On Saturday I took part in the Marlborough Downs Challenge, a 33-mile route through the Wiltshire countryside which took in white horses, Victorian monuments, ancient dykes, stone circles and superb views. I was running with my friend Robbie, who had never embarked on an ultra-marathon before, and my brother Ed who lives locally, and has.

We met up before registration and chatted about vaseline (‘Want some?’), energy gels (‘Can I borrow some?’) and the FA Cup Final (‘Tony Pulis is a tosser’), as well as prospective finishing times. Robbie was looking for 5 hours 30, which I would also be doing as I had promised to steer him round the route. Ed was looking for under 5 hours.

At the starting line I spoke to several familiar faces and watched with curiosity as a couple of people vigorously warmed up. With or without my personal training hat on, I’m not convinced that intense sprint/jog recoveries whilst warming up for a 33-mile race are the most prudent use of your energy stores. Each to his own though. The race organisers did the usual pre-race briefing and pep talk, which went completely to script, as also did the usual shout of ‘We can’t hear you’  which came from the back, followed by retorts of  ’Move closer then’ from the front. And then the klaxon sounded and off we went.

Ed set off brightly and we didn’t, so within the first ten minutes he was out of sight. We ran at a good rhythm though and soon settled into the steady 10 minute mile pace to which we would need to adhere to get around in 5hrs 30. We passed the first few checkpoints and refuelled on the jelly babies, jaffa cakes and orange juice that were in ample supply. By the time we had come off the Wandsdyke Way and onto the canalside into Devizes we were still on track. Being so we decided to use the flat running for the next 3.5 miles to our advantage and tried to set down 8-minute miles. Later on in the race their would be some steep uphills, so it was crucial to use this time to run ahead of our average pace to limit the damage done when we lost time on the slopes later.

Whether I like it or not, Robbie has let me know that it’s my fault that he is  running this ultra, as it was through knowing me that he became interested in the pastime. He was also running this event on behalf of the Beds, Bucks and Northants Rugby League Development Association which he organises in his efforts to man up the southern half of England. Combine this with the prospect of a glowing testimonial for my personal training pages and we have plenty of reasons to get round the course in one piece. It was a relief, then, that upon reaching the halfway checkpoint at Devizes, Robbie was looking strong for someone on his first ultra attempt. Setting off again we were soon on the climb up the very steep Roundway Hill.

Navigation had not been a problem until this point; I had managed to get to just short of checkpoint 6 without making any mistakes. Indeed at one point I had about 6 people merrily following me through a field, no doubt thinking to themselves ‘We’re following someone who’s done this before’ whilst I ruminated that they almost certainly wouldn’t have been had they known about my recent track record. Sure enough, approaching checkpoint 6, which I knew was a barn, I headed towards the first barn I saw, rather than the one where the checkpoint was actually stationed. This added half a mile to our journey before a runner with a better sense of direction (or memory) hollered us back onto the correct course. When we eventually reached this checkpoint, it was manned by the same young couple as previous years and it was nice to see that the bump the girl had been carrying last year was now a child sat manning the jelly babies.

We set off again towards the Cherhill monument, a tribute to overcompensation, past the second White Horse of the day, before weaving our way amongst the modern day overcompensaters speeding on the A4 and then onward, towards Avebury. Getting to Avebury and its gaunt stone circles means the marathon distance is out of the way and the finish within reach.  Robbie was starting to slow and we were dropping behind our 5.30 target, but much grit and digging in on his part meant it was still within reach. A quick final refuel at this checkpoint and we set off across  farm land  toward Overton, Fyfield Down, the final checkpoint and the finish.

But with twenty nine miles down and four to go Robbie was now really feeling it. His pace was dropping considerably. He kindly bade me leave him and carry on to the finish at my own pace.  Having run at a steady and controlled pace throughout, I had a lot left in the tank and I managed comfortably to put down 8.30 minute miles to the finish, which bodes well for the Hardmoors 110 in less then 3 weeks’ time. I aim to complete those 110 miles at 5 miles an hour or 12 minute miles. I finished the Marlborough Downs Challenge in 5 hours 34 at just over 10 minute miles. To finish so comfortably, at a much faster pace than I’ll be running around the North York Moors, gave me confidence. Touch wood.

Shortly after finishing, I found another reason to be cheerful: brother Ed  had finished in 22nd place, having hauled himself around the route in a very impressive 5 hours and 3 minutes.

The real highlight though was seeing Robbie’s face as he  finished, which he duly did in 5 hours 45 minutes. Completing an ultra is a superb achievement; making 5 hours 45 over 33 miles on your first effort is even more so.  Good work.

With a couple of lowlights already this year, this race was accordingly a really, really good tonic and – more importantly - excellent preparation for Hardmoors 110.

Seventeen days to go.