This is my third year running the Rodopi Ultra Trail (ROUT) 100 mile ultramarathon here in Greece. I first ran ROUT in 2017 and then again in 2018. I’ve been keeping an eye on the weather forecast for the past two weeks and I’m so pleased rain is not on the forecast, just clear blue skies with a day time temperature of 26°C dropping to 8°C in the night. I consider this the perfect weather to run a 100 mile ultramarathon, hot and dry.
“100 miles is not that far”
The first year I participated I got to the 50 mile mark and randomly met with my friend Jakub who introduced me to ROUT. From this point we stayed together until we crossed the finish line at mile 100, Jakub was speed hiking and so I didn’t run a single step for these last 50 miles, we finished a joint 22nd.
Last year I entered the ROUT not long after the Ultra Trail Mont Blanc (UTMB) in Chamonix. I had been injured leading up to ROUT but after rest I was able to run injury free. Since I had hiked the second half in 2017 my 2018 goal was to run the entire way which I did and again finished in position 22nd.
Going in this year I have a similar injury in my left inner thigh. So my goal is to run easy and see if the injury flares up again. As in previous years the night before the ROUT I’ve slept in my tent. I have enough sleep to feel rested and prepared for today. Its now 4:15 am in the morning and Xristos the race director is waking everyone up by sounding the cowbell and playing traditional Greek music out loud, it’s time to get going.
These are the Rodopi signs.
I had set my alarm to wake me at 2 am at which time I ate breakfast, I then returned to my precious sleep. I dress, make my way to the start line ready to go. I scan the crowd of runners for Nikolaos, he has completed ROUT eight times placing either first, second or third for all editions. I see Nikolaos talking to Matras Slawomir the tall Polish guy who came second last year in front of me.
The horn sounds out loud and we all start running making our way towards the 7k downhill of dirt road. I’m running within myself taking it easy, I glance down at my Garmin watch and see 7/8 minute miles on the lap pace display (its downhill). The idea is not to push but just to allow my body to run how it feels warming up to see if my inner left thigh will allow me to move freely without pain.
So far so good I speak with Owen an English fellow who I met last year at Zarkadia 1 aid station. Last year I had really wanted to quit at Zarkadia 1 because my left inner thigh was causing me a lot of pain. I remember Owen saying how calm I was compared to the other runners who entered the aid station, I drew some kind of strength from him and his comments.
Owen had just taken a wrong turn as he had set off fast with Matras the Polish guy at the front, then after the wrong turn Owen had caught back up with me and was now about to pass going pretty fast. I ask Owen “is this your first 100 mile race?” Owen replies ”yes” and as he disappears ahead of me down the dirt road I have a feeling Owen will not finish due to going out so fast in his first 100. My intuition tells me Matras and Owen will burn each other out and will not finish.
Then someone joins me from behind it’s Nikolos, we are running a similar pace down the dirt road and start talking, without even realising it 20 miles has passed. The conversation flows as we talk about many things. Fully aware I’m talking to one of the best runners in Greece as I absorb his experience and knowledge as much as I can but also paying attention to my effort and trying to stay within my own limits.
Me at the finish line of ROUT.
We’ve been mostly descending, I’m amazed at how skilful a technical runner Nikolaos is, every now and then Nikolaos asks if I want to pass but I refuse the offer and stay behind as we talk and run moving over the landscape. Ahead of us is the first aid Station Prasinata 1.
We pull in and replenish empty drink bottles. Both of us drink a cup of Coca-Cola. I empty my empty gel packets from my back short pockets and just before I’m ready to head back out Nikolaos leaves. I get the impression he’s pushing a little bit in order to establish a certain level of dominance even though this may just be in my imagination.
I catch up with him quickly after leaving Prasinata 1. We pass through a small village with some tarmac roads. After going up a steep incline we come to trail again and it’s too steep to run both Nikolaos and I begin to hike. I find my hiking is faster than that of Nikolaos plus also I’m using my Leki poles and so push a little bit and I leave Nikolaos behind.
