My First Multi-Day Ultra: The Atlantic Coast Challenge

Back in January, I hit a major “why not” moment. While I’m not one for setting New Year’s resolutions, I do enjoy setting a few goals and challenging myself. So, when a running acquaintance mentioned the Atlantic Coast Challenge in our WhatsApp group while I was considering potential challenges, it seemed like fate. Without second thought, I impulsively signed up—aware that if I pondered too long, I might back out.

What Is the Atlantic Coast Challenge?

The Atlantic Coast Challenge, organized by Votwo Events, is a multi-day ultra-marathon in Cornwall. Spanning three days, it kicks off near Padstow, follows the South West Coastal Path, and concludes at Lands End. Participants can choose to run, jog, hike, or walk—essentially covering a marathon each day across challenging and varied terrain. Why did I sign up for this again?

Proper preparation is key; you can’t just show up unprepared. Training, seriousness, and commitment are essential. My previous record was 17 miles, and this event totalled 80 miles over three days—a substantial leap. But with the event in October and it only being January, I felt I had ample time to prepare. So, I momentarily set it aside–or tried to, as it always lingered in my mind. I kept a routine of 15-20 miles weekly and had some hikes planned, so I wasn’t too concerned.

Around summer, I increased my training. Having already accomplished some substantial hikes—one around the Isle of Wight over three days and the Serpent Trail with a friend over a year—I felt my endurance was improving. However, I aimed to enhance my long-distance running, necessitating longer weekend runs and incorporating back-to-back runs to acclimate to running on tired legs.

Halfway through training, I encountered sciatica—a genuine pain. There was a moment I wondered if I’d make it to race day. But, being a meticulous organizer, I devised a plan: I consulted a terrific physio, started weekly Pilates, did twice-daily stretches, underwent a gait analysis, strengthened my core, rested, and avoided prolonged sitting. Gradually, my sciatica improved, but my confidence was shaken. I missed long runs and questioned my ability to undertake such a distance. A few weeks before the event, my friends and I who were also participating decided to run/walk from Petersfield to Hayling Island—a 22-mile test. By alternating walking and running each mile, I rebuilt my stamina gently while boosting my confidence.

By the time the event arrived, I was trained, equipped, and mentally prepared for my most significant challenge yet. Cornwall, here I come!

Day 1 Constantine Bay – Perranporth (26.2 miles)

We stayed in a comfortable house in Porthleven, owned by friends of friends—an excellent base with home comforts. Participants can stay in a caravan at St Ives Caravan Park, the event HQ, but I prefer a warm, cozy house over camping.

Race day started at 5 am. It felt like the anticipation before an early flight—nervous yet eager. Instead of traveling to a distant location, I faced 26 miles. Time to get to work!

Fortunately, I slept well—surprising, since I struggle with sleep before big events. Despite waking at 3:18 am with anxiety dreams involving wedding dress stains, lateness, and piranha-eaten dogs, I managed more sleep until 5 am.

I forced down porridge and decaf coffee for energy, then went through my pre-race rituals—a sequence of restroom trips, kit checks, and one last run to the toilet before heading out at 6 am. Registration at St Ives holiday park involved collecting a bib number, GPS tracker, briefing on the day’s course, and, naturally, another bathroom stop. Then, it was an hour’s drive to the start at Trevose Head lighthouse.

Having done half marathons and the Great South Run before, I’m not a novice in event running, yet the low-key start here surprised me—no official lines or signals, just a simple start of the challenge.

The weather was perfect for running—clear skies, no wind—but my mind was my biggest hurdle. Overthinking consumed me as I focused more on the entire three-day challenge rather than the day’s segment or reaching that initial checkpoint. I struggled to find my rhythm and worried about finishing this vast undertaking.

But as I pushed past familiar terrain like Mawgan Porth, my mindset shifted. I found a personal groove, alternating between running flats and walking hills. The picturesque landscapes of beaches and little bays lifted my spirits, while camaraderie among participants and cheers from onlookers provided a psychological boost.

We wrapped up Day 1 on a seemingly endless beach, navigated sand dunes, and reached the finish. A welcome cup of lentil and tomato soup revived me—a perfect ending to my first-ever marathon.

Day 1 Rundown

• Start – Constantine Bay
• Checkpoint 1 – Mawgan Porth
• Checkpoint 2 – Porth
• Checkpoint 3 – Crantock Beach
• Finish – Perranporth

Day 2 Chapel Porth – St Ives Holiday Park (26.2 miles)

On the second day, I woke up with elevated spirits. I had a clear sense of what lay ahead and felt reassured, despite the lingering aches and fatigue. I committed to doing my best, convinced that was enough.

