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
62	20-26/4/24	6 Jours de France	671.029km/ 417 miles	Won the race and set multiple NZ M55 records.	45
63	24-25/8/24	UK Centurions Race	164.9km/ 102.5 miles	Disappointing race, but did complete my 23rd sub-24 hour 100 miler.	46
64	4-6/10/24	Royan 48 hour race	246.378km/ 153.1 miles	Disappointing race. Struggled from 18 hours. Finished 3rd	47
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.