Race to the King: Castle 50k report

Yesterday, I ran my first ultra in nearly 5 years.

I ran a hilly 50k along the South Downs, part of the Race to the King series, which included 3 races all starting and finishing at the same base camp.

I started out well enough, walking the scorching climb of the first hill like everyone else, but managing to jog the second part. I found my flow after 40 minutes or so. I always find the first 30 minutes unpleasant: I feel heavy and sluggish as my body wakes up from its taper.

I felt strong leaving CP1 (11km) and had another consistent stint to CP2 (22km), although my thighs weren’t feeling great. Coming out of CP2, as a marshal ran alongside me with a mister, I felt optimistic about the long stint (19km!) to the next checkpoint, but that did not last long.

The ground was uneven, the paths overgrown and the course exposed. The heat was getting difficult and the only respite through this period was the magnificent Arundel castle appearing on the horizon. This was my low point. The task felt overwhelming and I felt anxious. I’m not sure when it turned around, but there was a long, low-gradient incline that I ran the entire way up. I knew things were turning around then.

CP3 could not come soon enough, and then it was just gritting my teeth and pushing on through the last climbs and kilometres, chatting with the folks I’d run alongside in the earlier climbs.

The finish was a steep decline back into West Dean Gardens where my partner and her dog were waiting for me. I could not for the life of me see the finishing arches but after some frantic pointing, I crossed the line at 6:06.

The biggest struggles were the heat and my quads. The heat is easy to explain—it was the hottest day of the year and long sections of the course were exposed.

The quads I’m still unsure about. They felt cooked about 20km in; much heavier and tighter than usual. I spoke to several others during the race who reported the same issue. My best guess is that the unevenness of the downhills was leading people to brace more, which had a big impact over time.

My fuelling and hydration were on point. I ate two Giant yoghurt-topped flapjacks (500kcal per bar!) throughout the race, allowing me to subsist on mainly solid foods instead of a gel-only diet. Eating solids in heat is not easy but worth practising! I restricted my caffeine in the morning and used a couple of caffeinated SIS gels towards the end for a boost. I took one SIS electrolyte tablet and drank more electrolytes at a later checkpoint. I also ate a couple of bags of crisps later in the race for savoury vibes and salt.

I drenched myself at every checkpoint and drank consistently from my 500ml Hydrapaks in my Salomon vest. I packed a third flask (unfilled) to give me extra capacity for the long stint after CP2.

The event was well-organised, the navigation easy, the checkpoints well-stocked and the overall support was top notch. I didn’t feel like I had to worry about anything outside of my own pain bubble. The organisers also went above and beyond in terms of inclusivity and accessibility, and the Coastal 50k looks like the ideal first ultra if you’re getting the itch.

I finished 23rd out of 235, just inside the top 10%. My pace dropped off more than I wanted as the heat took its toll, but overall I’m thrilled. I only booked this race 5 weeks ago! And I’d only been able to start running longer (15km+) again since late April, after years of struggle in the wake of burnout. It was so good to be out racing again!