(full) Essex Way Ultra 2024

Some footage from the Essex Way Ultra 2024 for anyone else on the run or interested in doing it next year when hopefully it’ll be drier.

I am not in any way affiliated with the race or its organization.

[Music] so we’re here at the aex the aex way Ultra the aim is to run from apping to par I think yeah that’s that’s good SN how are you how are you feeling pretty good pretty good hands so I’m pretty steady on this one so yeah so you’re doing this is the first time you’ve done this race yeah I haven’t done anything you know kids what you hav their for ages um so fairly fairly uh nervous yeah I’m nervous exited we see see how see how the night goes I’m I’m mainly nervous about getting through the first night once uh once it got to the following day and it’s bit dryer hopefully I’ll be I’ll be less worried but looking like it should be a little bit better tomorrow um so hopefully it’ll be there plan but if it isn’t slight further on um that’s it unless anyone’s got any questions Le’s going to just have a little bit of chat about some medical stuff on there everyone happy yeah so just take care of yourselves take care of each other take care of the trail and I’ll see hopefully as many of you in ag as possible [Music] [Applause] right guys so very very quickly you’ve got myself and my assistant Gemma who will be working and this weekend with you guys so we’re there to keep you in the race I start walking out so do you want to give us it’s very heavy rain today do you want to give us advice on how to avoid your feet getting masturbated blistered destroyed it’s something it’s really difficult because socks have big holes in the top where your feet go into so water always gets in you can mitigate it a little bit with waterproof shoes but you still got to be holding the top and you can mitigate it a little bit with waterproof socks or a combination of both that helps a bit but the best thing really is to continually change your socks for dry ones as often as you can yeah I’ve got seven I’ve got seven sare packs socks in here but I don’t know if it’s going to be enough but yeah try and swap them around as often as you can so that your feet don’t remain that they’re only damp and if they do start getting really pruny and mated then taking socks and shoes off and drying them at a checkpoint just take the time yeah take the time to dry them out they recover pretty quick especially if you’ve got powder or something you can put on them to dry them out fast we do carry powder as a medic because of because of that then we can dry your feet faster and they go back to normal pretty quick okay okay that’s all right trying to get the batteries head up and I don’t know maybe maybe it’s easier than hope put run in the aggravation is it yeah do you mind me filming you no does anyone want to come the ra what’s uh what’s going on here now now that it’s a bit quieter take a nice G to the start I me it’s typical nice English summer weather we’ve got for tonight yeah it’s a not quite a storm I think the way to start yeah that way we back TOS train station that it’s not windy enough for it to be a stormm it is just rain yeah it would just feel well it’s pretty much just going to be like this for the next 24 hours yeah maybe a GL sunsh tomorrow it’s July yeah what did you expect that’s it I know and we’re we’re running from eping to harit which is I think it’s meant to be 82 miles so it’s uh what’s going to take me nearly 24 hours I think 23 hours but it sounds like some people are doing it in 18 17 uh yeah look at that I’d probably say first would be between 15 and 16 okay your top 10 would be under between 17 and 18 and then yeah most under 20 the last couple would be 2122 yeah that’s probably going to be me I think to see much rain sort of slows you down or stops your P yeah well so when I did this last year just the feel was like absolute qu like you just felt like you’ve been Tred up and you qu anhil early on yeah and then when you got a nice runnable section you kind of got Gideon going actually pound go for it and then he started to get hot dehydrated because it was wet but muggy in the air like a kind of like a thick humid air yeah so look so yeah you absolutely na is we’re very humid today really humid I think there are just there are a few sections which I’m expecting to be just like slipping around trying to keep balanced in the mud and that would probably be much most of it that’s to me like waste because of the are you going to have a video for the whole thing um I’m not sure I wasn’t really even sure if I was going to do this but I thought well if I just film the start of it then if I decide yeah okay let’s go for the filming it’s a really nice memory afterwards to show everybody maybe to do a YouTube video as well to sh the experience enjoy it good luck it is an extra challenge to carry something talk at the same time try to seem you know presentable and not ping I know sleep our coming across okay enough ask ask questions interiew [Music] [Music] it’s a spectacular s at least with the rain yeah yeah t one wor for it look like after after you is that is this the wrong way no I don’t know I think there’s a guy in front of me but I I’ll just I’ll check it I do have a GPS please I think this must be the right way yeah it looks like it I was keeping up with the others but I suddenly thought well my aim isn’t momentous occasion first checkpoint was uh yeah oh sorry how are you doing I’m doing okay I’m doing okay come in oh man the clay is uh I’m very slow on the clay because I’ve got Roes on so it’s all uh kind of make up a bit of speed on the roads but it’s just slipping around in the yeah yeah uh right yeah let’s uh I’ve got a few things to do what’s the cut off for this is it 1:30 2:00 oh well okay I had a bit more I was just suddenly thinking that but unfortunately I think the GoPro probably doesn’t pick up the uh enough light to really see it but so we’ve been walking here for 5 and 1/2 hours I think and it’s basically r nonstop just uh just splashing in the mud either you want to explain what uh like how it’s going I think it’s going okay it’s just cold and wet so we’re