Cardiff to London Ultra 2025

Well it’s a couple of weeks after Cardiff to London and I finally have time to sit down to finish writing a full race report. Cardiff to London was a race of two halves with the first half to Goring going really well and the second half a limp to the finish (well a fast walk!). I am really proud of pushing through and finishing this one, not in the time I had hoped but I carried on when I could easily have stopped and mentally that is tough! Although relatively flat this is a tough 200 miler with no crews, no poles, no head phones and only having access to your drop bag twice. The only luxury was check points that had more than just water(!) and a surprising amount of snacks and hot drinks, a special shout out to CP3 and 7 🤩

Some photos taken from the Cockbain Events FB group – thanks!

The race started outside the Wales Millennium Centre in Cardiff Bay on the Friday morning at 7am. RD Mark was extra kind and took us down at about 6.40am for the race briefing so we were all freezing cold from standing around in the shade for 20mins! A friend-of-an-old-school-friend-of-Iain’s (and someone I had met at Mapledurham BYU) popped down to the start to see us off which was a nice boost. I find the waiting around for race starts hard and was relieved when it was finally 7am and we were off. With only 21 runners it was a small group and most set off at a rapid pace. I had planned to average 11:30min per mile to the first check point but even running near the back of the pack I found myself running faster than this. I had some good chat with Elisabeth Chapple all the way to the coastal path. Everything felt comfortable and as we ran I soon warmed up. I had been a bit concerned about the navigation out of Cardiff but it was fine as long as I paid attention to my watch (I had turn by turn alerts turned off to save battery). Being early in the morning the traffic wasn’t heavy so road crossings were not a problem.

The coastal path was brilliant, easy running, no navigation and nice views. The sun was up and the sunglasses were on. I began catching up with people who had gone out fast – I would have a quick chat and then carry on. This continued for much of the first day on and off. I had a great chat with David Harvey which passed a few miles. He then went on to keep up a brilliant pace and finish in 45hr 26mins – amazing running 👏👏👏 He was walking 5mins every half an hour while I was walking a few minutes every mile so our pacings weren’t the same and he soon headed off in the distance. Before I knew it I was in Newport – again the navigation wasn’t too tricky just requiring a bit of concentration. It is then a few miles of country roads to Goldcliff where you rejoin the coast and where the first check point was located.

When I got to the check point my tracker was reset as apparently there was a problem with it. I topped up my water and then headed on my way along the coast. This section has some nice views and was easy running. I got a phone call from Iain concerned my tracker hadn’t moved on from the check point – apparently it had been working up until then and had then stopped. I assured him I was fine and it must just be the tracker that was now playing up! The guys at the check point had said they would see me at the bridge if it was still causing problems so I guessed I would see someone then. It was hot along the coastal path, there were a few people out and about but it wasn’t busy. At about 27 miles you turn inland for a small section near Caldicot. I was trotting along the country roads quite happily when I tripped over nothing and fell hard. After a few seconds mentally checking the body I got up and hobbled on – 2 grazed hands with slight bleeding (stung bad but not too serious), a sore left elbow, but thankfully not much blood and a very sore left hip (my biggest concern). I carried on running on it so it didn’t stiffen at all and although tender it thankfully didn’t cause me any problems for the rest of the race. I am finding I trip over nothing more often and it is really frustrating as I have no idea how to minimise it – I spent the rest of the race reminding myself to pick up my feet, especially during road sections. I carried on back to the coast and under the Severn Bridge, along the coast a bit further before heading slightly inland to join the road and cross the Old Severn Bridge.

As I expected I was met to reset my tracker and thankfully was able to keep walking rather than stop as it takes a good few minutes. The bridge was really cool to walk/run across and I am now looking forward to the Bridge 200 next year. The route then crosses to the service station on the far side of the road and I was tempted to stop for a quick ice cream as it was mid afternoon and hot but I kept going and was kept alert for the next couple of miles that were on sketchy roads that required concentration. It was a relief to get this section done and get on some quieter roads. I was still keeping a good pace and on target to reach check point 2 slightly ahead of my optimistic pacing schedule!

