Run Britannia 2023.. what could have been ? Day 1 . Lands End to Portreath
Run Britannia is the brain child of Rat Race events and was trailed last year by eight test pilots. 2023 was the inaugural running of the event with a cap of forty runners for the 35 day, 1,000 mile, running smorgasbord. On the day there were 27 starters , myself included. This was going to be the adventure of a lifetime, and then some. https://www.ratrace.com/run-britannia
Simple concept, start at Lands End in Cornwall and run the length of the United Kingdom ending up at John O’Groats 35 days later, over 1,000 miles, (1,634km) averaging between 50-60 km a day with four break days. Sounds reasonable. Rat Race events put on all the accommodation, transport, food and drink for the whole event; all you do is wake up each day and run an ultra, simple.
We all gathered at the Lands End Youth Hostel for our first night together and the first of many race briefings from the RD James. It was incredible to finally be in England and at the start of what promised to be life changing. All the runners introduced themselves and what an eclectic bunch we turned out to be. From Plasters and Decorators to Company Directors, athletes to runners who had not even run an ultra, the whole spectrum of the running society was on show. The thing was no one cared , everybody was as equally nervous and excited together and to a runner it was all about finishing but finishing together. Hence the name I suppose, Run Britannia, rather than Race Britannia; it really was a run with like minded people.
Funnily enough I spent my youth in Cornwall, England, so knew Lands End very well, growing up surfing the first two beaches we would run over on our journey. The memories came flooding back as I clambered over boulders on the coastal path between Sennen Cove and Gwenver. It must be over twenty five years since I run amok on these beaches but it felt like yesterday.
So here’s the start, excuse the commentary from my old friend Paul Magnet’ Hutson…
Running through Sennen and Gwenver was surreal, I had spent the best part of ten years surfing these beaches in a misspent youth and as we were out early the cove was deserted bar a few on lookers bemused seeing so many runners. It was an incredible experience and I soaked it all in. The images can never do it justice, so special.
I found myself alone running across Gwenver until a good friend from a different lifetime came down to cheer me on. Seeing Chris, who had been camping with his sons, gave me such a boost. Old friends from decades ago reconnecting instantly. It’s hard to describe the feeling running across Gwenver , probably close to thirty years since the last time I really run amok there. It has a special place in my heart and I deliberately keep it locked away , probably explains why I never return, too dangerous, it claws at you and you can feel the urge to return building in your stomach. On this day I got my head down and moved on knowing I had a long day ahead of me and best not dwell on what could have been, more time for that later in the journey.
The coastal path is challenging but the views make up for the hard running surface and boulder clambering. Cornwall really is God’s County and is was putting on a show for day one. The early morning cloud cover was soon banished and it was pure sunshine to the finish. I was probably the only runner who kept his jacket on and this was a godsend later in the day, running across Gwithian Beach, when the wind got up. I was freezing and without my jacket it would have been hard to carry on while my fellow runners all basked in the Cornish weather, they’re a funny bunch Poms.
For some reason it looks like this is the only video footage I took on day one. I was suffering with a head cold but I’m sure I took more ? Obviously not which is such a pity as it was a biblical day. I always set off with good intentions but on day one I failed. This was taken at aid station two, just coming out of St. Ives.
After St. Ives we had to hot foot it to Hayle estuary and catch the tide, miss it and we were faced with an extra six or so kilometres. Most elected to run to the end of the estuary where it was the shallow; my group decided to go as the crow flies and just wade through up to our arm pits , holding our packs above our heads, SAS style. Because of this I didn’t get any photos or video, I was more worried about not dropping my iphone into the drink.
After we dried ourselves we checked the GPS tracking page and saw the front runners were finishing while we had more than twenty kilometres to go. Incredible pace which was unsustainable of course long term but first day, perfect conditions, you could forgive their enthusiasm. I was more interested in just finishing and recovering, time on feet run and trying to soak up the views. Cornwall really was delivering in spades on day one.
Post river crossing the wind got up and although it looks warm in the photo I was freezing, of course this was down to my head cold but I was so lucky I had my running jacket, without it I would have been in real strife. Once we got off the beach we were protected from the wind and things warmed up a tad. After Gwithian beach it was a case of head down to Perranporth where the bus was waiting to take us back to the start for a good nights rest, and man did I need it !
By the time I got to Portreath I was well and truly done, I had nothing more to give and just needed to eat and sleep. We headed back to the Lands End YHA and after a good meal I was straight to bed and out instantly. That night I sweated out my cold and unfortunately snored all night, according to my room mates. This was down to the head cold, I’m assuming, as there was no more complaints for the remainder of the event. Either way the next day I was feeling so much better and ready for day two.
fisiocrem ( https://www.fisiocrem.com.au/ ) is just bloody brilliant and does exactly what it says it does , it just gets the major muscle groups moving again. I use this extensively towards the end of the race when my quads are hammered. It really makes a difference and allows me to move back through the gears towards the end of an event when most runners are stumbling home.
Bix hydration is just ace, a product brought to life by Vlad Ixel a professional ultra runner who knows a thing or two about hydration. ( https://www.bixvitamins.com/ ) The best thing about Bix is it tastes good with many different flavours and you never get sick of drinking it, this is a big plus as Maurten and Tailwind (both great products) can be difficult to digest later in the event. From the website :-
As an Australian elite multiple trail running champion, with wins in over 40 ultra-marathon races across Asia, recovery from training and races has always been my top priority.
In searching for a solid recovery and hydration supplement, I recognized that critical vitamins and minerals – both in diversity and quantity – were missing from almost all supplements on the market. I had the feeling that in an effort to maximize their bottom-lines, companies in the hydration space, failed to deliver a product that could meaningfully assist athlete performance.
In order to address this, I began the development of a hydration product. After two and a half years of development alongside a leading German sports scientist, BIX Recovery, an advanced, high-quality recovery drink was born.
BIX boosts 12 active ingredients scientifically balanced to replace lost electrolytes and assist in immune function. It’s designed with quality vitamins and minerals, in quantities that work!
BIX is a recovery solution for everyone, that will get you to the top of your game!
What can I say about HumanTecar, ( https://athleticus.com.au/ ) it looks great, smells great and is awesome for recovery or even pre-run/workout. Read about the science behind it first and then try the products. The compression bandages are just magical after a long event. Put these on and the next day you are recovered, I have used them on a number of occasions and they never fail to astound me albeit the family poke fun at me as I look like a ‘mummy and smell funny’ !
Fractel ( https://fractel.com.au/ ) have your performance headgear covered. I love the colours and the functionality of these hats, I guarantee there is one model you’ll fall in love with.
Shokz headphones, let you keep in touch with the world around while losing yourself in quality tunes or podcasts. ( https://shokz.com.au/ )
T8 running apparel is the best you can get, second to none. Designed for the ultra humid Hong Kong conditions the owners live in. It is light and does away with any chaffing worries. T8 is the name given to the highest typhoon warning in Honk Kong, storms and typhoons with gusts exceeding 180kph, which explains the branding. ( https://t8.run/)
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About The Author
bigkevmatthews@gmail.com
A running tragic.