The Vanguard Way was a great day out running.
Most of the route is on trails, which makes for a much more enjoyable day than endless road miles. The downside, especially on a self-supported attempt, is that water is very difficult to come by. I need to drink 500ml an hour to keep on top of nutrition, and there were regular long stretches where that was almost not possible. By the end I was topping up from pig troughs, private farms, allotments, abandoned buildings - whatever I could find. Fortunately, things improve in the second half as you start passing more pubs, but you still need to be mindful of the lack of water.
Navigation was another big challenge. In places the route isn't particularly well maintained, so staying on course takes constant attention. Despite trying to be careful, I still added around 2.3 miles through navigation errors. I'm not sure whether FKT rules account for that, but those extra miles were ultimately the difference between claiming the record and falling short.
The route has some fantastic moments, with memorable views and plenty of peaceful trails, but it also has its more repetitive sections. You'll spend a surprising amount of time wading through long grass, twisting ankles and climbing stile after stile - it felt tedious at times.
A highlight for me was seeing the Seven Sisters for the first time. After a long day, it felt like a good reward before the finish. This was cut short though as I realised I was cutting it fine for the last 22:00 train, so the final few miles turned into a race against the clock. I made it with 5 minutes to spare, which felt like a fitting end to a route that never really stopped throwing challenges my way.