18th October 2025
Background: The Autumn 100 (A100) consists of 4 out and back legs. The start and finish of each leg and the race is Goring-on-Thames village hall. The first leg heads north along the Thames Path to Little Wittenham and back. The second leg heads east along the Ridgeway to Swyncombe and back. Leg 3 heads west along the Ridgeway to Chain Hill and back. Leg 4 heads southeast along the Thames Path to Reading and back. There is a time limit of 28 hours. No crews are allowed for the race, which makes sense when you have 4 aid stations for each leg.
‘Down’ etymology: Old English word meaning hill. (Therefore “downhill” can, if you’re easily amused like me, mean “hillhill”. See (debunked) “Torpenhow” hill).
Race report:
The actual start of the race is just the other side of the river Thames by St Mary’s church. 236 runners toed the line with 19 of us aiming to complete the “Grand Slam” of four 100 milers in one year. My plan was to get ahead of the 7 hour cutoff for this leg to put some time in the bank. The A100 is a fast course and I wondered if it would be possible for me to achieve a finish in under 24 hours for the first time. With four legs the maths was simple, but sticking to a simple 6 hours a leg ignored the difficulties of running through the night and the inevitable fatigue of running 100 miles.
It was a bonus that I wouldn’t be running alone. Jo Robinson and I had recce’d a few miles of leg 2 while volunteering for a race earlier in the year and had decided that we might be able to work together and see how it went. Shelagh, who had been such a rock in the previous races in the slam was still injured from the North Downs 100 but hopefully she would be volunteering at Goring as I got towards the end of the race. All too soon the race director, James Elson was giving the race briefing and counting down to the start.
After a few minutes we had wiggled out of Goring and were jogging through the lush grassy paths beside the Thames. As we settled into a steady rhythm, my inner dialogue had a heated discussion with itself when an ear-worm started:
Inner voice 1 (IV1): yodelling followed by “A-wimoweh, a-wimoweh, a-wimoweh, a-wimoweh…”
Inner voice 2 (IV2: “Oh no”
IV1: “Is there a problem?”
IV2: “No, not this!”
IV1: “Why not?”
IV2: “Because the few lines that the fading grey cells can recall will now be bouncing around for the next 24 hours plus on repeat”
IV1: “But it’s a good song”
IV2: “Yes, but not as an ear worm for a 100 mile race. You remember the Winter Downs 200?”
IV1: “What’s wrong with California Dreamin’?”
IV2: “Nothing per se, but when you can only remember ‘All the leaves are brown, And the sky is grey, I’ve been for a walk, On a winter’s day’ on repeat for 90 hours on a jog/walk in December it does get on your tits”
IV1: “Well, too late now. It’s in your head and not leaving. A-wimoweh, a-wimoweh…”
I had to laugh at myself.
After about 6.5 miles (10k) we left the river and trundled into Wallingford and the aid station at the Baptist Church. It is also an aid station on the Thames Path 100 although this time I was seeing it in daylight for the first time. After a quick loo stop we crossed over the river where we met Caroline and Willow who were at the campsite we stayed at Friday night.
It was a really handy location and with Caroline not being needed for crewing this time round she and Willow could explore the area’s coffee shops.
After turning north through Crowmarsh Gifford we eventually found our way back to the river, and it was here that the difference to the other races in the series became apparent: Because of the “out and back” nature of each leg we were now faced with the faster runners on their way back to Goring and there was a lot of mutual support being spread. I think this was one of the key elements that made me rank this race as type 1 fun all the way.
At the turn point of the leg, Little Wittenham church (12.5 miles/20km 215th place out of 236), I refilled my tailwind and then we retraced our path back to Goring.
As we neared Goring, the second leg ran parallel on the other side of the river for a while and there was the odd shout across the water.
Back at Goring (5 hours 12 minutes 24 seconds, 25 miles/40km, 210th/236) I retrieved my drop bag from Helen and Laura who were pulling a long stint as baggage handlers. They volunteer at all sorts of races and are great company when you’re clad in volunteer hi-viz.