just coming into the second a station and it’s morning already see where did I go Hi H H everyone thanks any how’s it going that was good to feel was nice and warm that was that was a cold night I wasn’t really expecting anything like that I was expecting like not quite tropical but it’s F warm night it’s got raining here yeah it has actually yeah yeah [Applause] so now it’s 5:00 in the morning and it’s a lot lot brighter than it was and it’s great it means don’t have to worry about the head torch and the rain has stopped which means though I can wear glasses again and it’s all just much uh it’s much easier like this and I was a air rabbit something but yeah it’s quite nice now it’s still it’s still quite cold I’m wearing all of the clothes I’ve got so a waterproof jacket a long sleeve t-shirt and a short sleeve t-shirt and then shorts and waterproof trousers and it’s still pretty cold but it’s better than it was it’s 5: in the morning and it’s starting to be a bit warmer bit brighter and this is a nice part of Essex it’s good view here and it’s a bit hiler than some of the other parts and then here is a difficult navigation point where you just have to kind of know that the right way is not down there but it’s over there so let’s go this way there are about 45 Runners who signed up for this and it’s kind of hard to tell who’s who’s around I think a few of them have dropped out I think maybe combination of falling in the clay and uh cold it looks like but I don’t know I don’t really know and then I’m well towards the back my aim here is to finish the race maybe in 23 hours uh maybe 22 hours where the cut off is 24 hours so really I’m uh about as slow as you can legally get and uh and still complete theay the race well some of the other ones doing it than 17 hours 18 hours so uh I’m mostly most of the runners are way over there far far to see but there are a few people at the back it’s been good chatting to a few other people here hopefully you’ll see them again [Music] [Music] so just pass from the halfway point and we’re in cornfield a barleyfield I think not cornfield and we got trees there and we’re going to go into Coga soon and I’ve got to theci side am I going it’s going to take about probably 5 or 6 minutes to go in and get this what I need and uh I think that’s probably worth it and there’s a deer look hello it’s okay it’s okay have you been eating the B you been eating the B yeah I’m not going to go you is uh 8:00 in the morning 8:00 a.m. and this is a pretty little town it’s got a nice uh nice play park for the kids uh nice bir green and one thing it’s got for me is a c so it’s like a little aid station I got my stuff I got uh got a sandwich and some fruit and some chocolate buttons and it was um how much time was it it was 4 minutes 4 minutes doesn’t say bad great now need to go around the rest cogal and then out that [Music] way this is another nice little part of town you uh you w’t done that slope there and there sheep in places and there’s nice River and it’s I quite like being able to see across the valley bit of better view than a lot of the lot of the uh or Le further you can see further than you can in quite a lot of the walk so far uh so I’m just at corner and up the main road over the bridge and then we’re there a little C over here [Applause] [Applause] actually where is this oh it is all right all H I’m it’s good I’m good are you right yeah I’m good yeah head off good running with you yeah good good luck thanks I’ll look that video on YouTube as well yeah yeah [Music] [Music] on previous ones I the of the video was to interview people whereas this time I’ve just been lazy and haven’t really been bothered um but that’s let’s go to go so what I’m very bad at is I ask a question and then almost as soon as you start talking I interrupt and then say what I want to so I’m going to try not to interrupt at all I interrupt a lot as well so don’t worry about it okay so yeah what how how’s your day going uh yeah it started off good uh CP cp1 was good uh slowed up a little bit between you know CP uh to the next one cp2 and then really struggled from there really the long one just front of the Shins have been painful and obviously it’s been very wet under foot yeah slippery yeah uh so yeah just it’s been a good day but uh yeah just struggling sadly yeah there’s so much luck like you can just step one like one foot out of place and then sudden you’ve got an injury which is going to like you carry like 100 km further yeah exactly I’ve rolled both ankles at Le least couple of times each yeah and uh yeah so far but so far nothing properly just uh like I said the front of the shin is is the pain bit preventing me from running so yeah I think I think we’ve just about got time to walk but yeah I think we have waterline if generally like I said I feel all right my stomach’s been a bit dodgy generally always is felt sick for a good period of time so haven’t been able to consume a great deal and then but what’s your what’s your nutritions actually been poor no so I’ve got um I basically have active rout in one of these high five slow release in the other and then some water in my back okay um and but yeah frankly the high five slow release lemon tastes like bowel prep okay uh and it’s not particularly palatable it’s okay but after a while it just makes you feel sick I feel it’s that and then I’ve had a couple of flat Jacks and various other things but I think I need to eat less carry less yeah eat a little less so that my stomach settles yourself um so I was experimenting with just I’ve got it looks like I’m carrying something illegal but I’ve got a moled XTR oh nice and uh it’s it’s okay it’s um I think when people try it when especially when it’s got no sugar in it it tastes disgusting but the then you get into 80 plums into race and bit of salt in it a little bit of sugar not too much and then do you want to inate what’s happening I think this is stor number like 12 so far this adventure yeah I think it’s got a heavy rain rating of maybe the top three out of three but it’s not as cold overnight uh it’s pretty brutal I mean I was just enjoying they actually having nice dry yeah that