When my marathon plan demanded a 20-mile run, I decided very sensibly (I thought) to outsource the motivation to an event. Enter the Finish Line Run by Circuit Events in Skellingthorpe near Lincoln. New route, other runners and the promise of snacks? I’m in.
The drive down was blissfully calm (a rare pre-long-run win), and registration was simple - a table set up in a field by a sports pavilion. And a normal toilet. No portaloos! No faff, no stress. Hopefully plentiful toilet paper.
I met another runner called Paula, and we wandered up to the start together, talking about anything except the upcoming race, confirming that runners will chat to absolutely anyone when there’s mileage to avoid.
There was a strong showing from the 100 Marathon Club crowd, including Lucy, who was casually ticking off her 400th marathon while the rest of us were just trying to remember our gels and where we'd stashed the spare loo roll. I played honorary photographer for a bit before getting my kit sorted, and also had a chat to Babs who was doing the 10k at the same event.
Shoe choice had been a gamble. I’d packed multiple pairs because the course description was about as clear as my pre-coffee brain. Turns out it was mostly hard surface: tarmac and solid paths, with just a token 100m stretch of grass to keep things interesting.
I had, however, made some other questionable choices - bringing L’s tri belt, which is L-sized and therefore child-sized. I spent the entire run looking like I’d been hog-tied. That said, these belts (in the right size!) are actually great for long events as they’re easy to remove as you add or shed layers which is a bonus when the weather can’t make up its mind. Or I can't.
Weather-wise, it was a deceitful 'looks lovely, feels like the Arctic' mornings. Bright sunshine, blue skies… and a biting wind that made me question all the life choices that had made me sign up to an outdoor event. This was also made worse by a brief flurry of hail. Too late to back out now.
The briefing was short, sharp, and didn’t leave us freezing in a field for longer than necessary - much appreciated.
The course was a straightforward out-and-back from the pavilion. It was pretty easy to follow (even for me), and reassuringly difficult to get lost on. It was also a shared path: a 5-mile hike was happening the same day in the same tiny village, along with random hikers, parkrunners returning from Doddington Hall parkrun, multiple horses, a battalion of cycling groups and what felt like an entire social gathering of dogs. And yet, everyone was courteous. A great example that shared paths can work without passive-aggressive sighing or having to launch yourself into a hedge to avoid small bitey dogs or Lycra-clad speedsters.
It was nice seeing the same runners on the out-and-backs. There was lots of waving, thumbs up and an occasional high five. It was really nice seeing the smiles and it all felt very friendly and inclusive!
However there WAS one drama queen. My stomach.
Lap one: emergency stop.
Mid-run: encore performance.
Add in some cramping for extra drama and it wasn’t exactly a ‘flow state’ kind of day.
My fuelling was standard for me and everything had been tried and tested but it was just one of those days. I used Hilltop Honey and Torq gels, didn’t bother carrying water (because of the aid station at the end of every lap), and eventually turned to cola around lap three because everyone knows flat cola is the queen of running fluids. It was the same thing I’d done a hundred times before but today tummy said no. It was also super handy having the aid station (and toilet!!) every 3 miles.
Speaking of which, the aid station was genuinely solid. Squash, water, cola and a decent spread of pic ‘n’ mix, pretzels, biscuits and even vegan options. Basically a four-year-old’s birthday party but endurance sport-themed.
I wasn’t exactly at peak performance - running on five hours’ sleep after a late shift but sometimes these runs are less about pace and more about just getting it done and staying in one piece. Without brown shorts.
For the final lap, I whipped out the selfie stick for a bit of documentation (and proof that I survived). The event itself was incredibly friendly - lots of regulars who clearly do these events often, but genuinely welcoming to newcomers. A great mix of ages and a fairly even gender split too, which was nice to see.
I did, however, go slightly over my planned 20 miler. When I hit 20 miles it seemed a shame to stop on such a nice route so I decided to do two more laps for a marathon. Then one more for luck… and to make it an ultra. And an additional 0.25 miles (after the official clock stopped), just to round it up nicely to 30 miles.
All in all? A well-organised, low-key, and welcoming event that turned a solo 20-miler into something far more sociable (and slightly more chaotic). Would I do it again?
Absolutely.
But next time, I might bring my own number belt rather than a titchy one. And maybe a less dramatic digestive system. And more toilet paper.
Results were out within about six hours, which was a lovely surprise. The only thing I’d change would be adding a photographer Such a pretty route deserves better memories than my shaky selfies and photos of the backs of people’s heads.
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