Arc of Attrition 100: Conquering Cornwall’s Coastal Beast

–== FIRST DRAFT AND STILL NEED TO CHECK GRAMMER AND MAYBE ADD MORE PHOTOS ==–

Let’s get something straight for anyone reading this blog, this race isn’t to be taken lightly (I made this mistake), this race should be given the utmost respect with regards to distance, terrain, elevation gain and time given to complete the race. On the face of it, this 100 miler is an ideal next step up for anyone wanting a tougher 100 mile race. The stats being 104 miles, Coastal paths, ~14,000ft elevation gain and a healthy 36 hours to complete it, but be warned as that isn’t the half of the story.

This post will be partly a recount of the past couple of days, but with plenty of reflection that should help future entrants be somewhat more prepared or at least an awareness of what’s to come.

About the Race from the UTMB website

• Arc 100 is a unique point-to-point race along the most exposed sections of the South West Coast Path in England’s South West. From Coverack to Porthtowan, runners will experience the stunning and dramatic ‘arc’ of Cornwall.
• Arc 100 has a strict 36 hour time limit with additional checkpoint and safety cut-offs on route. With large stretches of coastline between aid stations, runners need the ability to be self-sufficient for long periods of time.
• 104 miles (advertised 99.4m), ~14,000 (Strava showed ~15k+), 36 hours cut off, starting 12:00 Friday with 9 aid stations plus 1 at the finish.

About the Race from my Experience

• I must emphasise this is a Winter Race and thus must be prepared to carry more kit, face adverse weather conditions with little to no protection due to running along exposed coastal paths.
• Due to the increased elevation gain fairly evenly spread across the route, it’s going to take you longer to get from point-to-point and therefore need to ensure you carry enough water and nutrition to see you through said section (carry more from Botallack to St Ives, it’s a long, technical and arduous section).
• Expect it to be muddy and wet, it’s winter after all (if it isn’t then bonus).
• If you can, recce the route (I didn’t and created uncertainty and slightly anxious on reaching cut-offs).
• Previous years typical finish rates were ~50-60% (see table below)
• Starting midday in winter really does add to an already tough race (less light, awake longer, eating plan etc.).
• Course markings as to be expected from a UTMB Race.

Personally comparing this races DNF rate in the previous 2 year’s (2023/2024) didn’t raise any additional concerns with me, with many 100 milers having 35%+ DNF rates. My concerns were the Winter aspect in this race, getting lost due to navigation errors and not being able to recce the route beforehand. Thankfully the navigation part had been taken care of, due to this being a UTMB event this year and they mark and flag the course pretty much at every 100 metres or any change in directions/path forks etc.

Note on the Ups and Downs

I’d “glanced” at the elevation profile, but would like to mention a few points about the multitude of terrain you will come across in this race:

• It’s not just several climbs/descents over the course, it’s maybe a 100 or more smaller climbs/descents
• Some small steps, large steps, with the equivalent steps down.
• Sandy and Fine pebbles beach crossings
• Boggy sections (or claggy as the South Westerners call it)
• At points scrambling up over large boulders
• The boulder fields from Botallack to St Ives
• Long slappy road descents
• Any sign of rain and the trails will be muddy and Slippery (it’s a Winter Ultra, it’s likely to be wet).
• Last but not least, would be snow and ice (lucky for me this wasn’t an issue in 2025)

Preparation and Target

So I’d ran 9-10 ultra distances in 2024 (some training, some races), completed 2×100 mile races and maintained a certain level of fitness into 2025. I’d already completed a 30 mile coastal ultra for the beginning of January, which was part training run and part supporting a friends first attempt at an ultra marathon. This race would allow me to assess any issues for the upcoming Arc of Attrition, although with 3 weeks to go, nothing I could really do to address said issue/s. So with a couple more long runs on the weekends, felt prepared enough for the race.

Targets:

• 1. Finish the race and pick up the 4 Running Stones for UTMB
• 2. Sub 30 hours and get hold of that Gold Belt Buckle

That was it, as simple as nip down to the South West Coast and tick off this easy race, grab the gold Buckle and bring back the UTMB Running Stones…….. Little did I know.