The running the rest of the way to the check point was uneventful and I came to the check point sooner than I expected which is always a bonus. It was the first of 2 indoor check points where we had access to our drop bags. I soon had everything done that I wanted, enjoyed a katsu curry pot and headed on my way leaving about 10mins before my schedule. All was going well, the hip I had fallen on wasn’t causing me any bother, I had managed my hydration well in the heat and my only slight concerns were some lower back pain and tight quads. A few miles from the check point I realised the back pain was from a pressure point from my race vest. I was using a front pouch for the first time to make accessing food easier and although it had performed fine during training it turned out it changed how the bag weight was distributed putting pressure on my lower back. I soon had all the food transferred to different pockets on the vest and the pain began to ease over the next few hours. Problem solved!

I met and passed Agnes (Agnieszka Kaminska) while crossing a lively field of cows who were very interested in runners! Thankfully cows don’t bother me and although they came close they didn’t cause a problem. I was moving slightly faster than Agnes so headed on focussed on trying to keep a decent pace.

I was aware my pace had slowed down since the check point and without using more effort than I wanted at this stage in the race I wasn’t going to speed up! This next section to the next check point was a bit of a drag in the evening. At one point I passed a young deer injured at the side of the road – it was standing but holding one leg and it didn’t run away. I was concerned leaving it next to a busy road so phoned Iain to get him to report it to the RSPCA, he sat in a queue for half an hour on the phone only to be told they didn’t have enough staff to do anything. I hope it was OK but suspect it didn’t make it. The country lanes were busier than normal as the route went past the parking for the Badminton Horse Trials and it was the end of the day with everyone leaving. This was frustrating as it meant I had to keep stepping onto the verge to let cars pass.

I ran some of this section to the check point with Giacomo Squintani which was great. The chat gave me a boost and made the miles pass a lot quicker than they would have otherwise. Head torches went on before the check point and when I arrived I was still on schedule so was doing OK even if I didn’t feel like it! It was a fantastic check point with loads of food and drink options but I just grabbed some boiled potatoes and water and headed on my way leaving Giacomo to have a slightly longer stop. I now wanted to get to the Ridgeway and with the next check point only 14 miles away, it wasn’t too far to go.

A few miles after the check point as I was heading through Swindon I became really tired and had slowed down a lot. I decided to stop at a garage to get a coffee to hopefully perk me up. Unfortunately when I came out of the garage my watch complete lost its GPS and declared I was 4.5miles off course – not helpful as I didn’t know which way to go! It was like a technology black spot and my phone was also misbehaving (it also had a copy of the map on it). I sat on a bench for a minute to collect my thoughts and drink my coffee. A quick call to Iain and I headed off up the road hoping the gps would kick in before the next road turn. Thankfully it did and I was back on my way (the only navigation stress of the whole run). Soon after this Giacomo caught me up again and we ran a few miles together before I headed on at a slightly faster pace.

By the time I got to CP4 I had caught up with Sam Jelfs and ran a good few miles with him onto the Ridgeway. He was having problems with one of his calves/ankle so not running as much as he would otherwise. I was enjoying the company. The Ridgeway at night is not the nicest run, there is no real navigation and the terrain was hard, rutted and stony underfoot. The only plus point was portaloos in a few of the road crossing car parks! I was really beginning to feel the miles and knew I was slower than I had hoped. The path is very undulating and I just wasn’t moving very fast. At some point in the night I pulled ahead of Sam and then I caught up with Nathan Taylor, Colin Crowhurst and Gari John who were running together and I stuck with them most of the way to Goring. They ran longer stretches than me but I walked faster so I would power walk ahead of them until they caught up and then run with them for a stretch. It was great when the sun finally rose and there was only a few hours until the next indoor check point in Goring. I was concerned that even though I had fully refilled my water bladder to 2L I was completely out of water and still had 5 or 6 miles to go. But nothing could be done about it so I just carried on mindful to not push too hard (unlikely in my current mindset with sore tired legs!).

