The Big Day - Part 4

Gelly looking chirpy once again

Gelly was better on stage 8 and we made fairly good time to CP8 at Jack and Jill windmills. We dibbed in here at 8:19 and finally the weather was looking like brightening up!

A huge surprise at this checkpoint was the arrival of some family and friends for moral support. The dreaded stage 9, the longest on the course, was coming up next so we all tucked into some food, topped up our camelbaks and stripped off our warm night-time layers. Rachel had a big wobble here. She wanted to stop following the injury sustained in her fall at the bottom of Beacon Hill, all those hours ago, the pain had been getting steadily worse. We persuaded her to keep trying, given how close we were to completing, and she agreed to start the next stage knowing that there was the option of a pick up at Ditchling Beacon car park should it prove to be the wrong decision.


Once again we were stopped for quite a while at this checkpoint, mainly due to the family and friends this time, and it was tough getting the stiff muscles going again as we set off.


Unlike many of the stages there is no big hill at the start of stage 9 so we fairly beetled along at the start. When we got to Ditchling Beacon car park Rachel decided once and for all that she would drop out, not wanting to do further damage to her knee nor prevent the team completing in under 30 hours (which was starting to look a bit touch and go after all of our delays). We rang the support crew to come and collect her and reported her withdrawal to the Gurkha guarding the road then the remaining 3 continued, a little subdued. Stage 9 was long, but the first 6 or 7 miles are fairly harmless, gently undulating and not particularly muddy. The final bit however is a different matter... the muddy, narrow path by the Lewes gallops seems to go on for ever. Gelly fell for a second time here, and a Gurkha came rushing to her rescue, but she just got up and kept walking... Terminator! At this point we were just heads down and get on with it... slightly confused by the signs which didn't tie in with the instructions but we followed them blindly and ended up in the right place. As we trudged across the CP9 field we had mixed feelings... ONLY 2 more hours of walking on the plus side but STILL 2 more hours of walking on the downside.

Still smiling after 57 miles

At CP9 we all tucked into veggie fajitas cooked by Alex (SC) which were delicious. Some of the family and friends who'd met us at Jack and Jill were still with the crew at CP9 and Gary (Gelly's husband) walked with us from there to the finish, which was a welcome distraction.

We were now on a new schedule, trying to get in within the 30 hour limit, so we departed the checkpoint after only 30 minutes and set off up hill (always uphill!). Despite everything we were still smiling as we reached the top! By this stage it was one foot in front of the other. Blisters were hurting and muscles were tight but we knew we were nearly there. CP 10 was a toilet and tea stop and an opportunity to poke fun at another (male) participant who was showing off doing press ups near the CP exit... I said "so what, you haven't been using your arms", His friend chuckled and the macho man slunk away looking sheepish.

The final half mile

The final few miles felt like hundreds and there was a lovely muddy path with about a mile and a half to go... just to remind us of what we'd been through over the last 62 miles, as if we needed it! After what seemed like hours, we were at last walking along the track of Brighton Racecourse, we could see the finish and the banners and people cheering and waving. We managed 'hands aloft' as we approached the line and the feeling of having completed the challenge was amazing. We completed in 29 hours and 32 minutes, just inside the 30 hour limit.

It was a real shame the conditions were so awful, but we are so proud of having completed the challenge in the year which will be remembered as the worst since the event began in the UK in 1997.

3 remaining team plus support crew on the podium

Next year... who knows!

To be continued... ?