Camino EPPING 2024

It is a few weeks since our fourth annual Epping Forest events.

We are still giving thanks to the Sun Gods for gifting us a pocket of delicious community weather in an otherwise blustery and wet fortnight.

As is our way - we love to find and share stories from all our Camino Ultra events - its the story-telling that can become a super-power for all endurance athletes - a cornerstone of why Camino Ultra exists.

One of our favourite stories of recent years is Phil x We have known Phil for over twenty years and Phil was responsible for putting us together with Camino athlete Anna Brown - Anna recently finished the world-reknowned Spartathlon in impressive fashion

In the early years Phil would not have associated herself as being a runner. In more recent times Phil has been an active member of the Hackney based The Coffee Runners - an organisation set up to offer a more gentle way of introducing movement (inc running) into a social enviroment. Having completed Camino 25KMs and impressively her first ultramarathon at this years Lea Valley it was Phil's turn to be a supporting friend and encourage Anna's sister Kath to take on her first 25KM trail event with us.

PHILIPPA:

“Without over-stating things I think I can say that becoming part of the Camino Ultra family has changed my life. In October 2023 I did something I would never have dreamed possible, I ran 25k through Epping Forest and loved it! In a moment of over enthusiasm I signed up for Camino Ultra’s Lea Valley 50k and completed that in March 2024. I am not a ‘natural’ runner (whatever that is) and struggle with the self discipline of training, and no one looking at me on the bus would say I have the ‘build’ of an ultra runner! But I had trained for both runs with my local running group, Coffee Run, and with their support and encouragement from the Camino Ultra family, anything is possible! After the 50 I wasn’t sure where to go from here… I wanted to run the Camino Ultra organised Epping race again but couldn’t decide whether to go for another 50k or do the 25 distance again. I have been lucky and not suffered injuries when training for these distances but I am heading rapidly towards 60 and thought another 50 might be too much…

When I ran the Epping eco 25 in 2023 I ran with friends Fran and Steph and Jo and we were all lucky enough to be supported most of the way by amazing ultra runner Anna Brown who was the ‘sweeper’ on that day and took on the role of bringing up the rear. We were the ‘rear’. I have known Anna for 40 years or so as I met her when she was 5 years old when I first visited the family home of my new best friend, Kath Brown , who I had just met, aged 18, on my first night out at university and who I was joined at the hip with for many years. Though we live in different cities now, we are undoubtably BFFs (Best Friends Forever for those who don’t remember it from the 90’s).

Kath and I had done a couple of 10ks in the past, many years ago, and I always held out a hope that I could get her to join one of the Camino runs… Following the Lea Valley 50k I started occasionally and gently suggesting that Kath might consider running Epping this year. On the 27th March she replied to my suggestion with ‘not saying ‘no’…’, I could hardly contain my excitement! I never really thought it would happen until it did.

On holiday in Norway together in June, we went out for a couple of runs together, a 5k around some stunning islands before jumping in the fjord for a wonderfully rejuvenating swim and then a 10k in Oslo, (for Deo) around a self devised loop with a most vile long slow hill to climb. I was aware that the Brown determination meant that Kath would be powering ahead and I would be slogging along behind, if we did run the Epping race together. That was fine by me.

I am always great with giving advice and not so good at taking my own and as summer turned to autumn I hadn’t been keeping to a training plan and hadn’t been doing the body strengthening exercises that I believe had prevented injury previously. But as the Epping date approached, I decided that by hook or by crook I would turn up on the day. It was never really in doubt.

It’s been a hugely emotional time recently as Kath and I lost our life long friend, Emma, to cancer in May. This fed into my need to run and the running also kept me connected to Emma, a part of my running history.

A brief tale of my ‘run’: fabulous Fran was with me at the start line as was Kath! Two of my worlds were meeting in Epping under the Camino pink arch. We started running together and pretty quickly fell towards the back of the pack. Fran was taking it slow due to an injury that she needed to take care of. I was trying to keep up with Kath but knew we needed to run our own races so Kath ran on at her pace and I slowed to a run/walk. I was approached from behind by Kit who introduced themselves as ‘they/them’ and we went along together running and walking and talking and very soon I felt like I had known them for years, this is what happens at Camino events. Passing the long horned Epping cows together and taking selfies in front of the neon hand crafted flower markers (the talented crafters in my mind at each one). As the 50kers passed us on their way up (the start of the 25 was their half way) we recognised each others’ achievement with a wave or a shout. Humbling to have those running 50 appreciating our efforts.