I’d carefully packed my bag so that leg 2’s t-shirt and fresh socks were ready to change into, and the tailwind stick packs were handed to the volunteers (mainly Nici who was mothering me superbly) to refill the bottles. After a quick toilet break I was ready to get going. Jo had left ahead of me so I was playing catch-up.
The recce that we had made came in handy as it was reassuring to know what was coming up to help with the pacing. The “mid-point” aid station at North Stoke is only 4 miles (6.4km) into the leg so it comes along really quickly but it was nice to grab some fruit as I trundled through.
Just after Mongewell the Ridgeway leaves the Thames as it turns almost due east along Grims Ditch, which is an ancient earthwork. At the turn Caroline was waiting with Willow, which was an unexpected bonus, but she’d worked out it was only a few minutes’ walk from the campsite
The path wriggled its way for 5km through the trees now covering the banks and ditches and then headed north again climbing through Nuffield Common (taking care when we crossed the golf course). Along this stretch we again faced the leading runners on their return leg and swapped loads of “well dones”. The route then crossed some wide valleys before dropping down a steep hill to Swyncombe aid station.
I had finally caught back up to Jo and we pushed each other along on the return leg back to Goring. It was getting dark as we headed towards North Stoke so it was head torches on to avoid tripping over the exposed roots along Grims Ditch.
Back at Goring (50 miles/80km 11 hours 37 seconds, 167th/222) for the second time I put on the leggings and extra base layers that we’d been warned we would need for the cold that would greet us on the windy tops along leg 3. Jo was having some food so I headed off out ahead of her. Budgie, my pacer for the last leg, was already outside the hall and he looked on fine form so I was happily anticipating the last 25 miles. However, there was the challenge of leg 3 ahead of me. Budgie and I had recce’d this leg in reverse at the beginning of September so I knew what lay ahead.
This leg headed across the river and then curved west along a road to Post Box Cottage where it then climbed the side of Lowbury Hill and past the gallops of Compton Downs. Where the trail turned northwest at East Ilsley Down the aid station greeted me in the darkness with ringing cowbells – always guaranteed to raise a smile. The aid station was exposed to the wind which was picking up but the volunteers shrugged that off so it was a quick top up with coke and fruit before heading along the ridge.
Just after Gore Hill the path dropped into a tunnel under the A34 before resuming its climb through the car park at Bury Down. As I passed through the carpark there was a figure standing still against the wind. I made a comment as I passed that it was a windy night for standing in a carpark in the middle of nowhere, and realised it was my friend Paul!
It was a real boost to see a friendly face in the middle of nowhere in the middle of the night – and he said he’d wait for me on the return leg too, so I felt guilty and so went faster than I would otherwise have done to the end aid station at Chain Hill. The rain had started to fall so I had to put on the jacket but take off some layers as I was sweating a bit as I pushed to the end of the outward leg.
As with East Ilsley aid station the volunteers were bouncing around in spite of the adverse location and weather at Chain Hill (62.5 miles/100km 14 hours 18 minutes 3 seconds 137th/200). I topped up the bottles and made a quick turnround with one of my major food groups in my hand:
According to the route profile the return leg should have been mostly downhill, but it didn’t feel like it! The gusting wind didn’t help but I forced myself along as Paul would be waiting. In the darkness I passed Jo heading determinedly towards the end aid station. I met Paul who had waited in the wind and rain for nearly 2 hours for my return. It was much appreciated,
In spite of the conditions underfoot on the stony paths I tried to let the brakes off on the downhill sections to take advantage of the free speed while being aware of my habit of tripping over easily on long runs. After I got to the Post Box Cottage and was running along the road I was really aware that my flapping feet were making quite a noise on the tarmac at 1 o’clock in the morning!
