Last weekend I completed the Rollin’ 100 – my first 100-mile ultramarathon. My only goal was to finish, so although I was slower than I expected, crossing the line as 2nd lady and 12th overall (out of 45 runners) massively exceeded my expectations.

Organised by “Runningmonk”, the course follows the entire Mortimer Trail along with sections of Offa’s Dyke and the Shropshire Way. It packs a huge variety of terrain into 100 miles: fells, forests, fields and the occasional road, with some stunning views along the way. The organisers also thoughtfully saved a large chunk of the 16,500ft vertical gain for the final 25 miles… just when your legs are at their freshest, not!

The race is self-navigated, which is fine in daylight but considerably less entertaining in the middle of the night when you are very tired. I discovered this the hard way, adding bonus miles after going round in circles for about an hour, which was a little frustrating. The scenery throughout was spectacular, with fantastic views across Shropshire and plenty of wildlife to enjoy. 

The Race

Conditions were warm and humid from the start, so I deliberately settled into a slower “all-day effort” than I had planned. The opening miles across the Long Mynd flew by chatting with two other runners before we eventually split up at an aid station. From there I spent long stretches on my own, enjoying the scenery, passing Stokesay Castle and Bromfield, and trying not to think too much about how far there still was to go.

I teamed up with a runner from Belgium while running through Mortimer Forest. Having someone to chat to again made the miles pass quickly and, more importantly, meant there were two of us trying to work out where we were supposed to be going.

By Aymmestrey, I had got a bit dehydrated, and despite the aid station serving chips that looked amazing, I struggled to eat them. Thankfully, my support crew persuaded me to take some away, so I introduced a new race strategy: every time I walked, I had to eat a chip. It turns out this was surprisingly effective, and after cooling down and rehydrating I started to feel much better.

After my Belgian companion retired, I was on my own. I was a little freaked out at one point by a pair of glowing eyes tracking me across a field (a fox… hopefully). Luckily it didn’t follow me when I exited the field. Shortly afterwards I really struggled to navigate. I ended up going around in a circle and having to go through a horrible stretch of thick brambles for a second time. It was a real low point for me.

Picking up Darren (Jennie’s husband) as my pacer at Kington couldn’t have come soon enough. By then I was pretty much dead on my feet, and having someone else to help navigation was a huge relief. We weren’t treated to a glorious sunrise, but it made a significant positive impact on my mood and also my pace. Although I was still moving slowly. 

The final third of the course is where the real climbing begins. Darren and then my dad paced me through this section, with my dad getting me back for dragging him around the Shakespeare Marathon by making sure I didn’t slack off at any point. By Clun, my feet had developed an impressive collection of blisters, but after a quick stop to sort them out, and some encouragement from friends who were keen to get me moving before another woman caught me, it was onto the final 12 miles.

A couple of friends split pacing duties for the final leg between them. They tell me that I was just mumbling by this time. Possibly because I know this section very well. It includes lots of stiles ( I think there are 46), which are most unwelcome. There are also some challenging ups and downs. Including through my dad’s farm, where some of my family were waiting to cheer me on. This gave me a huge lift along with knowing that all the hard parts were now behind me. Only one final long climb, and then Bishop’s Castle came into sight in the distance. Before long I was on to the final mile and was able to coax my body into running most of it. I came across the finish line with huge relief on my face. Mission accomplished.

Event overview

I’d happily recommend the Rollin’ 100, and Runningmonk events in general. They’re friendly, inclusive and organised by people who genuinely understand trail runners. There are, most likely, easier first 100-mile races out there, but if you’re looking for beautiful scenery, a proper challenge and a supportive atmosphere, this is a fantastic event.

The checkpoints were well spaced, well stocked with a good variety of food and drink, and manned by incredibly friendly and supportive volunteers. The mandatory kit requirements were sensible and the whole event reflected Runningmonk’s inclusive ethos. There are no cut-offs, making the race accessible to runners of all abilities, although the course itself is certainly no easy option.

As a female runner, I particularly appreciated having proper toilet facilities at the aid stations. The only thing I would have changed would have been allowing pacers a little earlier, as most of the runners would not have got to the point they could have picked up a pacer during daylight.

The finish area was equally welcoming, with food, drinks, changing facilities, toilets and even the option of a post-race massage.