An early start awaited, though mercifully we had an extra half-hour as the starting point was closer. Kalms tablets helped ease me into a better sleep, along with sheer exhaustion.

The sunny but windy day kept me busy holding onto my hat. My clever hat-hairclip strategy backfired while removing layers, leading to constant adjustments. While managing the ordeal, I lost my neck buff—a valuable running accessory. Disinclined to backtrack, I forged ahead, only to find my buff thoughtfully placed on a railing by a kind stranger.

Votwo stocked checkpoints amply, resembling a buffet spread—jelly beans, cheese snacks, flapjacks, candy bars, peanuts, bananas, sandwiches, drinks, and more. Chewing mini cheddars was like trying to consume sawdust; snacks I’d trained with seemed inedible. Bananas and Twixes turned out to be the most manageable.

Encountering seals at Godrevy was a delightful and needed lift after a grueling set of climbs dubbed the “three bitches.” Today dragged on as the longest beach of all stretched dauntingly and confounded me when we realized the route bypassed the finish, detouring us past the checkpoint, down the final beach stretches, through industrial regions, and winding back into the caravan park. The beeline tested both body and mind. A pea and mint soup awaited at the finish, concluding Day 2.

Day 2 Rundown

• Start – Perranporth
• Checkpoint 1 – Chapel Porth
• Checkpoint 2 – Portreath
• Checkpoint 3 – Godrevy
• Checkpoint 3a – Hayle
• Finish – St Ives Holiday Park

Day 3 Lelant – Lands End (28.5 miles)

Day three marked the concluding and longest leg. With residual marathon fatigue, we also encountered relentless rain—a game-changer adding another layer of difficulty to the terrain. Feet protested, toenails ached, and socks threatened them with every peel, though they hung tough.

Starting early proved prudent as overnight rain rendered paths slippery and nearly unrunnable. Only then did I learn about time cutoffs—something never before a concern but potentially troubling given today’s challenging conditions. The ground was slick, encouraging involuntary slipping and sliding. Boulder fields necessitated clumsy navigation, sometimes on hands and knees. Worse, the first checkpoint was an exhausting distance of 16-17 km—demoralizing.

Veteran participants assured us this ranker among the toughest conditions they’d seen. Day’s hike to the second checkpoint exceeded six arduous hours—nearly the time spent covering complete earlier race segments. We later discovered that, out of 311 who started, 164 couldn’t complete it—a testament to its severity.

Making the second checkpoint with mere minutes remaining, we reclined on boulders, relished bananas and Twixes, hydrated, and reconfirmed resolve to beat clock pressure and finish. Whatever it took, we wouldn’t succumb to time constraints, doggedly soldiering on through captivating—but unceasingly challenging—landscapes.

Spotting Lands End teased with deceptive proximity. Despite its visibility, countless remaining hills and coves tested already battered bodies and psyche—a mental gauntlet. Those final meters, though, afforded an unexpected surge of energy carrying me across to the finish. Granted a medal and a Cornish pasty, I was elated and relieved it was done. As an ordinary woman from Hampshire who embraced a challenge on a whim, I’d achieved something remarkable—a personal victory.

Day 3 Rundown

• Start – Lelant
• Checkpoint 1 – Zennor
• Checkpoint 2 – Brandys (rock outcrop)
• Checkpoint 3 – Cape Cornwall
• Finish – Lands End

Post Race Reflections

Crossing that finish line, I swore off challenges like this indefinitely. It was the toughest endeavor I’d ever faced. Yet here I am, hardly recovered and contemplating the next challenge. This running thing, it’s addictive. Seeing how far I’ve come is astonishing—childhood me, who loathed running, transformed by the local run group. I’ve gone from a perceived non-runner to a marathon and ultra-runner, even training others.

Surprisingly, my sciatica was a non-issue throughout the event. The rest of my body demanded so much attention that my back pain receded into irrelevance. So, perhaps, the secret to alleviating sciatica lies in running 80 miles.

For now, I plan to enjoy some well-earned rest and meals. But down the line, who knows? The world seems increasingly possible to tackle after an accomplishment of this magnitude. I might just take on another challenge—after more indulgence, of course!

Author Bio

Becky Stafferton is a full-time content creator, web publisher, and blogging coach. She consistently endeavors to encourage realistic, sustainable, and uplifting approaches to living healthily. When not writing, she enjoys running in muddy weather, lining up lists, venting out her grievances, amusing her dog with silly voices, renovating her countryside home, and guiding others on blog monetization.