 Yeah, I am I am completely wrecked totally wrecked my feet are absolutely shot to pieces I haven't taken my shoes off at all for the whole race. I dread to think what they look like There are very few iconic must-do 100 mile races in the UK, but the Montaigne Lakeland 100 is undoubtedly one of them So we're in kit check These people here are checking your number and your ID and then they'll write your number on your hand like that and Then we go and kit check you get all the stuff in this bag check to make sure it's right Despite not reaching a single Wayne right peak the race packs over 6,000 meters of elevation gain into its 105 mile route from Coniston Clockwise to Buttermere and Keswick round Oldswater and through Ambleside before returning to Coniston Regardless of its stellar status attracting top runners from around the world the Lakeland 100 has a friendly community feel about it The cutoff times are generous making it an accessible and achievable goal for a much greater proportion of the ultra running community Welcome To the 2022 Montaigne Lakeland 100 welcome to Coniston This was to be my first attempt at the race Coming off the back of a good 14 week training block I was feeling confident and hoping to get round in under 30 hours I mean, it's only a hundred miles. How hard can it be? Coniston we're gonna run 105 miles all around the lake this week and coming back to Coniston Hopefully in a round about 30 odd hours Climbing the first hill I met Laura Laura tell us how old you are. I'm 20 and is this your first hundred miler? This is my first hundred miler. Yes, but you've done what here the kids race I have done the Lakeland one when I was 14, which is a kids race. Yeah, the kids race I've done the 50 last year in 20 Well, whatever last year was I was 19. Yeah And then I entered the hundred this year And you're the first person to do all those three races or at least start all those three races Yeah, well, you know Hoping to do the first to finish them all I've done a few hundreds now and the one thing I've learned is you can't plan for every eventuality All you can do is train and prepare the best you can and then hope nothing Unexpected comes along to derail your race Two hours and 18 minutes into the Lakeland 100 we are nearly 10 miles in 15 and a half kilometers or so to the race and It's fairly easy going at the moment a couple of steep hills It's got a bit boggy at times But nothing too bad But it is going to get dark very soon the light feels like it's closing in already so be head torches in the not too distant future I Made it to the second checkpoint just before dark, right? It's a little bit dark, but 23 kilometers in Two hours 36 minutes. This is checkpoint number two at yeah, but 23k so about 14 miles 15 miles It was incredibly humid and I found I was drinking a huge amount of water over night compared to normal I often won't have anything at all for the first 10 miles or so Don't suppose you can see all the lights Heading up the hill 10 30 at night Five hours and nine minutes in yet 32 kilometers done just about what's the name of this checkpoint? And we're at wasdale head here And I've got hot soup, which is absolutely awesome and everyone is dressed it as cows cheap 101 Dalmatians, why did I not get that? Thank you, Rachel. Thank you We've made it to checkpoint for a butter mere this is just over a quarter of the way through And we've done it in about seven and a half seven four to five Seven and a half hours. Let's say And we've had a milkshake chocolate milkshake and and I've got a hot dog as well So let's get on our way with that as the night wore on conditions underfoot were beginning to make the going more difficult And then it started to rain Right. We are nearly 10 hours into the Lakeland 100 It's all 54 kilometers in We're having coffee Unfortunately, it's taking longer to get the coffee than normal because the poor lady who's doing it so tight She can't remember what everyone's ordering That's this is Caroline who we've discovered We beat her out of every aid station, but then she passes us on every downhill It's quarter past five in the morning and we are climbing around Blencathra 62 kilometers in Finally taking the head torch is off. I Was running with Spencer as we hit one of the two virtual checkpoints on the course near long-scale fell Spencer's just reminded me to tell you I've had a technical problem. I only have one pole because the other one won't extend The little silver button won't pop out It's very annoying So we're at Blencathra aid station And I've gotten a breakfast toast, which is good It's a bit too warm in here. I've been wearing my vest a whole time And it's only now after it's been raining for four hours that I've decided to put my Rainproof jacket on it's a bit stupid really isn't it? But there we are we're at 68 kilometers in 67 which is about 42 miles I was finding it tough going but at this point I still believed I was on for the sub 30 hour finish. I Was in good spirits despite my rotting feet beneath me Rainbow Iliad 50 miles my legs are My legs are really done in Another 50 miles to go well more than that really We've got to get to Dale Main as the next aid station. I've just been to an aid station. I had some lovely soup and Cheese and pickle sandwich. So that was awesome I'd really like to get Exactly halfway, which I think it's about 83 kilometers. I really like to get there by 9 a.m 9 a.m. Would mean halfway in 15 hours and in theory still on for a sub 30 hour finish But in reality, I knew I was slowing down Despite the much easier terrain between blend kathara at 42 miles and Dale Main at 59 miles So just coming into Dale Main now, which is the start of the 