Once the sun had risen the scenery here was nice but by now I had had enough of the Ridgeway and was looking forward to getting on the Thames Path. I finally arrived in Goring about 1h30 behind my schedule and about 10mins ahead of the boys who hadn’t caught me up after their last stop. This stop was taken up completely with admin and still seemed to take longer than it should. I did indulge in a quick wash, some deep heat and then sun cream to set me up for the day! I was finally on my way just after 9am and looking forward to the Thames Path. A diversion before I had even left Goring was a bit demoralising and then there is a steep climb that I had no memory of (easy at the start of the Thames Ring 250). I was already hot and beginning to flag.

A old uni friend had cycled out to see me in Pangbourne and I stopped on the grass for a 5 minute catch up, we will definitely need to sort a longer catch up! I also tried to use the toilets in the car park that Nathan recommend but after cutting across to the car park I was disappointed to find them closed due to vandalism. I retraced my steps feeling frustrated (and still needing a wee). My boost from seeing a friend didn’t last long and over the next section of the Thames Path I began to feel really low. It was hot and my quads were really sore, I was running less and walking more. I didn’t keep control of my mind and let all the negative voices start shouting – I wanted to stop. I phoned Iain a few times who pointed out I was still doing really well and moving well and just needed to keep pushing on. It was mainly a long slow miserable afternoon – I would sort my head out for a bit but it wouldn’t last long and then I would be planning how to stop again. I caught up with Nathan, Gari and Colin asleep under a tree. After a brief chat they said I could tag along with them as they were mainly walking until it was cooler in the evening. This boosted my spirits having company but a mile or 2 later than all ran off into the distance, obviously having a change of plan. It was back to my own head and feeling miserable. Sitting here now it’s hard to understand why I wanted to quit so much as I was doing OK but in the moment it was all I could think about and what a long way it was still to go. Sam caught me up running well but still suffering from calf/ankle pain. He was planning on a slight detour in Henley to nip to a shop for pain killers so I decided to go with him as I had forgotten to pick up my paracetamol at Goring. I was also able to get a Calipo and coke. I sat on a bench in Henley and had another chat with Iain but finally got myself moving again, only to walk thigh first into a bollard – very ouchy at the time but didn’t stop me moving.

On such a nice Saturday afternoon and evening the Thames Path was really busy until quite late. I so wanted to quit but at the same time couldn’t bring myself to do it (I am now very glad I didn’t). From this point I walked the rest of the way to the finish. For the rest of the afternoon and evening I entertained thoughts of quitting getting as far as pulling out my phone to let Mark know. It turns out I can’t actually go through with it – I just can’t quit! It was a quick stop at CP6 at Bisham made easier by the basic facilities (a tripod stool). I planned to stop at a garage in Maidenhead which had an Asda attached – I figured it would have more gluten free options. Unfortunately, it was rubbish and had nothing at all worth buying, so I settled for a coffee which I took outside to a bench where I then got harassed by a random guy, luckily I was on the phone to Iain at the time so I quickly moved on across the bridge and on my way. Overnight, I was quite jumpy along the Thames Path until the early hours of the morning. It is a funny place to be on your own at night but other than being passed by a couple of cyclists in the early hours it was generally quiet. The miles ticked by and suddenly it didn’t seem too far to the final check point and my mindset shifted to getting it done and staying ahead of Agnes to ensure I finished first female. The sun rose on Sunday and I now knew I would be able to finish. It was like a switch had changed in my head and I was now focussed on finishing. I plodded along finally reaching the final check point at 5.30am. The final check point was brilliant and I was able to sort my feet (which were a mess and needed re-taping), I was also able to get a porridge pot, banana and two cups of tea.

