It's a team game

Whilst running is generally a personal sport, there is no doubt I would not be on the start line of this event without the support of a number of different people who've helped prepare for this run in different ways, including:

Helen (my wife)

It is one thing to leave your spouse for a weekend to go and do a regular marathon event but it is something quite different to pack in your job to train for a year, ahead of a five-week long run. Add to that, around a month in total away doing training runs (West Highland Way, Telford, Wales, Tanzania etc) and you get a sense of the scale of commitment both in terms of time and cost. Overlay having to put up with me when I've had injuries, doubts, been banging on about what Hoka were doing with the Speedgoat 6 or just been completely Run Brit obsessed. Helen has been singularly supportive and has been great in encouraging me with the mindset of "If you are going to do this you may as well do it properly". This undertaking would simply not have been possible without Helen's support.

Craig Ali (Fitness & Conditioning Coach)

Craig is an experienced Health and Wellbeing consultant. I first worked with Craig during my time at Standard Life Investments where Craig was supporting some of our workplace health initiatives, including doing some running coaching. I like Craig's relaxed & understated style (particularly for someone who has worked with world-class ultra endurance athletes) and so I approached him at the start of 2024. Craig worked with me to build a macro-level plan including addressing postural and muscle imbalances, improving flexibility, strength training, yoga & pilates. Beyond that we have had check-ins and a variety of coaching sessions on roughly a monthly basis for 16 months or so. His wisdom, guidance, interventions and encouragement have been invaluable in getting me to the start line.  

Kat Claughton (Pilates Instructor)

8am Monday morning pilates classes have been the norm for many months. Despite being the only bloke initially, I enjoyed these classes and they have really helped to complement the strength and conditioning work. They did take me way outside my comfort zone though initially!

Ryan Scott (Performance Hypnotherapist)

Ryan has helped me with some of the mental aspects of the run, in particular getting my head round the vertigo side of things. Again a completely new experience for me working with a hypnotherapist.

Frank Ryan, Aidan Harris & Kate McLeod (Physios at The Physiotherapy Clinics)

Frank, Aidan and Kate have been great at keeping me on the trails. I've been fortunate not to have too many injuries over the past year, and when I have, these guys have been great with their interventions - always with the focus on getting me ready for goal races and Run Brit itself.

The Run Brit "Family"

(Photo credit - Rat Race: 2024 Run Brit Team + Red Arrows)

The support of the Rat Race team, plus past & present Run Brit participants has been fantastic. Some highlights and points I have found particularly useful:

• Getting the various training videos from Rat Race 16 months before the event to help inform the training (4 months before is just too late IMHO)
• The summary note that the 2023 Run Brit cohort produced
• Spending a day with the 2024 cohort and picking their brains, both runners and physios (to ask what they were seeing 3 weeks in). It was also good to get a sense of the "event bubble".
• Reports, FB posts and videos from 23 / 24 Run Brit participants.
• The over-riding positivity from a group of people who have "normalised" doing a 1,030 mile run. 😆 

Moorfoot Runners

(Photo credit - Pete Caddick)

For their general encouragement and support - too many to mention. Particularly grateful to Ross Grieve for some super-helpful pointers around injury management, and Pete Caddick who has offered to be a "pacer" for me around Carlisle as the England => Scotland transition comes into view.