I’m now by myself for the first time since the ROUT begun. We started in darkness but the sun has risen and it’s now first light. I take my head torch and I place it in the back of my Inov-8 running vest. This is a long climb and it’s annoyingly unrunnable I guess I should be pleased but my left hip flexor is beginning to hurt every time I lift my left leg. I start to have feelings of not being able to continue, maybe I pushed too hard going up the climb, maybe I set out too fast whilst with Nikolaos one of Greeces greatest 100 mile ultra runners.
I’m now at the top of the climb and there’s a checkpoint maned by two Greek guys and parked up is a four-wheel-drive, its the only way to get out here. The thought of another 80 miles overwhelms me, my left hip flexor gets the better of me, I tell the guys I’m going to pull from the race. One of the men tell me “you can sleep, you can rest, don’t quit just wait a while and then carry on, maybe you can walk and forget about what position you are in”.
As he is saying this Nikolaos arrives at the top of the hill looking very fresh and says out loud “I had to hike a lot more of that climb this year than in previous years”. Even though its still early the weather is now pretty hot and I take it this is the reason Nikolaos has mentioned the extra hiking. He carries on and descends after crossing the dirt road down the other side of the mountain.
After a while I decide I will not quit but rather walk to the next checkpoint, it’s all downhill and I think to myself it should be fine. I will quit at the next checkpoint. During this time another runner has gone by looking fresh which makes me feel even worse. As I’m descending I find it hard to walk and end up doing a kind of limp run.
My quads have really stiffened up, I realise I haven’t been doing enough elevation training in the past five weeks. My quads are usually good on the descent and normally I can go down pretty fast but not today. I get past again by another runner but at least I’m moving forwards. I finally make it to the next checkpoint where I decide I’m going to quit.
There is a tall Greek man with grey hair and he tells me “don’t quit here quit at the next checkpoint because, it’s also an aid station full of food and blankets”. I decided to carry on and my new plan is to quit at this next checkpoint called Krouoso.
My surroundings are stunning, to my right is a river, this is a one of the only flat sections. I remember from years gone by it’s definitely runnable and I’m power hiking as fast as I can I try to run a few times but my heart is not in it. My spirits have definitely been lifted by the tall man with the grey hair.
I see some wild blackberries to my right and decide to stop, I eat some. I get some kind of natural energy boost from the wild blackberries. I decide to put my poles away in my race pack and start doing a little running. I’m now moving nicely and my left hip flexor doesn’t hurt so much, I have found a way to stretch my leg by pulling it towards my chest and compressing my hip flexor.
I’m now at the midway point (Krouoso) where I had decided I was going to quit. This checkpoint there is food, people are smiling and talking and I’m feeling really good. There is a fire burning brightly. Any thoughts of quitting have now been abandoned. I see Matras the tall Polish guy has pulled out from the race and he’s walking around. He’s not limping, I guess he chased Owen and forfeited going his own pace which meant eventually he had to pull out due to blowing up but this is a guess and I could be wrong.
Not sure why but during Ultras when I see a competitor breakdown I feel some kind of primal excitement which in turn gives me a competitive drive to push on. Sitting on a bench at a table I have a Coca-Cola plus a little bit of soup as empty used gel packets from my short pocket shorts. I refill my water bottles and I’m up and moving within a few minutes. I’m now in race mode again, thoughts of quitting have long left me.
I don’t know why but my mind keeps going back to when will I see and pass Owen, when will he pull out, the way he set out at the start of this technical Rocky Mountain 100 mile seemed impossible not so much his pace but his attitude and the fact that he’d never run or completed a 100 mile race before. I don’t know why Owen is on my mind, maybe just curiosity, maybe competitiveness.
It’s a big climb now, my Leki polls are clipped into the gloves I’m wearing on my hands. I hike up as fast as I can. I see someone ahead it’s not long before I pass him feeling strong and now confident. I always have my challenging times during 100 milers within the first half or even quarter. I don’t know why but it’s just the way things play out for me. I’m now 100% certain I will not quit, I will not slow down and I will proceed to see how many runners I can pass from now until the finish. Currently I think I’m in about 10th position.