With the company the time passed and sooner than expected I saw the beacon of the white slatted wall of Butlers Retreat pub, we had reached the half way aid station!

Friendly faces abounded, my old running buddy Steph there with a hug, Kath’s partner Lee in his famous yellow coat with beaming smile (news that Kath was doing fine), Ali with her balls (highly nutritious!), coffee runners Tricia and Margaret who have been with me on this running journey, and I finally met Darren from DaznBone ultra trainers who had just returned from supporting Anna Brown on her latest ultra victory (a victory in my eyes!)

With a hug and a selfie and with Anna in my ear (we had hung around too long the year before and Anna’s ‘sweeper’ feet were itching to get going) we launched into the second half. Fran and I stuck together and Kit headed on. The forest was beautiful… had I forgotten to mention that? No time for a tree hug, tempting though it was, but the trees, the dappled sunlight, the streams and lakes, the soft leaf litter under foot… oh yes, and the hills and the ups and downs but those are so much easier in the ancient forest, I find. Fran and I encountered my friend Emma’s husband, Harry and their dog Snoop in the woods, which gave us a powerful boost. We passed walkers and kids on bikes and horse riders and we were passed by 50 k runners heading back down to our shared finishing arch by the Golden Fleece pub.

It was fun and it was hard and I was cursing David Bone as I saw the finish arch in the distance but knew that we had to get across fields (my least favourite part of this race) to go behind and come at the arch from the other side. That last bit feels long but my husband Mark was there with my dog Suki who began to run along side us and our coffee runner friend Nathalie had all the words of encouragement we needed.

Fran and I ran the last straight to the finish and we crossed the line hand in hand and met the rest of the finishers and Camino family on the grass, in the sunshine with the drinks and snacks and massage table all to hand. The sweetest embrace from Kath with the biggest grin and a pint of Guinness handed to me by my daughter.

Kath was jubilant and had a great race experience, joining with 2 runners for most of the race and was now relaxing with sisters Claire and Anna. Then Kit runs over smiling from cheek to cheek showing off their trophy for the winner of the non-binary category. What more can I say but I will be back for more and I am pretty sure that Kath Brown will be too. “

CAMINO:

We are so grateful to everyone who has reached out to us since Epping - reading kind and supportive feedback means the world. Here is one that was so amazing we asked Alice if we could share it with the world:

ALICE CUTTER:

"I haven't run a Camino race in a while, but did Epping Forest 50k recently and it really reminded me what a lovely bunch you Caminos are, it was just such a warm welcoming race and the Grateful Mile was quite something.  Thanks for all you do for the running community. 

Big love,

Alice"

CAMINO:

Over the past few years we have built a relationship with Mark White and the Run Grateful Project. What started off as a way of sharing some gratitude ideas for coaching has become a method on which Run Grateful get involved in events like Camino's and set up Gratitude signs in a one-mile stretch of a course and help the runners focus on gratitude.

Last year we had a small set of feedback from runners that they found the last section of the route challenging - this was because you can see the finish area HQ but the course takes you on a loop to get there. So this time aroud we asked Run Grateful to set up the Gratitude Mile all along that final stretch.

MARK:

What a day… I’m full of gratitude for the Camino Ultra team & the amazing runners that took part in the 25k & 50k around the beautiful Epping Forest.

To be at the finish line, to capture the emotion & good feelings of so many, we did our best to capture the gratitude under the sunshine and blue skies. 

To have the opportunity to create a GRATEFUL MILE within the event experience is so overwhelming, to have the idea & then get the trust, backing and support from others within Camino Ultra means so much. They are so committed to serving their community and always looking to heighten the event day experience so to have them invest in the grateful mile is powerful! 

To then see and hear that the grateful prompts on the last mile made a difference to so many just energises me so much to push on & see this spread around the world!

Running around with Aaron & ? with our mobile gratitude board was a joy…

Until the next time, stay safe & well. Keep up with those grateful miles & we invite you to MOVE WITH GRATITUDE