The Kit List

I’m not going to go into great details on the kit list, there’s many other posts and You Tube videos that can help with this. All I’ll say for me is, due to my budget I couldn’t buy the lighter stuff and ended up for a backpack weighing in at ~5/6kg I guess with food and water onboard. This is going to make a difference over the 100 miles, I haven’t fact checked this but sounds like John Kelly’s kit on the Spine Race was potentially lighter than what I was carrying. so if you can afford it, buy the lighter stuff, if you can’t, it’s not a show stopper, but it’s going to be heavy.

See YouTube link below from the Cotswold Runner who has done a good video on this.

Travel and Registration

Travelling down from the North East was made less painful by travelling down with another runner from Scotland (David Hanna), the ~8hour journey was filled with conversations about ultra running and David has some pretty good results and has completed some big races such as The Spine Race and UTS 100M.

• Travelled the 8 hours down on Thursday
• Arrived for Kit Check and Bib Collection around 19:00, took maybe 5 minutes.
• Shandy & Pub grub at The Unicorn on the Beach in Porthtowan
• Accommodation at Goonearl Cottage (Simply Stay), worked well with myself and David finishing at different times
• Race day we parked at the Finish, got the bus to the start
• Once finished I had a quick sleep in the car before heading to the Cottage
• Travelled back Sunday with another 8 hours of ultra talk and discussing the Race.

Race Day

Ok so ignoring the hysteria on Facebook about the weather, we were quite happy by the time we’d travelled down that the worst of the weather had blown through. We had a little more faffing with our kits in the morning and headed to the Eco Park to catch the bus to Coverack. It took a little time to travel up the road due to the narrow roads, but had plenty of time to catch the bus. This would be the last time I saw David until after the race, I sense some nerves, but didn’t want to ask.

I accidently ended up on Wave 1’s bus, I’d just seen all the runners heading towards the bus and followed, unbeknownst to me they’d shouted Wave 1. great chat with a French guy called Louis Roudaut who was a little nervous ahead of this race as this would be his longest race to date. Looks like he had nothing to be nervous about as he finished in 29hrs 52minutes and claimed his Golden Buckle. I had a good laugh with Octavian Galla (Tavi!) earlier on in the race as we past each other, who also finished strong.

Ok the announcer Stephen Cousins (Film My Run), calls for all Wave 1 to gather into the starting pen and after some thank you’s from him, race directors and a few words from Catherine Poletti (Co-Founder of the UTMB), the start is under way. Now we have to gather and patiently wait for wave 2 to be started, Stephen gets us to do the Clap (see video below). I wasn’t quite feeling it, but fun nonetheless. I just remind myself of my game plan, run well and strong to the top of the first rise and settle in for the long haul, sub30 will be here in no time.

The Start and Coverack to Lizard Point

Off we go, cheered on by the claps and shouts of supporters and coastal villagers as we leave Coverack, heading toward Lizard Point. There’s an undeniable buzz in the air, everyone’s full of energy and jostling for position. Always makes me smile and I can never quite understood the rush in these longer races. Anyways as we crest the first hill, a couple of runners take some spectacular slips, with one of them being Jess Wilson, who somehow manages to fall with elegance before popping back up effortlessly. I’d cross paths with Jess again near the finish, sharing a few more conversations before she pushed on to complete her race.

It’s a little muddy underfoot, but nothing I haven’t experienced along the Cleveland Way. I take in the scenery, focusing on settling into the race. Before I know it, we’re in and out of the Lizard Point checkpoint at the Wavecrest Café. I take on more water, a piece of a Naak bar, and I’m off again, with more cheers and clapping as I push forward.

Lizard Point to Porthleven

My memory gets a bit vague here, but since it was still light, I think this section was particularly wet and boggy in places. Plenty of grunts from runners, but ultimately, it was just a matter of dodging the worst of it and accepting that wet feet were inevitable. As darkness crept in, I hoped to reach Porthleven without using my headtorch (cool story, Justin). Dropping down onto the Loe Bar beach crossing just before Porthleven, I managed to fill both shoes with grit and stones—an unavoidable inconvenience that needed sorting once I reached the other side.

Running into Porthleven, the energy was incredible, supporters lined the streets and packed into the area outside the Shipyard Market, cheering us on. It was pretty rammed in there, but to my delight, I managed to wolf down a coffee, some soup, and bread lathered in butter. A few salty snacks, a quick refill of water and cola, and I was off again, fuelled up and ready for the next stretch.

