Saturday 9th May

By Tom Price 🎨….

The Lap is a 75km ultra-marathon taking place in the lake district twice a year. A clockwise version is run in May and an Anti-clockwise version in September. It covers a full lap of Lake Windermere, starting on the western shore, but punishingly it doesn’t stick to low level paths, instead taking in some of major hills around Ambleside and Windermere including Loughrigg Fell, Wansfell, Latterbarrow and Gummers How to name a few.

Due to it’s popularity and speed to sell out, I had signed up for this race a year in advance. This left me a long time to consider how I would tackle the challenge. I felt training went well with multiple 30km trail runs, a trail marathon and a solo 50km+ run in the bank before I made the 6 hour trip to Ambleside (where I would be staying) on the Thursday before race day.

Registration was held on the Friday evening, the night before race day. The atmosphere was great, the music thumping and the process slick, with trackers strapped to my vest, maps and race numbers handed out and the all important starters t-shirt collected.

It was then a 4am alarm call to travel from my B&B in Ambleside to the start line the next morning. I arrived in good time and felt surprisingly calm as the minutes ticked down. Thankfully the rain that had threatened the first few hours of the race on all weather apps never materialised.

At 6am sharp the bells rang out and we set off. My training had told me I needed to start slower than I felt comfortable with and the first 10-12km passed according to plan. Latterbarrow gave the first taste of the bigger hills around 13km but I still felt great at this stage.

In the clockwise version you do the 2 ‘big ones’ in the first half of the race. As I passed the half marathon distance the climb up Loughrigg Fell began. A punishing 335m climb mostly on steep stone steps. The poles came out and although this was a tough ascent, I felt pretty good once I had soaked in the incredible views from the top and started to drop into Ambleside. I passed through the local Parkrun runners and was buoyed by the crowds and seeing my mum & dad before heading towards the ominous shadow of Wansfell.

I knew Wansfell would be the toughest part of the day, but I still wasn’t really ready for it. At 487m it would be the highest part of the course. The route up felt like a never ending staircase of stone. The line of racers stretched out above me and it genuinely felt like a lifetime. On reflection this was where I over exerted myself – I tried to stay strong and power up the steps with few breaks and clearly lost a lot of fluid, far more than I was taking on. By the top I felt much weaker and less steady. As I descended the dreaded cramp started to set in.

By the time I arrived at the famed pizza aid station a few km’s later my right quad was in a lot of pain and my left hamstring had also had a sharp tightening while going over a stile. A bathroom stop also confirmed I was probably both quite dehydrated and lacking salt – despite me drinking what felt like a lot of water and electrolytes. I left the aid station a little nervous and quite tentative – but with a slice of pepperoni at least.

Quite a lot of the rest of the race is a bit of a blur. However – I once read that ultras are about how well you solve problems, not how good you are at running. Looking back I am proud of making sure I slowed my pace, took more fluids and ate salty foods. Without doing so I may not have made it. On flats (the little there was of it) I was managing a classic ‘ultra shuffle’, but for the final 40km any and all downhill felt like real agony. Other runners were breezing past me on the descents and I was reduced to cautious and slow steps like a newborn giraffe trying to get down a flight of stairs. I lost a lot of time over all those remaining downhills but am hoping I’ll look back with pride rather than any feeling of ‘what could have been’.

I entered the last aid station in what was probably pretty bad shape. The pain had spread to what felt like every part of my legs and I was hit by a random nosebleed. But as the message I sent to my parents read – ‘I’ll crawl the last bit if I have to’.

Cruelly, the last 8km has another shorter but very steep climb, followed by just as steep a descent – which I genuinely considered sliding down on my backside. Somehow I managed a burst of ‘faster’ jogging in the last few km’s – I’m still not entirely sure how!

Crossing the line felt euphoric and I think I managed a few smiles. I finished in 12 hrs 43 mins – not a million miles from my 12 hour or less ‘A’ goal.

I would recommend this race to anyone. The setting and scenery is spectacular, the event vibes were great, the organisation and course marking excellent, support on the course enthusiastic (thanks to the kids that gave me an ice pop!), the cutoff of 24 hours generous and the aid stations are some of the best stocked you will ever see.

Another bucket list race ticked off and hopefully a bucket load of self-confidence gained that even when things don’t go to plan, I can make smart decisions, win the mental battle and grind it out.

I’d also like to thank everyone that has donated to my chosen charity and supported my training/on the day – and of course Es & Arthur for putting up with all that time training!

🎤 🖤❤️ Huge congratulations Tom, wow what an epic journey of endurance and determination, tackling endless trails, climbs, tired legs and huge mental battles along the way.

Events like this are about so much more than miles… they’re about courage, resilience and believing in yourself when things get tough 💪🔥

To take on one of the UK’s most iconic ultra races is inspiring enough, but to cross that finish line is something truly special. Every step around that beautiful but brutal course was earned through months of hard work, dedication and commitment.

You’ve done our black and red family proud

🖤❤️ wear that medal with pride and enjoy every moment of what is an absolutely phenomenal achievement