North Downs Way 100 Mile Race

100 up for Nick

On Saturday 3^rd August 2019 Nick Payne of Grantham Running Club successfully completed the North Downs Way 100 Mile Race. This event is run by Centurion Running who specialise in organising 50 and 100 mile events in the south of England. The North Downs Way 100 begins at the start of the North Downs Way in Farnham in Surrey with the event finishing in Ashford in Kent. The course is undulating with over 10,000 feet of elevation.  The terrain is mainly on trail including woodland, over tracks and through fields. 

The event was very well organised, with an aid station on average every seven miles, each serving a mini buffet including sandwiches, sausage rolls, crisps and cake as well as energy drinks and coke. 

The weather conditions were not too warm considering the race is run in the middle of summer, with a top temperature of 24 Celsius in the day, dropping to a minimum of 14 degrees at night.

Nick completed the first 50 miles in 10 hours and 45 minutes. An injury in the second half of the race slowed Nick’s progress however and he finally finished in 28 hours 50 minutes and 36 seconds, which placed him 157^th out of 188^th finishers.  The drop-out rate was 34%. Even though the injury did not allow Nick to complete the course in the time he was hoping for, he still completed it around 7 hours quicker than his previous 100 mile best.  Nick received a belt buckle and also a T-shirt for completing the event.

This was also Nick’s one hundredth official marathon/ultra marathon which allows him to become a full member of the prestigious 100 Marathon Club.   Nick was presented with his 100 Marathon Club shirt at the finish by one of his running heroes, James Elson who has represented Great Britain at ultra-marathon events.

Nick commented: “I was really pleased to finish the event, even though the injury I suffered after 65 miles did not allow me to complete the course in the time I was hoping for.  It was a real test to finish the race as I was in a lot of pain.”

The 2019 North Downs Way 100 was won by Mark Darbyshire in a new course record time of 15 hours 18 minutes and 41 seconds.  The first lady was Karen Hacker who finished in 20 hours 40 minutes and 38 seconds.