Marbella Epic Trail – 15th February 2025
I was offered the opportunity to enter the above event in around October last year (by my so called friend Craig Allen) and I briefly looked at it and thought 38 miles in the south of Spain, sounded like just the ticket. I’ve ran Ultra running distances more than twice as far and with more ascent! What I didn’t realise was this was probably most technical event I have ever ‘run’ so far with significant climb levels (4800 metres/15,700 feet which turns is a lot over 38 miles). I booked my flights and hotel and never really thought about it until about a week before travelling. I ticked off the mandatory kit list and packed my bags and I recall having a look at the profile of the event thinking it would be a tough 38 miles but really I didn’t think it would be a big deal to do the race. It’s fair to say that I didn’t take the training that seriously either.
I have been running for about 15 years but I was about to learn a big lesson about the dangers of underestimating an event and not doing the necessary training.
Once in Spain I went to register at the event and met Marina, one of the Race Organisers and she took me through the profile and pretty much put the fear of god into me. She went through each stage between each checkpoint and apart from the start on the seafront in Marbella proceeded to tell me that each part was pretty much un-runnable. Each climb was long, technical and very steep and if I thought each descent would allow me to get through the mileage I needed to think again as the descents were even more technical and most definitely not runnable without serious risk of injury. I went away after this ‘chat’ thinking she must be exaggerating, there must be some runnable parts, surely. Wrong!
The race started at 5am and I conservatively told my wife that should be back between 5 and 7pm, thinking 3 miles an hour should be achievable. By about 11am I realised I may struggle with the 3 mph and my finish would more likely be 7pm (14 hours). By this time I was beginning to feel the toll on my legs of the steep (up and down) technical terrain. I eventually reached the highest point of the race (La Concha) and remembered I was about to progress into the part of the route which Marina had said would be the most technical, as well as being very steep up and down. I soon discovered she had not been exaggerating as this proved brutal. I still thought fairly early on through this section that once I reached the next checkpoint I had only one more big climb and one big descent to come. I think this 10k section took me roughly over 4 hours to complete such was its technical nature (coupled with my now very tired and badly affected legs). By the time I reached the next checkpoint I felt totally beaten up and incredibly tired. I estimated based on how I was moving and how tired I was feeling that it would take me at least another 4 to 5 hours to finish and worst still I would have to ‘survive’ the final descent in the dark. I had the sense to know to call it a day, as I think I would have been at serious risk of having fall and probably hurting myself as there would be no chance of a soft landing.
My first DNF! I don’t like it at all but I’m still in one piece and recovering, ready to go again having learned a brutal lesson. When I reached the second to last checkpoint I had ran 29.59 miles and climbed 11800 feet in 12:39 hours. I don’t know who won the event as I’m too bitter to check but credit to anyone who gets through the experience of the Marbella Epic Trail.
Incidentally, Craig had the sense to be injured and so didn’t run and stayed in beautiful Marbella drinking coffee/beer on the sea front!
The question is, do I try again next year?🤷♂️
