Causeway Coast Marathon 2020: Race Report

I'll be honest, as the end of July approached, I'd was all but resigned to the reality that there wouldn't be any races ran this year. In the time since Covid-19 forced us all into a countrywide lockdown in March, I'd seen the dates of all my 'big races' come and go; Paris Marathon, Belfast Marathon and a handful of half marathons across our wee country - some postponed in the hope of rescheduling but most simply written off...

"We'll see you next year..."

Mid August brought news that the Causeway Coast Marathon would indeed go ahead but with the current need for social distancing and safety, things were going to be a little different this year. Instead of embarking along the coastal trails of the north coast cliffs, all distances would be completed on Benone Beach... That's right, on the sand. A half marathon (13.1 miles) would be one lap, a marathon (26.2 miles) would be two and the Ultra, which my idiot brain thought would be a good idea, would be three laps.

Three laps, 39.1 miles, on the beach... I have never ran on the beach.

Ever...

(I also haven't ran a weekly distance higher than 15km since the middle of July - after a personal challenge of running a half marathon everyday for a week left me with a pesky knee niggle - but that's a story for another day.)

Registration - Start / Finish Line

26 September, 07:30

We loaded my gear into my parent's car and began the 2 hour drive to the coast, which gave me time to catch a few more pre race Z's and also try and figure out how people approach running for 40 miles on the beach when they have never done either before. I figured an over ambitious, ill informed plan was better than no plan. I figured I would try and run at a pace of a 2 hour lap for as long as possible before the sand and fatigue set my pace for me.

The need for social distancing also meant that the traditional mass stampede start to a race was a no go, and instead, we all had to pick a 1 hour window when registering in which we would start solo - given the time we'd need to travel down, I had opted for 10:00 - 11:00. The last window available to the ultra runners.

Just before 11am, after a few final instructions from the race directors and my bag dropped against one of the designated posts, I started my watch, crossed the start line and set to work.

From the start line we would run to the eastern end of the beach, to the cliffs overlooked by Mussenden Temple where we would then about turn and run the entire length of the beach to Magilligan Point and then back to the starting area where the ultra runners could access their drop bags.

I quickly found my stride and settled into the podcast in my headphones, (Joe Rogan's Episode 1027 with Courtney Dauwalter, you're welcome) reveling running in weather worthy of any beach day let alone a 40 mile ultra. The sand felt great underfoot, firm but more forgiving than the Tandragee footpaths where my training takes place.

After Lap 1: 1:55:00 ish - "I love it when a plan comes together..."

Lap 2 started great, the run to the halfway point was as pleasant as the first lap. We reached the 20 mile point at around 3:15:00 ( a little off beat but still okay ) just as in a marathon, I could feel the dull ache creeping into my legs. approaching Magilligan Point though, where the beach is at it's shallowest, the sand was starting to soften and reduced some sections to little more than a determined march over the shells.

Magilligan Point Water Station - Water stations were operated via a foot pump to prevent any contact

I reached the turning point for the second time, refilled on water, exchanged a few words with the marshal on the pros and cons of having a beard and set off back to the bag drop. At marathon distance, I was really stating to hurt and fade, the second trip through the soft sand took a lot out of me and I arrived back at the start around the 5 hour mark. The plan was now well out the window, the revelations of the second lap had daunted me somewhat but I was determined to see off the final 13 miles.

After Lap 2: 5:00:00 ish - "Toto, I've a feeling we're not in Kansas anymore…”

The final loop was also something of a tale of two halves. As I set out, knocking back a raspberry tailwind, the plan was to run (shuffle) 0.95 of each kilometer, then walk the remaining 50 metres and simply rinse and repeat for the remaining half marathon. For the first 10km or so, something clicked and I found another gear that let me run 1.95km for every 50 meter walk. At that point, I felt I would be fine so long as I didn't have to stop and didn't fall over, but my new groove was inevitably halted by now even softer sand on the approach the turning point.

At 60km running, after many attempts, was virtually impossible, in my flustered fatigue and haste to leave the bag drop I'd left myself short of supplies and ran out of fuel. I walked the last 3 - 4km back to the finish line listening to Guns N Roses greatest hits, watching the sun set while destroying what was left of the bag of Wine Gums in my vest.

After Lap 3: 08:18:56 - "I'll be back."

The final shuffle home…

So having willingly and intentionally shuffled around on the beach for almost eight and a half hours - I have a few takeaway points I'd like to share with you...

Takeaway, the First - Running on the beach for a long time is hard... It's hard on your feet, it's hard on your legs and, perhaps mostly, it's hard on your mind - it's very mentally taxing being able to see ALL of the beach ALL of the time. There are moments when it feels like the other end's getting further away rather than closer but if you can stay present you can get there.

Takeaway, the second - It is possible to complete a 40 mile ultra with a lack of training - but don't expect the results to be what you hoped they'd be. In the lead up to the race, my main focus was on being able to run in time instead of running the distance in a fast time. Now that I know it's possible though, it'll be encouraging to see what I can do when fully prepared.

Takeaway, the Third - Patience... Patience. Is. Key. Patience when you're running, patience when preparing your kit and patience at the bag drop. The race is going to take you as long as it takes you - just make sure you've got everything you need and enjoy the experience.

And finally, Takeaway the Fourth - Appreciate every race, because you never know when a global pandemic will grind society to a halt and stop you from being able to do it again for dear knows how long. It doesn't matter if it's your first 5K or your tenth 55K, don't let a bad time get in the way of a good time.

I'm sure I speak for all runners when I say thank you to the guys at 26 Extreme for hosting a safe and straightforward event. The instructions were clear, the marshals and directors couldn't have been friendlier and the sand... Well, let's not talk about the sand anymore...