Arc Envy

This weekend it’s the Arc of Attrition, arguably England’s toughest single-stage ultramarathon. It’s not only 100 miles long, but also 100 miles along the coastal paths of Cornwall in winter, meaning the conditions are often exceptionally challenging. While it might not be mountainous, it’s certainly not flat, and by the course elevation profile, you are constantly going either up or down, even if never climbing higher than 115m above sea level. Oh, and seeing as it started at noon yesterday, competitors had to run through the entire night last night.

At the time of writing, there is still a decent amount of the field left out there, who will all be aiming to finish before midnight tonight, and I am not envious of them preparing to have to deal with being engulfed in darkness for the second time during their race. The first finisher crossed the line in a truly mind-boggling 19 hours and 12 minutes, and fell running legend Nicky Spinks comfortably demolished the ladies field - she finished two hours ago, and a second lady is yet to cross the line. There was a competitor from Jersey, who had to drop out… which is what he gets for being from Jersey.

I must admit, when I was following the start yesterday, a big part of me was jealous… it would’ve been a lot of fun to be out there, battling the elements, fatigue and darkness for 36 hours. There’s always next year…