To pass time I listen to a few Podcasts they’re about through hikers on the Appalachian trail (AT). Two of the interviews include people who have lost loved ones, more specifically their partners and so took to hiking the AT as a way of healing. I loose myself as I listen to the podcast and it’s as if I’m cast into a different world, my surroundings pass bye, the physical exertion seems easy as I soak up the story I’m listening too.
The podcast tells of a man who’s trail name is Swatch, standing 6 foot 6 inches tall, he’s a fellow who hiked the AT after losing his wife from cancer, he starts hiking the AT carrying a gun and a couple of rounds of ammunition plus a huge knife, hardly any food and not the correct sleeping equipment.
He learned the hard way and wants to quit very early on. Swatch is one of the last guys to finish the North bound through hike of the AT and it took him seven months which means he is now in winter sometimes waking up surrounded by snow. The journey becomes his saviour and a pilgrimage, by the the end Swatch is a veteran expert through hiker of the AT and returns to his home full of accomplishment, he feels the journey almost killed him but it did not. There is something about listening to people’s stories through hiking the AT. I’ve never heard any negatives and people come out the other side with much added value and experiences to draw from which can be added to their lives. Most through hikers finally believe what they considered impossible before now actually possible.
I see what I think is a light to my right, darkness surrounds me and every tree, animal and rock as the sun has now fallen. I’ve got my head torch on with a brand-new battery, the beam I keep on low to make sure the battery lasts throughout the night. The light I had seen was actually a reflection of the full moon in a lake to my right.
I twist and turn through the rocky trails up and down over tree roots. I remember this section last year, I had naïvely thought I’d be able to finish ROUT in 21hrs and so only packed enough food to take me 21 hours. I was here without food and without water. I remember my stomach making all sorts of hunger noises as I ran out of calories my body started using fat as its main supply of energy.
But not this time as I planned for 25 hours and things are looking good. I pop another gel into my mouth and put the packet in my shorts pocket, running on listening to stories of triumph on the Appalachian Trail. I’m wondering if I will see another runner it’s been a long lonely section, the sky is clear and the stars are bright. I enjoy the moon light. This section seems to never end, I know the next aid station is Zarkadia 2, once I reach here only a marathon until i’m finished.
Finally I encounter life. Some volunteers have come out to this section where there is a road and placed lanterns everywhere, it’s really beautiful they are all lit up. These guys are chilling, last year I got to these same guys but my mindset was completely different. I had no water, run out of food and was almost ready to quit, I asked them for some water as they had a full bottle but wouldn’t share it as it was part of the rules I totally get it this year I also have water because I’m prepared.
I carry on and eventually I get to Zarkadia 2, everyone is cheering and I sit down take my pack off. Straight away people are filling my bottles, I’ve run out of Tailwind which I’ve been using at a rate of 100 calories in each half litre bottle so now it’s just water but I still have gels. I drink of Coca-Cola and have a little bit of soup with some bread and then one of the guys asks me if I want some Tsipouro, it’s a Greek spirit very strong and powerful my mind says no but the words that come out of my mouth are different “okay just a little bit” I say. This part someone recored on video you can see it below.
I’m feeling pumped, I stay a few minutes, my water replenished, I’ve got rid of my used gels. The next section is a big climb before I descend to the very last aid station Prasinada 2. Slowly the sun is beginning to rise and casting light on the landscape around me, this will be the second sunrise since I started. I pass a runner or two in this time. I feel strong and nothing going to stop me now.
This is the type of view that inspires me to run in the mountains.
The sunrise cast’s its light upon the land. I think I see someone ahead of me but every time I get round the corner to an opening straight there’s nobody there, this confuses me and I wonder who or what is this thing I’m chasing and where is it. I keep going, keep hearing noises, keep seeing things but there’s nobody there. Finally I come to the down hill section which will take me to Prasinada 2, after this the final push towards the finish, my legs have remembered what it feels like to run down the mountain and no longer feel fatigued but strong.
