Our team member and pacer Liz Elder recently conquered Run the Sun 50K. Liz shares her experience of the race and her top tips for anyone who’s new to running long distance.
Who are you and how long have you been running with WMN RUN?
I’m Liz, I head up communications for a medical society, and I’ve been running with WMN RUN since 2018, when I joined the International Women’s Day 5k. I remember being so nervous I wouldn’t be able to keep up, but everyone was so welcoming and supportive. I’m now part of the pacer team, and support the London runs.
What made you want to run the Race the Sun 50k?
Though big road races are fun, there’s something about trail running I really enjoy. There’s much less pressure on times, and you’ll regularly see people stopping to eat, or take pictures. I had planned to do a trail race later in the year, but I spotted this one by chance, and the beautiful scenery and 12pm start caught my eye. I am very much a morning runner, so I thought it would be interesting to challenge myself and mix things up. A late start does make public transport logistics a lot easier too!
What was your favourite part of the race?
It was a very warm day so even though the stations were every 12k or so, I was running low on water before the final checkpoint, and suddenly saw a car with its boot open - a friendly local had put out cold water and sweets. It was such a needed boost, and turns out that he wasn’t involved with the race at all, but was a runner who’d seen how hot it was and decided to set up to help. Being part of this little group around this car boot in the middle of nowhere, swapping stories about our race was such a lovely moment.
How many marathons have you done so far?
I’ve done London twice now, and I have also done the London 55k Ultra Marathon last year.
What’s your top tip for someone facing their first ultra marathon?
Don’t be afraid to walk. I walked every half hour to take on food, as well as up any hills, or difficult terrain. This helps keep your heart rate down, and also gives your muscles a break.
I would also say that in trail races, you will usually run longer than the official distance - you might get lost, and they don’t always measure the courses as accurately as they do in a road race. So I would avoid focusing too much on distance, as I learned the hard way, it’s demoralising when your watch tells you you’ve done the distance and you haven’t finished! I’d suggest not having the distance showing on your watch, and just have the time for you to plan walk and nutrition breaks, and maybe your heart rate so you can make sure you’re keeping things easy enough.
What’s next?
Later this year I’m tackling Porto Marathon with some of the WMN RUN crew.