Race Results and Race Reports

Start of Southend 100 mile race
Southend 100 mile – August 2014

I started race-walking in August 2012*, one week before the Five Bridges Marathon in Lower Hutt, New Zealand.

I had entered the marathon but was injured and decided that I would walk it rather than run.  So one week prior to the race I went for a 10km walk.  I did another walk a few days later, and then I walked the marathon – in 5 hours 13 minutes – and my new athletics career as a long distance race-walker had begun.

The following is a list of the races I have walked since August 2012 together with my results.  I have only listed the races of marathon distance or longer, and have also listed my significant other ‘adventures’.

Where the race name is a link, the link will take you to my run report within this blog.

 

No. Date Race Time/Distance Comments 100+
Miles
1 19/8/12 5 Bridges Marathon, Lower Hutt, NZ 5:13:52 Walked with two others through to half way where they then left me for dead. I finished 3rd walker.
2 14/10/12 Wairarapa Marathon
Masterton, NZ
4:53:28 Second walker home this time, and in a new PB.
3 11/11/12 Sri Chinmoy 12 hour
Christchurch, NZ
88.685km
(55.1 miles)
This was my first ‘walkers only’ race and I led from start to finish.  44 laps of a 2km flat circuit in Hagley Park.
4 19/1/13 Hutt River Trails 60km
Cross Creak to Seaview, NZ
7:39:55 A tough race with a 5km up hill stretch from the start that climbs from sea level to 450 meters.  Then mostly gentle downhill or flat the rest of the way.
Only walker in the race, which I had won as a runner in 2010.
5 30/3/13 Round The Reservoir Marathon Day 1
Northampton, UK
5:17:38 I started this race 12 minutes late because I wanted to run the local parkrun first. The organisers kindly adjusted my time as a result of my late start.  I was the only walker in the race.
6 31/3/13 Round The Reservoir Marathon Day 2
Northampton, UK
5:23:38 Same course as the previous day. Again, I was the only walker.
7 15/6/13 Portumna Forest 100km
Ireland
13:27:47 And again, I was the only walker in the race, which was 20 laps of a 5km circuit through the Portumna Forest.
Mostly flat and sealed surface.  I was in last place for the first 50+km before I started to pass runners who had started too fast.
8 18/8/13 5 Bridges Marathon, Lower Hutt, NZ 4:53:28 Equaled my PB!
First walker home in a new course record.
9 4-5/10/13 Sri Chinmoy 24 hour
Auckland, NZ
162.885km (101.2 miles) Second of three walkers in the race and 9th overall.
NZ Centurion C19.
1
10 18/1/14 Hutt River Trails 60km
Cross Creak to Seaview, NZ
7:26:43 A 13 minute improvement over last year.
Only walker in the race this year but had the company of several runners throughout the race.
11 22/2/14 Length of Lake 67km
Lake Taupo, NZ
8:06:30 First home in a new course record
12 27/4/14 Sri Chinmoy 100km
Christchurch, NZ
12:44:42 The only walker and finished last overall but in a new 100km PB.
The course was the same circuit as the 12 hour walking race I did in Hagley Park in November 2012.
13 2-3/8/14 Centurions 100 mile track race, Southend, UK 22:39:00 UK Centurion C1131
Finished 7th overall in a new PB
2
14 20-21/9/14 Roubaix 28 hour
Roubaix, France
186.069km (115.6 miles) My longest race to date and the strongest competition I have faced.
Walked a 100 mile PB of 22:15 and a 24 hour PB of 171.212km (106.4 miles).
Finished 18th overall.
Had to sleep for about an hour after 25 hours as I was exhausted.
3
15 28-29/3/15 Les 24 heures de Chateau Thierry
France
162.514km (101.0 miles) A very hilly 2.4km circuit.
Finished 18th in a strong field but was disappointed with the result.
4
16 2-3/5/15 Thames Path 100 25:02:36 My first trail 100 miler. Much harder than a road or track 100. 5
17 23-24/5/15 Grand Union Canal Race 145 miles 43:01:00 Birmingham to London via the Grand Union Canal – 145 miles – my longest walk to date. 6
18 5-8/8/15 Privas 72 hour race 283.599km
176.25 miles
My first multi-day race – my longest walk to date.
And in temperatures of up to 39 degrees!
NZ 48 hour record!
7
19 23/8/15 5 Bridges Marathon, Lower Hutt, NZ 4:51:58 90 second PB!
First walker home in a new course record.
20 19-20/9/15 Roubaix 28 hour
Roubaix, France
205.09km (127.5 miles) Finished 7th overall.
100 mile PB of 21:45 and New Zealand 200km record of 27:27:12!
8
21 11-12/3/16 M25 Circumnavigation 285km/177 miles Not a race, but a solo challenge. 9
22 14-15/5/16 Continental Centurions 100 mile/24 hour race 183.5km (114 miles) Finished 7th at the end of the 100 mile race and 1st after 24 hours.
100 mile PB and NZ record of 20:58.
NZ Best 24 hour distance.
10
23 28-29/5/16 Grand Union Canal Race 145 miles 36:42:00 Birmingham to London via the Grand Union Canal – 145 miles – 6 hours and 20 minutes faster than last year! 11
24 6-7/8/16 UK Centurions Race 62 miles /100 km in 22 hours Read my race report. This was a big back-to-back training weekend.
25 23-29/10/16 6 jours de France
(Privas 6 day race)
614.192km
(381.7 miles)
Finished 3rd and broke NZ records for 48 hours and 500km but narrowly missed the 6 day record (although set an NZ M45 age group record)  12
