Run Britain Day 51: From Lynmouth to Watchet

Today I reached Minehead and completed the South West Coast Path - the longest continuous footpath in Britain.

The 630 mile path which starts in Poole, Dorset spans four counties, includes 30,000 steps and rises and falls so many times, its elevation is the equivalent of four sea-to-summits of Everest.

For the last 25 days, I have followed the little acorn around the coast path. It’s been a familiar little symbol every few kilometres highlighting the way. I’ll miss it.

This corner of the coast is far harder than I thought it would be. But it is also so much more incredible. I was really dreading the South West Coast Path part of this mission because I knew it would be hard. But now I am quite sad to be moving away from the familiarity.

I must admit, I haven’t stuck to the acorn-highlighted path as religiously as those who go for record attempts on this path do. One reason for this has been safety. In the last few days, the wind has been so strong, there have been a few miles here and there where sticking to the actual path has been a bit dangerous. In South Devon, I also had a few diversions around rivers (although these probably added to my total distance). And then there was the problem in Dorset with the MOD firing range, which I will need to come back to complete. But, after looking at the Fastest Known Time website, I am quite proud of my 25 days. Not many women have completed the path faster than that.

But those who have really are incredibly impressive. In September, Lucy Gossage ran the entire path, self-supported in 11 days, 9 hours and 6 minutes, taking just over two days off the previous record set by Sarah Perry the previous year. The male record (which was also broken this summer) stands at 9 days 13 hours. Having now done the path, I cannot fathom how such a pace is possible. It’s extraordinary.

And however hard I have found the last three and a bit weeks, I am tempted to come back and do it again. A bit more hill training, legs that aren’t 25 days into a run the entire coast of Britain and are free of shin splints, and a summer-time date and I think I would quite like to go for it again a bit quicker.

But I’ve got another 4,000 miles of this challenge yet to do first.