Report by: Hannah Murton
Race Date: Saturday 6th July 2024
The Serpent Trail 100K – Saturday 6th July 2024
Before I get into the report for this race, I should give you a little background as to how I got there. The last time John and I made our ill-fated attempt at the 100km distance 3 years ago when we ‘ran’ Race to the Stones (in pre-Striders days), it had been such a disaster that it had haunted me ever since. The third covid lockdown in January 2021 had mentally sent me over the edge, and I needed anything I could think of as a way to distract myself, even if that meant signing us up to a 100km event despite neither of us having ever run more than a half marathon at that point. We used the challenge as an opportunity to raise money for St Luke’s Hospice, a charity close to both of our hearts, and we managed to raise close to £2,000 in the process, documenting our 20-week training plan in all weathers (including a very wet and windy run in 4°C in May!), and long runs of up to 55k starting at 5:30am.
We therefore felt confident when we stood on the start line that we had done everything required to finish the distance feeling strong, and I had had visions of us triumphantly running across the finish line hand in hand at sunset, with huge smiles across our faces. However this couldn’t have been any further from how things panned out, and as the day wore on it became abundantly clear that we had bitten off more than we could chew. An IT band issue that I’d previously struggled with reappeared around mile 17, which meant I unconsciously changed my gait, and then caused an unbelievably painful spasm in my hip flexor with every step, and John ended up with tendonitis in the front of both his ankles which meant that he wasn’t able to manage more than a shuffle as time went on.
As the sun set and we were nowhere near close to the end, we trudged on through the night, and in all honesty, had we not been raising money for charity I think we’d have pulled the plug at one of the aid stations. Looking back on my Strava this week, I noticed that some of the final few miles were taking us 30-40 mins, and the final 7.5 miles took us just over 4 hours, an indicator of how much pain we were in. To add insult to injury (literally at this point!) the eponymous ‘Stones’, the Avebury Stone Circle, are actually at the 98km mark, and you have to double-back on yourself to actually get to the finish line! When we did eventually cross the finish line almost 22 hours after we started, we were immediately whisked away to the medical tent after another runner who had crossed the line just ahead of us had alerted them to two people clearly not in a good way who were on the approach. It took a while to sink in that we’d actually finished 100km, and later that day in the hotel room, I cried uncontrollably, mourning the finish I felt was stolen from me.
Fast forward to three years later as I sat on the bus on the way to the start line of the Serpent Trail 100K, I knew I was in a much better position to actually complete this race in the way that I wanted. After Race to the Stones, I had entered a 50K as I so badly wanted redemption for the finish I felt like I deserved after all that training. Although it went some way to doing that, it didn’t quite feel the same. Since then I have spent time in building up the distances of the ultras I have entered, entering a 60k, and a couple of 80Ks, building up my endurance and experience of covering longer events and spending more time on my feet. Some of you will know that I started but didn’t complete the Thames Path 100 mile event back in May this year (but that’s a story for another day!); clearly I hadn’t learned my lesson about biting off more than I could chew! But that added even more fuel to my fire to complete this 100K.
Now, on to the Serpent Trail 100K! It’s a beautiful trail race taking in spectacular views of the South Downs National Park through ancient woodland, greensand ridges, and protected heathland, some of which is rarer than rainforests. It starts in Haslemere and snakes its way through the South Downs, creating a very pleasing snake-like route on Strava, finishing at Petersfield Rugby Club. Not only that, but all of the snakes native to the UK can be found in that area of the country, though sadly I didn’t see any on that day. But I did see a Common Lizard so not all was lost!
As well as the 100K distance, there are also races of 50K, 20K, and 10K also held on the same day, and also finishing at the Rugby Club. When signing up to the race there was the option to add camping at the Club for the Friday and Saturday for only £10 a night, which we thought would be a good idea seeing as it would take at least 5 hours to get there, and we didn’t fancy setting off at midnight to make the 5am race briefing!
As we pulled up in our camper van on the Friday night, the weather was absolutely abysmal with the wind howling and the rain swirling around, and I couldn’t help but hope that it passed before we set off in the morning. We set up camp, collected my number, had our tea and settled down for an early night. The rain continued to hammer the roof of the van, and every time the wind caught the awning it rocked the van from side to side; not exactly the relaxing night I had hoped for!! Our alarm went off at 3:45am (eurgh!), but I had been uncharacteristically organised and sorted my race pack and drop-bag out the night before, and had even pinned my number to my t-shirt, meaning I didn’t have a great deal to do other than get dressed and eat my breakfast.
