Well done, FP👍
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Cracking effort FP!
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Thanks All. Just got in and need a shower. Had a heavy fall at 36km. more later 
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Huge congratulations for bringing it home FP, sorry to hear about the fall…didn’t I say recently, you’re as tough as they come 
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Well done young man 
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Well done @FatPom
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Thanks All. I’m at the cafe and the legs feel better than I thought they would.
Well that was a very tough course and whilst there were no mega mountains, there were some proper steep climbs and I’d forgotten how draining those ‘saw tooth’ profiles can be. The trails themselves though, for the vast majority of the course were in amazing condition. No excuses there at all.
I arrived pretty early and started the day with a coffee and bacon roll from the van. Which was much better than my usual coffee and banana at 5am from home 
The field was much larger than I expected, it’s years since I’ve done a Centurion race, they are very popular! It was bloody cold when we started, I had a light long sleeved base layer with a t-shirt over the top. My hands were freezing, I had gloves in my bag but once we hit the first climb, they warmed up.
Temp regulation was a very annoying factor of the day. The day looked lovely and when the wind dropped a bit and you were out in the sun, I felt over dressed but as soon as the wind got up and in the shade, it felt like the correct choice. So I was constantly thinking, shall I shed a layer or not? frustrating!
The course was two separate loops with HQ being roughly half way. The second loop was slightly longer and I thought hillier but of course, you’re tired at that point.
For the most part, I was ticking along nicely, try to pace well, eating and drinking was going fine. I never really felt like the course was crushing me but I never felt like I was crushing it either (foreshadowing ahead!).
I was in and out of halfway HQ CP in 3.28, so I thought 7.30 was on the cards but alas, at 36km, I went down hard on a hard/rocky section with lots of sticks to the side. I was carrying my poles and I fell on them and heard lots of snapping sounds. Thankfully it was the sticks and not the poles but I’d banged yo my knee and forearm quite a bit.
I took some time out, walked for a km or so and then tried to trot, which I could and TBH, there wasn’t a whole lot wrong with me but somehow, the all the enthusiasm and momentum I had just drained out of me. I was definitely in shuffle mode now and my back was kicking off big time.
Hit the last CP with 9km to go, 7.30 had long gone but though 7.45-7.50 might be ok. I wasn’t exactly sure how long the course was but I though it was 51.xx. Glanced at my watch at just under 50km and it said 7.51, so I found some energy from somewhere and emptied the tank. made it to the HQ field but the finish line was right at the other end 
Crossed in 7.56 I think. 362/402 with about 20 DNFs.
Youtube royalty, him not me!
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Great work that
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Nice write up FP Is that a Tool beanie?
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Thanks Anna, yes it is, it was part of my VIP package (and the only bit that’s remotely useful! )
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Barkleys is off again! Some info on Run247 
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Big weekend upcoming at Chianti ultra
Jim Walmsley v Kilian Jornet v Vincent Bouillard (assuming Emile Forsberg doesn’t go into labour with child no 3)
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Only confirmed runner so far seems to be John Kelly
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Looks like he’s posting on bluesky as well for anyone that has deleted their twitter account, I’ll probably follow run247.
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According to Radio 5 just now only 9 made it round the first loop
Sounds like Laz”s revenge for last year
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He’s made a comment about too many people following legends around the last few years and not having the navigational skills of their own. I think this is payback.
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He could fix that by sending people off in different directions with a TT start
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10 finished lap one.
30 out already.
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