Did your previous backyard ultra experience help shape your strategy heading into the weekend?

Yes absolutely. For a start, I was very aware of pacing. For a BYU ideally you want to complete 50-52min laps and have around 8-10minutes rest, so that you are not exerting more energy than needed whilst still allowing yourself some time to refuel etc. From that experience I knew that it was ok to scale back the pace. I also made sure I ate something, however small, after every lap.

With a BYU the aim is to keep going for as many hours / laps as possible, so you really are going in with the long game mindset, with the Grasmere 24 however, the 24 hour cut off meant there was the opportunity to push a little bit and get those extra laps in, giving a slightly different competitive angle.

How did this event fit into your build towards the Lakeland 100?

I was meant to be using the event as a training exercise to go through the night and be on my feet for 24 hours. Admittedly I got carried away on the day and did more miles than intended. I have paid for that since with an ankle niggle, but some enforced rest was probably the responsible thing to do niggles or not.

Timing wise, it slotted in well leaving 8 weeks left of the training block to maintain fitness and complete the recce process.

You looked incredibly strong throughout the event – did it feel controlled from your perspective, or were there tougher moments behind the scenes?

Thank you. It did feel controlled, however there were tougher periods. The format does lend itself to a methodical approach, so if you can compartmentalise each lap, or a group of laps, then that can be helpful.

What was the hardest part of the race for you: the running itself, the sleep deprivation, fuelling, or the mental battle of repeatedly going back out for another lap?

Generally, I would say each element plays its part over that sort of timescale.

I was worried at around 12-14 hours in that fuelling could be the reason for me having to stop as I inevitably hit a period where I just didn’t want to eat. But bad periods pass and a pot noodle sorted me out. All in all, I was happy with my fuelling, taking in something (however small) after every lap. Sometimes it was simply a few sweets or some popcorn, other times it was pasta or noodles.

As we reached the end of the 24 hours I was struggling with tendonitis so that was making running difficult, but fortunately I had banked enough laps and time that I could comfortably walk the last two laps. A lot of the route is on tarmac so in hindsight, I might have had a block of wearing road shoes as the trails were so dry during the day.

And in terms of the repetitiveness of the laps, I didn’t find this too difficult on this occasion. The lap is beautiful and ever changing. The wildlife, nature and changing light throughout the 24 hours kept me entertained, as well as my support crew.

How did you approach fuelling and recovery between laps to stay moving consistently for the full 24 hours?

I made sure to have at least 5-10 minutes recovery after every lap and aimed to averaged 40-60g of carbohydrates each lap. Due to the pace I was going and length of time I was out, I preferred to consume ‘real’ food rather than gels. I do always have an emergency gel on hand just in case.

Was there a moment where you realised you were in a really strong position overall?

I think at maybe halfway I realised that I’d probably done enough extra laps early on to secure a podium position, so long as I kept going. I had been on equal laps with another runner for the majority of the race and they were looking incredibly strong throughout. When they decided to call it, I knew then that so long as I could complete the full 24 hours then I had the overall win.

What did it feel like crossing the line knowing you’d won the solo category outright?

I did feel quite emotional as I crossed the line. I was mostly pleased to be finished and have completed my goal but it was also a very nice feeling to know that my planning and strategy had been successful. A real confidence booster.

What did you think of the atmosphere and community around the Lake District Running Festival?

The atmosphere was great. Really friendly and inclusive with so many different races going on there was a constant buzz around Grasmere. The marshals and event team were also super enthusiastic the whole way through the night! It was a great boost.

What did you learn from the weekend that you’ll take into Lakeland 100?

The event was a great reminder to trust myself, be disciplined in my pacing, consistent fuelling is essential, having a routine to get through checkpoints efficiently will save so much time and energy, and of course, the low points will pass so just keep moving no matter how slowly.

Finally, will you be coming back in future to race at the Lake District Running Event?

Absolutely. There is such a variety of races and events to take part in I’d love to have another go at the OMM Lite and the marathon looks challenging! Theres also the temptation to try the Grasmere 24 again and see if I can manage a couple more laps!

First of all, congratulations on the overall solo win! How does it feel now the dust has settled?

Thank you. It still a good feeling, I’m not always great at accepting the compliments that come with these kinds of things but all in all I’m still proud of myself and the way it all went. I have had to take a couple of weeks off running though, which has brought mixed feelings with Lakeland 100 approaching. Happy to say I’m getting back out again now slowly.

You’ve raced a backyard ultra before – how did the Grasmere 24 Ultra compare, both physically and mentally?

I have. I was coming at both races from very different personal circumstances, with different life stresses, mental health & prior training load which I think is important to highlight.

But in terms of making comparisons on the day itself, I got a lot from being in the hand over tent during the Grasmere 24. I generally have a 4am cut off where its suddenly time for bed and that’s where my race came to an end during the BYU, largely because I was there on my own with no crew support. Once eating becomes difficult it’s a downward spiral. Mentally it’s hard to push through that, but for the Grasmere 24 I didn’t really have that struggle as much. It was great to have Team OMM there for support and moral. When you feel mentally lighter, the physical is easier to deal with.

Did your previous backyard ultra experience help shape your strategy heading into the weekend?

Yes absolutely. For a start, I was very aware of pacing. For a BYU ideally you want to complete 50-52min laps and have around 8-10minutes rest, so that you are not exerting more energy than needed whilst still allowing yourself some time to refuel etc. From that experience I knew that it was ok to scale back the pace. I also made sure I ate something, however small, after every lap.