Returning over the bridge from Streatley to the welcome from the volunteers at the village hall (Leg 3 75 miles/120km 17 hours 7 minutes 11 seconds 109th/192) and it was into the side door of the hall for the last time. A finish in under 24 hours was on the cards and it would be a big bonus that I was being paced by Budgie. I sorted out my kit for the final time, ditching anything I thought surplus (most of my first aid kit and extra base layers). Shelagh lent a hand as she was on her volunteer shift. She had been at the hall for when I finished leg 2 but had been out the back sorting out other stuff and missed my pit stop.
We trundled out of the hall for the final time and headed south along the Thames towards Reading.
We had just under 7 hours to make the sub 24 finish. I knew we would take a few minutes at the aid station at Reading so if we could get there in 3 hours 15 minutes we could just about squeak in before 9am. It was still dark so we took the uneven sections cautiously as a DNF due to a fall now would not be big and clever. It was great having Budgie keeping me company as he was buzzing – which made up for the fatigue I was feeling by that point. I had felt ill during the week leading up to the race and he wasn’t sure that I was going to make the start as I had been off work in bed sick with the lurgy on the Tuesday and Wednesday of that week. The miles ticked by as we chatted about all sorts of things (ok, he chatted, I grunted in reply) even what we would want for our superpower. Budgie wanted to be able to find things. Mine was to be able to make people be nice to each other.
After less than 3 miles (4km) we left the river to climb uphill and skirt Combe Park before descending through Whitchurch and then cross over the river to the aid station at Pangborne. We were both feeling fine and didn’t need anything so we greeted the volunteers as we ran past through the dew laden fields. The route headed east on a footpath beside the river and curved gradually south until Mapledurham Lock where we left the river to head over the railway and wriggled our way through some housing estates. Crossing the railway footbridge took us back down to the river where we passed some interestingly bizarre boat moorings for permanent residents. After a few more fields (including a concrete step that Budgie warned me about which I duly tripped over – my only fall!) there were various buildings around us now and it felt like ages before we finally recognised the shadow of the aid station looming out of the trees ahead.
After running up the stairs into the warmth, it was great to be greeted by the two Grahams, who looked after me well. (Reading 87.5miles 140km 20 hours 22 minutes 38 seconds 100th/179). We had managed the first leg in 3 hours 15 so I knew we could make it back before 9am and allowed myself the luxury of a cup of tea.
Bidding farewell to the volunteers we headed back down the stairs and retraced our steps for the final time. I was running in fits and starts and decided that I had too many layers on. After stopping to take them off it was so much easier to keep jogging for longer and we made better progress. By now it was getting light so we ditched the headtorches and could move a lot more confidently over the rougher ground. At Pangbourne aid station we popped inside to grab some coke and then headed off over the river and up the hill into Whitchurch. As we headed into Goring along the towpath for the last time I put a bit of a sprint on and caught a couple of runners up as we turned the corner towards the village hall. Just before the finish Caroline was waiting with Willow so I stopped briefly to give her a stroke (Willow, not Caroline) and then headed down the finish path beside the hall in 23 hours 32 minutes 35 seconds. The icing on the cake was being handed my sub24 finish buckle by Shelagh.
I think I have been incredibly lucky over the past 9 years. I started running ultras with Centurion Running just before my Parkinson’s symptoms appeared. I don’t know where I would have been without their community and their races, but I do know that I am in the best place I could wish for. I have and have made some fantastic friends who have helped me immeasurably find my way through a condition which I don’t think I could have coped with without them. The conditions for this race was a culmination of events (some lucky): two days off sick during the week, perfect weather conditions, Jo setting a cracking pace, Paul making me work on leg 3, and Budgie knowing when I’m ready to run rather than walk and Parkies behaving itself (an increasingly rare occurrence).
I’m still trying to get my head round the fact that, in spite of Parkinson’s, I completed the slam which seemed an impossible challenge only a couple of years ago. The sub-24 finish on the Autumn 100 was the dream finish.
Please don’t pinch me – I don’t want to wake up.