from the next checkpoint and therefore under a half marathon to the finish! I passed another runner here, who wondered where I had come from as I flew past!Into Checkpoint 6 by Abriachan, and there was a chair. A comfy chair. So, yes, faaaar too much time spent here as well! I picked up a wee bag of haribos for some pure sugar to see me through the last 10 miles and off I went. I passed that runner again (who had 
managed to come into the checkpoint after me and leave considerably before me …) on the road section before the Way headed over the moor and into the woods. There was a water station where I managed to not spend too much time at, and then suddenly there was Inverness below me and I was flying down the hill past the new houses, didn’t stop at the playpark, down past the golf course. The final hurdle was the horrible steps up to the canal path. Then the swing bridge was in sight with the marshalls waving at me, and Tomas waiting to escort me into the stadium for, yes, a sprint finish of 200m on the running track!What an experience! I had no idea how I would cope with starting at 1.00 am or running for an additional 23 miles further than I’d ever run before. But I loved it, everything just worked out great on the day, and even the weather gods were kind to us. I’d finished in 18 hours and 18 minutes, way faster than I’d thought possible. Now. What next?
I was running for CLIC Sargent in memory of Matthew Campbell who sadly passed away early this year. If anyone would like to donate, please go to my Justgiving page here
managed to come into the checkpoint after me and leave considerably before me …) on the road section before the Way headed over the moor and into the woods. There was a water station where I managed to not spend too much time at, and then suddenly there was Inverness below me and I was flying down the hill past the new houses, didn’t stop at the playpark, down past the golf course. The final hurdle was the horrible steps up to the canal path. Then the swing bridge was in sight with the marshalls waving at me, and Tomas waiting to escort me into the stadium for, yes, a sprint finish of 200m on the running track!What an experience! I had no idea how I would cope with starting at 1.00 am or running for an additional 23 miles further than I’d ever run before. But I loved it, everything just worked out great on the day, and even the weather gods were kind to us. I’d finished in 18 hours and 18 minutes, way faster than I’d thought possible. Now. What next?
I was running for CLIC Sargent in memory of Matthew Campbell who sadly passed away early this year. If anyone would like to donate, please go to my Justgiving page here
Report by: Jenni Coelho