Now 20 hours into the challenge and with the end in sight I had the time to think and contemplate the size of it all. I had been on my own for almost the entirety of the event, there were occasional interactions with the volunteers at the aid stations. or with fellow runners/walkers, but these were fleeting. I enjoyed the time and didn't use my headphones for the first 10 hours, chosing to listen to the sounds of the wood and in an effort to preserve my phone battery. With the challenge of the night loops I decided to bring in some assistance and so listened to lots of Parenting Hell podcasts, my motivational playlist and some Nelly throughout much of the rest of the event.
Given that I was walking I was able to be on my phone alot, messaging friends and family, keeping my spirits up and letting them know how I was getting on. My brothers Luke and Joe in particular were checking in on me and geeing me up. Having completed lap 12 they both messaged within 10 minutes of each other to urge me out for one more lap to get the distance over 100km. Given the exhaustion and me concentrating on miles I hadn't quite put that together and so it was good to give me that final nudge out of the tent to complete that 13th and final loop.
I was now taking over an hour and a half for each lap and could see that a 14th lap wasn't possible. Joe did ask if I could squeeze one in but I completed lap 13 at 10:52 and there was no way I was churning out a 1:07 lap to get in before the cut-off. At some 24 hour events they allow you to complete the lap you are on as long as you start it before the end of the 24 hours. That is tough on the organisers who are almost as tired as the competitors and rightly want to get themselves home, and so HARP say all laps need to be finished by 12 midday. Rocking up at 12:02 thinking you've bagged another lap must be brutal.
I also had places to be and so immediately set about getting myself packed up ready to depart. The girls had a show at half 2 and I needed to get myself home and showered asap. That was easier said than done. My body which seemed able to churn out 11 minute kms walking seemingly indefinitely, decided to creak on that last lap and there were 12:31 and 12:07 km's on the run in.
The body shutting down continued after I crossed the line, the only way I could get myself on the ground was to get as close as I could to the target area and then just drop. A quick crawl around and I could empty the tent of it's contents before a big effort to get myself vertical again. I managed to find a Mark One Hire provided wheelbarrow to transport the food and clothing back to my car, before returning to deconstruct the tent. Taking the tent down proved even more challenging than putting it up, but I finally managed to do it without it blowing away or breaking.
Another slow trudge back to the car and my HARP 24 experience was over for another year. A final total of 65 miles spread over 13 idyllic loops of Cherry Orchard Country Park. 10 miles more than last year, 10 miles less than I was probably capable of, given my current level of fitness. But a warm satisfied glow all the same. I don't know why I do ultras, they aren't really my thing, but there is something that really hooks me about the 24 hour format, how far can you transport yourself under your own steam in the course of a day?
The support from my wife, and friends and family was incredible and so appreciated, it made the whole thing so much better . As was the support of my fellow runners and walkers taking on this crazy challenge, the ultra vibe is just so different from any other race you will do. I was keeping an eye on my catagory, but I wasn't really in a race. We were just 300 or so people that decided to battle against the course and the elements in a shared challenge. A final thanks to all the volunteers at HARP who make the whole thing tick, those on the course helping us through it, and those back at base and behind the scenes. It is such a slick operation for what is a small, local charity event. I will look to keep coming back, I have challenges left unmet as a solo runner, but maybe in a few years I will explore the team aspect as well.
That completes my HARP 24 2025 story, but there will be a 4th blog with a nerdy stats deep dive on this year, and my future 24 hour plans for those who have the stamina for it.
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