Whilst some people took it easy this weekend others preferred a challenge. Take young Nic as an example.
The Medal – not Nic’s hand!!Her report is here:
Last week I took part in the inaugural Run2Paris event, a relay race from London to Paris over 4 days. The event involves teams of 5 each running approximately a half marathon a day, finishing under the Eiffel Tower. I knew I could run one half, but 4 in a row was new territory for me!
We set off from Wimbledon at the crack of dawn on Thursday and between us covered 73 miles, eventually arriving on the beach in Seaford where our first campsite awaited (another big challenge and perhaps the hardest part throughout – camping and sleep deprivation!). My run was a 16.6 mile undulating trail run through the beautiful Surrey countryside, and despite some navigational challenges I came through it well and our team finished the day in 1st place.
Seaford BeachDay 2 started with a ferry crossing from Newhaven to Dieppe, and from there we started our runs along the beautiful Avenue Verte, originally a railway line out of Dieppe, surrounded by glorious French countryside. My leg was a 12 miler, and turned out to be a gradual incline all the way! We eventually arrived at Forges Les Eaux for our next night under canvas. We’d dropped to 2nd place, but it was close.
I didn’t know how I’d feel by day 3 but fortunately I was still feeling good, and today’s run was a 15.1 miler through more beautiful surroundings. By the end of day 3 our team had made it to the Seine and reached our base camp at Ile De Loisirs Des Boucles De Seine, regaining the lead along the way. We felt like Paris was now in reach!
Day 4 arrived and tiredness was definitely hitting now, but the draw of Paris kept us going. My leg was an amazing 14.3 mile trail run through poppy fields and then the Foret de Marly, it was hard to believe we were so close to Paris with such fantastic trails. After 5 tough runs between us we all then regrouped and ran the last mile together through Paris, crossing the finish line as winners under the Eiffel Tower!
Overall across the 4 days I ran 60.3 miles, had about 4 hours sleep (!), consumed too many pastries and baguettes to count and loved every minute of it. A truly amazing and unforgettable experience!
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Nic
Fantastic. Well done.
What a great achievement Nic, well run!
Wow Nic, truly amazing. Well done!