sound good going back to squ one been Sal yeah well okay we can give it maybe two out of three for coldness so the last category is does it have thunder let’s wait for that give me time give I got yeah I’ll just Gra oh man it’s so quick it’s got cold and yeah this isn’t the first time for the narration this isn’t the first time we’ve seen this we saw this overnight and I think now it’s maybe we’re more tired it feels like it’s almost hell unbelievable for Mid June to have this cold rain I’m going to stop filming I’ve just passed uh I’ve just passed box stad aid station uh that’s the one at uh 95 km or uh 60 miles so and it’s still raining it’s still raining pretty hard the forecast was for it to see calm down but it’s it really hasn’t and there’s water everywhere even the road is it’s flooded even the roads are flooded and it’s also it’s quite cold as well it’s still quite cold here’s dead and veil in the in the haze and it’s C I like the fact you can see all the way along across it and then we’ll follow this Veil basically down to the sea I think Manning tree is Manning tree is roughly where well meets the sea that but I think so it looks kind of good in in the haze the haze of course is rain but that’s s something and here we are in the Lush English Countryside and it looks like summer but it certainly doesn’t feel like summer it’s nearly 3:00 and just like that it’s quite Sunny now it’s actually really warm it’s too warm for a coat I don’t quite dare to put my code away because as soon as I do that there’s going to be another downfall but it was forecast to pass over and I don’t see anything kind of ominous over there so yeah looks like the bad weather is over so now we might get bed I’ve also bet I’ve bet that there I would need that much water so yikes let’s see what happens and here’s dingham and just walking down night I’ve got to decide whether or not to go to the cop and for the next installment in this gripping Saga I didn’t go to the C I thought uh mle is only I don’t know an hour away maybe two how Well’s working out so they are following me but from a distance I don’t really mind that but I’m still thinking I mean in my mind I’m thinking can I out run those those things I’ve got to get to there they’ve got to get to me they’re not they’re not interested they’re not going to be a threat but no I probably couldn’t outrun them at least not now I mean I can’t have one horse full stop but I have a distance advantage [Music] and here here we are at the sea We R down that hill over there and now we’ve arrived to the Sea that’s a boats it’s good it’s good cuz we’re going to end at the sea so the fact that we’re at the sea is prely a good a good sign [Music] [Music] [Applause] to see you thanks yes I am well good to see you thanks good the point of the interview is just that it gives a bit more interest than just uh here I running a fi and stuff I mean yes I’m I mean I’m not the most charismatic but I’m happy to if you want to ask me some questions I’ll happy to be answer so what uh so you’re volunteering at an a station I am yeah yeah checkpoint 5 final checkpoint 12 12 miles from the Finish yeah yeah so yeah hopefully sending you on your way to a to a strong strong final half marathon and what made you volunteer um I know Chris who’s the race director and yeah I love I love the community Spirit of ultra run so I’d help out and see if I could help people’s oh thanks for that I just all right day two yes it’s evening see now just going through Ramy we up Ramsey Hill be going through the last couple of fields up onto the case onto the harage case from there it’s lovely straight Shoot To The Finish Line well deserved relaxation so at the moment what do you say we’re about we’re going to make it yeah we’ve got a hour 35 to make cut off yeah say worst cases 3 and a half maybe miles maybe qu the very tall then so should be goodable and finally nice day it’s not too hot and it’s not raining at us yeah the weather seems to be good now casted say sish yeah thanks so we’re coming into the finish I thought we had loads of time but we don’t we’re going to finish with about 25 minutes to spare which considering it’s a 24hour race that’s that’s nothing and we only got that down by uh by fighting for it I think so just over there we good to put a bit of a shuffle in that time well I I thought it was a 132 km but I hadn’t really facted in that my GPS might have jetto and I might not have gone as far as it as it said and just naively like sleep I guess just I thought right we’ve got an hour to do however many kilometers and then suddenly boom we’re actually pretty close to I mean 20 minutes there 20 minutes to the buffer it’s not like we’re sneaking under the Bell no it’s just the context of having like fought for 24 hours to get this means it’s well again a bit close to comfort last year I did this I knocked off I was 2 hours quicker yeah and I was expecting this year to be more disciplined at the checkpoints and to even take even more time be like three 4 hours quicker not the opposite yeah but I mean the weather the weather just made it uh the weather was be fact so yeah that injuries just enough not enough training on the course but specific that kind of terrain really play Factor next time I’m going to take uh Tres but this is so this is har this is the end of haret and I think is that that’s Felix to opposite isn’t it it is Felix yeah I think it looks quite spectacular I think that uh like the beach and then all this stuff I’m sure some people will think it’s bit industrial but actually I think it looks pretty spectacular and the kids like watching the boats come in oh yeah so good so it’s a nice place to finish the nice place to finish the race especially the sunlight coming down yeah yeah if we had finished at 400 p.m. we wouldn’t have seen that so mind you I would now be is here as well or go guys come there we go finished oh yeah I see the Finish finally feel like we’re going to finish this I’m afraid you have to keep oh no I’m not going to be able to do that you don’t have to do that I’m joking I’m joking thing he well done guys thanks you okay yeah yeah yeah I think so great effort thanks