Another LDWA event. Unlike London Marathon (same day), this event had no spectators, no bunting, no bands, no marshals, no route markings, no chip timing, no female elite/wheelchair crashes, no Mo Farrah. What it did have was cheap entry (only £10), 50 runners, 3 checkpoints with refreshments (cake, rolls and squash), 27 miles of canal towpaths, undulating fields, lanes and tracks, a few stiles, plenty of kissing gates, decent views, great weather and very well written instructions. There was a map at registration, but it was altered so many times during the 1/2 hour before the start that it was quite confusing –apparently the map guy forgot his left from right, Doh! Going underfoot was good where it was grass and fields. Temperature was 5°C at the start, warming to 12°C in the hazy sunshine, breezy in places. Pie and peas at the end was fantastic, well worth doing 27 miles for. Tender steak, nice pie crust, mushy peas, beautiful gravy. Mmmmmmm!!!!
My run: The PF was a bit sore at the start, gradually getting worse. Alternating with painful ankle (same leg) from mile 7 to mile 15 after running on a stony bit of farm track. Taped my foot up, for the PF, at 15.4mile checkpoint and it was much more bearable after that. Felt a bit dehydrated between the checkpoints, should have filled the camelback. Had a half bottle of lucozade sport and a caffeine go-gel at 21 miles which perked me up a bit for the 6 mile push at the end.
Overall time: 5hours 37mins 15seconds.