With a BYU the aim is to keep going for as many hours / laps as possible, so you really are going in with the long game mindset, with the Grasmere 24 however, the 24 hour cut off meant there was the opportunity to push a little bit and get those extra laps in, giving a slightly different competitive angle.

How did this event fit into your build towards the Lakeland 100?

I was meant to be using the event as a training exercise to go through the night and be on my feet for 24 hours. Admittedly I got carried away on the day and did more miles than intended. I have paid for that since with an ankle niggle, but some enforced rest was probably the responsible thing to do niggles or not.

Timing wise, it slotted in well leaving 8 weeks left of the training block to maintain fitness and complete the recce process.

For anyone unfamiliar with the format, how would you describe the challenge of having to complete at least one lap every hour for 24 hours?

The format is a test of endurance, factoring in pacing, sleep deprivation and fuelling logistics.

Doing one lap an hour will mean you are close to covering 75miles (120km). Theres no real opportunity for sleep, unless you are confident you can sneak the odd 10 minutes in here & there, and the mental battle of heading back out again for another lap can be tough, especially through the dark hours.

Did you arrive with a set plan, or did the race become more about adapting as the hours went on?

I did come with a set plan, but that was before I understood the rules. I had intended on one 5k lap an hour with as much rest as that then gave depending on my pace. My aim being the to complete the 24. But during the race briefing I realised there was opportunity to do more than that and so when I set off it was more about managing how I was feeling and going at a pace / structure that felt manageable and maintainable.

You looked incredibly strong throughout the event – did it feel controlled from your perspective, or were there tougher moments behind the scenes?

Thank you. It did feel controlled, however there were tougher periods. The format does lend itself to a methodical approach, so if you can compartmentalise each lap, or a group of laps, then that can be helpful.

What was the hardest part of the race for you: the running itself, the sleep deprivation, fuelling, or the mental battle of repeatedly going back out for another lap?

Generally, I would say each element plays its part over that sort of timescale.

I was worried at around 12-14 hours in that fuelling could be the reason for me having to stop as I inevitably hit a period where I just didn’t want to eat. But bad periods pass and a pot noodle sorted me out. All in all, I was happy with my fuelling, taking in something (however small) after every lap. Sometimes it was simply a few sweets or some popcorn, other times it was pasta or noodles.

As we reached the end of the 24 hours I was struggling with tendonitis so that was making running difficult, but fortunately I had banked enough laps and time that I could comfortably walk the last two laps. A lot of the route is on tarmac so in hindsight, I might have had a block of wearing road shoes as the trails were so dry during the day.

And in terms of the repetitiveness of the laps, I didn’t find this too difficult on this occasion. The lap is beautiful and ever changing. The wildlife, nature and changing light throughout the 24 hours kept me entertained, as well as my support crew.

How different did the race feel once darkness fell?

Through the night was a very different experience. The rain came in very heavily so the night laps were quite isolating and lonelier than the daytime. Fortunately, the night laps were quite short given the time of the year, so we maybe only had 4 hours of darkness.

Was there a particular hour or moment where you really had to dig deep mentally?

Hours 11-15 were probably the hardest for me. Fuelling became difficult and fatigue had set in. I remember looking at the distance covered, realising I was only halfway and thinking ‘I’m not sure I have that same distance again in me!’. But I know how I work and experience has told me I often find the mid-section of a race hard, before I catch a new wind and feel like I’m on the home straight. I just had to wait it out and keep moving.

How did you approach fuelling and recovery between laps to stay moving consistently for the full 24 hours?

I made sure to have at least 5-10 minutes recovery after every lap and aimed to averaged 40-60g of carbohydrates each lap. Due to the pace I was going and length of time I was out, I preferred to consume ‘real’ food rather than gels. I do always have an emergency gel on hand just in case.

Was there a moment where you realised you were in a really strong position overall?

I think at maybe halfway I realised that I’d probably done enough extra laps early on to secure a podium position, so long as I kept going. I had been on equal laps with another runner for the majority of the race and they were looking incredibly strong throughout. When they decided to call it, I knew then that so long as I could complete the full 24 hours then I had the overall win.

What did it feel like crossing the line knowing you’d won the solo category outright?

I did feel quite emotional as I crossed the line. I was mostly pleased to be finished and have completed my goal but it was also a very nice feeling to know that my planning and strategy had been successful. A real confidence booster.

In an event lasting 24 hours, kit choices become massively important. What gear ended up working best for you over the weekend?

I wore the OMM speed shorts, nitro tshirt & classic waistbelt for the majority of the race. During the day it was very warm so that combination was great to keep me cooler with the waistbelt allowing me to carry the mandatory items we needed.

Through the night I opted for the bearing long sleeved tshirt and full waterproofs to keep the chill off with the trailfire running vest.

What did you think of the atmosphere and community around the Lake District Running Festival?

The atmosphere was great. Really friendly and inclusive with so many different races going on there was a constant buzz around Grasmere. The marshals and event team were also super enthusiastic the whole way through the night! It was a great boost.

What did you learn from the weekend that you’ll take into Lakeland 100?

The event was a great reminder to trust myself, be disciplined in my pacing, consistent fuelling is essential, having a routine to get through checkpoints efficiently will save so much time and energy, and of course, the low points will pass so just keep moving no matter how slowly.

Finally, will you be coming back in future to race at the Lake District Running Event?

Absolutely. There is such a variety of races and events to take part in I’d love to have another go at the OMM Lite and the marathon looks challenging! Theres also the temptation to try the Grasmere 24 again and see if I can manage a couple more laps!