What's ahead for 2025?
2024 was a really busy and varied year. Those experiences and the outcomes of a lot of those events are very much going to shape where I go in general terms for the future and more specifically what races or events I will try in the next 12 months or so.
Firstly, I reached a firm decision that I am done with any races with a large field of participants. They throw up too many factors that I find to be negative. By large I am probably talking about any race or event with more than 200 entrants. That number would shrink significantly if I were to do another multi-day stage race, probably down to about 25-30 maximum.
There will be no more 24-hour events or backyard ultras. I have scratched that itch and they are not for me. I will simply never get past the boredom factor but I remain somewhat in awe of those who can do so and clock up mind-blowing numbers of loops.
Whilst it wasn’t really a factor in any DNF this past year, I now accept that I do not like to run in excessive heat, nor do I ever run well in those conditions. I don’t enjoy it so I am not going to plan to race in heat again. I am prepared to consider events where it could be very warm at certain times of day but not a race where this will be the default state throughout. I do not feel the need to prove myself in more extreme temperatures when I know I am not going to enjoy it.
I would like to do another multi-day, self-sufficient stage race but there simply aren’t any out there right now that have the overall package I would be looking for. Actually, that is not quite true as I do have half an eye on one, but it would be for 2026 at the earliest. No, I am not saying what it is. I will however try to identify more opportunities for some multi-day, solo fastpacking adventures, both at home and maybe abroad too. I have a couple of locations in mind, but no firm plans at the moment.
My first big event for 2025 is in April and it has been many months in the planning already. I don’t have a running ‘bucket list’ as such but if I did, I crossed one location off in 2024 in Lofoten, Norway.
I have never been to the USA for a number of reasons, but I am going in April 2025 for one primary reason, to complete the Grand Canyon Rim-to-Rim-to-Rim. This will be a self-supported, solo effort and something that I have really wanted to do for some time. I will be going for nearly three weeks, almost entirely in Arizona and at the end of the trip I am already entered into the Zane Grey 50 which is one of the older established ultras in the USA.
On 31 May 2025 I intend to run the 58km Full Tilt Ultra, part of the Blair Atholl Trail Weekend. It is fairly local to me and I can drive up and back on the day, thus minimising contact with the rest of the festivities. I haven’t entered yet but will do so in the coming weeks.
I have applied and had my entry accepted for the GB Ultras Race Across Scotland in August 2025. This is real unknown territory in terms of distance but at the time of entry, there was method in the madness as I will explain in due course. I have never done a 100-miler, simply because I know it would involve a lot of walking and whilst I accept a certain percentage of walking in an ultra, it is running that I really enjoy. However, I have decided that I want to test myself on a really long-distance event. I know a lot if not the majority of it will be walking so I will need to get my head around that and it may well be one when just finishing is the only realistic goal to go into it with. I will of course train appropriately, but I have no idea how that is going to go.
A number of months ago I entered a mountain race in the Atlas Mountains, Morocco which will take place in early October 2025. The Ultra Trail Atlas Toubkal is a 105km race with 8,000 meters of elevation gain. A significant challenge in an incredible mountain setting up to around 4,000 metres in altitude but this is the kind of terrain I enjoy and the field of runners is relatively small. There are further qualification criteria in terms of race experience which I may already meet and if not, my other races earlier in 2025 will satisfy the criteria.
I mentioned that there was ulterior motive behind entering the Race Across Scotland. I intended to use it as a personal proving ground as my ultimate goal at the end of the next 12 months was to toe the start line at the 2026 Montane Winter Spine Race in January 2026.
However, as has transpired since I began writing this post, my attempt to get a place on the Spine has failed. Weeks ago, I signed up on the website for race info and notifications, foolishly thinking that I might be notified in advance of the time/date when entries would open. I would have been poised and ready for that time, doing battle with other nimble-fingered hopefuls. Alas, the Spine organisers chose not to drop me an email or anything else, nor was there any notification on the website of the entry opening date, despite regular checking throughout January.
I checked the website again on 31 January, finding both the race and the waiting list to be full, having opened for entry on the 30th. As it happens, there appear to have been advance social media notifications on platforms I do not follow, although I could see nothing on the website to indicate that this is where notifications would take place. I have to say that I am pissed off, perhaps enough to have lost interest. I certainly feel the frustration of those who were ready for the entry launch but still fell short as a consequence of the dexterity of their typing or the speed of their broadband. Maybe it’s time for a weighted lottery or similar?
I will still do the Race Across Scotland because I am up for it. However, I will now need to re-think the end of 2025 but no rush at this stage.
So, that is the bold plan for 2025, as it stands at the moment. Not short of significant challenge and at least one big unknown in there too but I am not getting any younger so if I don’t do these things now when will I? Obviously, I hope to report on all of them and keep updating as to how training and race plans are going. Should be plenty there to keep me busy, I think.
I hope you all have some goals in mind or in place for 2025. I wish you the best of luck with all of your own planning and training in the months ahead and may we all stay injury-free!