Porthleven to Penzance

This was when things really started to get tough. The initial buzz from the checkpoint and the warmth of food faded quickly, replaced by miserable rain and a creeping cold. I found myself alone for much of this stretch, just gritting it out. Eventually, I arrived without realizing it at first on the outskirts of Marazion, where a few supporters were cheering while waiting for their own runners. I took the chance to layer up and decided to walk for a while.

I needed some support myself, so I checked my phone and messaged my wife and a couple of running friends. It helped, at least a little, but I was tired, suffering, and in desperate need of a sit-down and some warm food. The negatives crept in, as they always do at times like this. I questioned why I was out here, why I was away from my two daughters. One was already asleep, while my eldest smiled back at me in a picture she’d sent on her mum’s phone. My friends reassured me that I wasn’t far from the next checkpoint, where I could get some proper food down me. So, I trudged on.

It was still a long, slow trudge—mostly along a cinder path and then the walkway into Penzance. Finally, I reached the aid station. (Note to myself and others: don’t waste the flat ground by walking—try to run a little; it’ll help with later cut-offs.)

Low Mood? Eat Food. That rule never fails. Almost instantly, I started coming around, lifted by the sight of the Arc Angels, warm food, and shelter from the weather. It was a fairly quick turnaround, but just as I was preparing to leave, a runner collapsed right in front of us. A medic rushed over, and I stepped out the door. There was nothing I could do, and with ~64 miles still to go, I didn’t want anything else weighing on my mind.

Not long after, another runner passed me, and we talked about it. The medics had managed to bring him around, which was good to hear. Even now, as I write this, I wonder how his race turned out.

Penzance to Porthcurno

More blurred miles pass, through little fishing villages and long stretches of tarmac, until we finally hit narrow, muddy paths with a bit of scrambling thrown in. There’s some good running here, and up ahead, I think I spot a checkpoint on the next hill.

Steep steps, random fencing, this has to be it. It is with no time to linger though. I know Land’s End is only 4.5 miles away, and that’s where my drop bag is waiting. Unbeknownst to me, the Minack Theatre is the other side of that random fence and another time I’d love to take it all in and wonder what theatrics would have played out in the theatre I assumed was left by the Roman’s, only to research it was made post World War I. Sorry for the spoiler if you didn’t know, still looks like a great place to visit, but back to the Arc. I push on, focused on reaching it, knowing I’ll need to take some time thereto refuel properly for the tougher sections ahead.

Porthcurno to Land’s End

All I can think about is my can of Red Bull and the boost I desperately hope it’ll give me to finish off this night and make it to Botallack before the cut-off. So, I put my head down and dig in. I know I keep repeating myself, but I’m unusually tired. In hindsight, I hadn’t had a well-rested week with work and family commitments, traveling the 8 hours down and a poor night’s sleep beforehand hadn’t helped. All things considered, I was actually doing alright (easier said retrospectively looking back and I guess this is where crew would come in handy).

In somewhat of a blink of an eye or a sleep deprived dream I’m seeing some smiling faces and hearing cheers as I roll into the checkpoint that again is a welcomed lift.

Land’s End to Botallack

This is where the next challenge began. I sat down, cracked open my can of Red Bull, and started working through the pizza and soup I’d asked for, along with a nice cup of tea. The real battle was forcing the food down, I needed to rebuild my energy levels, especially with daylight approaching. I wanted to be able to put the work in when the sun came up.

As I sat there, an Arc Angel spoke to a runner next to me, reminding him that, as a Wave 1 runner, he needed to get moving soon. That was my cue, I had just over 30 minutes to get out of here.

I tried not to let the ticking clock stress me out, instead focusing on getting as much food down as possible, washing it all down with tea and Red Bull. Stocked up with a few bits from my drop bag and some salty snacks from the table, I headed back out.

Oooof, it’s chilly after being inside the hotel for so long, best get moving to warm up. I started running, and soon I was heading down into Sennen Cove. Thankfully, someone had picked up the correct path near the car park and called out to a few lost souls wandering at the bottom.

From memory this was pretty good running along the coast, with a little bit of beach running in the sand and this is were I could feel the sky getting lighter and the signalling of the new day. unbeknownst to me at the time we had dropped into Cape Cornwall and some more supporters and one of the many cameras out on course. I look pretty upbeat at this point so the hint of sunlight was obviously raising my spirits and maybe the guy behind me who looked pretty chipper.