Adrian arrived at the check point while I was there and headed off shortly after while I was still eating! I wasn’t bothered about my position or time now, my goals were to enjoy the rest of the race and stay ahead of Agnes. This looked straight forward on the tracker as she appeared to have slowed over night. It wasn’t until a couple of hours later that I realised her tracker hadn’t been working properly and she in fact wasn’t as far behind as I had thought. This helped me to get moving and stay at a pace below 20min/mi. The early morning was lovely but it soon got hot and then busy with ridiculous numbers of people everywhere. I tried to find a decent breakfast in East Molesey but again finding gluten free options was a challenge. I ended up with a bottle of coke, bag of crisps and an apple. It was really busy as I had managed to time it perfectly for the start of the Hampton Court 10k! This meant loads of runners whizzing past as I shuffled along. It at least kept me entertained!

It was a relief to get past Hampton Court and all the runners only to then find a half marathon and triathlon also going on. Runners and bikes everywhere not to mention all of the other walkers, dogs and cyclists. It was so busy, but I just kept pushing on counting down the miles. This section of long races always seems to take forever – with each mile taking so much longer progress feels slow but all you can do is keep putting one foot in front of the other knowing that each step brings the finish closer. My feet were a mess of blisters and beginning to be uncomfortable and I just couldn’t muster a run despite a few half-hearted attempts.

I was able to buy a coffee in Canbury gardens which was a nice boost and then it was back to power walking and dodging people! Running past Kew Gardens it was roasting hot but I finally felt the finish was near and that kept me going. The next section is a bit frustrating navigation wise as there are lots of new developments that you have to run through. I was unfortunately needing a wee which wasn’t great but I just had to keep going and hope I found a toilet soon! It wasn’t until Battersea Park that I finally found a toilet. Great clean toilets in Battersea park and right on the route if anyone needs the info for future races! It was then a final push to the finish. I crossed to the far side of the river on Chelsea Bridge as this meant we would be finishing with Big Ben behind us – a great photo opportunity.

With so many tourists around I must have looked a funny sight, I finally weaved my way to Westminster Bridge with the intention of running the last few metres across the bridge – this wasn’t as easy as I had thought with so many tourists! It was more of a run, stop, shuffle, run to the finish where my Mum and Dad were waiting with Mark and one of the other runners (Neil Young) who had had to pull out earlier in the race. I was made up to have finished as first female in 56 hours and 8 minutes. It was made extra special by my Mum and Dad making the journey to the finish – they had never seen me finish a race before. A quick handshake with Mark and getting my medal and we headed off to finding a spot in the park by the London Eye where we could sit and I could sort myself out. The one advantage of a small drop bag is I didn’t have much to carry! I was able to sort my feet which were the thing bothering me the most, eat some food and have a drink and then my Mum and Dad had located the nearest toilets where I was able to get changed and tidy myself up before we went for a meal. We then had a very very slow walk across to Victoria where they headed home and I waited for the overnight coach back up to Edinburgh.

Another epic adventure in the bag. As always lots that went well and lots to learn. Hormones are still impacting all my long races and I need to work out how to manage this better. For some reason my feet blistered terribly this time – I am going to go back to trying toes socks for my next race. I also think I claw my toes when I run which results in a lot of nail bed blisters – I am not sure how to prevent this at the moment. Although my mind went AWOL half way through I have discovered I can’t quit and will keep going however tough it gets. A great thing to know for these long hard races.

Recovery is going well, with a week of no running and as much sleep as I could get I began to feel more myself. This last week has been short slow runs to aid recovery and next week I will add in a few more miles then a quiet taper week before Suffolk BYU. The blisters are all healing well after removing a couple of very loose toenails (mine never seem to just fall off completely), they should be good to go by Suffolk.

Thanks everyone for all your support and encouragement it means a lot 🙏