Over the weekend of 11^th/12^th/13^th March two Hobbs embarked on their second in what seems to becoming a bi-annual challenge. Over the Easter weekend in 2009, Bernie and Joby Hobbs (accompanied by Joby’s friend Chris) ran the length of the Kennet and Avon Canal from Bristol to Reading. Why? Well Joby had decided that it was about time he saw more of the canal after years of training along the same stretch of canal between Bradford-on-Avon and Bath. Bernie agreed and the rest became history… 89 miles completed in 4 days.

About 8 months ago the idea was hatched to run another challenge and this time run the length of The Ridgeway. Starting in Avebury, Wiltshire (Bernie and Joby’s home county) the National Trail would follow a journey to Ivinghoe Beacon, Buckinghamshire (Joby’s current county of residence). This time though the stakes would be slightly raised… 87 miles would be completed in 3 days!

So on Friday 11^th March Bernie and Joby were dispatched at the start of the Ridgeway National Trail and the challenge had commenced! 29 miles a day for 3 days. Experience said that the first day would be the easiest, the second would be tough, but the third would get easier. Well the first day was completed at an average pace of 9.56 min/mile through the Wiltshire countryside, and what countryside it is! If you could just take away the M4 the views on day one from the Ridgeway are outstanding and you certainly get to see your fair share of nature. At the end of each day we were collected by the support team of Bernie’s wife Del and Joby’s partner Jilly and returned home to try and recover for another day of running before being dispatched in the morning to rejoin the trail where we had left the previous evening. Day two saw us coming down off of ‘the ridge’ as we headed through Goring and followed the River Thames. Apart from a few sore ‘bits’ it was the appearance of the sun that started to bother Joby as the spring sunshine (as lovely as it is) started to play havoc with hydration levels! By the end of day two the average pace had slowed a little to 10.29 min/mile.

Day three dawned and it was raining. This had been playing on Bernie’s mind since running on the dry clay paths on day one. Dry clay and wet clay are a totally different ball game when it comes to trying to run on it! Let’s just say it was very slippery for a good 10+ miles. Another fellow Hobbs had joined the antics for the last day. Luke had decided that 87 miles in 3 days whilst training for the London Marathon was probably a silly idea so instead joined in for his ‘Sunday long run’ for the final day. The Ridgeway, as well as producing some amazing scenery and lots of wildlife, also brings some very varying terrain. No more so than on day three which passed through woods, open farmland, golf courses, villages and ended on the open landscape at Ivinghoe Beacon. It also brought hills, some so steep that steps were required to assist people in their climb. At this stage though it wasn’t so much the uphill that was the problem, running downhill with sore and aching joints is certainly a challenge. Unfortunately previous experience was wrong, day three didn’t get easier this time around and the joints and muscles were sore and the average pace slowed on day three to 10.49 min/mile. But with 5 miles to go for the first time the end came into sight and it became a race to beat sunset. With the support team positioned ready to welcome the tired but delighted runners the sun did set spectacularly over Ivinghoe Beacon.

Bernie is already plotting challenge number 3. Apparently it has something to do with 2013, the Thames Navigation, 120 miles and 4 days…