Shortly after this I can see the tent next to a mine structure and reflect about that section being pretty enjoyable and maybe the next section isn’t all that much worse. Anyways let’s get some food on board for the next section. There’s plenty of Arc Angels welcoming me into the checkpoint, guiding me toward food. I grabbed some cheese and marmite sandwiches, exactly what my body needed, along with another coffee and a few more snacks. As I refuelled, we were reminded not to linger. The next section would be tough, and making it to St Ives in time would be tight.

With that, I headed back out.

Botallack to St Ives

The pressure is building now. I want to run, but I also need my food to settle, so I fast-hike down the gravel tracks. Before long, I pick up a trot and start wondering, have I mixed up the sections? This part feels way more runnable than I was warned about.

PLEASE TAKE NOTE HERE: This is the section designed to sap every last ounce of energy, hope, and possibly a few tears out of you. It’s relentless. When you’re not climbing up or dropping down, you’re scrambling over boulders or bog-hopping. And after a storm has just blown through? Everything is soaked, slippery and claggy. Oh and don’t forget to load up your water bottles like i did, ran out of water and the last bit of coke, probably 1 hour 30 mins before St Ives, this was totally my fault and if you think you need more get that extra flask out and take more on, it’s a bloody long stretch to St Ives.

This stretch is the Attrition in the Arc of Attrition. You just have to keep digging in, making the most of every runnable section to maintain some kind of pace. It’s about 15 miles of pure grind, and even when you reach the edge of St Ives, there’s still a good stretch of running through town before you actually hit the checkpoint. I get there with 25 minutes to spare.

I’d been told repeatedly, If you make it to St Ives before the cut-off, you can walk the rest of the way. Now, having run this race, I somewhat agree. But why take the chance?

I catch Fergie’s ear and (with just a touch of sarcasm) thank him for convincing me to move up from the 50-miler to the full 100-mile Arc of Attrition. He claps me on the shoulder and reminds me not to get comfortable, plenty of runners have failed to finish from here because they got complacent.

That’s my cue. I load up and get moving.

St Ives to Godrevy

At this point, the colour of my belt buckle was set, but that didn’t change the fact that every decision still mattered. Once I navigated my way out of St Ives, I hit a long stretch of tarmac. Looking back, I think this is a section that really needs to be run/walked to make the most of it and push for a better time.

But me? I opted for a “speed” walk. I just wasn’t feeling it until we got onto softer ground. A quick FaceTime with my wife lifted my spirits as I passed through Hayle, where I suddenly craved chocolate milk, but not enough to stop for it.

Before long, I hit the infamous Dunes of Doom. I’d mentally prepared to navigate this maze of paths, but thanks to the UTMB marking, there was no need, it was well laid out. The light was fading fast, and by the time I stumbled into the Godrevy checkpoint, it was completely dark.

Earlier, I’d posted in the Hardmoors Facebook group that I was “on tour” down here, flying the HM flag. An Arc Angel had liked the post and told me to say hi when I reached Godrevy. So, once I arrived, I asked for Linda.

“No Linda here, I’m sorry.”

Oh. “Do you mean Laura?”

“Yes!”

Close enough. Turns out she’d done some Hardmoors races, and we had a quick chat about Hardmoors, the Arc, and triathlons. It gave me a real boost to connect with someone who understood the grind. After a quick photo, I was ready to get this bloody thing done.

Godrevy to Portreath

Stepping out of the checkpoint and holy cowbells! The weather had taken a turn for the worse. A bitter wind had swept through, and the rain had started up again. That was enough to get me moving, and as I powered up the next hill, I realized I actually felt pretty good. I decided to run for as long as my legs would carry me.

It wasn’t all that far, but it did the trick, I felt warmer and settled into a solid run/walk rhythm. The next checkpoint was still a long way off, and the mud had returned in full force. Somewhere around here, I linked back up with Jess Wilson, and we passed the time swapping stories about what races we had coming up next.

Before long, I rolled into Portreath, cruised through the village, and reached the checkpoint. I barely stopped, just poked my head into the tent and back out again, just kept pushing forward.

“Only 4.5 miles to the finish,” they told me.

On my local walks, that’s just over an hour. I figured if I speed-hiked, I’d be done in maybe 90 minutes.

