The loneliness of the long-distance runner is just one of the challenges facing Steve Nixon when he attempts to run 100 miles next month. Steve is hoping to complete the Rat Race 100 Ultramarathon in 24 hours to raise money for East Cheshire Hospice. There will be no cheering crowds lining the route, and only a few fellow runners to keep him company as the event unfolds.
A Solitary Challenge
A field of 800 will set off from Bamburgh Castle at 7am, with 48 hours to reach Edinburgh Castle via the coastal path. The runners will eventually spread out, as Steve experienced when he ran 70 miles along Hadrian’s Wall two years ago in under 17 hours. Steve, from Tytherington, said: “The field was so stretched out that in the final 26 miles I came across about six or seven runners. It becomes quite lonely.
“This race is mostly trail-running and with roads towards the end. It’s compulsory to carry a rucksack with water, food, a first aid kit and spare clothes.” The gaps between water and food stations could be 10-15 miles, so it’s not like you can pick up a water bottle every mile as in a marathon. “We carry a tracker device so organisers know our location if there’s a problem. There are also markers, usually bright ribbons, so we don’t go the wrong way.”
Support and Strategy
Wife Beverley will also monitor his progress, driving to check points to offer support. Steve ran part of the course during last month’s Edinburgh marathon, one of two 26-mile runs he tackles each year. He runs in Budapest in the autumn and Vienna next April. For this endurance event, Steve will walk only a few miles up steep hills, purely to save energy. That is a last resort, though, as the 63-year-old does not want to slow his pace.
Competitors can have a nap at sleep pods, but Steve will ignore them, concerned that any break will stiffen up his body. Only 65 per cent of runners finished the course last year. Steve, a semi-retired business executive, supports the hospice as much as possible. Friends and relatives have been treated there.
Fundraising and Vintage Cars
Steve takes his dark green 1913 Model T Ford and a 1903 Darracq to the hospice so patients can sit in the cars and reminisce. If Steve reaches his fundraising target of £500, he will match the total for the Hospice. To donate visit https://www.justgiving.com/page/stephen-nixon-9.
