The road to 100

I have already signed up for a number of races for 2025. My first major goal of the year is to complete my first 100 mile ultra. To date the longest race I have completed is the 50 mile Butcombe Trail Ultra on the Mendip Hills in Somerset in April 2024. The step up to 100 miles is something I have considered for the last year and I have made my choice on which race it is to be.

On 3rd May 2025 I will be taking on the Thames Path 100. I come to this decision for a number of reasons:

• Time of year - I wanted to have this goal in the first half of the year to give me a solid focus over the winter and spring and to allow me to explore other events later in the year without the concern of compromising my main goal. It also fits in around other plans and holidays.

• Logistics - Living in Bristol I can get to and from the race easily.

• Finish Line location - I spent a lot of time travelling to and from Oxford with my youngest son when he was young so he could have an operation in the John Radcliffe hospital in Oxford. Having the finish line there will give the race added meaning to me.

I have selected a couple of races to do on the way to give me focus in the shorter term and something to which I can look forward:

• Brecon to Cardiff Ultra - 44 mile ultra along the Taff river path.

• Greenman Ultra - My local and first ever Ultra which I will be taking on for the 3rd year in a row.

I'll be sharing my experiences on here as to how the training is going and how the races go on route to Oxford.