I decided to run this for charity, Macmillan Cancer Support, hence why I chose the Macmillan Way as the route. I researched and although it's been walked, nobody has ever run it - not documented anyway.
My husband crewed for me. He was driving a camper van and would meet me about every 10-12 miles.
I'd hired out a Spot tracker, so friends and family could track me for the whole journey. That's how people knew where to see me on the route. I used a handheld GPS for nav, along with my Garmin Watch as backup and maps beyond that.
I'd planned to run it in six days, but both the terrain and heat had other ideas! I set off from Boston where the terrain is super-flat. The start of the Macmillan Way has been redirected due to a dangerous path at Boston Port, but it's clearly signposted and diverted. From there it was well marked on day one.
The terrain going towards the Lincolnshire Wolds and Northampton then became really steep, and it was exposed. We've had some serious heat and the humidity made it really tough on day two. I had a bit of a melt down at mile 30-ish on the second day, so decided to take a good 45-minute pit stop, cool down, eat, rest and then go for another 10 miles before reassessing the goal. I decided 6 days was going to be a push so would take the days as they came and it took a bit of pressure off. I met with a few cheerleaders at the van - my husband's relatives, who gave me an icecream before the off!
The pathway from this point really wasn't that well marked. A lot of the route is out of date, the signs aren't there, farmers have grown hedges in the way, or it's a really slog to knock down all the brambles and briars to get through.
Every check point, I'd eat, refill my bottles, check my feet, change my top and socks and then head out again. My husband was getting the water for me and heating food where necessary. When it got to the evening, my husband would run out to me for about 4-6 miles, and then the last bit with me. It meant I didn't have too much night running on my own. We slept in the van every night, always right on the route.
Day 3 in Northamptonshire another relative met me in a lay-by for a picture! Parched landscape, the ground was cracked and it was tough going as I did not want to turn an ankle.
Day 4 The Cotswolds, as expected, were incredibly hilly. Beautiful scenery and quaint towns, but the elevation was tough, and I let the demons get to me a bit as I ran through the woods later on in the day. There were a lot of fallen trees and I suddenly felt really alone. The whole of the Macmillan Way was hugely isolated. I spoke to one dog walker at 150 miles, but other than that, only really my husband.
When I got to the Oxfordshire/Gloucestershire border at Cold Aston, a friend Graham McKenna met me and ran about 4 miles with me. A guy called Rob handed me some pineapple juice from out of his car window! We were parked on a farm under a bypass that evening, and it was the only evening I got back when it was light enough to have a proper daylight wash, and wash my hair and have some really hot food.
Graham then joined me the following day and ran around 8 miles, through Castle Combe and some pretty Cotswolds areas. I ran through Box and hit Avoncliffe. Two good friends met us in Bradford on Avon, and we chatted for a bit before I ran in the dark to Iford Manor to sleep in the van overnight there.
Day 5 - Lyndsey, the friend I'd seen the day before, came up Nunney Hill with me, then I caught up with two runner friends at the Stourhead Estate through the woods in Somerset. Then a friend of mine met me when I hit the Bruton area. He's a photographer and took some photos of me running down the hill at Wyke Champflower. Then at Galhampton a neighbour and another friend stopped in a lay-by and waved me on. I then saw my parents and children at 9pm in North Cadbury. It was a mega day for supporters!
The leg to Sherborne was a real slog. Because I'd left North Cadbury gone 9pm, I knew I had just 8 miles to go to hit Sherborne, but I was moving slowly at this point. I got to Corton Denham Ridge in the dark, but it was warm and I knew the hill well. When I dropped down into the valley I managed luckily to get some support running with my husband who met me for the last 6 miles into Sherborne. We arrived at 1am.
The last day I just had 28 miles to smash out! Started with a spring in my step but the hills of Dorset were unrelenting. It was another really hot day too. Another photographer showed up in a field just outside Abbotsbury, and then Graham met me for the last six miles of the run, which really lifted me again. I had friends and family waiting at the finish line on the beach, which was wonderful, and I jumped in the sea at the end!
I raised £6,500 for Macmillan thanks to my efforts, so pretty pleased with that.
Video also on Instagram - @briggsy1 and TikTok - BriggsyRuns