The race briefing was at 5am, and we were then all ushered onto 4 waiting coaches for the 25 minute drive to the start line. Nervous chatter filled the air and everyone discussed their goals for the day, whether it be a time goal for the more experienced runners, or simply to finish the race as it was their first time tackling the distance. As we all got off the coach, the few drivers who happened to be around at 6am must’ve been quite surprised to see a couple of hundred ultra-runners milling around at that time of the morning in a quiet Hampshire village! We walked the several minutes to the start line, then it was a few more words from the Race Director, and we were off!
The biggest climbs come in the first half of the race, with the most significant climb in the first couple of miles. A tough start but I would rather get it over with at the start than have to tackle it in the latter stages when I’d be pretty tired. It is then pretty undulating until around mile 40 (64km), with the final 22 miles (c.30kms) being a little flatter. I won’t describe every section of the route, otherwise this report will be even longer than I’d already planned for it to be, but I will say that the terrain was really varied which really helped the miles to tick by quickly, and the first 6-7 miles was through beautiful woodland which felt like running through a magical fairy forest. And bonus, I actually got some decent race photos, and not sporting the usual ‘race face’!
The day started out pretty wet, but within a couple of hours it cleared up, aside from an almighty downpour which lasted for about 5 solid minutes, quickly giving way to bright sunshine and blue skies which lasted for the rest of the day.
The aid stations were stocked with the usual plethora of sandwiches, crisps, nuts, fruit, and sweets, which supplemented the flapjacks I was carrying in my pack. I have never eaten as many salt and vinegar chipsticks in my life as I did at the aid station at the halfway point, as I found them a real antidote to all of the sweet stuff I’d had up to that point. A shout out should also go to the gentleman at the final checkpoint who made me a crisp and marmite sandwich to order, as it was just what I needed, and it gave me a real boost to push towards the finish.
As the sun slowly started to dip in the sky, the miles remaining slipped into the single figures and I knew at that point that I would finish in daylight; finally the redemption I’d been seeking for the past 3 years! I passed a majestic herd of stags with the most magnificent antlers I’d ever seen, and a barn owl swooped silently overhead. It’s moments like this which really make the pain and discomfort of running such a long way worth it.
The final couple of miles brought you out onto the road on the outskirts of Petersfield as you headed towards the final stretch at the Rugby Club. I had assumed we would come through the main entrance, so I was quite surprised to see a marker pointing through a gate into some woods. It was pretty dark so I popped my headtorch on to light the way, and suddenly it illuminated a very startled pair of eyes which turned out to be another deer! I twisted and turned my way through the woods wondering where the hell I was going and how on earth it was going to end up at the finish line, but soon I could hear the sound of bells ringing and cheering up ahead, before I took a short run up a slope out of the woods, and the finish line was a mere 100m in front of me. I sprinted as fast as I could between the flags towards the archway – or so I thought – the video that John took of me suggested otherwise! I crossed the line with my arms in the air, I had done it! I had finished well within the cut-off time, at sunset, feeling strong, and triumphant. I’d have liked to have finished a little faster, but to be honest, I’m more than happy to have finished not feeling completely broken. And I should point out that it ended up closer to 103K in the end!
The race was won by Juhana Kirk of Lingfield RC in a time of 09:16:27, and the first female across the line was Sorcha Loughnane of Donore Harriers in 09:38:46, breaking the female course record!
I was the only Strider taking part and I finished in 15:38:36. Full results can be viewed here.
The Serpent Trail 10K – Saturday 6th July 2024
As I mentioned previously, several other races of other distances were also held on the same day, and John signed up for the 10K (which actually turned out to be closer to 11K). As I’m sure many of you will know, John is always there to support me during these long races, whether to crew me where permitted, or simply cheering me on where he can. However by signing up to the 10K it meant that he was actually able to take part and get a medal for his troubles this time around. After his speed-walking exploits at Whinlatter parkrun a couple of weeks previous, he also walked this in a speedy 01:36:45.
The 10K was won by Isaac Parker of Kent AC in 42:45, and the first female finisher was Krista Boese (unattached) in 50:36. Full results can be viewed here.