Tarit Adrian Stott

Self Transcendence 24 hour race

This was the eighth or ninth time I had run this race, so I guess I have an affinity with it by now.

Organisation as always was immaculate.

My main memory of this year’s race is that it was good to see some new faces having a good 24 hour race.

Chris Finill, who although not seeming to know much about the last 4-6 hours, stayed on the track to clock up an impressive 137+ miles.

Last year’s race winner, Ken Fancett, placing 2^nd, a lap short of 130 miles, showed his first 24 hour race was not a flash in the pan.

Rob Wood in his first 24 hour logged an impressive 127+ miles and Scotland’s Paddy Jumelle, a youngster at 28 compared with most of us, built on his impressive West Highland Way performance in June.  Despite having to take a 3 hour break with shin problems he returned for the last 3 hours and finished having logged 116 miles (200 km plus is there Paddy!).

Andy Eccles also in his first 24 hour bravely took the early lead and went for it.  Unfortunately, he encountered foot problems just before 100 miles.  His 150 km time indicates that he is well capable of getting to the sort of distance Chris achieved.

24 hours is a very brutal event.  You have to be fit and have a pretty fearless attitude to absolutely any problem.  In my experience of eighteen 24 hour events and nine West Highland Way races, that fact is you do encounter problems – how you adapt and deal with them determines your final time or distance. And occasionally, as Andy discovered, you have a problem that not much can be done about.

Oh yes, you need a bit of luck too!! Or whatever you want to call luck.

See you all next year.

Tarit Adrian Stott