50 mile race So these guys are all doing 50 miles Right, so this is where we get our drop bags at Dale Main Perhaps this might have been the moment to take some time to look at my feet and try to minimize any problems for the next 45 miles. However, I just wanted to get on with it and get out of Dale Main before the 50 mile runners started their race Right, that's me done delt sir. I'm just talking to the camera. I'm not mad I Am done at Dale Main. I've been very lucky and they've given me some milk just plain milk, which was fantastic I've had soup and I've got my drop bag and I've got food and drinks in my drop bag And apparently this is the best feed station on the course Leaving Dale Main the Sun was out and there was some great support through Pooley Bridge Before we headed back up onto the trails towards Howtown Taking in the beauty of Oldswater So at the moment we've got all the 50 runners who just started at Dale Main Passing us. I thought it'd be a bit demoralizing to have them all passing us, but it's actually quite motivating It's making me run quicker and they all kind of look at your name on the back and they Say well done as they pass you Like that guy Yeah, thank you. So it's quite nice So this is checkpoint nine, this is Howtown How town about 40 miles to go Right, we are 20 hours and 20 minutes in to the Lakeland 100 We've done 112 kilometers, which is around about 64 65 miles something like that and What a lovely view we're on the biggest climb of the run I'm not sure if that's a false summit up there, but it doesn't look like we're too far from the top Here's guys. These are all the 50 runners coming up here There's a scattering of 100 mile runners just making their way up the hill as well You can tell them because they're slower Right, this is Mardale checkpoints It is raining. We've got 45k to go just over a marathon left Got a big climb coming up now. I am absolutely shattered Jeff Pardridge is here. My legs are really tired. My back's aching But I'm just gonna yeah, it's always good to have a winch on camera and then get on with it We will get to the end. It'll be absolutely fine But you know, you've got just to allow me to moan at you for a little bit Between how town and Mardale head we'd run beside Haweswater and I'd found the trail extremely difficult I ran some of this with my friend Jeff But he was stronger and faster than me and I had to let him go I found myself losing the mental will to keep pushing, but I went on in the rain towards Kentmere It's raining. It's windy But less than a marathon to go now Kentmere checkpoints served chili pasta and ice cold smoothies, which was absolutely superb I'd also bumped into some friends Laura Jane and Joe which gave me a little bit of a boost to keep moving forward So that's Chris is trout back We're on our way to Ambleside Thank you. I met up with these two who were dragging me along and Just as day turned into night. We made it to Ambleside It was great seeing all the support as we ran through the town to the checkpoint Jane and Joe were moving too quickly for me now and they went on ahead after Ambleside Hey guys, so we're in Ambleside Hiya, buddy From here the dark trails the intermittent rain and my overall fatigue Conspired to prevent me filming anything more out on route So this is the aid station inside Ambleside. There's loads of people outside But I wanted a coffee so I've come inside On the whole the aid stations were well stocked I certainly managed on sandwiches pasta and soup and I love the extras like the hot dogs The smoothies and the cheese toasty I had at tibethe weight Arguably they could have been more fruit like watermelon and fewer dry biscuits We're on 28 hours and 13 minutes 147 kilometers We've got that 16 miles left 15 miles left to go I think I'm just gonna go really slowly and just Just get it done. I'm so tired So this is the second last aid station on the Lakeland 100 We have 15 kilometers to go from here. Yeah, I am I am completely wrecked Totally wrecked my feet are absolutely shot to pieces. I haven't taken my shoes off at all for the whole race I dread to think what they look like It was nice to run with Jane and Joe for a little while. That was good That spurred me along a bit and got me out of the doldrums a little bit So I was feeling sorry for myself and we'll definitely get this run done Run It's not We're gonna finish at about three o'clock in the morning We've been going for 30 hours and 10 minutes Little did I know that the last 10 miles would take me four and a half more hours I ran much of it with my new friend Emily who was finishing her fifth Lakeland 100 Oh, what was the adjustment to do? Oh, thank you Right, that is the Lakeland 100 done honestly that that was It's definitely harder than the arc It really is So even though it's a four o'clock at no, what time is it Harper's for in the morning? 25, thank you very much buddy. Thank you. Even though it's 25 in the morning there are loads of people here cheering people in and Some people I know and it can get quite emotional. Let me tell you that but and this is so this is where if you finish you get your photo taken you get your medal and People like me fall on the floor and and sleep for a long time Right behind me here is where they do the prize giving really good atmosphere lots of noise lots of crap Remember Laura who I interviewed at the beginning she finished in 37 hours and became the first Triple crown finisher of the Lakeland one the Lakeland 50 and the 100 And this is Emily coming up on stage to receive her slate for finishing the Lakeland 105 times And that was my Lakeland 100 adventure. I will be back because it's only a hundred miles How hard can it be?