It is dark and I am completely lost. I am also starting to get very cold – the temperature has barely moved above freezing point all day. I know the final checkpoint is close but I just can’t seem to find a way out of this enormous muddy field I find myself in. I am conscious of the looming cut off for this ultra race but confident of making it with plenty of time to spare.
Thankfully, Andy is my crew for the day and manages to guide me back on to the path and to the checkpoint using Whatsapp live location. I am running the Race to the Castle Ultra from Aberdovey to Harlech following the Wales Coastal Path – my first ever ultra and the longest race I have ever done. I am surprised by two things. One is how good I feel and, secondly, how well I have coped with the cold after living in Dubai for more than 30 years. My training has gone well and, while I am not at the same fitness level I was, I am delighted to have got to the start line given the year that 2024 turned out to be.
Prior to 2024 I had been a triathlete training 14 hours a week with Sported Coaching in Dubai and racing internationally at the 70.3 distance with several podiums and world championship spots under my belt as well as earning a spot as the UK number one in my age group and a world top ten in the Ironman rankings. I was also lucky enough to race for Team GB in the World Triathlon Series in Spain in 2022.
However, that was about to come to an end.
I was diagnosed with advanced and aggressive ovarian cancer in March 2024 and underwent surgery and six months of chemotherapy which was completed in September of that year. During my treatment we sold our house in Dubai and began the process of moving back to the UK. A decision my husband, Andy, and I made given my health and the desire to be closer to family. For the first three months of treatment I was able to continue light training but the drop in blood pressure due to the chemotherapy drugs made me unsafe on the bike and very wobbly on my legs. As the weeks continued I began to lose weight, unable to eat because of the nausea and towards the end of the treatment I was unable to walk up a flight of stairs and was spending a lot of time sleeping.
My treatment finished in September 2024 and a week later Andy and I were on a plane back to the UK and the welcoming arms of my family. From here I gradually started to put the weight back on and started walking again. Although the first few outings were a little precarious and I had to be supported by two people in front and behind me to ensure I didn’t fall in the canal.
While I was in the hospital going through my treatment, I promised myself I would run an ultra – something I have always wanted to do but triathlon was always the priority. In the UK I knew I wouldn’t want to do open water swimming as the chemo had left me feeling very cold all the time and unwilling to get into any water cooler than a hot bath, so my focus was running rather than triathlon.
To get to my ultimate goal I set myself milestones to achieve on the way. The first one was the local 5k park run which I did in December with Andy and my sister just two months after finishing treatment. It was most definitely the slowest 5k I have ever done but the sense of achievement at that time was immense. My next goal was a 10k trail run which I did in March 2025 with my niece who very kindly shepherded me around a wet and slippery course ensuring I got to the finish line.
From here my niece and I took on a half marathon in July. I was starting to find some of my running form coming back and we finished in a respectable time of 2 hours 29 minutes on an undulating course – nothing is flat in the UK. I was elated to be running strong and feeling great.
The final milestone was my first ever marathon which I did on a trail in Shropshire in November 2025. This was a very slow race as the course took us up a very steep hill four times but it did mean that I had a long time on my feet which was all good preparation for the ultra.
How did I choose an ultra race? I didn’t really. A friend had said she was doing the Run to the Castle in January 2026 and Andy thought it would be a good one for me to do. They also do a summer version which would have been much more sensible, but in the deep end I went.
The race almost didn’t go ahead because of storm Goretti but we got the all clear on the day before and off we went to the west coast of Wales. The route follows the Wales Coastal Path and is stunning with very steep hills and lots of off-road trails. I was surprised by how much walking we did because of the hills and the icy conditions but there were some nice stretches of running along the sea front and along the beaches. I felt really good throughout, grateful for all those long runs I did in typical UK weather when it was hard to step out of the door.
My strategy was to walk the uphills and stop only briefly at the checkpoints for a quick cup of tea. I had all the nutrition I needed with me and so was completely self sufficient.
I completed 55 km in 8 hours and 17 minutes which included quite a bit of time getting lost but I am hooked and already planning my next ultra.
Posted on 21st Jan 2026
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