26 20-21/4/17 Dublin to Belfast Ultra 172km
(107 miles)
25:03:30
Finished 4th overall (1st/only walker)  13
27 5-7/5/17 M25 Circumnavigation 254km/158 miles
43:58:20
Not a race, but a solo challenge.
Fastest Known Time for M25 circumnavigation – on foot.
14
28 27-28/5/17 Grand Union Canal Race DNF at 100 miles in
27:31
My first ultra-marathon DNF.  I made it through to 100 miles for the 15th time, but I couldn’t continue. 15
29 28-30/6/17 Thames Ring 250 DNF at 132 miles in
42:15
My second ultra-marathon DNF! 16
30 5/8/17 UK Centurions 50 mile race 10:24:48 A training race.
31 20-26/8/17 6 jours de France
(Privas 6 day race)
500.403km
(311.0 miles)
I was mentally weak and struggled for the majority of the race.  Character building 🙂 17
32 16-17/9/17 Roubaix 28 hour race 201.388km
(125.2 miles)
Finally, a decent result after a few disappointments during the summer 18
33 16-17/9/17 French 24 hour race-walking championships 170.714km
(106 miles)
My first race after 7 months struggling with injury and I finished in 5th place! 19
34 19-20/5/18 Continental Centurions 100 mile/24 hour race 185.129km
(115 miles)
Finished 3rd at the end of the 100 mile race and 1st after 24 hours.
100 mile PB and NZ record of 20:44.
24 hour PB and NZ record.
20
35 9-10/6/18 Last One Standing (England) 237.5km
(147.6 miles)
First overall!
My first win on British soil
21
36 19-25/8/18 6 jours de France
(Privas 6 day race)
564.604km
(351.0 miles)
I struggled in the heat and humidity but finished 4th place with NZ M50 records for 500km and 6 days, as well as a new NZ 48 hour record. 22
37 5-6/10/18 Royan 48 hour race 278.466km I won the race with my best ever 48 hour distance, although this can only be recorded as an NZ Best due to the race not having any race-walking judges. 23
38 16-17/2/19 Last One Standing Castle Ward 120.6km
(75 miles)
Not a good race.  Eliminated after 18 laps.
39 28-29/3/19 Belfast to Dublin Return Ultra DNF at 161miles in
44:07
My third ultra-marathon DNF!  24
40 8-9/6/19 Continental Centurions Race 23:29:40 Struggled for 19 hours. Not my best race.  25
41 8-9/6/19 Thames Ring 250 DNF at 230 miles in 84:20 DNF at 230 miles with injury. On crutches for two weeks. Couldn’t have finished the race.  26
42 17-19/10/19 Lon Las CYRMU Ultra DNF at 135 miles in 45:43 DNF at 135 miles due to continuous rain and cold conditions.  27
43 10-12/1/20 15th Greek Ultramarathon Festival 211km Disappointing race.  28
44 4-5/4/20 Quarantine Backyard Ultra 122.8 miles (197.9km) Indoor race on a treadmill – which stopped working after 29 1/2 hours  29
45 4-5/4/20 Quarantine Backyard Ultra 2 100.0 miles (160.9km) Struggled and stopped at the completion of lap 24, 100 miles  30
46 1-4/8/20 Surrey circumnavigation 219 miles (353km) Not a race, but a solo challenge.
Fastest Known Time for circumnavigating Surrey on foot.
 31
47 3-9/9/20 London underground tube station walk 325 miles (523km) Total distance 523km (325 miles)
Not a race, but a solo challenge.
First person to visit all 270 London tube stations on foot.
 32
48 23-27/6/21 Thames Ring 250 DNF at 235 miles in 87:28 DNF at 235 miles after suffering sever hallucinations.  33
49 23-24/7/21 Kennet & Avon Canal Race 143 miles
39:13
London to Bristol. Finished 25th of 74 starters.  34
50 18-19/9/21 Sri Chinmoy 24 hour race, London 165.853km / 103 miles 19th place in a field of 45 runners  35
51 14-18/10/21 Lon Las Ultra 407km / 253 miles Officially, a DNF as I missed the race cut-off by 2 hours. Unofficially, 13th of 29 starters  36
52 7-13/5/22 6 Jours de France 667.357km/ 414.77 miles Won the race in a new NZ and Commonwealth record. Also, new NZ 48 hour and 500km records.  37
53 25-26/6/22 Warwickshire Ring Canal Race 178km/ 111 miles 111 mile (178km) loop around UK canals starting and finishing in Coventry. 18th= of 68 starters  38
54 20-21/8/22 UK Centurions Race 2022 23:45:21 100 miles. Struggled but finished within time limit  39
55 20-21/8/22 NZ Centurions race 2022 178.315km /  110.8 miles First walker. 3rd male and 4th overall. M50 NZ 100 mile and 24 hour records  40
56 11/12/22 Wanganui Marathon 4:50:39 First walker in a new marathon PB
57 10-11/3/23 Phoenix Running 24 hour track race 164.0km/ 101.9 miles Third overall 41
58 2/4/23 Brighton Marathon 5:24:46 A training race at 80% effort
59 15-21/4/23 6 Jours de France 711.299km/ 442.07 miles Won the race in a new NZ and Commonwealth record. Also, new NZ 48 hour and 500km records. 42
60 9-11/6/23 Bangor to Liverpool 181km/ 112.5 miles A solo adventure walk from Bangor to Liverpool along the North Coast of Wales. 43
61 11-12/8/23 2023 GOMU World 48 hour championship 211.6km/ 131.5 miles DNF’d the 48 hour race at 32 hours. Very disappointed 44
62 1-2/3/24 Phoenix Running 24 hour track race 124km/ 77 miles DNF’d the 24 hour race at 19 hours due to bad weather and blisters
No. Date Race Time Comments 100+
Miles

 

* I had actually walked two other marathons in 2011 but that was while I was still a runner so I don’t count those.

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