Race three of five in my pre-Christmas splurge was the Foxtrail night ultra, which we entered as a 3-person relay team. After first persuading Izzy, Marie got the call. And after convincing her that it was not an all-nighter and was not on Sunday, she was in!

Dream team, ready to race!

The race course was 4.9km laps on trails in the dark. Some people were doing it solo, but I am saving my first ultra to be a big loop instead of many little ones! We arrived in good time and got set up in the start / finish / handover / party marquee. The plan was to start on single laps, monitor our pace and adjust as necessary. The goal was to finish 15 laps within the 6h time limit, so that we could fit in a final 16th lap. There was no published start list, so although I knew we had a dream team, I did not have a sense of whether it was dreamy enough to be gunning for the win!

Marie speeding off to a fast start

We decided to go off in descending speed order, which meant Marie started. I knew she’d enjoy the bustle of elbowing her way through in the mass start! I warmed up and waited anxiously at the handover. In she came, in a fast time and second lady. I flew off and soon caught the other female team in the woods. Up ahead I could see my friend Neil, who had joined a male team at the last minute. He was wearing something luminous and easy to spot! I couldn’t catch him, but was pleased to see him as he can run a straight 5km a lot faster than I can …

Think this might have been first lap, when there was still evidence of a relay ‘handover box’

A speedy handover!

Me finishing a lap

Handover to Izzy who was ready and waiting; that set the pattern for the rest of the night. I had set up a spreadsheet to check our progress and make sure we were on target. Everything was going to plan, so I couldn’t be happier 😀 In between laps I updated the numbers, ate, chatted and made sure Marie was ready to go. She always was, despite her tendency to suddenly undress or run to the toilet 3 minutes before Izzy was due back!

I knew my first lap speed was unsustainable. The second felt better, but I dropped more time again on every lap (about 5s/km on average every time). That was a bit disappointing, but I realised others were dropping more. We got an update after 6 laps and we were leading the women’s field! This brought a beam to my face. On lap 3 I overhauled Neil just after I whooped my way through the mid-lap DJ rave barn. I wondered if I’d regret it, but didn’t – our pacing was better and we finished a lap ahead of their team 😉

Marie in her intra-lap ‘nest’

Primed and ready to run again

Neil and I waiting for our respective runners to come in

It’s a serious business being a top athlete!

It was not as cold as it might have been (well above freezing) and the forecast rain was little more than light showers. This meant I survived by throwing on a big coat between laps and getting progressively stinkier in the same running kit …

Lap 4 was painful although I overtook a couple of other relay runners, including internet / Newcastle Glenn who seemed to have breath to chat to another runner! We were, of course, lapping the solo runners at regular intervals. I felt a bit bad to be speeding past knowing I was doing a fraction of what they were, but everyone was so polite. Some said well done and I’m sorry I had little more in me than to grunt a reply.

Marie finishing a lap

Marie on the trail

Glenn out on the trail

Izzy out on the trail

At some point I knew that barring any disasters, we were safe for getting in 15 laps before the final fireworks. However, I offered to Izzy that she could do 4 laps and I’d do 6 if she preferred (Marie was already lined up to do 6!). She gamely decided to go for the full house. So I set off on my 5th with an all-out last effort.

I was rewarded with a stitch, nausea and a final time slower again than lap 4!! After that I was rather relieved not to have another one to go, and managed to shower and change whilst Izzy ran her last lap. We yelled Marie out, grabbed some food, admired the firework display and waited for the finish! Great sprint into the tent.

Podium – all determined to fit on one step!

All our efforts were rewarded with 1st female team and 5th overall, as the last team to squeeze in 16 laps. Event video here! I had a jolly old time and still had energy to chat to Marie on the way back to Edinburgh. I’m a night-time sort of person. Next morning I dragged myself out of bed to meet for a sea swim and extended cafe stop – a delayed reward from the night before! Mind you, I was exhausted by then. Turns out doing 5 x 5km intervals is harder than it looks on paper.

A great race which I am sure will be back on the calendar again next year. Thanks to Foxtrail for organising, Bob Marshall and Andy Kirkland for photos, my team mates for being awesome and all the other racers for the friendly vibe.

Marie having fun

Me having fun

Izzy having fun

Neil having fun

John – one of the organisers – maybe he is having fun too?!