Little did I realise…

Portreath to Porthtowan and the Finish

Out of the checkpoint, the final grind begins, hauling ass up a long road climb before hitting the trails. At first, it’s runnable, but soon enough, the mud returns, and then come the stings in the tail. Steep, slippery slopes. Gruelling stepped climbs. And then, finally, I hear the finish line.

Most likely, it’s Stephen Cousins on the mic, calling runners home. The relief washes over me, and I push on… only to be directed left, away from the sound. I look down the trail and see flashing red lights disappearing into the distance.

I’m totally sick of this f%^king race now!!

But no, there’s more—more slippery downhills, and then the final insult: an awful, steep descent onto slappy tarmac into Porthtowan. I’m disoriented, just putting one foot in front of the other, when I stumble upon some marshals.

“Only half a mile now,” one tells me.

I don’t dare respond. I’m raging inside.

Another marshal guides me over the wooden bridge, and I know, this is it! The final climb!! I’m absolutely knackered but overwhelmed with relief. A few runners edge past me. 50-miler? 100-miler? I don’t care. I let them go.

Reaching the top, I take a deep breath, compose myself, and run into the finish funnel, arms raised in one last effort.

An Arc Angel greets me instantly, handing over the Silver Buckle and offering a hug and telling me, “It’s okay to cry.”

The hug feels good, but I don’t have the energy to cry.

I just want a beer and some food….

Post Race Reflections

Terrain – The terrain was almost a mixture of lots of different areas i’ve already ran across. The Cleveland way muddy trails, Peak District for the more wet and boggy sections, some scrambling and clambering over boulders, Lake District like stone fields to navigate and then sandy beaches and the Dune of Doom, with a few tarmac towns thrown in for good measure. So again I totally get “attrition” part of the name, so be prepared for a total mixed bag of terrains if you’r entering the Arc of Attrition.

Navigation – As this is UTMB, it was fully marked and the only times I went wrong on the course is when i wasn’t paying attention to the markers as they were there clear as day.

Managing Fuelling and Hydration – For me I needed to carry more savoury and proper foods for the night section as the gels were just not going down as well as they would have with a early morning start. Appreciate everyone is different with this one and to some degrees i’m still learning for these longer races. One thing I will stress is coming out of Botallack be sure you’ve maxed out your bottles as those 15 miles are about 5-6 hours worth of work up and down hills is thirsty/hungry work.

Mental and Physical Highs and Lows – Into the night within 4 hours of running and then you’rethe darkness for 14 hours, this adds to the “attrition” and took me to my lowest points in the race. Plenty of sugary treats to keep the mood raised and stock up on the warm food/drink at checkpoints as that helped with my mood throughout.

Weather – Although we had the sodden ground to deal with, a little wind and a few showers each night, I can’t imagine doing that race first time if the Storm hadn’t blown through the night before. It’s very exposed along the cliff tops, so make sure you have a good waterproof jacket and if you know it’s going to rain a lot throughout, suggest having a spare at Land’s End to swap out.

Support Crew – If you’re able to get people to support you on this race, then do so. although there’s only a few spots they can help, it would have boosted me so much to have family or friends there and even a bit of warm soup inbetween the UTMB checkpoints would have probably kept my lows a little higher.

Highlights – For me the highlights are the chance to run in a another part of the UK I would have probably never ventured too without the temptation of Running Stones, although after running this race I do have an urge to come back and get that Gold buckle. The Arc Angels and runners around me were a positive highlight and getting to St Ives before the cut-off was such a relief, even if there was another 22 miles to go.

Conclusion: The Arc’s Impact on Me

• Tough, technical at times and requires grit and determination to get it done
• My hint of arrogance nearly cost me the finish on this one, anything less than perfect conditions and you’re going to suffer if you haven’t put the training in.
• Do the hill training, prepare mentally for the varied terrain and attrition of the course and don’t miss an opportunity to run as it may be the difference to making a cut-off or finishing the race.

Special Thanks

Arc Angels are brilliant, the MudCrew guys who were obviously a big part of establishing this race and support this first installment by UMTB. I must thank the UTMB family as I wouldn’t have done this race if it wasn’t for them and i’m very glad I did enter this race.

And Finally thank you to my support crew from a far, the Hardmoors Facebook group sent some lovely messages and even soem were keeping an eyeon the tracker, my runnings friends giving me moral support via phone messages and my family who watched my little dot move for the 34 hours, while messaging and video calls to keep me going.