I’m in about seventh position now. I fly through Prasinada 2 staying again just for enough time to fill my bottles empty rubbish from my pockets and drink a Coca-Cola. A guy tells me to turn left as I come out and run down the hill. I’m pleased he told me this because I would’ve probably ran straight past the turning.
The sun has now fully risen. I put my head torch away. I’m running its still a long way to go to the finish.
Trees all around.
The entire 25 hours since I started I’ve been wearing my Leki pole gloves and thankfully so as I have fallen once or twice only to catch myself on the jagged rocks but the material across the palm of my hands has saved me from pulling skin away and hurting myself. During the course of this race have used the polls to fast hike up the mountains and put them away to run the down hills.
One last checkpoint, I’m feeling pretty tired now. I have two Coca-Cola’s and fill my water bottles, I carry on as the caffeine and sugar from the Coca-Cola inject something into me and I feel fresh again.
Ahead of me is a 7 km climb. I’m heading back in on the road that we came out on as this course is a bit like a lollipop, you run out along the stick do a big loop of the lollipop itself and then come back along the stick to the finish. The last 7K is an uphill and I’m getting excited because I know not many people will run this section. I ran it last year and I’ll do the same now.
But right now I’m using my poles as the gradient is well over 20% and the going is tough, up and up the climb seems to never end. Every time I look up I’m shocked to see there’s more mountain to climb it’s as if I am having a groundhog day on the mountain and it will never end.
Seriously I say to myself, come on, am I dreaming will this stop I keep on going every single time I look up and have a feeling inside that I’m almost there I just see more mountain. It’s no joke I start to think will I ever get the the first road.
Finally I see the top of the climb is just ahead of me. Over 24 hours have passed since I begun, which has included, running with Nikolaos, wanting to quit, finding my inner strength again and now racing. Its a magical feeling knowing only a 7k runnable climb remains. The climb starts with a short down hill. I’m run fast on this part and as I’m running I think to myself anyone can run down this section fast but its the 7k incline which will divide the strong from the weak. Now the down hill is over and all that remains is up.
I start a steady run and wonder to myself if I can really do this. To run uphill all the way to the finish will be mega tuff after already completing 100 miles (this race is just over 100 miles). I’m breathing heavily but am able to maintain the effort. I know know I’m in 7th position as I was told by the man at the last check point. Adrenaline fills my veins as I see ahead another runner, but he is not running, he is hiking, using poles. I do not speed up, just carry on with my maintainable effort which eventually brings me to within earshot of him.
He turns around and calls out to me thinking I’m his friend who has come to run the final section with him (he told me this later). I keeping running towards him until he sees me clearly and now knows he’s about to go from 7th to 6th as I pass him. I stay focused and run past him. I look at him to show I have acknowledged him and his presence, a small sign of respect. He try’s to talk with me but Im all business and carry on, it takes all my focus to continue forward.
As I leave him behind I think to myself how even if I want to stop running now and walk I cannot as this would be pure weakness as a competitor. Its just me and the mountain as I continue onwards and up until I see yet another runner, this man is hiking but as soon as he becomes aware of me starts running. His name is Mitsos a legend in the Greek ultra runner scene.
Such beautiful landscape.
His running is slower than mine as I’m now pushing harder. I soon catch Mitsos and he turns as I become level with him. He asks if I’m ok, I’m more than okay, I think to myself, I was in 6th position but now I’m 5th in Greece’s first and original 100 mile ultra marathon. I form a smile on my lips and nod my head to Mitsos as I pass. My lips feel cold as the blood is drained from them leaving them blue as it’s directed to my legs, I am now running as fast as I can, not daring to turn round to look back incase Mitsos the warrior ultra runner is coming for me.
I now crave to see another runner but instead I hear bells ringing ahead as 4th position crosses the ROUT finish line. Minutes later I myself cross the finish line and suddenly its all over.