Hadrian’s Wall Path has been on my bucket list for a little while, but it was a bit of late decision to run it with the weather looking good.
I headed off from Wallsend (Segedunum) at 03:29 on Saturday 1st February 2025 arriving in Bowness-on-Solway at 16:00. I decided to run east to west mainly for convenience (as I live in Newcastle-upon-Tyne) but also apparently that’s the direction the wall was built in! I also knew the last bus from Bowness-on-Solway was scheduled for 17:45 so this was extra incentive to get a move on :)
Sunrise was officially 07:57 but it was getting light around 07:20 so I only needed a headtorch for ~4 hrs and was finished before sunset.
I carried my nutrition with me (unsupported), stopping to refill my two 500ml soft flasks at streams/rivers at ~29.5, 45.6 and 69.3 mile, adding energy powders. Overall, I drank ~3.5 litres which was a mix of coke to start followed by mainly SiS Beta Fuel powder (with a bit of Mountain Fuel powder too). I also had two 90g-carb Precision Fuel gel packs, and two SiS Beta Fuel 40g-carb gels (one of which Nootropics).
The weather was perfect – forecasted temperature low of ~1 degC and high of ~7 degC, dry with the sun out for much of middle part of day, and a light mostly northly breeze (between about 3 and 8 mph). Underfoot it wasn’t bad for the time of year. Boggy in places, especially some of the fields and churned up lanes, but a lot of good running –can’t complain!
Race vest was about 3kg total, including food and drink.
Overall it was hard going and a grind towards the end. But the route is lovely and the views in the middle section are stunning. Highly recommend to anyone!