Trip Report - Self-Supported FKT - Peddars Way and Norfolk Coast Path
Start time: 05.57am, 07/06/23
Finish time: 17.17pm, 09/06/23
Day 1: 80.8km, 12 hrs 43 mins 36 secs, start of Peddars Way (Knettishall Heath) to Hunstanton
On day one, after an overnight stay near Thetford, I drove to the start of the Peddars Way in the small car park of Knettishall Heath nature reserve. I set off at 05.57am. Weather conditions were excellent - dry, still, but crucially not too hot compared to the rest of the UK. As with the rest of the trip, I was travelling solo and self-supported, with no support crew. My kit was very lightweight and minimalist, with everything carried in a 5L running vest. I wore running kit and carried poles. In terms of food, I simply re-supplied at the numerous villages and towns en route. I achieved a good pace during the morning, running almost continuously and made it to Castle Acre for lunch (and a re-supply stop) by 11.15am, having completed a marathon distance already. In the afternoon I moved slower, switching to fast-hiking with intermittent pulses of running. I arrived at the coastline above Holme-next-the-Sea to finish the Peddars Way by 17.41pm and then turned south-west along the coast to the reach the start of the Norfolk Coast Path in Hunstanton. I stayed overnight at the Wash & Tope pub in Hunstanton.
Day 2: 71km, 12 hrs 54 mins 44 secs, Hunstanton to Sheringham
I set off at 06.15am from Hunstanton and stuck to the official Norfolk Coast Path route for the whole of the day. Fatigued from day one, I moved a little slower on day two, focusing on fast-hiking for bigger portions of the day. I made it to Burnham Deepdale by 09.18, where I stopped to get food for some breakfast at Deepdale Stores. I made it to Wells-next-the-Sea by lunchtime and took a short detour inland to re-supply at the town's Coop supermarket. The afternoon went smoothly in good weather conditions yet again, and I made good progress throughout. I wasn't impacted by high tide issues at any point. I made it to Sheringham by 19.11pm. I re-supplied at the Tesco and stayed overnight at YHA Sheringham.
Day 3: 70.7km, 11 hrs 45 mins 50 secs, Sheringham to End of Norfolk Coast Path (Hopton)
I hit the trail at 05.31am, knowing that this was last day and hoping to get in under the 2 days and 12 hours mark. I struggled a little with pain at the top of my left ankle (diagnosed subsequently as tenosynovitis, a repetitive strain injury to a tendon), but I was still moving well. I stopped for a basic lunch and some re-supplying at Sea Palling at 11.43am. I knew I was a little behind schedule so I ran a good pace between Winterton-on-Sea and Great Yarmouth, and made it to the famous seaside town by about 15.35pm. I pushed on at a reasonable pace and made it to the finish line at 17.17pm. This made by complete time (including all overnight stops) as 2 days, 11 hours and 20 minutes.
* Post-run - After finishing I took a bus from Hopton to Great Yarmouth, and stayed overnight in Great Yarmouth. The following morning I took a train to Thetford (via Norwich) and then had to get a taxi to Knettishall to pick up my car. I was then able to drive home.